Month: June 2018

Spring 2018 Teaching Excellence Honorees

Congratulations to the following Spring 2018 EDLR Faculty who received the Teaching Excellence Honor by the University Provost’s Office:

Sandy Bell

Laura Burton

Miguel CardonaMiguel Cardona

Joseph Cooper

Anna Cutaia-Leonard

Morgaen Donaldson

Shaun Dougherty

Charles Dumais

Justin Evanovich

Michele Femc-Bagwell

Erica Fernández

Richard Gonzales

Preston Green

Robin Grenier

Kelly Lyman

Richard Schwab

Maria Sedotti

Howard Theiry

Danielle Upham

Jennie Weiner

Christine Wilson

Sarah Woulfin

Based on recent teaching evaluations, these individuals are among a select group of faculty who excel in teaching, which involves successfully engaging students and facilitates an environment of learning around a spirit of inquiry and intellectual curiosity. These educators are innovative and are consistently seeking new ways to improve as teachers.

Congratulations on this success as you continue to serve as a model for the students and peers within the department, keep up the outstanding work!

HESA Hosts Annual Assessment Day

On April 26th, HESA hosted its annual Assessment Day, the summation of a two-semester course series (EDLR 5102 and 5103) that gives first-year HESA students the opportunity to develop and hone important skills by conducting group assessment projects in service to the UConn community.  The series constitutes a fundamental element of HESA’s unique core curriculum and commitment to scholarship in practice. This year, students split into four groups and tackled four distinct assessment projects (see table). We spoke with Dr. Christine Wilson, the course instructor, to learn more:

The point of the course is to help the students learn about assessment, evaluation, and research by engaging in a yearlong group assessment project that serves a department or program on campus.  The first semester is dedicated to learning about foundations of assessment and research while completing a literature review for the projects, defining assessment questions, creating methodology, and completing IRB paperwork to assure that research with student participants is conducted legally and ethically.  During the second semester, the students collect and analyze data, present their results and findings during an open presentation day, and complete an assessment paper.

Assessment Day, which takes place at the end of the semester, is a great way for the community to see the work that the students have completed, as well as the contributions of knowledge that they are making to the departments they have served with their projects.  In addition, the students have a chance to present their projects in a formal setting. I have taught this course series three times, and Assessment Day is the highlight of the year.

Congratulations to the students of EDLR 5103 for their successful assessment projects, and the completion of their first year in the UConn HESA program.