Autumn 2014 UCAT Newsletter

AUTUMN 2014

TEACHING @ OHIO STATE

UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING

A MESSAGE FROM PROVOST STEINMETZ

A Japanese proverb tells us: “Better than a thousand days EVENTS AT A GLANCE
of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” And, as
Provost, one of my most important jobs is supporting the September
recruitment, rewards, and retention of great teachers. 2 - Teaching What You Don’t Know
3 - STAR Open House
In addition to keeping apprised of the current thinking in 8 - Academic Job Search
their field, I believe that great teachers take stock of their 10 - Suicide Prevention Training
own teaching methods from time to time. Across the board, 15 - Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letters
new tools have made an impact on our options for teaching 19 - Fair & Efficient Grading
improvements. 22 - Teaching & Research Statements
24 - STAR: Navigating Multiple Roles
For example, in my field of neuroscience, groundbreaking 29 - The Interview
technological developments have dramatically changed 30 - Working with Academic Advisors
what we know about the brain and its functions. In turn,
academic neuroscientists revised our teaching techniques October
to better foster students’ critical thinking skills. We use our 6 - Negotiating the Job Offer
enhanced knowledge base — and improved ways to analyze 8 - Facilitating Classroom Discussion
and understand it — to help students uncover the intriguing 13 - Critical Thinking Discussion (1)
mysteries of the brain. Together, we work toward discoveries 14 - Planning a Class Session
and cures. That’s exciting, rewarding, and makes a 20 - Critical Thinking Discussion (2)
remarkable difference for students’ learning and our patients’ 23 - Responding to Student Writing
lives. 27 - Critical Thinking Discussion (3)
29 - STAR: Student Engagement
In a similar way, UCAT provides excellent training and 30 - Writing & Critical Thinking
coaching for improving teaching techniques. UCAT can
assess teaching strengths and suggest tips. Importantly, November
fresh, innovative approaches can inspire our students to want 6 - International Student Writing
to know more, and reimagining our teaching methods can 13 - Strategies for Students in Distress
also energize and inspire us. That is the essence of great 19 - STAR: Student Feedback
teaching!

Wishing you all the best for a successful academic year,

Joseph E. Steinmetz
Executive Vice President and Provost

University Center for the Advancement of Teaching | 2nd floor Younkin Success Center | 1640 Neil Avenue | [email protected] | 614-292-3644 | ucat.osu.edu 1

A NOTE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Alan Kalish, Director, UCAT Welcome back to Autumn Semester 2014.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE I hope you have noticed the new format for this newsletter, now entitled
Teaching @ Ohio State. We hope that the additional space and many new
p. 2 | A Note from Our Director features make it more interesting and useful to you.
p. 3 | Mentoring New Faculty
p. 5 | Celebrating Success We are very excited to be able to share with you our Provost’s thoughts on
p. 6 | One University teaching at our university. Dr. Steinmetz has been a member of the senior
| Course Design Institute leadership of Ohio State for five years now, joining the university as Vice
p. 7 | @ohiostateucat Provost for Arts and Sciences and Executive Dean of the then-new College
| Academy Corner of Arts and Sciences. Having piloted Arts and Sciences through its merg-
p. 8 | Events on Teaching er, he became Executive Vice President and Provost in July 2013. As our
p. 11 | Lecturer Connection chief academic officer, his support for world-class teaching is central to our
p. 12 | Featured Teacher university’s success.
p. 13 | Teaching & Learning
p. 14 | GTA News This issue also honors outstanding teachers: recipients of Ohio State’s pre-
p. 16 | The Libraries mier, institution-wide teaching awards. Recipients of the Graduate Associate
| How Can UCAT Help You? Teaching Award (GATA) are listed on page 5; recipients of the Alumni Award
for Distinguished Teaching on page 7; and recipients of the Provost’s Award
for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer on page 11. We also introduce a
new feature that gives one faculty member the opportunity to share some-
thing about her own teaching (p. 12).

UCAT is presenting a rich selection of program offerings, including one-
time events and several topical series. Our assessment data tell us that
extended activities are more effective than individual sessions, so we have
increased our offerings of this type. This term, our extended events will
include the Academic Job Search series, a discussion group on Critical
Thinking, the Starting TA Resource Group, Course Design Institutes, and
the Writing as a College Teaching Tool series. All of our offerings (pp. 8-11)
are labeled as to the type of offering and intended audience.

In addition to news and notes on teaching topics and information about our
services and those of several of our partners in teaching support at Ohio
State, we are glad to bring you an interesting piece on mentoring from
VITAE, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s academic careers website.
We are also able to share a summary of ideas on teaching introverts and
extroverts, which comes from work UCAT staff members did in preparing for
a workshop on this topic last spring.

All in all, this new, larger format has allowed UCAT to share a wide range of
information that we hope will support you in advancing your teaching.

Alan Kalish

2

TWHHEEMNOITRCEOTHMEESMTEORRMIEERNTORING,

by Kerry Ann Rockquemore
President, National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

As head of a faculty-development center, I visit a resources, access, connections, sponsorship, and
different college campus nearly every week. By far encouragement you need, it’s time to ditch the
the most common complaint I hear from tenure-track vague notion of “mentoring” and get in the habit of
faculty members is about a lack of mentoring: “Men- asking yourself: What do I need, and where’s the
torship just doesn’t exist at this university,” for exam- best place to get it? Here’s how to do that:
ple, or “We’ve all been matched with a mentor but I
only see mine once a year.” Stop looking for a guru.

