Fundamentals of Faculty Development
Introduction
Fundamentals of Faculty Development provides an evidence-based foundation in the field of faculty development, focusing on essential knowledge, core principles, and practical skills to apply to your own setting. You will learn about the evolution of faculty development in higher education, the core goals, structures, and services of teaching centers, and exemplars of evidence-based approaches to the delivery of teaching improvement programs and resources.
The course was designed for prospective and current practitioners who were interested in the improvement of teaching and student learning in higher education. It was created and co-taught by established faculty developers, Mei Yau Shih and Mary Deane Sorcinelli in our Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL). We acknowledge the generous contributions to the design process from Dr. Claire Hamilton, Dr. Beth Lisi, Dr. Gabriela Weaver, Dr. Brad Wheeler, Sarah Razani Marmon, Maria McSorley, and Michele Vanasse.
While this content was originally developed as a course, the materials can now be completed asynchronously either individually or in a group setting with fellow faculty developers at Centers for Teaching and Learning.
Learning Goals:
This course has several broad goals to help you build a foundation in faculty development as well as explore approaches for delivering faculty development programs and services. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of the history and theoretical foundations of faculty development to contexts within your own experience, professional studies, or careers.
- Describe the range of types of faculty development centers/programs in colleges and universities, including goals, structures, services, and collaborations with other units.
- Assess the professional development needs of your faculty and institution.
- Identify evidence-based approaches faculty developers use to deliver services.
- Design successful learning communities, institutes, and workshops.
- Develop your instructional consultation skills in group and individual settings.
Course Content:
- Part 1: Getting Grounded in Faculty Development
- Module 1 - Defining the field and its current landscape
- Module 2 - Exploring program types, goals, structures, and collaborations
- Module 3 - Assessing the professional development needs of your faculty and institution
- Module 4 - Using evidence-based approaches to deliver services and programs and evaluate CTL outcomes and impact
- Module 5 - Planning successful learning communities, institutes, and workshops
- Module 6 - Developing your instructional consultation skills
Readings
The material for this course draws from many sources, but several selected chapters will come from two books that exemplify research and practice in the field: A Guide to Faculty Development and Faculty Development in the Age of Evidence.
- Beach, A., Sorcinelli, M.D., Austin, A.E. & Rivard, J. (2016). Faculty development in the age of evidence. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
- Gillespie, K. J., & Robertson, D. L. (2010). A guide to faculty development. (2nd Ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Define faculty development
- Explain the evolution and "Ages" of faculty development
- Describe the current landscape of faculty development
