Focus on assessments, inclusive strategies, and engagement

UITL Communities of Practice connect remote instructors

To lend support to instructors and extend and amplify the resources available through keepteaching, the University Institute of Teaching and Learning announces seven Communities of Practice designed to allow those who teach to connect with one another and share evidence-based instructional strategies as they deliver courses remotely.

Communities of Practice connect instructors and allow them to interact regularly and share concerns in a way that reflects the fundamentally social nature of learning (and teaching).

The Communities of Practice will develop around three themes: 1. assessment and evaluation of student learning; 2. inclusivity and access; and 3. quality of student engagement and experience. 

Communities will begin meeting on Monday, April 6; however, instructors are invited to join at any time. The platform for discussions and sharing resources will be the Teams application, with the exception of the Clinical Teaching CoP.

If you would like to join a community, please complete this interest form as soon as possible. You are invited to participate as your schedule permits.

Community Description

Designed For …

LARGE LECTURE/HIGH ENROLLMENT COURSES: Instructors teaching large sections of courses or large lecture courses face particular sets of challenges for remote teaching. In particular, they may struggle with how to deliver exams, or how to shift from high stakes to low stakes assessments, while managing instructional preparation and grading responsibilities. 

Instructors of courses enrolling 60+ students or large courses with sections.

CLINICAL TEACHING: Clinical instructors in the health sciences at Ohio State have already been exploring how to teach and asses clinical skills at a distance. This group will allow for the sharing of evidence-based practices and innovations arising from the particular challenge of clinical and case study instruction in a remote context.

Clinical and clinical practice faculty in the health sciences, specifically nursing, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, optometry, dentistry and HRS, as well as public health and social work.

LAB AND FIELD ACTIVITY COURSES: This community will allow instructors who must transition to conducting hands-on learning experiences remotely to share ideas and approaches with peers.

Lab and experiential learning instructors who support students in meeting learning outcomes associated with hand-on activities.

GTAs: Graduate Teaching Assistants have dual roles of student and instructor during this remote teaching period. Here they will be able to examine what can be gleaned and applied from this unique position at the university and how to navigate the complexities of learning and teaching.

Graduate teaching assistants who instruct or support courses as graders or recitation leaders.

REGIONAL CAMPUS INSTRUCTORS: Regional instructors face unique challenges that include higher teaching loads and delivering instruction to a diverse student population. In addition to the UITL CoP themes, this group will tackle developing and sustaining dynamic discussions remotely.

Instructors on the Marion, Newark, Lima, ATI, or Mansfield campuses.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY: Instructors who teach multiple courses during a semester may find the shift to remote teaching especially demanding given the number of preparations, activities, and students requiring their attention. This community provides both a place for sharing how to manage the load and ideas for increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

Any full- or part-time associated faculty.

MID- AND LATE-CAREER FACULTY: For mid- and late-career faculty, “going remote” presents a unique opportunity to expand skills and investigate scholarly teaching/scholarship of teaching and learning in their courses. An additional goal of this community is to develop resources in order to successfully mentor newer colleagues.

Instructors interested in sharing expertise with faculty they mentor or with one another as they also learn new techniques associated with remote instruction.