And there’s truth in that venting: While everyone Sure, it’d be nice to have your own personal (Dr.)
seems to agree that mentoring is crucial to new Yoda instructing you in the ways of the academic
faculty success, many campuses have no formal force. But the idea that one person can meet all
mentorship program. Others have mentor-matching your mentoring needs and guide you throughout
programs that are only marginally effective. your career is a fantasy.

There are a few reasons why many colleges take So stop searching for that one special someone.
such a flawed approach to mentoring. First, it’s Focus instead on building a broad and deep net-
invisible, time-intensive, and unrewarded labor. In a work of people who can assist you.
context of shrinking resources and greater expecta-
tions, it can quickly fall to the bottom of a busy profes- Identify your needs.
sor’s priority list. Second, informal mentoring is often
treated like a gift or a favor that’s bestowed upon Draft a list and be specific. Do you need productiv-
junior faculty members only when we like them, when ity tips and professional-development advice? En-
they behave in appropriately deferential ways, when couragement and emotional support? Intellectual
their needs support our agenda. The inevitable result community? A role model? Someone to keep you
is that some new faculty members get mentored well on task or hold you accountable for your research?
and others don’t get mentored at all. Access to grants or other opportunities? Substan-
tive feedback on your performance?
But there’s another culprit: When there’s no consis-
tent definition of mentoring, everyone’s in trouble. I Chances are that several of these are important
often ask people what “mentoring” means to them, to you—and that only some of them are being
and I get a shockingly wide range of responses. For fulfilled.
some faculty, it’s an all-encompassing, quasi-parental
relationship. For others, it’s an obligatory 20-minute Find the gaps ...
coffee once a year to answer questions.
Map out your current mentoring network to deter-
Now, if you’re getting all the support you want and mine which needs are being met, who’s meeting
need to be successful, great. Keep doing what them, and where the gaps are.
you’re doing. But if you’re not getting the information,

3

I’ve watched hundreds of new faculty members fill out and children, why not seek out a colleague who has
a Mentor Map. And I’ve seen the same pattern over mastered the art of time management as an aca-
and over: They realize they’ve relied almost exclu- demic parent? And if you’re struggling with a specific
sively on one or two people—typically their disserta- teaching issue, why not ask that award-winning
tion or postdoc advisor—to meet all of their needs. colleague down the hall for some input or head over
to your university’s center for teaching excellence?
If you want to broaden your network of support, Wouldn’t that be far more effective than repeatedly
pick one area that would help you move forward. In turning to a mentor you’ve been matched with who
other words, what do you need right now? Maybe has never written a grant, has no children, and em-
you need people to critique your manuscripts. In that ploys a teaching style that’s radically different than
case, it may be time to cultivate a network of readers, your own?
engage a professional editor to polish and format
your manuscripts prior to submission, or start taking Don’t be afraid to ask.
colleagues up on their offers to read (or discuss) your
work. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a number of Asking for help isn’t something most new faculty look
trusted assessors who could read your manuscripts forward to or feel comfortable doing. I often hear
at various stages, respond to specific questions, help young scholars repeat what I call “limiting beliefs”—
you to target appropriate journals, and assist you powerful stories that keep them from requesting the
when you get stuck? resources, referrals, and support they really need.
Many of these are universal: “Who am I to contact
… and go about plugging them. [insert big name scholar]?,” for example. Or “I feel
like an imposter, and if I ask for help, people will find
But how to find the right people? Start by soliciting out I don’t know what I’m doing.”
advice from colleagues who already have what you
seek. Schedule your requests.

If you want to apply for a grant from a particular Limiting beliefs lead to procrastination: If you feel
funding agency, who better to ask than a colleague awkward seeking help in the first place, it’s tempting
who has recently received funding from that source? to put it off. That’s why I recommend scheduling your
If you’re struggling to find enough time for your work requests in your calendar each week at a specific
day and time. That’s right: Scheduling one 30-min-
“Asking for help isn’t ute block each week to ask for what you need will
something most new pay enormous dividends in expanding your support
faculty look forward to or network and getting your needs met.
feel comfortable doing. I
often hear young scholars And remember, when you do meet with a prospec-
repeat what I call ‘limiting tive mentor-to-be, know what you’re going to say
beliefs’ — powerful stories and be specific. Don’t ask “Will you be my mentor?”
that keep them from unless you want them to say no. Do ask focused and
requesting the resources, informed questions about what you hope to learn.
referrals, and support they Shifting from a guru-based mentoring model to a
really need.” network-based mentoring model requires an initial
leap of faith. But if you stop searching for that one
all-knowing mentor and start focusing instead on
your concrete, specific needs, you’ll discover that
a large network does more than one mentor ever
could.

Reprinted with permission from Vitae

https://chroniclevitae.com/news/326-when-it-comes-to-mentoring-the-more-the-merrier

4

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

2014 Graduate Associate Teaching Award Winners

The UCAT staff would like to offer our congratulations to this year’s winners of the Graduate Associate Teaching Award!

Emily Arendt, History Colleen Kennedy, English
Elizabeth Brewer, English Owen King, Philosophy
Heidi Brown, French and Italian Justine Law, Geography
Heather Derry, Psychology Jill Yavorsky, Sociology
Lizabeth Goldstein, Psychology Philip Young, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Interim President Alutto at the 2013-2014 Learning 2013-2014 Learning Communities
Community Reception and Poster Session
On April 17, 2014, Interim President Alutto helped us honor the faculty
2013-2014 Graduate Teaching Fellows and graduate teaching associates who completed one of our learning
community programs during the 2013-2014 academic year. Our learning
2013-2014 Mid-Career and Senior Faculty communities bring faculty and graduate students from across disciplines
Learning Community
together to focus on their teaching through regular meetings and
teaching enhancement projects.

