Teaching Review

Principle: Core courses should incorporate evidence-based teaching practices that lead to student success. Both general and discipline-specific teaching practices must inform the instruction of all core courses. Teaching practices must address the extraordinary diversity of FSU students.

Excellence | Exemplars | Subcommittee

Teaching Excellence

There are many factors that go into student success, but one of those factors is the quality of instruction. And quality of instruction is a factor FSU can influence. A growing body of research suggests that there are best practices in instructional design and delivery that can improve student achievement.

Quality Matters

FSU has long recognized the importance of good course design in online courses. Every FSU instructor teaching online must complete training designed by the Office of Faculty Development and Online Education. This training is based on Quality Matters, an organization that promotes excellence in online teaching. Because most FSU instructors teach at least one course online, most instructors teaching core courses have completed this training.

However, most general education courses are taught face-to-face. The Core Review Task Force wants to ensure that all core courses, whether taught online or face-to-face, are well designed to promote the success of all students.

ACUE

The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is a national organization that promotes evidence-based teaching practices for the online and face-to-face environments. FSU has partnered with ACUE to provide training for FSU faculty.

AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) promotes excellence in undergraduate education through its Office of Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation. 

UDL

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles and tools to design instruction for all learners. More...

Exemplary Programs

The Core Review Task Force will study the work of exemplary programs to improve core teaching and learning.

• Northern Arizona University First-Year Learning Initiative (FYLI): Northern Arizona University has created a program to train faculty and certify courses using ACUE principles.
• FSU QEP: Adaptive Learning: As part of its recent reaccreditation, FSU has undertaken an initiative to use adaptive learning software to improve student learning and student success.

Subcommittee

Charge

To recommend standards for teaching and learning in core courses. General standards include research-based practices that promote learning, equity, and student success in all courses. Discipline-specific standards include those specific to areas such as the natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities.

Membership

Chair: John Brooks, Associate Professor of History, CHSS, jibrooks@uncfsu.edu.