Extraordinary Teaching for Extraordinary Times

Flexible Teaching for Student Success

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us we must be ready to pivot to different learning modalities that meet our students’ needs when we cannot teach on campus. The Flexible Teaching for Student Success Initiative will prepare Boise State University to deliver classes online, in person, and in various combinations thereof during fall 2020. We want to ensure every faculty member has the tools and skills they need to be successful. These efforts will serve us well, both individually and institutionally, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is in the rear-view mirror.

In Flexible Teaching for Student Success, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and eCampus Center are partnering to offer development opportunities during summer 2020 to help faculty create highly flexible courses for the fall. Faculty can engage with this work at levels they choose, supported by CTL and eCampus Center staff as they prepare high-quality courses for our students, regardless of format.

Program Description

The Flexible Teaching for Student Success Initiative has three tiers, offering faculty flexibility in time and dates to engage in this work. Content is similar across the tiers, so select the option that best aligns with your needs and availability.

Tier 1: Institute

A single, 3-week facilitated institute
36 asynchronous hours with robust deliverables
$1,000 stipend*

Tier 2: Workshop

Menu of six, 1-week facilitated workshops
3-hour asynchronous workshops with targeted deliverables
$250 stipend* for completing 3 workshops and a fall implementation plan

Tier 3: Resources

Independent access to resources and help sessions
No deliverables
No stipend

Tier Details And Application Process

Description

In the Flexible Teaching for Student Success Institute, faculty will experience an online course from the student perspective, while participating in interactive and individual activities that give them opportunities to consider important aspects of their fall courses. Participants will review their course learning outcomes, identify alternative assessments, review the key elements of asynchronous teaching and plan ways to create engaging, inclusive online spaces for students. At the end of the institute, faculty participants will have a foundation for flexible teaching in the fall.

This experience is best for:

Faculty new to asynchronous teaching who would benefit from specific, immediate feedback
Faculty with experience in some/all of the topic areas, but looking for additional skills and/or collaboration on course materials

Faculty who complete this experience and submit the required deliverables will be eligible to receive a $1000 stipend*.

Schedule

The Tier 1 institute will be offered four times during the summer in the following sessions:

June 1 – June 19
June 15 – July 3
July 6 – July 24
July 20 – August 7

Application Process

For each session, there will be multiple groups of faculty being supported by facilitators. (Think of it as multiple sections of a course offered simultaneously).

It is our goal to assemble these groups so that the work that you complete during the three weeks will be both rich and efficient.

Before applying, consider which of the following will work best for you, as you will need to indicate a preference on the application form.

Participation as an individual (you working on our own course(s) in a cohort with other individual faculty)
Participation as part of a cohort (e.g., all UF100 instructors, all first-year writing instructors, everyone from a particular program, a group of people who all teach the same course)
- Cohorts are encouraged when possible because planning can benefit from community interactions focused on building similar courses.

To be fully considered for participation, complete the application form for the institute by Tuesday, May 12 (5pm). Applications received after that date will be considered on a space-available basis.

Applicants will be notified about whether or not they have been accepted by Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

Tier 1 is completely full.
Thank you for your interest!

Description

A menu of six one-week-long workshops designed to model effective online course organization. For each workshop, participants will be expected to spend three hours over the course of the week completing interactive and individual activities. Faculty can choose from a menu of offerings to best meet their needs.

This experience is best for:

Faculty new to asynchronous teaching who want an introduction to basic concepts related to the format
Faculty with experience in some/all of the topic areas who are looking for a refresher/additional skills, but not for detailed feedback on their course materials
Faculty with limited availability over the summer

Faculty who complete a minimum of three workshops and submit a copy of a Flexible Learning and Instruction Plan (FLIP) that meets the Tier 2 requirements will be eligible to receive a $250 stipend*. Each Tier 2 workshop includes information about the minimum expectations for the FLIP based on the content covered.

To officially complete Tier 2, please fill out this Google Form, which asks participants to identify the three FTSS Workshops completed and upload a copy of their FLIP, by August 21, 2020. Please note: FTSS Help Sessions are part of Tier 3, and thus do not qualify as one of the three required workshops for the Tier 2 program.

