In a February 2021 survey of 597 Penn State faculty members, 80% agreed or strongly agreed that, “In future face-to-face courses, I will implement some of the new practices I recently adopted for remote teaching” (Robert & Serpi, 2021). In a national survey of 1,413 students, 67% indicated that they would like future courses to incorporate more digital materials, resources, and technology (McKenzie, 2021). At Penn State, we are starting to think about how we can continue to provide relevant and responsive programming for our faculty as we return to campus. The pandemic changed much of how we approach faculty development programming in higher education, and many of those changes have been positive. With this in mind, join us for information and discussion of the future of faculty development in higher education. What lessons have you learned in the past 1.5 years that you will take forward into future faculty programming? How has your perspective of your work shifted? How has faculty perception of this type of programming changed? How can we adapt faculty development to become more accessible, more equitable, and more desirable to faculty at our institutions? This session will be facilitated by two instructional designers who led some of Penn State’s efforts to help faculty quickly transition to the remote teaching space last year. They hope to share their experiences and learn from others as we chart a new path for faculty development in the future.
Amy Kuntz is an Instructional Designer in Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) at Penn State and adjunct instructor at Northampton Community College. She partners with faculty in a consultative manner and works on intensive course redesign projects around immersive experiences including augmented reality, virtual reality, and 360 video. She also facilitates a university-wide Learning Design community, works large/strategic pedagogical redesign projects for the university, and conducts faculty engagement around TLT’s initiatives including blended learning and digital fluency.
Sara Davis is an instructional designer in the department of Teaching and Learning with Technology at Penn State University. She collaborates with partners across the university to implement a broad range of faculty engagement programs focused on emerging technologies and institutional initiatives such as OER, data-informed pedagogy, and digital fluency. She also co-facilitates a university-wide Learning Design community, consults with other instructional technology personnel to develop solutions focusing on innovative experiences for academic programs, departments, and similar units, and oversees extensive course-redesign projects from inception to completion.