What Does Faculty Development Offer?
Contact:
Greg Reihman
Director of Faculty Development
370a Fairchild-Martindale
ext. 86840
grr3@lehigh.edu
The Faculty Development Program aims to foster excellence in teaching and learning by providing faculty with tools, development opportunities, and consultation services. As director, I work with faculty individually, organize events, and coordinate with other campus services that support faculty. In what follows, I answer some questions you may have about what I do.
Q: Who is faculty development for?
My view is that anyone—from the novice to the expert—can find ways to improve their teaching. More, I believe that improvement happens best when faculty are reflective about their teaching, are open to learning from others, and are willing to experiment with new things in their classroom.
Q: What do you do when you consult with a faculty member?
Typically, when we sit down together, we will first talk a bit about your teaching situation and determine what you want my role to be. You may be facing a particular challenge in the classroom, you may want help rethinking your general approach to teaching, or you may be interested in putting some new idea into practice. I will then make some suggestions about things you might want to try—perhaps a particular teaching technique, perhaps some piece of academic technology, perhaps some different way of thinking about student learning. In some cases, I may offer specific advice on course planning, syllabus design, or presentation skills; in other cases, I may suggest ways to improve lectures and discussions, or offer tools that help you more effectively assess student learning. Whatever the details, I will in every case help you find a solution that you’re willing to try and then I will encourage you to test it out and see how it works for you in your classroom.
Q. Are consultations confidential?
Yes, all consultations are voluntary and confidential. Any information about the consultation goes only to the faculty member.
Q. How can I know if I’m teaching well?
Student evaluations are the most common way we get feedback on our teaching and we can learn a great deal by using them properly. But unfortunately they come too late—after the semester is over—and, worse, they often lack specificity. Therefore, I recommend that every teacher perform some form of mid-semester assessment. You can do this by soliciting feedback from students either in class or online. An even more effective method is to invite a visitor in to meet with your students, pose questions about what’s working and what could be improved, collect the data, and report the results back to you. You may also wish to invite someone to observe your teaching and give you feedback. I am available to help with any of these approaches.
Q. What else do you offer?
I organize a number of events that encourage faculty members to share what they’re doing in the classroom. For example, I’ll host faculty-led seminars, workshops by nationally-known consultants on specific teaching and research topics, and facilitate discussions of academic technology through TLTR (Teaching Learning and Technology Roundtable) events. I may also invite you to join me and a few of your peers to talk informally about our teaching over lunch or coffee.
Q. Are you involved with the Lehigh Lab?
Yes. I am co-Director of the Lehigh Lab, Lehigh's campus-wide initiative to advance the adoption of innovative technologies and techniques that enhance teaching, learning, and research. If you’re interested in undertaking a project that involves Lehigh Lab resources, please contact me.
Q: Can you help me use technology in my teaching?
Yes. I can meet with you individually to discuss appropriate and effective ways technology can enhance your teaching. More importantly, because I work closely with the other divisions of the Lehigh Lab—including the Instructional Technology Consultants, Library Consulting, Digital Projects, Computing Consulting, Distance Education, and Media Services—I can connect you with the technology support you need. I encourage you to arrange a visit to the Technology Resource Learning Center (TRLC), where you can receive guidance, assistance, and training with an instructional technology project at any stage of development. The TRLC, located in the Media Center in Fairchild-Martindale Library, is where you’ll find me, together with the Lehigh Lab Faculty Fellow, the Instructional Technology Team Leader (Sherri Yerk-Zwickl), and the Instructional Media Services Team Leader (Elia Schoomer), all of whom are available to help.
Q: Where can I find more information about the services and programs discussed here?
You can contact me at infdli@lehigh.edu , 8-6840, come by my office in 370a Fairchild Martindale or check out the following websites:
Faculty Development: http://www.lehigh.edu/~infdli
Lehigh Lab: http://www.lehigh.edu/lehighlab
Teaching Learning and Technology Roundtable:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~infdli/teachtech.html
