FCTL Faculty Teaching Awards – Nominations are due January 21, 2022
The FCTL Advisory Council wants to recognize faculty contributions in areas that are important to the mission and long-term goals at Missouri State University. Submit your nomination now!
Nominations will be accepted in the following categories:
- Equity and Inclusion
- Teaching with Technology
- Per-Course Teaching
More information and link to online nomination form
Showcase Fridays
Showcase Fridays are an extension of the annual Showcase on Teaching and Learning providing an opportunity to learn and discuss with colleagues a variety of topics and issues surrounding the science and art of teaching. These may include teaching with Zoom, service-learning pedagogy, strategies for assessment and student feedback, or inclusive teaching.
These sessions will be 11:00 a.m.-11:50 a.m. on Fridays.
Links will be available on Blackboard’s Academic Community and will be emailed to faculty each Monday for the sessions that are virtual.
“It’s Showtime!” Take your video recordings to the next level!
Date: November 5, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m.– 11:50 a.m.
Facilitator: Eric Taylor
Location: Virtual
Join Eric Taylor with the FCTL and learn how to improve the quality of your videos with intermediate to advanced editing techniques. In this workshop, we’ll explore basic workflow, transitions, titling, keyframing, and color correction among other elements designed to improve the look and feel of your presentations.
Finding and competing for local, state, and federal grants in your discipline
Date: November 19, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m.– 11:50 a.m.
Facilitators: Rachel McGinnis and Keri Franklin
Location: Virtual
Did you know assistance is available to pursue grant funding opportunities? Join Rachel McGinnis, Director of Research Administration, to learn about resources available for finding grant opportunities and help with submitting a grant. Dr. Keri Franklin, Associate Provost for Public Affairs and Assessment, and a professor in English will discuss tips and resources she found useful in her successful pursuit of $5 million in education grants.
Unlikely Allies in the Academy: Women of Color and White Women in Conversation Book Talk
Join Dr.’s Marjorie Shavers & Nancy Gordon for a discussion about Dr. Karen L. Dace’s Unlikely Allies in the Academy: Women of Color and White Women in Conversation.
Date: Friday, February 25, 2022
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: The Ozarks Room, Meyer Library Room 302
Interested faculty should use the QR code to download the eBook, which requires BearPass login.
Please contact FCTL@MissouriState.edu if you prefer a printed copy of the book.
You Can Help A Student
Attend this training to learn more about supporting students struggling with mental health concerns, including how and where to refer students when necessary. This 120-minute session uses interaction and conversations to teach audience members actionable ways they can support students in distress. This training is open to all Missouri State Faculty and Staff.
One-day training offered on the following dates:
Monday, November 8 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 18 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Friday, December 10 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Register today through My Learning Connection on My Missouri State.
If you have any questions, contact the MSU Counseling Center at (417)836-5116 or ChiaraCitterio@MissouriState.edu
Public Affairs Talks! breaking barriers to good mental health
Breaking Barriers to Good Mental Health
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00p.m.
Location: In-person event at PSU Theater.
All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend as important information is shared regarding good mental health practices. Free and open to the public.
Questions? Contact Stacey Trewatha-Bach at StaceyTrewatha@MissouriState.edu.
Magna Professional Development opportunities
Are You Interested in Participating in an Online Seminar Directly from Your Office?
MSU has an institutional license to the following on-demand resources.
- The Teaching Professor – access great articles and practical, evidence-based insights on strategies for creating a better learning environment. This online newsletter has been a trusted guide for educators for more than 30 years. Editor Dr. Maryellen Weimer has over 25 years of experience in college teaching. She has authored several books and is a highly regarded proponent of effective teaching practices.
- Magna Commons – a content library of on-demand versions of many of Magna’s most popular Magna Online Seminars, covering a broad range of topics of interest to faculty and administrators.
- 20-Minute Mentor – a content library of on-demand versions of Magna’s popular 20-Minute Mentor programs, covering a broad range of faculty development topics. (See below).
Access these resources by activating your Magna subscription through the Academic Community located in Blackboard. Select the Academic Community from the Community tab in Blackboard, and from the Academic Community’s main menu, select Magna Subscriptions located under Professional Learning. Follow the instructions provided to activate your subscription.
