The Pedagogy Project
The Pedagogy Project is a faculty-led and initiated effort originating out of the College of Humanities and Sciences (in 2009) to encourage interdisciplinary conversation and reflection about teaching and learning at UM. All faculty (tenure-track, visiting, adjunct, instructors, lecturers) are invited to participate.
The Pedagogy Project provides faculty with the unique opportunity to receive formative, constructive feedback to develop stronger pedagogical practices.
Fellows in the Pedagogy Project both receive and provide mid-semester feedback via student-centered small-group analyses (face-to-face or online courses) or classroom observation.
Why Participate in the Pedagogy Project?
- The Pedagogy Project is led by faculty colleagues, creating a supportive space for reflection and improvement that is separate from administrative evaluation.
- Work with faculty from across the university, bringing fresh ideas and insights from different disciplines and teaching contexts.
- Receive meaningful feedback while it still matters. Through a mid-semester Small Group Analysis, students provide honest, constructive feedback about what's helping their learning and what could be improved, giving you time to actually implement changes.
- Participation is voluntary, and all feedback remains confidential and under your control.
- Available for both face-to-face and online teaching.
- Join the growing community of faculty across UM who have participated in the Pedagogy Project since 2009 and are committed to improving teaching and student learning.
How much time does it take?
Those participating commit to a total of roughly five hours of total time for the semester:
- Attend an hour-long training session on the basic feedback model (held early September for Fall semester and in early February for Spring semester).
- Schedule a mid-course feedback session in the fall and in the spring. Another evaluator conducts the half-hour long feedback sessions.
- Conduct those half-hour feedback sessions for another instructor in the group.
- Compile the results of the feedback sessions you conduct and go over them with the instructor.
- Meet with the evaluator who conducted feedback sessions in your classes.
- Attend a one hour close out session at the end of each semester.
To Apply
Faculty are invited to apply at the beginning of each semester (fall and spring).
Interested instructors should email Melanie McGrath or Charles Palmer with answers to the following questions:
- What is your interest in applying to the Pedagogy Project?
- What are your current strengths as an instructor?
- What aspects of your teaching do you hope to improve by participating in the Pedagogy Project?