FlexLearning Fellows Program
FlexLearning Fellows
Funded through the Chancellor’s Office and led by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Instructional Design Engagement and Support (IDEAS) group, the FlexLearning Fellows program is unique in taking a departmental approach to teaching innovation. As part of a learning community, the fellows work closely with staff in the CTL and the IDEAS group to:
- Evaluate and share best practices for flexible teaching and learning;
- Build departmental and disciplinary expertise, identifying approaches that are most appropriate for their department’s flexible learning projects and the necessary resources for support;
- Explore course design models for flexible learning to support departmental and/or course needs.
2022-2023 FlexLearning Fellows
Architecture
Jordan Kanter and Robert Williams, assistant professors in the Department of Architecture, develop supplemental materials and learning opportunities to enhance the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure program offered as part of the Master of Architecture program and exploring additional opportunities to enhance the professional practice curriculum across the degree programs within the Department of Architecture.
Chemistry
Lara Al-Hariri and Hans Mentzen, senior lecturers in the Department of Chemistry, will redesign two large enrollment undergraduate courses, General Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II, that are offered as service courses for a number of majors within the College of Natural Sciences and Engineering. The departmental goal is to enhance student success and degree progress by providing flexible learning opportunities for different types of learners as well as for students studying abroad or off-campus internships.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Wayne Burleson and Hossein Pishro-Nik, professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will be supporting their department’s efforts to expand flexible learning opportunities, offer their masters degree program in a fully flexible format, build on existing industry partnerships, diversify enrollment and increase retention.
Language, Literacy and Cultures
Stacy Giufre and Melina Masterson, senior lecturers in Italian Studies in the Department of Language, Literatures and Cultures, will be redesigning the courses within the elementary Italian language sequences. Undergraduate students majoring in Language, Literacy and Cultures often spend a semester studying abroad and many are also studying language as a double major or minor. Professors Giufre and Masterson will draw on their experiences within the fellowship to create an LLC Flex Learning group within to support other foreign language faculty in developing flexible language courses.
Political Science
Jesse Rhodes and Alex Theodoridis, professors in the Department of Political Science, will advance support the development of students’ professional skills and career readiness through the design of a fully flexible undergraduate certificate in Public Opinion and Survey Research and engage other political sciences faculty in discussions around flexible learning through a series of “learning lunches”.
2021-2022 FlexLearning Fellows
Hospitality & Tourism Management
Melissa Baker and Irem Onder Neuhofer, associate professors, are developing flexible learning opportunities to support undergraduates completing their required internships, while engaging industry practitioners.
Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Chi Hyun Lee, and Carol Bigelow, research associate professor and senior lecturer, are supporting their department’s goal of offering its Master of Science degree in biostatistics as a flexible learning program that could be completed by non-residential students.
Operations & Information Management
Carey Baldwin and Susan Boyer, lecturers, are teaming up to expand flexible learning opportunities in the Master of Science in business analytics degree program, with a focus on exploring pedagogy and instructional technology to enhance courses taught in computer lab settings.
Environmental Conservation and Geosciences
Forrest Bowlick and Britt Crow-Miller, senior lecturers, are working together to enhance their departments’ hybrid and online course and degree offerings, focused on the Master of Science degrees in sustainability science and geography.
Writing Program
Elkie Burnside, lecturer and assistant director, and Aaron Tillman, lecturer and course director, are developing resources to expand approaches to teaching writing. Their efforts will impact both the required introductory writing course for students in the University Without Walls undergraduate degree programs in business administration, interdisciplinary studies, sustainable food and farming, and the upper division Junior Year Writing course.
History of Art and Architecture
Gulru Cakmak and Christine Ho, associate professors, are supporting faculty in their department to expand flexible learning opportunities for large enrollment General Education courses and undergraduate upper division seminars.
Manning College of Information and Computer Science (CICS)
Meng-Chieh Chiu, lecturer, and Timothy Richards, senior lecturer, are advancing a college-level flexible learning initiative to integrate flexible learning into a new introductory sequence and form a CICS flexible learning community.
Physics
Irene Dujovne, lecturer, and Rory Miskimen, professor, are supporting their department in expanding flexible learning opportunities in lab-based courses, including a large enrollment introductory course which also meets the General Education requirement and an upper division lab-based course in electronics.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Eric Gonzales, associate professor, and Nick Tooker, lecturer, are supporting faculty in their department in expanding use of technology and flexible learning pedagogy to support undergraduate and graduate degree programs, beginning with CEE 310 Transportation Engineering, a course taught by multiple instructors.
Journalism
Kelsey Whipple, assistant professor, and Rodrigo Zamith, associate professor, are focused on their department’s Introduction to Journalism course, its largest undergraduate offering for residential students and a requirement of the five-course University Without Walls certificate of journalism. They will also develop a 200-level General Education course around social media storytelling.
How to Apply
For proposal submission details, including timing, guidelines, application form, and instructions, please visit the link below or email flexlearningfellows@umass.edu.