Louise Wrensford, Rhonda Porter, Janis Carthon, Hema Mason, Joyce Johnson
The primary objective of this session is to describe current efforts to transform how courses are taught at our institution to include evidence based teaching strategies that are known to improve students' critical thinking skills, engagement and retention, particularly in STEM disciplines. The Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF) program began with the training of two STEM faculty members to be transformation agents for STEM education at the institution. It has since expanded to a community of 20 faculty members from across the institution with a common goal of transforming STEM and related disciplines to improve student learning, engagement, and retention. To support this goal, a professional development program on evidence-based teaching and communication strategies was developed. This program will be described as well as the results of the implementation of the various strategies in targeted courses. The impact on the faculty and on students' attitudes and performance will also be discussed. This presentation will benefit faculty and administrators interested in improving teaching and learning.