Mid-Career and Senior Faculty Learning Community

Kristin Casper, Pharmacy
Antoinette Errante, Educational Studies

Elly Kaizar, Statistics
Maria Pruchnicki, Pharmacy
Julianne Taaffe, ESL Programs

Heather Tanner, History
Yi Zhao, Biomedical Engineering
Co-facilitator: Jerry Masty, Veterinary Biosciences
Co-facilitator: Peg McMahon, Horticulture and Crop Science

Graduate Teaching Fellows

Jennifer Belding, Psychology
Sonnet Gabbard, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Nicholas Garcia, School of Environment and Natural Resources

Richard Henricksen, Spanish and Portuguese
Hui Jiang, Educational Studies

Shiang-Yu Lin, Educational Studies
Nora McCook, English

Corrie Pieterson, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Leslie Rieck, School of Environment and Natural Resources

Megan Sanders, Educational Studies
Russ Stech, First-Year Engineering Program

Justin Woods, Pharmacy
Co-facilitator: Elizabeth Brewer, English

5

TEACHING ACROSS ONE UNIVERSITY

In this section, we bring you notes from units across campus who partner with us in supporting teachers.

OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION & eLEARNING
odi.osu.edu odee.osu.edu

Founded in 1970, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion ODEE provides instructors with tools and expertise to enrich

(ODI) supports the recruitment, retention, and success of teaching and learning. Consider enhancing your course with

students, faculty, and staff who enhance the diversity of The this year’s new service offerings:

Ohio State University. Two programs specifically geared

toward the success of graduate students are “Armed for the • Flip your classroom or provide lecture recordings for asyn-

Academy,” which helps prepare students who aspire to a chronous review with Mediasite.

faculty position, and “Dissertation Boot Camp,” which pro- >odee.osu.edu/resourcecenter/mediasite

vides PhD candidates with space and guidance to complete

their dissertations. More program information can be • Produce professional-grade multimedia content in one of

found at odi.osu.edu. our new Digital Unions.

>digitalunion.osu.edu

• Turn lecture-based classes into an online program with a
Distance Education consultation.
>odee.osu.edu/distance-education

• Author learning content, for your course and wider audi-
ences, with our Digital Books resources.
>odee.osu.edu/resourcecenter/digital-books

COURSE DESIGN INSTITUTE

Did you know 350 university community members have completed our Course Design Institute (CDI)? One of our most
recent alumni commented: “This was awesome. I think everyone should be required to do this.” Join colleagues from
across the university as you take a big-picture look at a course of your choice and engage in a hands-on process of (re)-de-
signing it to more effectively and purposefully help students learn. An application is required, and a limited number will be
selected to participate in order to facilitate community development.

UPCOMING COURSE DESIGN INSTITUTES

Autumn 2014
Thursdays (9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9) from 10am–1pm

Winter Break 2014
Monday–Friday (12/15–12/19) from 10am–1pm
Note: these dates overlap with the end of exams

Spring 2015
Tuesdays (1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17) from 1–4pm

2014 Spring Break Course Design Institute participants For more information, an application, and a set of FAQ,
with their facilitators visit http://ucat.osu.edu/participate/course-design-institutes

6

@ohiostateucat ACADEMY CORNER

BFTwalocitget:ebruo:co@akt:.oofhsaiuco.esebtdaoutoe/bku.lcocaogtm/ohiostaDtieduycouaLtkonoookuwfrowervethelenijvothesin?atswinhe!etatg to WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS!

GET YOUR CAMERA READY! Each year, the recipients of the Alumni Award for Distin-
guished Teaching and Provost’s Award for Distinguished
We’ll soon be asking you to record yourself responding to one of Teaching by a Lecturer are inducted into the Academy of
our social media #OSUvoices questions, then send us that video Teaching. The Academy’s Executive Council would like to
selfie-interview so that we can share your insights and experi- extend a warm welcome to its newest members. Congrat-
ences with your fellow teachers. ulations on your accomplishments, and we look forward to
connecting with you!
UPCOMING SOCIAL MEDIA FEATURES
Lisa Cravens-Brown, Psychology
August | We will hear from our Teaching Orientation partic- Richard Daley, Moritz College of Law
ipants (#toUCAT) how they intend to negotiate their multiple Martin Feinberg, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
roles as teacher/student/person in the upcoming semester. Steven Joyce, Germanic Languages and Literatures
(OSU Mansfield)
September | We will be asking the participants of a workshop Trevon Logan, Economics
inspired by Therese Huston’s Teaching What You Don’t Know Ben McCorkle, English (OSU Marion)
to reflect upon the benefits of teaching material in which they Donald Mutti, Optometry
are not expert (#NewClasses). Anthony Shoup, Physics (OSU Lima)
Jennifer Schlueter, Theatre
October | We will ask our readers to contribute to the larger Robert Siston, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
social discourse around “trigger warnings.” This will offer an Mazeika Sullivan, School of Environment and Natural
opportunity for teachers to explore deeper issues around con- Resources
troversial topics in the classroom, class discussions, and how Tatiana Suspitsyna, Educational Studies
emotional responses to challenging material can be sources Todd Thompson, Astronomy
of invention and discovery, given appropriate guidance from a
teacher (#teachingcontroversy). 2014 MINI-CONFERENCE

