This program is no longer running. Please contact the EDC for other professional development opportunities.
First-Year Seminar (FYSM) courses are small classes (usually with 30 students) designed to give students the opportunity to discuss and research topics of interest in a core subject area. Because of their small sizes and emphasis on interactivity, FYSMs represent a different teaching challenge than the traditional lecture. This winter, the EDC wants to help you get ready for that challenge with its First-Year Seminar Institute!
Designed for graduate students, instructors, and faculty new to the experience of teaching first-year seminars, the First-Year Seminar Institute will introduce you to effective practices for designing and facilitating such courses. The instructional approach will model the effective practices for creating an active, collaborative learning environment that participants will be studying. Facilitated by Morgan Rooney, Samah Sabra, and Anthony Marini, this focused, compact program provides the opportunity to work with educational developers and fellow FYSM instructors to develop a syllabus for an upcoming course. Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:
- Develop appropriate, measureable learning outcomes for a first-year seminar, especially in the area of skills development (e.g., close reading, essay writing, critical thinking, problem solving)
- Design assessments that employ a ‘scaffolded’ approach and that are aligned with your learning outcomes
- Create and facilitate a collaborative learning environment that engages students through discussions and activities
Come to the institute with an idea for a FYSM course and leave with a fully prepared syllabus!
This program consists of five three-hour meetings, held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., starting Jan. 23 and ending Feb. 6. All sessions will take place in room 422 Dunton Tower.