Shenandoah University | Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning

Join TTL for a 7-week Faculty Learning Community focused on Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classrooms by Flower Darby and James Lang. This community is ideal for graduate faculty teaching online, hybrid, or any variation of asynchronous or synchronous courses. This community will be a virtual offering.

What are Faculty Learning Communities?

Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) unite faculty to enhance teaching and learning practices through collaborative, semester- or year-long programs. These groups engage in regular activities that promote professional growth, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and a sense of community. FLCs are known for their adaptability across diverse content areas and their effectiveness in driving institutional change (Cox, 2001).

Structure and Activities

The FLC will meet bi-weekly over the course of one academic semester. Each meeting will be structured around a specific theme or topic corresponding to the chapters in the text. Faculty will be required to implement at least one of the practices from that chapter into their current course or the courses they will be teaching in the future.

Assessment and Evaluation

The effectiveness of the FLC will be assessed through an evaluation survey of faculty experiences. Faculty will also present on the changes they made in their courses in a final FLC presentation.

Faculty Stipend 

Faculty members from any graduate program across various departments and colleges are invited to participate and will receive a $100 stipend for their participation.

Resources Needed

Faculty will be provided with a copy of the text: Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classrooms by Flower Darby and James Lang, before the first session begins. More information will be provided once registration is completed.

If you or other faculty in your department are currently teaching online or considering new programming in online modalities, consider signiing up to be an FLC participant today. This is an opportunity to make real-time course changes based on evidence-based practices explored in the provided text.