November | Continuing with our principle of attending to teach- Our 2014 mini-conference, “Teaching and Learning with
ers and students as “whole persons,” one of our final projects High-Impact Practices,” was held on April 11, 2014. Here,
this semester will involve a variety of issues related to student Wayne Carlson, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate
and teacher #wellness, and will focus on the presentation by Education, addresses the group. We wish to thank all those
the InterACT Theatre Project for Social Change. who attended and presented at the mini-conference! Learn
more at our website: academy.osu.edu.
UCAT social media is a place for your voice, so please talk to us if
there is a topic you would like us to take up, or a question you would The Academy of Teaching, founded in 1993, is
like us to pose to the Ohio State teaching community. Email us at comprised of winners of the Alumni Award for
[email protected] and use the #OSUvoices hashtag in the subject Distinguished Teaching and Provost’s Award for
or body. Tell us why this topic matters to you, and why you think it is Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer.
important for our community of teachers and students to discuss.

Join the UCAT Listserv
https://lists.service.ohio-state.ued/mailman/listinfo/ucat

7

EVENTS ON TEACHING

CATEGORIES SEPTEMBER

College Teaching Series (CTS) Tue, 9/2 - Lecturers: Teaching What You Don’t Know
Our College Teaching Series takes us “back to the basics” 9:30–11am | 150 Younkin Success Center
with topics that are at the core of effective teaching. They Audience: L | Category: ET
are designed with novice TAs and faculty members in mind.
This event is only open to lecturers and senior lecturers.
Events on Teaching (ET) Last year, UCAT issued a survey to lecturers at Ohio State
These individual workshops are designed to address a to learn more about their experiences teaching. One thing
relevant teaching-related issue. we learned was that many lecturers are given class assign-
ments with relatively little time to prepare. Though this can
Discussion Group (DG) be a frustrating scenario, there are strategies to mitigate
This a series of three sessions on a particular topic, geared some of the challenges. This workshop will offer practical
toward experienced teachers and capped at 20 participants. strategies drawn from Therese Huston’s Teaching What
Participants must commit to all three sessions. You Don’t Know (2009) for instructors who find themselves
in this position — or are interested to know how to proceed
Preparing for the Academic Job Search (AJS) if they should be in this position in the future. Because
This series is geared toward graduate students who will be this event is for lecturers only, we will also include time
pursuing a career in academia. It is co-sponsored with for participants to get to know one another and to share
Career Counseling and Support Services and the OUAB thoughts on teaching at Ohio State. Light refreshments will
Grad/Prof Committee. be provided.

Starting Teaching Associate Resource Group (STAR) Wed, 9/3 - Starting TA Resource Group (STAR) Meeting
STAR is a group for all first- and second-year TAs at Ohio 12–1:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center
State to socialize with, learn from, encourage, and grow Audience: GTA | Category: STAR | #UCATStar
alongside each other.
Join us for pizza and conversation! Reconnect with friends
Writing as a College Teaching Tool (WCTT) from orientation and meet new TAs from across campus.
Writing Across the Curriculum partners with UCAT to bring Together we’ll explore some of the most common anxieties
you this series of events about effecting learning through raised by new TAs on the orientation “Fear Wall”. UCAT staff
writing in the classroom. and TA peers will be available to discuss classroom suc-
cesses, concerns, and ideas for your teaching. If you have
AUDIENCE questions about making the most of your teaching experi-
ence, if you’ve had challenges you’d like help addressing, or
While we welcome anyone to attend a workshop (unless if you’ve had great experiences you would like to share with
otherwise noted), please reference the “audience” key under others, STAR is the place for you!
each event so that you are aware of the target audience.

F | Faculty members Mon, 9/8 - The Academic Job Search
GTA | Graduate Teaching Associates 2:30–4:30pm | US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union
L | Lecturers and Senior Lecturers Audience: GTA | Category: AJS | #AcademicJobSearch
TS |Teaching Staff
We’ll provide helpful tips for starting your job search, includ-
REGISTRATION ing where and how to look for faculty openings and what
materials need to be prepared.
Pre-registration is requested for our events. Please visit
ucat.osu.edu/participate/events-on-teaching to register Wed, 9/10 - Suicide Prevention Training
online. You may alternatively email [email protected] or call 3–4:30pm | 300 Younkin Success Center
292-3644 with your selections. Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: ET

8

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among U.S. Mon, 9/29 - The Interview

college students. In this session, to be held on World Sui- 2:30–4:30pm | US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union

cide Prevention Day, a certified instructor from Ohio State’s Audience: GTA | Category: AJS | #AcademicJobSearch

Campus Suicide Prevention Training Program will teach

faculty, GTAs, and advising staff about prevention and early Learn what to do before, during, and after an interview for

intervention techniques designed to help save a life from positions in academia. Emphasis will be on career strate-

suicide. The training will provide the necessary knowledge gies, interviewing techniques, and familiarity with academic

and skills required to recognize warning signs and risk fac- interview expectations. Samples of questions and practice

tors for suicide, highlight available campus and community opportunities will be provided, as well as useful suggestions

resources, and more. to enhance confidence skills.

