2y2d Teaching & Learning in the 21st Century Initiative

Best Practices

Resource Videos

As an initiative of the Sustainable Academic Business Plan, we strive to systematically addresses how we will approach teaching and learning in the coming years.

The Initiative Steering Committee and its two working groups (Pedagogy and Technology) include leaders and faculty from across campus. These groups collaborate with University of Washington Information Technology (UW-IT) and the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) on pedagogical resources, innovations, and integrated technologies to support teaching and learning.

Vision

The initiative distilled extensive input from 2y2d focus groups and other sources during the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 academic years. Recommendations were distilled into the following principles and goals.

UW Teaching & Learning in the 21st Century:

  • serves an increasingly diverse UW community
  • involves more innovative pedagogies and experiential learning
  • is more collaborative
  • is supported by technology
  • is aware of changing student expectations

Read the full visioning document Teaching & Learning the 21st Century.

Near-term Goals

  • Embrace the rapid pace of change in teaching and learning in ways that align to our mission, vision, and values.
  • Continue to prioritize and provide rich interaction between faculty and students.
  • Fulfill the needs and expectations of an increasingly diverse and digitally savvy UW community with shifting demographics by anticipating and responding to developments in cutting-edge pedagogy, and the omni-presence of transformative, integrated technologies.

Accomplishments

  • Guided and participated in pilots to monitor the effectiveness of innovative technology tools intended to improve the student learning experience, including Canvas (eLearning system, 2012 pilot project report), Tegrity (cloud-based lecture capture solution, 2012 pilot project report), and e-Text (online text delivery tool). Learn more.
  • Launched an online teaching and learning website with over a dozen teaching resource topics.
  • Produced two short videos as “teaching testimonials” describing innovative instruction at the UW. See below.
  • In partnership with Student Technology Fee Committee, increased WiFi access and worked toward the Autumn 2012 launch of MyPlan, a web-based tool to help students plan their path to degree. It will enable students to develop multi-quarter academic plans, search for and track courses, assess their progress toward a degree, and have more productive discussions with their advisors.
  • Articulated the mission, vision, and values for the Center for Teaching & Learning(CTL), including:
    • Promoting student learning by supporting and strengthening the UW teaching community.
    • Sharing knowledge of best practices and evidence-based research on teaching, learning, and mentoring
  • Provided guidance to CTL in the development of Faculty and Professional Learning Communities (FPLCs)on:
    • Engaging Students in Larger Classes
    • Social Media for Learning
    • Canvas Course Management

Resource Videos: Innovative Teaching Techniques

This series demonstrates techniques that increase students’ meaningful understanding and deep learning. These videos were produced by the 2y2d Teaching & Learning initiative in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

Introducing Canvas: UW’s Preferred Course Management System


The University of Washington is moving to a uniform, system-wide learning management system (LMS) called Canvas. Students asked for and expect a single platform, while faculty appreciate features that save time and support grading, feedback, and interaction, such as online office hours. We chose Canvas after conducting a pilot, which found that students and faculty preferred Canvas over other LMSs such as Moodle and Blackboard. Students liked the modern look and feel, faculty said it was easy to use, and administrators like that it’s free to their units through UW-IT.

Lecture Capture


UW faculty use lecture-capture for both practical and pedagogical reasons—to maintain course continuity when classes can’t meet, to make lectures accessible for remote or absent students, or to make complete recordings available to students for review lectures after class, a technique that students find helpful. Some faculty create stand-alone lectures for students to watch at home, freeing up in-person class time for more interactive and engaging activities. The lecture capture tool Tegrity is available to members of the UW community. The Seattle Times profiled UW faculty who are “flipping the classroom.”

Writing Exercises Increase Understanding of Biology


Mary Pat Wenderoth, a faculty member in Biology, assigns her students ‘learning paragraphs.’ This method gives students writing practice and an opportunity to reflect on and synthesize what they are learning.

Next Steps

  • Gather best practices for teaching and learning and for facilitating instructor innovation.
  • Provide toolkits, conduct workshops, and facilitate faculty learning communities to make it easier for faculty to try out innovative and technology-supported teaching approaches.
  • Address space, the need for flexible facilities, and IT in classrooms.

Leadership

Steering Committee and Working Groups

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