News and Notes

Hello everyone,

Summer has arrived. Spring courses are over, another class has graduated and many of you are in the middle of writing and researching to advance your field of study.

As always, a time of transition is a time of reflection. How did things go? Can I change anything to improve what I did the next time through? Almost all of us face this need for self-reflection and have a desire to “manipulate the variables” and improve the product or process. Good luck to each of you as you settle into your summer focus. Personally, I’m planning my fall calendar to include even more connection with faculty.

You may have noted that this is a double issue. There are double faculty articles and double book reviews to help you move into the upcoming academic year. The first feature article is by Dick Cassle, who has been teaching online and has a wonderful series of tips and techniques proven to “Really Work”. The second article is by Todd Zakrajsek focusing on a method of pulling useful information from the end-of-course student evaluation comments.

The first book review is Engaging Large Classes: Strategies and Techniques for College Faculty by Jan Farmer. This book sounds like it is full of great ideas for connecting with students to increase learning. The second review is of the book Effective College Learning. This book (directed at first-year students) is a great resource for offering tips about learning -- both within the college classroom and as students move into the workplace.

Additional information in the newsletter includes a link to the Lilly North Conference website where you will find a listing of this year’s presenters and topics and a link to the Michigan Blackboard User’s Conference (MiBUG) webpage for more information about that upcoming conference and an invitation to present.

Until next time,
Ireta Ekstrom
FaCIT Instructional Designer