THE MISSION of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is to maximize the University’s academic impact by advancing innovation in the classroom and sharing expertise on teaching and learning. CTE strives to inspire, enable, and facilitate the education of students and teaching staff to create a pedagogically cultivating university.
TH E CENTER FO R TE ACHING E XCEL L ENCE DIREC TOR ’S L E T TER After a reboot in October 2012, we set out to build a team and expand the mission of the Center for Teaching Excellence. With overwhelming support from the Provost and President, 2013 was a year of outstanding growth and campus wide impact for the Center. Our team has led numerous high-impact initiatives that have improved learning outcomes throughout campus. With thousands of hours of faculty interactions, we have helped enhance student learning both in the classroom and through digital resources online. One of our greatest strengths is the diversity of our initiatives, which provide resources for instructors in all stages of their careers.
I am pleased to highlight our team and programs as we inspire engagement in the classroom, support faculty innovations across campus, and create enhanced learning experiences. Through our continuous efforts, we strive to facilitate an excellent learning experience for the students at the University of Oklahoma.
Sincerely, Dr. Mark Morvant Executive Director
S I G N AT U R E C O U R S E S Signature courses enhance the traditional classroom experience by offering additional online materials designed to engage students outside of the classroom and improve the learning experience. CTE has developed sections for Exploring U.S. History 1483 and 1493, and Political Science 1113, which includes videos on democracy from President Boren and faculty.
American Federal Government | democracy.ou.edu Exploring U.S. History | explorehistory.ou.edu
TOTAL COURSES 20 courses across 15 departments OU STUDENTS TAKING JANUX COURSES 2,300+ OPEN STUDENTS TAKING JANUX COURSES 15,000+ DEMOGRAPHICS OF OPEN STUDENTS All 50 States, 107 Countries TOP COUNTRIES BY VISIT US, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden
OPEN COURSES: JANUX Janux is an online interactive learning community that gives students direct connections to courses, educational resources, faculty, and each other. The courses are freely available to the public but may be taken for college credit by enrolled OU students. The interactive environment allows for students to connect in meaningful ways with other learners through features such as note sharing, chat, and an interactive media viewer. Janux is a product of the One University Digital Initiative and built in partnership between OU and NextThought.
A D A M C R O O M D I R E C T O R O F D I G I TA L C O U R S E S As Director of Digital Courses, Adam Croom enhances student success through supporting faculty who wish to create innovative, digital learning environments. He is an adjunct professor for the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and curates TEDxOU, an independent TED event which has accumulated more than 500,000 views worldwide. Croom is the Project Director for freedom. ou.edu, which hosts talks on freedom and the course, “The Story of Freedom is America� by Dr. J. Rufus Fears, a course frequently in Top 10 Courses on iTunesU. Most recently, he was honored as a 2013 Journal Record Innovator of the Year. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from OU.
H O N G L I N A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R As the Associate Director, Hong Lin organizes faculty learning communities, manages course redesign, and consults with faculty to identify best pedagogical and technological solutions in traditional, blended, and online learning environments. Lin has been a faculty member, Instructional Designer, and Director with expertise in instructional design, educational technology, and faculty development. Before joining OU, she was the department head of Faculty Development at Oklahoma State University, where she led faculty professional development initiatives and served on committees to enhance teaching effectiveness and technology integration into the curriculum. She has a Doctorate in Learning and Performance System from Penn State.
FA C U LT Y L E A R N I N G C O M M U N I T I E S Our learning communities provide faculty opportunities to collaborate, connect, and communicate across disciplines about innovative teaching strategies. The learning communities are organized around specific topics and are facilitated by faculty across campus. These topics are meant to foster teaching innovation, promote peer learning and networking, and provide time and space for faculty to reflect on enhancing student learning.
NEW FACULTY SEMINAR
TEACHING ASSISTANT ORIENTATION (TAO)
NEW FACULTY BOOT CAMP
day conference on topics
DEVELOPMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING ASSISTANT (DITA)
This seminar introduces
The colloquium is a one-
new faculty to the university and to the services and
of teaching excellence
This program is designed
faculty with critical
resources that assist them
open to Oklahoma college
to help International
information about
in their scholarly activities.
and university faculty,
Teaching Assistants become
syllabus development,
During the semester,
instructors, and graduate
familiar with American
teaching techniques, the
speakers from several
students. This faculty-
classroom culture,
Desire2Learn platform,
departments will provide
organized, annual event
pedagogy, and university
and technology-facilitated
vital information about their
provides lectures, keynote
policies. This three-day
instruction. It is one way
main services and functions.
speakers, and breakout
program is required for
the University invests
In addition, new faculty
sessions to enhance
all International Teaching
in new faculty, and is a
will learn the cultural
instructors’ skills as
Assistants who are new to
great opportunity to ask
and social opportunities
educators, as well as forums
lecturing at OU, including
questions, share experience,
available in the community,
to discuss the challenges
those who have previously
and network with other new
as well as network with
of college teaching at a
worked at other American
faculty around campus.
other new faculty in various
research university.
universities.
disciplines.
