Evaluation of faculty engagement in professional learning activities : a mixed-methods study on communication processes, value, and barriers

This study was a developmental evaluation of a faculty center at a state funded, public non-research university focused on undergraduate and graduate degree programs that is located in the Midwest United States. The purpose of the study was to investigate effective communication processes utilized by the faculty center, faculty perceptions of value placed on professional learning activities, and perceived barriers to participate in such professional learning activities. Effective communication processes were identified as well as frequent barriers for faculty participation.

Developing a Quality Improvement Process to Optimize Faculty Success

As part of a major shift to embed quality improvement processes within a School of Nursing at a medium-sized Midwestern university, a faculty enrichment program using a Plan-Do-Act-Study design was implemented. A central focus for the program was the development and maintenance of an online faculty resource center identified as “My Faculty Center.” Nursing faculty used the tools in My Faculty Center to assess their baseline skills in the areas of teaching & learning best practices, use of learning management system, and technology. The first goal (Goal 1) of the systematic faculty development program was to measure the impact of the Faculty Enrichment program on overall faculty development with regards to technology. The second goal (Goal 2) was to evaluate the relationship, if any, between faculty development and student evaluations. To meet Goal 2, data from IDEA end-of-course evaluations (IDEA, n.d.) and the skills assessments were correlated. Results indicated that the instructor’s desire to learn more about teaching and learning best practices was positively correlated with students providing higher scores on progress on relevant objectives, perceiving the instructor as an excellent teacher, and the course summary scores. When students rated an instructor as an excellent teacher, that instructor self-reported a higher level of applying skills in using Desire-to-Learn (D2L). Negative correlations were found between the instructor’s self-reported skills with presentation and multimedia tools and the students’ perception of progress toward objectives, excellence of course, and overall course score. Based on the initial results, future professional development will optimize adequate training on the Learning Management System (i.e. D2L), for all faculty, and emphasize the effective use of technology in the classroom.

Conference of Ukrainian Scholars in Urbana, Illinois

On June 24-28, 1982 the Conference on Ukrainian Literature in the Twentieth Century took place at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Levis Faculty Center. The conference was sponsored by the Summer Research Laboratory on Russia and Eastern Europe, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the Shevchenko Scientific Society, Inc., New York.