The Center for Transformative Teaching will host a special symposium celebrating 30 years of the Faculty-led Inquiry into Reflective and Scholarly Teaching program (formerly the Peer Review of Teaching Project) on March 28 from 9 a.m.-1:45 p.m. at the Nebraska Union on city campus.
Join past founders and leaders, as well as current administrators and participants, to learn how FIRST can make a real impact on student success. The symposium is designed both as a celebration of FIRST and an opportunity to learn the practical benefits of the program for potential participants.
FIRST has supported more than 500 faculty in documenting and improving their teaching through workshops, writing retreats, and small group discussions. The program provides faculty with structured approaches to document their teaching and student learning while fostering cross-disciplinary conversations about effective pedagogy.
The symposium will begin with a multi-format keynote session featuring a panel of FIRST founders and leaders — Dan Bernstein, Amy Goodburn, and Paul Savory — exploring the evolution and future impact of reflective teaching practices. FIRST co-leaders, Eve Brank and Jody Koenig Kellas will then talk about format and impact of the current project, inviting insights and questions from the audience, including faculty needs that could help shape the future of the project.
Participants will also hear from program alumni during a panel discussion on "Making the Case" for evidence-based teaching practices; alumni in the audience will also be invited to share their insights. A networking buffet lunch will feature a poster session showcasing innovative teaching outcomes from FIRST participants.
Concurrent hands-on workshop breakout sessions will cover:
- backward design implementation strategies.
- methods for conceptualizing and analyzing student learning data.
- approaches to scholarship of teaching and learning.
The symposium will conclude with speed sessions focused on current teaching challenges and closing remarks from the CTT.
Registration details are available online. Visit the FIRST website for more information about the program and upcoming application opportunities.
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/FIRST30