The Faculty Boot Camp program provides new
JASON FITZSIMMONS INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER As an Instructional Consultant, Jason FitzSimmons is responsible for coordinating the One University Digital Curriculum Initiative Training Program, Teaching Assistant Orientation, Development of International Teaching Assistants, and New Faculty Seminar. Previously, he was the Supervisor of Training and Support for classroom technologies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Director for the Academic Success Center at York College. His primary areas of interest are faculty and graduate student development, college and departmental engagement, organizational and program development as well as STEM education. FitzSimmons received a Bachelors of Science and a Masters in Civil Engineering, and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY EXPO OUACADEMICTECH.COM In collaboration with OU Information Technology and the OU Libraries, the annual expo highlights existing and emerging IT resources and approaches that facilitate improvements in the learning and teaching process. Open to faculty, the ATE helps to educate and inspire innovative uses of technology to improve classroom outcomes.
TEACHING SCHOL AR’S I N T I AT I V E (TSI) COLLOQIUM The colloquium is a one-day conference on topics of teaching excellence open to Oklahoma college and university faculty, instructors, and graduate students. This faculty-organized annual event provides lectures, keynote speakers, and breakout sessions to enhanced instructors skills as educators, as well as forums to discuss
A N G I E C A LT O N I N S T R U C T I O N A L D E S I G N E R
the challenges of college teaching at a
As an Instructional Designer, Angie Calton consults on course design and content
research university.
production, and supports faculty training and development. Calton has been involved in a range of instructional projects and initiatives. Before joining CTE, she was an instructional designer in digital game-based learning at the K-20 Center. As the Academic Operations Manager for EF Education, she provided educational leadership and faculty development. Additionally, she worked as the Chief Development Editor at englishtown.com, where she served as the instructional designer on a multi-million dollar project. Calton has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Kansas.
SHEARON WOOD OFFICE MANAGER Shearon Wood serves as the Office Manager for the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director. She has been at the University of Oklahoma as a student and staff member for over 16 years, the last 12 years at the Center. Having worked with several directors in the department during this time, Shearon brings a great deal of experience and institutional knowledge to her role. In 2000, Shearon earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. Graduating from the University of Oklahoma has become a tradition for her family, as both of her sons are OU graduates as well.
F E L I X WA O D I R E C T O R O F A C A D E M I C A S S E S S M E N T As Director of Academic Assessment for Learning Outcomes, Felix Wao assists in the development of course-level assessment processes, works to integrate course assessment with program assessment, facilitates assessment workshops, reviews Annual Program Assessment Reports and provides feedback to the Academic Program Review committee, and advises members of the Provost’s Advisory Committee on General Education. Previously, he was the Director of Assessment at Bridgewater State University. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Director of Assessment at the University of South Florida, where he played a key role in developing a program assessment management system. He is versed in assessment and learning management systems, student information systems, and the assessment standards of various accrediting agencies.
W I L L I A M FA R R E L L D I R E C T O R O F V I D E O P R O D U C T I O N William “Biff � Farrell is an Academic Multimedia Specialist and the Director of Video Production at CTE. Working with OU faculty and staff, he guides the training, implementation and production of video into learning environments, while also researching new and perhaps disruptive media solutions for higher education. William has a Bachelors in English and a Masters in Educational Video and Media Production. Previously, he was an Associate Professor and Department Head of Video Production at Pellissippi State in Knoxville. He has worked in media production in both higher education and the private sector since 1995. Internationally, Farrell has taught documentary production, independent projects, photography and media technologies in France, Belgium and Holland.
O P E N E D U C AT I O N A L R E S O U R C E S The Center for Teaching Excellence creates iBooks in collaboration with other departments to enhance learning across campus.
OU IN AREZZO This iBook series provides students a summer guide to living in Arezzo. It was created in collaboration with the College of International Studies. The professional design and detailed content make this summer guide an exemplary sample of the resources being developed by CTE.
O R G A N I C C H E M I S T R Y L A B O R AT O R Y M A N U A L The Organic Chemistry Laboratory Manual was developed in collaboration with the authors, Dr. Mark Morvant and Dr. Ronald L. Halerman. It is used in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as part of a two semester course in organic chemistry. Since its creation, the manual has been downloaded over 1000 times.
THAO PHAM ACADEMIC APPLICATION DEVELOPER
STEPHANIE SHILLING HEAD DESIGNER
Thao Pham utilizes her experience in both instructional design
As Head Visual Designer for CTE, Stephanie Shilling heads
and information technology as the Academic Application
up a team of student designers responsible for designing
Developer for CTE. She is an advocate for Web standards,
animated videos, infographics, iBooks, and other educational
Web accessibility, and content-first Web design. Before joining
materials. Previously, Stephanie was the Lead Graphic
the Center, Pham was a software developer for a company
Designer at the OU Alumni Association, as well as the
that pioneered online K-12 education. During this time, she
Creative Director at Appable, a mobile app company. During
developed a special interest in instructional design, SCORM,
her career, Stephanie has worked with notable clients such as
and LOR, LMSs. Pham graduated from University of
Nike and Tufts University. Stephanie has a Bachelors in Visual
Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
Communications from OU.
and Mathematics.
U N D E R G R A D U AT E S T U D E N T E M P L O Y E E S
A N N A SHIL LING
H A R PER B OT TO R FF
graphic designer
video production
M IK A EL A CO UCH
PATRICK VAUG H N
A N DY GO M E Z
graphic designer
video production
video production
S A R A H BYA R S office assistant
G R A D U AT E S T U D E N T E M P L O Y E E S
K EEG A N LO NG-W H EEL ER
S H U MIN XU
YA N WA NG
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