Workshop Topics

The six workshops offered are:

Establishing Instructor Presence
Strategies for Providing Effective Feedback
Active Learning in Asynchronous Settings
Creating Courses that Meet the Needs of all Students
Building Inclusive Learning Communities
Integrating Flexible Assessments

Schedule

Tier 2 workshops will each be on a rotating weekly schedule throughout the summer. Each workshop will be offered three times.

Registration Process

While there is no application for Tier 2 Workshops, we recommend that interested participants register using the following form as soon as possible. This will allow us to keep you up to date with information about Tier 2 registration and completion. Once registered, you can sign up for individual FTSS workshops in the CTL events registration system.

Tier 2: Workshops Registration

FTSS Workshops Sign Up

Description

Independent access to web-based resources and regularly scheduled help sessions facilitated by knowledgeable Instructional Designers. Faculty can access the resources at any time, and attend as many help sessions as they need.

This option is best for:

Faculty who need “Just in Time” support
Faculty with limited availability over the summer

No deliverables are required for this tier, nor is a stipend available.

Content

You can find articles and resources related to flexible teaching in the eCampus Online Course Development Knowledge Base.

Help sessions will begin the week of June 8. Topics are as follows:

How do I provide materials to online learners?
How do students collaborate online?
How do I keep students engaged?
How do I assess students online?
How do I provide student feedback online?
Bring Your Own Topic

Registration Process

Participants can register for help sessions on the CTL events registration system. Look for events that start with “FTSS Help Session”.

Tier 3 Help Session Registrations

* This summer, Boise State faculty and staff are collaborating in an exceptional effort to ensure instructors are ready to engage our students this fall. Because most faculty are off-contract during the summer months, the University will provide stipends to instructors who complete select faculty development opportunities. At the same time, the university is responding to the budgetary fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and professional staff are taking furlough days this summer. We recognize the summer stipend will provide essential support to many instructors, while other instructors may wish to forgo stipends. Instructors who enroll in Tier 1 or Tier 2 experiences will later have an opportunity to opt out of the stipend for this summer work.

Contact Us

If you have questions about faculty development opportunities in the Flexible Teaching for Student Success Initiative contact ecampus@boisestate.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Graduate Students participate in this initiative?
Graduate students play an important role in supporting our Boise State students. We envision that the “Tier 2: Workshops” option will meet the needs of most graduate students. If you are a graduate student (or your program has a graduate student) who is teaching a course for which you think “Tier 1: Institutes” would better meet your needs, please send us an email to discuss it at ecampus@boisestate.edu. [Graduate TA orientation scheduled for August, is also being planned with fall needs in mind].
My course has been taught online by someone else. Can I use their course design/course shell as a starting point?
For faculty applying for “Tier 1: Institute”, there is a question related to this in the application process. For other instructors, contact helpdesk@boisestate.edu for assistance.
If I apply to Tier 1: Institutes but either don’t get in (because of space or because I am accepted into a session that I can’t do because of calendar conflicts), will I be automatically enrolled in Tier 2: Workshops?
If you are not accepted into Tier 1 or decline to participate in the available dates, then you will be invited to enroll in Tier 2.
Can I participate in both Tier 1: Institute and Tier 2: Workshops?
Faculty are welcome to participate in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 (as space allows), but they may only receive a stipend for one of the experiences.
After discussing with my chair, I want to transition my fall in-person course to online or remote or hybrid, but I have not participated in faculty development in any of these areas. Will FTSS offerings help me? Would it be advisable to enroll in Tier 1 or Tier 2?
Both Tier 1 and 2 FTSS offerings are focused on expanding a faculty member’s knowledge of asynchronous online strategies that are useful in any course offering. We encourage anyone transitioning from in-person teaching to invest in professional development. Whether you choose a Tier 1 or 2 depends on space available in the sessions and on your time available. These offerings will cover the basics that you need. We look forward to your participation in future eCampus Center and CTL offerings to build on the knowledge, skills and experience you gain this summer and fall.
Can I receive payment for participation in Tier 1 or Tier 2 as a budget transfer rather than a stipend?
Payment for Tier 1 and Tier 2 can only be given as a stipend.