Mission, Goals and Objectives
Mission
The mission of the Instructional Development Service is to support the University of Minnesota's commitment to maximizing student learning at UMD by promoting effective teaching and learning, creating a campus culture that values and rewards teaching, and supporting faculty throughout their academic careers as teachers, scholars and individuals. In particular, our office pursues this mission through the following activities:
Faculty Development:
Promoted through:
- Fostering improved teaching through consultation, dialogue, and promotion of high quality peer review by:
- Promoting a wider menu of strategies (beyond classroom observation) for documenting the effectiveness of teaching and learning;
- Developing prototypes for capturing what teachers know and do;
- Promulgating approaches to peer review that can contribute to the improvement of student learning;
- Fostering a view of teaching as scholarly work worthy of documentation, evaluation, and reward;
- Creating a culture that values excellence in teaching and learning.
- Assessing student learning
- Creating multidisciplinary learning communities
- Assisting new faculty in teaching and research
- Assisting with professional advancement (promotion and tenure, merit raises)
- Enhancing use of scholarship of teaching and learning to develop effective practice in promoting student learning
Resource Development and Dissemination
Promoted through:
- The IDS website (via links, articles and resources)
- Developing a greater understanding of the connection between theory and practice
- On-going publication of the IDS Newsletter
- Continuous updating of the IDS Library’s print and video resources
Technology and Information Literacy
Promoted through:
- Collaboration with ITSS on programming, education technology, and Tech Camp curriculum
- Collaboration with the library on the dissemination of information about new on-line resources
- Collaboration with KMC on the use of ePortfolio for faculty development, promotion and tenure
- Ongoing professional development for IDS staff
Diversity and Social Justice
Promoted through:
- Developing programming that integrates issues of diversity and social justice seamlessly into the content
- Supporting the hiring and retention of a diverse faculty
Internationalizing
Promoted through:
Collaboration with the Office of International Education on developing resources and training for faculty to include high quality information, sequencing and teaching strategies to promote international education in the on-campus curriculum as well as in study abroad programming.
Learning Communities
Promoted through:
Formation of partnerships and learning communities around issues of teaching and learning among a variety of constituencies (faculty, departments, and campus centers and resources…)
IDS Goals and Objectives
Faculty who participate in IDS Programs should be able to:
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Use a common language to communicate about issues of teaching and learning
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Articulate the differences between teacher-centered and student-centered learning
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Formulate appropriate affective, behavioral, and cognitive learning goals and objectives
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Engage in collaborative dialogues with other faculty within and across disciplines about issues of teaching, learning, and technology
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Improve student learning in their classrooms by
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Adjusting their course content and pedagogy to address the diverse backgrounds, needs, and learning styles of their students
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Incorporating active and cooperative learning into their courses
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Combine scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching to improve their students’ learning
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Employ formative and summative assessment strategies that are appropriate to their stated learning goals and objectives
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Apply sound pedagogical principles to the choices of appropriate teaching technologies. Educational Technology needs to be used because it is contextually appropriate and will help to enhance student learning in a course.
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Understand and apply ethical standards in their teaching and professional lives.
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Feel supported in their professional endeavors and development.