CU Boulder’s Active Learning Academy (ALA) is an NSF-funded, faculty-driven, and ASSETT-supported opportunity for STEM faculty to learn and apply research-based instructional strategies and course design principles to an undergraduate STEM course of their choosing.
The ALA offers a series of three professional development programs. These programs are aimed at building capacity at CU Boulder for student-centered teaching in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and to be a “T1 at the R1.”
The first in the ALA series is the Learning by Design program begins in fall 2020. This is a six-session program that meets every other week over lunch (dates to be determined based on applicants’ input). The primary goals of the Learning by Design program are to:
- Introduce participants to research-based instructional strategies and course design principles that facilitate active learning in an undergraduate STEM course they teach or will teach.
- Cultivate a faculty learning community that together explores ways to apply active learning to their chosen courses.
After the end of the fall semester, participants will have completed and submitted a teaching portfolio for their chosen course, which can be later used for reference in annual reviews, promotion and tenure. Participants who complete the Learning by Design program will receive a faculty development award of $1,000; a certificate of completion; and a letter for their reappointment, promotion and tenure file.
Any instructor-rank and tenure-stream faculty who teaches undergraduate science, technology, engineering, or math courses is eligible to apply to participate in the Learning by Design program. Cohort size is limited to 12. Preference will be given to pairs of faculty members from the same department who partner to complete Learning by Design together. Apply by July 27.
The other two ALA programs build off the Learning by Design program. The second in the ALA series is the Follow-Up Mentoring program, which will be offered each spring semester for four years. The third in the ALA series is the Course Re/Design Award program, which will be offered in the summer/fall period for three years.
For additional information about the Active Learning Academy and its programmatic offerings, contact Amanda.McAndrew@colorado.edu or Leilani.Arthurs@colorado.edu.
