With nearly 30 years combined experience in educational development, the core faculty have created a highly interactive, immersive learning environment to help you systematically design your course. They will engage you in lively discussions and lead you through a variety of activities designed to clarify ideas and expand your pedagogical knowledge base.
 Dorothe Bach, Associate Professor & Assistant Director, Teaching Resource Center (German) – University of Virginia
Dorothe’s most recent pedagogical passions include course design, student reflection, and intercultural learning in community engagement and study abroad contexts. She has taught literature, culture, and language courses in UVa’s German Department and Comparative Literature Program. She also teaches yoga in the community.
 Deandra Little, Associate Professor & Assistant Director, Teaching Resource Center (English) – University of Virginia
Deandra’s research and pedagogical interests include teaching writing, facilitating classroom discussion and teaching with visual images in a variety of disciplines. She has taught a number of small and mid-sized courses at UVa, including an interdisciplinary first-year seminar, writing-intensive introductory literature courses, and upper-level courses in American Literature.
 Michael Palmer, Associate Professor & Assistant Director, Teaching Resource Center (Chemistry)
Michael's pedagogical interests include active learning, collaborative learning, creativity in the classroom, large enrollment courses, and student motivation. He teaches a highly interdisciplinary, discussion-based seminar on infinity and a large-enrollment, inquiry-based laboratory course for first-year chemistry students.
In addition to leading the TRC's Course Design Institute, the core faculty have also developed, designed, and led similar institutes for UVa faculty teaching community engagement, study abroad, and academic medicine courses, and they have facilitated week-long institutes at James Madison University, University of Richmond, and King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.
Along with the core faculty, several highly experienced facilitators will lead individual learning teams through the process of learning-centered course design. By actively listening and asking powerful questions, your learning team facilitator will guide you in developing your dream course.
Yitna Firdyiwek, Faculty Consultant, Instructional Technology
The integration of teaching and technology lies at the heart of Yitna's work. He has been actively involved in the University's Teaching + Technology Initiative and is currently Faculty Consultant in Instructional Technology for UVa's Advanced Technology Group working on, among other things, the Interactive Syllabus project. His interests include teacher performance support and course management system design, technology in language learning and writing instruction, electronic portfolios, and the use of video technology for promoting long term reflective teaching and learning. He has taught undergraduate composition, English as a Second Language, and graduate level reading courses in the history and philosophy of technology.
 Cara Meixner, Assistant Professor (Graduate Psychology) & Assistant Director, Center for Faculty Innovation – James Madison University
Cara is passionate about service-learning, community-based research, integrative learning, and learner-centered teaching. Her philosophy on teaching is largely inspired by an array of great texts, namely the Tao te Ching and The Journey to the East. She has taught small and large courses in leadership and organizational development; at present, she teaches graduate seminars in statistics and research methods, mixed methods research, and fundamentals of qualitative inquiry.
 Judith Reagan, Associate Professor & Associate Director, Teaching Resource Center (Drama)
Jude's research and pedagogical interests closely intertwine. She is interested in transplanting effective oral communication techniques developed for and used by actors to other populations and professions. She teaches Oral Interpretation to fourth-years, making them active co-conspirators both in becoming confident speakers and in developing their ability to coach others. Jude works with faculty on diverse topics including teaching large classes, productive coordination among teaching teams, and improving design and delivery of courses.
 Kerrin Riewerts, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Center for Teaching and Learning, Universität Bielefeld, Germany
Kerrin's pedagogical interests are focused on research-orientated teaching, following the recent shift in higher education from teaching the facts of science to the process of science. Using student activities modeled on research activities, she has developed and implemented methods to encourage student participation, especially in natural science classes. Additionally, her research interests include life-long learning, and currently teaches small groups of elderly people experimental life science.
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 The TRC's 2012
Course Design Institute
Monday–Friday,
May 21-25
Zehmer Hall, UVa
about CDI
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core faculty & learning
team facilitators
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testimonials
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contact information
Michael Palmer
434-982-2784
mpalmer@virginia.edu |
