UNT's Course Redesign Community of Practice
An interdisciplinary, expanding Community of Practice facilitates the instructional design, implementation, sustainability, and replicability of innovative courses. The UNT Course redesign CoP began in 2004 with seven faculty working together to redesign five courses. Our objective is to maintain as many of the original CoP members as possible and to have new members join each year.
As part of the implementation of UNT's Quality Enhancement Plan, faculty members who participate in the course redesign projects are designated as "QEP Faculty Fellows". Each course redesign team is awarded a $12,000 grant to assist them in the redesign. Instructional design and production support are provided at no charge by CLEAR.
Faculty fellows meet with CLEAR support staff, UNT administrators, and students in a working lunch or breakfast each month. Experienced members of the CoP are encouraged to attend when they can, and some of these members are designated QEP Senior Faculty Fellows. The working meal sessions are organized around certain topics such as "Writing Quality Student Learning Outcomes" and "Designing Valid Assessments".
The largest portion of these meetings is reserved for status reports by the QEP Faculty Fellows, including brainstorming ideas and discussing challenges. Senior faculty fellows demonstrate their courses and share assessment and revision activities. Support staff including instructional consultants, the QEP librarian, and production personnel attend the meetings as appropriate. Two members of the Student Government Association are invited to attend all the monthly meetings. Senior UNT leadership are periodically invited to attend the meetings.
The UNT CoP also gathera together for several retreats each year. These events are similar to the working meal sessions but allow for more in-depth training and idea exchange. During two Course Redesign Faculty Forums each year, members of the UNT CoP present their courses to the entire university community. A forum may also involve panel discussions on course redesign topics.
Click here for a list of the AY 2009-2010 UNT Course Redesign Community of Practice.