Mon, 9/15 - Curriculum Vitae & Cover Letters Tues, 9/30 - Working Effectively with Advising Offices &

2:30–4:30pm | US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union Academic Advisors

Audience: GTA | Category: AJS | #AcademicJobSearch 11:30am–1pm | 300 Younkin Success Center

Audience: F, L | Category: ET

This workshop will address how to write vitae and cover

letters when searching for jobs in academia. Importance will Academic advisors have a significant role in student suc-

be placed on format and content while highlighting career cess and often serve as a single point of contact in helping

tips useful when applying for positions with a teaching and/ students navigate the university, which means their jobs are

or research emphasis. quite complex. This session will provide faculty and instruc-

tors with an overview of the advising structure at Ohio State,

Fri, 9/19 - Fair & Efficient Grading a description of what academic advisors do on a day-to-day

11:30am–1pm | 150 Younkin Success Center basis, and how students interact with their assigned advi-

Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: CTS sors. We will also cover details about university procedures,

particularly those related to enrollment and topics requiring

In this session, we will discuss grading techniques that collaboration between teachers and the advising office.

provide appropriate and clear feedback to students and

maintain fairness. We will specifically focus our discussion OCTOBER
on grading criteria, rubrics, and grading as part of a team.

Mon, 9/22 - Teaching & Research Statements Mon, 10/6 - Negotiating the Job Offer
2:30–4:30pm | US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union 2:30–4:30pm | US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union
Audience: GTA | Category: AJS| #AcademicJobSearch Audience: GTA | Category: AJS| #AcademicJobSearch

We’ll provide an overview of teaching and research state- Learn what to do when a search committee is prepared to
offer you a faculty position. We’ll provide strategies for re-
ments, describe how they are used in the academic job
search process, and provide guidance on how to write them. sponding to a department’s offer, share some of the common
There will be opportunities during the session to start the elements of job offers around which candidates might nego-
tiate, and introduce approaches that can help both parties—
process of writing these statements.
the job candidate and the hiring department—communicate

Wed, 9/24 - Navigating Multiple Roles as a GTA: Your effectively throughout the process of negotiation.

Whole Self & the Classroom Wed, 10/8 - Facilitating Classroom Discussion
12–1:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center 3–4:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center
Audience: GTA | Category: STAR | #UCATStar Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: CTS

GTAs occupy a unique position as both teachers and
students themselves—not to mention as individuals with Class discussion can be an effective method for getting
other roles outside of academia. We discuss strategies for students involved in most types of classes. In this workshop,
managing the different responsibilities we all have and work we will discuss how to encourage and maintain student
with the concept of bringing one’s “whole self” to the class- involvement, respond to individual contributions, and employ
questioning strategies.
room as a teacher.

9

centered strategies to promote self-efficacy, improve commu-
Mon, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 - Discussion Group on Critical nication, and build relevance into your course content.
Thinking

3–4:30pm | 300 Younkin Success Center Thu, 10/30 - Writing & Critical Thinking
Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: DG 3–4:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center

Most of us hope that by the end of a course our students Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: WCTT

will be better able to critically think about our content. Yet, Critical thinking is an important skill for students in any class-
many of us have not really defined for ourselves (or our
room. In this workshop, Writing Across the Curriculum consul-
students) what being a critical thinker means, nor have we tants will help participants define what critical thinking means
had the opportunity to fully focus on our role in assisting this in their discipline. Participants will then develop effective and
transformation. In this multi-part session, we will explore efficient writing activities that help students work on critical
how students learn and develop cognitively, as well as the thinking skills while also helping instructors assess student
pedagogical choices we make that can help or hinder this learning.
development. Due to the limited size of the group (20), we
will have ample opportunity to discuss these concepts, apply NOVEMBER

them to our own teaching, and explore their effectiveness

during the three weeks we meet together. Thu, 11/6 - Helping Your International Students with

Writing

Tues, 10/14 - Planning a Class Session 3–4:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center

3–4:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: WCTT

Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: CTS

In this workshop, Writing Across the Curriculum will be airing

You will learn how to structure the classroom interaction that a documentary entitled “Writing Across Borders,” a project

you have with your students in order to meet your learning developed at Oregon State University (http://cwl.oregon-

objectives. Whether you are a novice teaching for the first state.edu/wab/). The documentary’s main purpose is to help

time or an experienced teacher looking for ways to enliven faculty, writing assistants, and other professionals work more

or change up your class meetings, this workshop is for effectively with international students in U.S. classrooms by

you. We will apply the concept of backward design to help addressing some of the most significant challenges interna-

in choosing appropriate delivery methods and classroom tional students face when writing for American colleges and

activities. Participants will leave with a plan for a single class universities. This documentary will be followed by a conver-

session and the tools for planning others. sation about how to develop strategies for making class-

rooms more accessible to students with a range of cultural

Thu, 10/23 - Responding to Student Writing and educational backgrounds.

3–4:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center

Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: WCTT Thu, 11/13 - Crisis: Teaching and Learning Strategies for

Students in Distress

Most instructors will be asked to respond to and evaluate 1–2:30pm | 300 Younkin Success Center

various forms of student writing at some point in their teach- Audience: F, GTA, L, TS | Category: ET

ing. Many new and experienced instructors often find this

activity to be frustrating and time consuming. In this session, As teachers, we often witness how a variety of personal

facilitated by Writing Across the Curriculum staff, learn how stressors affect our students’ well-being and classroom

responding effectively to assignments will ease instructors’ success. While we may be aware of available resources, it is

workloads, better reflect their goals for student learning, and sometimes difficult to know how to best begin to address our

guide students as they tackle the writing process. students’ needs in and out of our classrooms. In this interac-

tive performance-based workshop, participants will discuss

Wed, 10/29 - Fostering Student Engagement and explore strategies for recognizing distress, engaging

12–1:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center students in conversation, and utilizing university resources for

Audience: GTA | Category: STAR | #UCATStar wellness. InterACT is a theatre-based ensemble that uses

interactive techniques to assist participants in developing

Wish your students were more engaged with course materi- success strategies and problem-solving common classroom

als or class activities? This session explores student- scenarios.