Monday Morning Mentor
These sessions will become available on Monday mornings. Through your Magna subscription, the program will be available for on-demand viewing for one full week.
Remaining Fall 2021 sessions
November 1
How Can I Develop Opportunity-minded Learners?
It’s essential that students begin to think about value creation before graduating. When students graduate, they will ultimately be creating value for somebody in their careers. How can instructors best prepare these students for a meaningful career beyond skill-based content?
November 8
How Can I Manage the Disconnect Between Faculty and Student Perceptions of Rigor to Increase Learning?
You can’t dispel students’ misperceptions about difficult coursework if you’re unaware of what these misperceptions are. This program discusses common mismatched definitions of rigor and strategies for bridging the divide between teacher definitions and student definitions. By leveraging these strategies, you’ll be better able to improve students’ motivation and build stronger classroom connections.
November 15
How Can I Help Students Who Are Struggling with Online Learning?
While some students excel when taking online courses, many find online learning challenging and have difficulties keeping up with required readings, course activities, and assessments. Students may struggle in online courses because they mistakenly believe online education is easier than face-to-face, they have poor study habits, or they lack planning, organization, and time management skills.
November 22
How Can I Grade In Less Time with Greater Impact?* – TBA
November 29
What are the Differences Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching, and How Do I Best Choose the Format for My Online Class?
Online instruction has become a multifaceted experience. Instructors can select their platform, course design, and now, their instructional format. Online courses can be taught either synchronously, where learning occurs at a specified time and date, or asynchronously, where students can complete course content on their own time. How do instructors know when to teach synchronously or asynchronously?
December 6
What Can I Do to Manage and Reduce Academic Job Stress?
Faculty face a number of challenging and emotionally draining conditions in their work – troubled or angry students, reduced funding and cutbacks, and political conflict on campus to name a few. Explore ways that faculty (and others) can take care of themselves so that they can continue to do their work effectively.
For information on all sessions for this semester, see Fall 2021 Schedule
Go to the Academic Community to activate your subscription and view the complete schedule. Passwords will be provided weekly.
Online Learning Consortium™ Faculty Workshops in November and December
The OLC offers an extensive online learning opportunities for education professionals. Check out the workshops available in September and beyond.
Fundamentals: Increasing Interaction & Engagement
November 8 – 14
Student engagement is an important indicator for a successful class experience. In this workshop, you will explore practices that foster student engagement in your own courses, including the use of multimedia feedback, discussion techniques, and group involvement. You will also learn about barrier to engagement, and you can address these challenges.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe strategies that help overcome obstacles to student engagement.
- Develop a plan to improve student engagement in your online course.
Introduction to Online Presentation Tools
November 15 – 21
Presentations are an important method for delivering content in the online environment. In this workshop, you will explore web-based tools that leverage the potential to engage learners, build communities, and promote continuing dialogue. You will also explore techniques for making presentations more interactive.
Learning Objectives:
- Evaluate various online presentation tools.
- Create a short online presentation.
Adaptive Learning Fundamentals and Courseware Exploration
November 15 – 21 & November 28 – December 4
Adaptive learning is an emerging tech ology shown to increase student engagement and learning. These automated systems can assess student knowledge, give immediate feedback, and provide scaffolding to support learning.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify how properties of adaptive learning increase student engagement.
- Evaluate the available adaptive learning tools in your discipline.
- Discuss how adaptive learning tools might work for your classes.
Designing a Flipped Classroom
December 6 – 12
Flipped learning is a model of teaching in which the more passive learning activities such as watching lectures, happen outside of the classroom, saving more in-person class time for interactive activities.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the benefits and challenges of flipped design models.
- Design a flipped learning plan appropriate for your course.
Curriculum Innovation Mini Grants
There is now additional funding available for Curriculum innovation mini grants. Awards are limited up to $1,200 per grant application. Curriculum innovation mini-grants support faculty with ‘pivoting’ their courses during the ongoing Coronavirus.
Applicants must complete an application indicating:
- What one change do you want to make to your course? i.e., better engage students with the content, create more engaging video lectures, determine better strategies for blended instruction.
- What do you think might help you with this change? i.e., document camera or other video equipment, digital tools that will engage students, not sure.
