Starting the Fall of 2022, the IDEAS team had the privilege of facilitating knowledge exchange meetings for an exceptional group of innovative teachers at UMass. We wrapped up the first year of the Instructional Innovation Fellowship at the end of May in Spring 2023. Throughout the 2022-2023 IIF fellowship year, the ten fellows shared a remarkable tapestry of unique approaches, creative ideas, and strategies, to enhance student engagement, participation and learning in their courses.

Note: We begin the second year of the IIF this Fall 2023. Applications for IIF 2023-24 are still open and will close on July 21, 2023. All innovative instructors are encouraged to apply!

In this blog, we want to take a moment to reflect on the IIF year’s presentations. Here is a summary of the innovative teaching methods shared among the group:

Closing One Chapter and Looking Ahead

While the first year of the IIF has ended, knowledge and experiences shared and gained will continue to ripple through UMass classrooms, benefiting many students. The presentations from the IIF fellows were nothing short of inspiring; from embracing diversity and using technology to nurturing critical thinking skills and fostering student choice. The IDEAS team wishes the best for these innovative instructors as they continue affecting student learning in positive ways. To learn more about all the projects and presentations highlighted here, check out our list of blog posts on IIF 2023-2024 presentations!