Its Purpose: To support “excellence in teaching and learning” by creating learning cohorts of instructors from across disciplines to support each other’s growth in the practice of teaching. Members will learn strategies for making courses more engaging, teaching content more effectively, improving and assessing student mastery, while enhancing professionalism and the intrinsic rewards and joys of teaching.

What does it include? Opportunities to learn from discussions with other members and experienced colleagues, as well from articles, books, and research about many aspects of teaching and learning in a positive, facilitated environment.  In addition to some common topics about students, learning and teaching for all cohorts, members of each cohort will determine their own topics of interest.

In addition to participation and supporting others in the cohort members will be responsible for two products.

1. Making improvements for students:
   • Identify a barrier for student learning in this course.
   • Develop strategies to assist students in overcoming this barrier. This could be a content issue or a student non-cognitive issue.
   • Implement the strategies or make a plan to do so the next time the course is taught.
2. Making improvements for yourself:
   • Identify a barrier to your enjoyment, engagement and/or comfort teaching this course. This could be some of the content of the course or characteristics of students who take the course.
   • Develop strategies for increasing your enjoyment, engagement, and/or comfort.
   • Implement the strategies or make a plan to do so the next time the course is taught.

Benefits: Benefits are many including being more professional and enjoying your teaching more as well as developing new strategies to help your students both while learning and while they are engaging in the learning process at UHMC. For faculty members, this experience will enhance your tenure and promotion documents; while lecturers will receive a 1-credit stipend when the products are completed.  In cohort meetings members will present and discuss plans, report on implementation, and get feedback from others.  At the final meeting of a cohort members will submit a short written summary of each of their products.

How to apply: Cohorts are formed at the beginning of each semester and last for two semesters.  Cohorts meet face-to-face usually every other week during a semester.  Times are arranged based on the availability of the interested instructors.

For additional information contact one of the facilitators: BK Griesemer (bkg@hawaii.edu) or Julie Powers (juliepow@hawaii.edu)