- How will you know if you were successful in creating this change? i.e., I will see better scores, I will have more engaging course materials online, my students will be more satisfied with their learning experience.
Submit Curriculum Innovation Mini-Grant Application.
Mini-Grants are one-time funding and faculty should consider ongoing costs such as annual subscription services. Applications will be considered until the funding is depleted.
Faculty Writing Retreats
Faculty Writing Retreats (in-person and virtual) will help you meet your writing goals for the year. Begin new articles, revise and resubmit, polish your book proposal, complete your last edits, and connect and collaborate with other faculty scholars.
For Fall 2021, in-person Writing Retreats are back! Register for any of the following dates. If you register, you may also choose to write along in your office or at home and join our lunchtime roundtable via ZOOM.
FCTL Conference Room, Meyer Library Room 204 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fall 2021 dates:
- Friday, November 19
- Monday-Tuesday, December 20-21
Please register through My Learning Connection by searching for “Faculty Writing Retreats Program” and choose the sessions you wish to attend. If you sign up, you are not obliged to stay all day if you have other obligations. Participants will be sent a form to log their goals and contacted prior to each event with a reminder. Lunchtime Workshops may feature special topics and/or guest presenters on writing and research productivity. Morning coffee and catered lunch provided by the Office of the Provost.
For more information or to be put on the mailing list, please contact facultywriting@missouristate.edu.
Course Video Sharing for Faculty
The Office of the Provost, the FCTL, and Information Services would like to share some information with faculty about uploading video to Blackboard. We are recommending video be shared via Microsoft Stream or YouTube. Please see How to Share a Video to Blackboard. As storage space is at a premium, you are encouraged to remove video files. Here is an article on how to do so How to Remove Video Files from Blackboard.
Blackboard is not a video streaming service and storage is at a premium. Videos need to be stored on a video streaming platform such as Microsoft Stream or YouTube. The links to the videos can be shared within your Blackboard courses. Here is a list of Blackboard best practices Blackboard Best Practices for Faculty.
LinkedIn Learning – Professional Development Opportunity
LinkedIn Learning (LIL) is an on-demand e-learning library now available to all faculty, staff, and students to support your academic efforts. The extensive library consists of course subjects, soft skills, software programming, technical training, hobby, and passion projects.
For professional development:
If faculty and staff are interested in exploring personal career development opportunities or need CEU’s for professional certifications, LIL may also have what you need. LIL can be accessed on a desktop, tablet, and mobile phone with 24/7 customer service support. Faculty/Staff can activate their free license through the MyMissouristate.edu portal on the Profile/Professional Development channel.
For use with students:
Want to share refresher or rudimentary LinkedIn content with students?
LinkedIn Learning is available to all faculty, students, and staff. You can share LinkedIn Learning content with your students easily within your Blackboard course. Students will activate their license through the MyMissouristate.edu/Registration/Resources channel. For all IT-related questions, visit the Team Dynamics ticketing system available at https://missouristate.edu/helpdesk.
Assessment Grants Opportunities
Faculty Assessment of Student Learning Grants are available. The purpose of these grants is to support you, the faculty, in your innovative practices in the assessment of student learning.
Apply today for a $500 Program Assessment Grants to share how your program assesses student learning.
Self-Paced FCTL Course Development Boot Camps
The resources from the FCTL’s virtual online boot camps are available as a self-paced course development boot camp. This self-paced version will cover many of the same things as the virtual and on-campus boot camps, but you will be participating at your own schedule and can contact the FCTL Instructional Designers at any time during this process. Their contact information is listed in the meet your instructional designers area of the modules.
What’s included in the self-paced course development boot camp
- Best practices related to online courses and teaching
- Different assessment options available in Blackboard
- How to remove potential barriers for students with disabilities.
- Strategies to foster community and engagement in the online classroom
- Strategies to prevent student cheating
- Copyright and fair use in distance education
How to find the self-paced boot camp (access begins June 1, 2020)
- Log into Blackboard and select the Community Tab at the top of the page.
- select Academic Community from the My Organizations module.
- Once in the site, on the main menu, locate “self-paced course development boot camp” to access the boot camp materials.
Upon completion of each of the activities within the module you will be able to print a certificate of completion.
Contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu for additional information on any of these opportunities.