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Wed, 11/19 - Making Sense of Student Feedback
12–1:30pm | 150 Younkin Success Center
Audience: GTA | Category: STAR | #UCATStar
Are you curious about the value of different types of student feedback? Have you thought about how feedback can assist
you in teaching your courses? We will explore strategies for obtaining and interpreting student feedback, including the SEIs
and beyond.

LECTURER CONNECTION

PROVOST’S AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED TEACHING LECTURERS AT OHIO STATE
BY A LECTURER

In the summer of 2012, upon the recommendation of the UCAT aims to support all who teach at Ohio State,
President and Provost’s Council on Women as well as the so we are working on better customizing our services
Academy of Teaching, the Office of the Provost created a new and resources to meet the needs of lecturers. Last
annual teaching award for lecturers at Ohio State. fall, Lindsay Bernhagen, an instructional consultant
at UCAT, began an ongoing research project on the
The purpose of the award is to recognize the excellent and teaching needs of the nearly 2000 lecturers that teach
important work that lecturers in all colleges on all campuses at Ohio State. She began by sending a survey out to
do to teach our students. The selection committee for the the lecturers appointed for the fall 2013 term and then,
award is comprised of past winners and campus advocates with the help of UCAT graduate consultant Wonnek-
for lecturers, along with representatives from the Academy en Wanske, completed face-to-face interviews with
of Teaching, the President and Provost’s Council on Women, a smaller subset of respondents. While our analysis
the Council of Graduate Students, Undergraduate Student is still in process, some initial findings from our 354
Government, and the Inter-Professional Council. In addition repondents are:
to a cash award, winners are inducted into Ohio State’s presti-
gious Academy of Teaching. • Ohio State’s population of lecturers is quite stable:
75% have been teaching at Ohio State for three
The winners of the 2013-2014 award are: years or more, and 20% report teaching at Ohio
State for 10 or more years!
Lisa Cravens-Brown – Psychology, Columbus Campus
• 49% have worked at Ohio State in another capacity
Anthony Shoup – Physics, Lima Campus prior to becoming a lecturer, most often as a gradu-
ate associate.
Richard T. Daley – Moritz College of Law
• The majority of respondents teach undergraduate
Starting this year, nominations will be accepted throughout courses, but 33% also teach graduate students.
the early fall. If you are a student or a colleague interested in
nominating someone for this award, please visit • According to our respondents, the most effective
http://oaa.osu.edu/nomination-form-lecturer.html. If you have support for lecturers comes from department-spe-
any questions about the award, please email Lindsay cific initiatives, such as formal or informal orien-
Bernhagen ([email protected]). tations, mentoring relationships, and professional
development opportunities in which lecturers are
invited to participate.

LECTURER EVENT: “TEACHING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW” ON SEPTEMBER 2

Early this fall on Tuesday, September 2, UCAT will be offering our first lecturers-only event, “Teaching What You Don’t
Know,” which is based on Therese Huston’s 2009 book of the same name. In addition to offering participants a chance to
get to know each other over coffee and snacks, the workshop will provide strategies for quickly pulling together a course
about a topic that falls outside of one’s area of expertise. Register at http://ucat.osu.edu/participate/events-on-teaching.

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FEATURED TEACHER: ELLY KAIZAR

COURSE RE-DESIGN FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION

Last spring, I decided to try something new in my discovered how far my current process is from
classroom – eliminate it altogether by offering my the more pedagogically sound “backward design.”
course “Survey Sampling Methods” entirely online. My complete course re-design for distance ed-
No one in my department had online teaching ucation seemed the perfect opportunity to learn
experience, so I initially felt that I was embarking more about backward design. I used this more
on this adventure on my own. Fortunately, lots systematic and appropriately focused approach to
of support was available both from OSU and reduce the overwhelming task of “putting together
external resources. In particular, participation in a course” to a list of doable tasks that will also be
two UCAT-sponsored programs have helped me more effective in leading my students toward the
be confident that my first online course will be a ambitious course goals. I was able to keep the
success. capstone project at the core of the course, but
build around it a balanced set of activities that will
First, I joined the Mid–Career and Senior Faculty ensure the students have practice with the main
Learning Community. I found my colleagues to ideas of the course – including both theoretical
be both pleasant companions and accomplished knowledge and skills. In turn, this focused my con-
and knowledgeable educators. The topics of our tent creation to those ideas necessary to achieve
monthly discussions were wide-ranging, from the course goals in only 14 weeks.
extremely practical suggestions (be sure to include
an image of yourself in the online course to en- Through my experiences with UCAT, I now think
hance the students’ connection) to philosophical differently about course design. But, perhaps more
issues (how should we balance students’ changing importantly, my participation has also changed
expectations and our own experience of what how I think of myself as a teacher in the dynamic
works?). To inform our discussions, we relied both landscape of the modern university.
on our own experiences and external expertise
via articles and UCAT resources. Even though I
was the only member of the community looking to
move a course online, several others had useful
pointers for me based on their experiences with
either a flipped classroom or online education. I
came to the group with a very specific aim in mind.
I ended the year both closer to my goal and more
mature in my thoughts about teaching. I enjoyed
myself so much that I plan to be a part of the group
again next year.

