Posted 10:08 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2015
Ninety UWL instructors, staff and students invited colleagues to take a behind-the-scenes look at instruction during the Conference on Teaching and Learning on Sept. 1.
Ninety UWL instructors, staff and students invited colleagues to take a behind-the-scenes look at instruction during the Conference on Teaching and Learning on Sept. 1.
“We see teachers most often in the classroom, lab or studio giving lectures, facilitating discussions and demonstrating skills, but there is so much more to teaching that happens behind the scenes,” says Bill Cerbin, director of the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning.
The annual conference focuses on sharing all the planning, design and preparation instructors put into their classes to improve teaching and better support student learning. It included 46 presentations — posters, panel discussions, roundtables and workshops from 24 disciplines. More than 200 instructors attended.
Professor Keely Rees shared how her health education students learned about advocacy through training sessions and a visit with representatives at the state capitol during spring semester. Students in this field will likely find health advocacy a big part of their future as they are called to speak on behalf of populations in need and garner state support for funding health programming.
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UWL Senior Bethany Starry, left, and Professor Keely Rees shared how her health education students learned about advocacy through training sessions and a visit with representatives at the state capitol.[/caption]
UWL Senior Bethany Starry and several classmates met with legislators to advocate for more health education surrounding issues of teen pregnancy in rural Wisconsin communities, among other issues. The experience was a lesson in effective communication, she says.
“The biggest thing I learned was that we all have a voice,” says Starry. “What we say is important. This wasn’t just a field trip.”
Also during spring semester 20 instructors redesigned their courses to incorporate undergraduate research projects. Students in Professor Marie Moeller’s professional writing course wrote grant proposals for non-profit organizations in La Crosse, students in Professor Mary Hamman’s economic classes worked with clients in seven area businesses, and students in Professor Patricia Stovey’s history class researched everyday objects to communicate how Wisconsinites understand their world in past and present.
Motivated by the desire to understand students’ difficulties in their classes, many instructors investigate teaching and learning problems. Professor David Howard, biology, explored ways to redesign slide presentations that reduce information overload and enhance learning. English Professors Ryan Friesen, Jennifer Mohlenhoff-Baggett and Bruce Handtke examined how students interpret and apply the written feedback they receive from instructors. Sociology professors Enilda Delgado, Julia McReynolds-Perez, and Carol Miller investigated students’ problems using statistical analyses in a research methods course.
UWL Senior Bethany Starry, left, and Professor Keely Rees shared how her health education students learned about advocacy through training sessions and a visit with representatives at the state capitol.[/caption]
UWL Senior Bethany Starry and several classmates met with legislators to advocate for more health education surrounding issues of teen pregnancy in rural Wisconsin communities, among other issues. The experience was a lesson in effective communication, she says.
“The biggest thing I learned was that we all have a voice,” says Starry. “What we say is important. This wasn’t just a field trip.”
Also during spring semester 20 instructors redesigned their courses to incorporate undergraduate research projects. Students in Professor Marie Moeller’s professional writing course wrote grant proposals for non-profit organizations in La Crosse, students in Professor Mary Hamman’s economic classes worked with clients in seven area businesses, and students in Professor Patricia Stovey’s history class researched everyday objects to communicate how Wisconsinites understand their world in past and present.
Motivated by the desire to understand students’ difficulties in their classes, many instructors investigate teaching and learning problems. Professor David Howard, biology, explored ways to redesign slide presentations that reduce information overload and enhance learning. English Professors Ryan Friesen, Jennifer Mohlenhoff-Baggett and Bruce Handtke examined how students interpret and apply the written feedback they receive from instructors. Sociology professors Enilda Delgado, Julia McReynolds-Perez, and Carol Miller investigated students’ problems using statistical analyses in a research methods course.
"The annual conference is more than a way to gear up for the fall semester; it is an opportunity for instructors to learn from one another and to continue to improve their teaching," says Cerbin.