Secondly, I participated in the intensive week- Elly Kaizar is an Associate Professor in the
long Course Design Institute. In the hour-long Department of Staticstics.
sneak preview presented to my Community, I had

“Through my experiences with UCAT, I now think differently about course design.
But, perhaps more importantly, my participation has also changed how I think of myself as a

teacher in the dynamic landscape of the modern university.”

-Elly Kaizar, Department of Statistics

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TEACHING & LEARNING with UCAT

TEACHING INTROVERTS & EXTROVERTS:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

by Lindsay Bernhagen, Instructional Consultant

One of the many ways in which our students are Introverts need time and space to retreat;
different from one another is where they fall on the extroverts need opportunities to engage with
introvert – extrovert spectrum. Since the publication others. Importantly, both introverts and extroverts
of Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts benefit from having to do things outside of their
in a World that Can’t Stop Talking (2012), there has comfort zone. To design activities in ways that both
been a flood of public conversation about the ways extroverts and introverts can be successful, we
various social and cultural norms privilege one offer the following:
side of the spectrum or the other. This past spring,
UCAT offered a workshop in which instructors could • Scaffold activities that may be
gather to learn how their own and their students’ uncomfortable for either extroverts (like quiet,
identification as extroverts, introverts, or ambiverts individual writing) or introverts (like presenting
(people who are somewhere in the middle of in front of the class). Scale up by steadily
the spectrum and who share characteristics of increasing the amount of time assigned to each
both poles) shaped their teaching and learning activity over the term to build confidence and
experiences. We’ve included some takeaway points skills.
here.
• Give students some choice in how they
• Introverts are generally drained by social complete course activities. For example, offer
interactions because they are typically more the students the option of either participating in
cognitively reactive to stimuli—not because a small group discussion or writing individually
they are shy or sad. When introverts are over- first before having a large group discussion. 
stimulated, they need more time to process
information. Therefore, in some environments
they have a hard time coming up with on-the-
spot responses or with short-term memory
recall.

• Extroverts are generally energized by
interactions with others, but they are not
necessarily leaders despite their ability to be
outgoing. They tend to be less sensitive to
stimuli, and are comfortable sharing developing
or incomplete ideas.

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GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATES

GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTF) Program is a year- able. For example, we came to understand the strengths

long experience which prepares graduate students from as well as the challenges within our departments, which

across disciplines to design and implement Graduate Teach- influenced how we provided teaching support for our fellow

ing Associate (GTA) professional development programs graduate students.”

within their home departments.

“We created change. Sometimes the changes were small,

The program begins with a 3-unit summer semester course, but despite the setbacks and challenges, our projects still

the Graduate Teaching Fellows Seminar, which introduces had an impact. We worked to create a positive climate for

larger issues in graduate student teaching, characteristics GTAs within each of our departments, positioned ourselves

of effective GTA development programs, and useful tools as visible resources for our fellow GTAs, and encouraged

for designing these programs. Topics include theoretical our peers to push each other toward greater success in their

perspectives on GTA development, course development roles by sharing practices and strategies with each other.”

and backward design, project development and evaluation,

and needs assessment. Additionally, the summer course For more information on the departmental nomination

involves practice in designing and delivering workshops process for the 2015-2016 academic year, please visit

on teaching topics and culminates in a project proposal http://ucat.osu.edu/participate/learning-communities/

designed to support some aspect of GTA teaching de- ostep/graduate-teaching-fellows

velopment within each of the participants’ departments.

Throughout the course of the following academic year, the ODEE’S CARMEN WORKSHOP SERIES for GTAs
GTF participants meet as a learning community to learn

from each other’s successes and to trouble-shoot challeng-

es. Additionally, GTFs facilitate each of the monthly meet- New to Carmen? The Office of Distance Education and

ings, which focus not only on checking in with the projects’ eLearning will be offering a series of workshops to teach

progress but also on introducing other topics relevant to GTA Graduate Teaching Associates the ins and outs of Ohio

development. State’s course management system this autumn. Please

find more information and register for any sessions that in-

At the conclusion of previous academic year, members of terest you by visiting: http://u.osu.edu/carmen/2014/06/05/

the 2013-2014 GTF Program cohort noted: odees-carmen-workshop-series-for-gtas/.

“We learned. A lot. During the summer course, we learned a Carmen: Getting Started
great deal not only about teaching within the larger context Fri, Sep 12 | 1:00 – 3:00pm | 119 Campbell Hall
of higher education but also about specific strategies and
methods for providing teaching support. The course was Carmen: Grades
beneficial in introducing us to other graduate students from Tue, Sep 16 | 2:30 – 4:30pm | 186 Hagerty Hall
departments across campus, who brought with them a
valuable range of different perspectives and experiences on Carmen: Quizzes
teaching. We continued to learn from each other throughout Mon, Sep 29 | 2:00 – 4:00pm | 119 Campbell Hall
the academic year as we met to discuss our successes and
challenges.” Carmen: Activities (Discussions, Dropbox, Groups)
Tue, Oct 7 | 12:00 – 2:00pm | 119 Campbell Hall
“Our projects evolved—in some cases, quite drastically.
Overall, many of us found that our plans for our projects Carmen: Strategies for Grading Online (Dropbox,
changed as we encountered the realities of providing sup- Turnitin, Rubrics)
port for graduate students, but these changes were valu- Tue, Oct. 21 | 2:30 – 4:30pm | 186 Hagerty Hall

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2014-2015 GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS GRANTS & FUNDING

Alex Anastasia, Women’s, Gender, and Each academic year, UCAT requests proposals from
Sexuality Studies academic units or consortia of units to create, expand, or
significantly enhance their local GTA programming through
Steven Bengal, Psychology Seed Grants for GTA Program Enhancement at Ohio State.
Britt Butler, Psychology We seek to support efforts that provide initial preparation
before GTAs begin their teaching duties, and more impor-
Nicole Brown, Walter E. Dennis Learning Center tantly, efforts that provide access to phased, ongoing sup-
Vicki Garrett, School of Environment and Natural Resources port throughout their appointments. The following Principal
Investigators submitted proposals on behalf of their units/
Susie Mauck, Educational Studies departments which were subsequently recommended to
C.J. Potter, Educational Studies receive funding for the 2014-2015 academic year:

Tim Sefczek, Anthropology

STARTING TA RESOURCE (STAR) GROUP Office of Educator Preparation, College of Education
and Human Ecology
STAR is a group for all first- and second-year GTAs at Ohio PIs: Erica Brownstein and Kristall Day
State to socialize with, learn from, encourage, and grow
alongside one another. Department of English
PIs: Kay Halasek and Scott Lloyd DeWitt
Upcoming meetings:
September 3 Department of Slavic and East European Languages
September 24 and Cultures
October 29 PIs: Yana Hashamova, Marina Pashkova, and
November 19 Ana Kabakova

All meetings are held in 150 Younkin Success Center First-Year Engineering Program, Engineering Educa-
from 12–1:30pm. tion Innovation Center
PI: Krista Kecskemety
Join our conversations on Twitter by following
@ohiostateucat and #UCATStar Spanish Language Program, Department of Spanish
and Portuguese
OPPORTUNITY TO SPECIALIZE IN COLLEGE TEACHING PIs: Rob Robison, Freda Graan, Kimberly Ditty, and
Glenn Martinez
Are you a graduate student considering a career as a col-
lege or university faculty member? First-Year Writing Program, Department of English
PI: Edgar Singleton
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization/Minor in Col-
lege and University Teaching (GIST) is open to any graduate All funding recommendations were made by a
or professional student in good standing at The Ohio State campus-wide selection committee composed of represen-
University. This program allows graduate students to engage tatives from UCAT, the Graduate School, past Seed Grant
in a rigorous, structured exploration of theories and practice recipients, and OSU graduate students.
of university-level teaching, both in general and in their own
discipline, and to develop skills and experience that enable For more information on the proposal submission pro-
them to become reflective, scholarly teachers as they pre- cess for the 2015-2016 academic year, please visit
pare to enter the professoriate. No prior teaching experience http://ucat.osu.edu/participate/grant-programs/seed-
is required. grants

For more information and to apply for the GIST, please
visit http://ucat.osu.edu/gis

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8 WAYS THE LIBRARIES HOW CAN UCAT HELP YOU?
CAN SUPPORT TEACHERS
Mission: Our mission at UCAT is to support and advocate
1. Course Reserves: Either print or digital, we have ser- for all who teach at Ohio State. We aim to help Ohio State’s
vices to help you make reading materials available to your teachers approach their work in a scholarly and reflective
students. way, engaging with the research on effective pedagogies,
thus promoting continuous improvement of student learn-
2. Off campus access to library content: You and your ing. We likewise strive to create a community wherein stu-
students can research literature to which the library sub- dent-focused teaching principles and practices are valued
scribes from anywhere on the planet. and in which teachers feel connected to each other. Taken
together, we believe these things engender a campus cul-
3. Copyright compliance: Questions about copyright and ture where teachers have access to the tools, support, and
course materials? We can review your syllabus, provide you recognition they need to be confident and fulfilled in their
with an analysis, and refer you to further resources. pedagogical roles at Ohio State.

4. Carmen Library Links: Work with your subject librar- Individual Consultation
ian to further refine the “Library” link that appears in your If you have a teaching-related concern, idea, or need you’d
Carmen course shell in order to highlight library resources of like to discuss, one of our instructional consultants will
particular merit for your course. gladly meet with you one-on-one.

5. Instructional services: Work with your subject librarian Unit Consultation
to incorporate assignments, lectures, or class activities UCAT consultants will meet with an individual representa-
around research in your discipline. tive or a group from your unit to discuss curriculum or other
large-scale projects or concerns.
6. InfoLit Toolkit: Review our toolkit for instructional
resources you might use in your class to make information Course Design Institutes
literacy an explicit skill for your students. If you have a new course to design, or an existing course
that needs some new life breathed into it, attend one of our
7. Course Enhancement Grants: Receive funding and five-part Course Design Institutes.
contact hours with your subject librarian to revise a course
in order to enhance students’ information and research skills Student Midterm Feedback
and use of quality resources in your course. A consultant will have a mid-semester conversation with
your students and help you understand their feedback.
8. Net.TUTOR tutorials: Key information literacy skills are
taught through a series of over 20 online tutorials. Quizzes Learning Communities
can be incorporated into your course through Carmen. Consider applying to a learning community if you’re inter-
ested in working through a longer-term teaching enhance-
For links to each service, visit: http://ucat.osu.edu/library-list. ment project with the support of interdisciplinary peers.

Custom Workshops
A UCAT consultant will plan and facilitate a workshop on a
topic of your choosing for your unit or group.

Open Events
Register for our university-wide events and workshops.

Resources
Browse our website or the Younkin Success Center’s
library for teaching-related books, handouts, and articles.

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