“The nature of education has changed so rapidly over the last two decades that we really needed a place where faculty, students and staff can come to learn about new innovations in education technology, and receive help with communication skills, writing and presentations,” said Dr. Alice Grimes, CIE lead and director of faculty development within AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management.
The CIE team conducted focus groups to facilitate the development of targeted programs and services in writing and educational technology. Since opening in the fall of 2021 the CIE team has conducted workshops on faculty learning communities, integrating technology into the classroom, podcasting, teaching with polling applications, crafting effective assignment descriptions, and developing learning outcomes and other issues.
Forming faculty learning communities to explore innovative ways to leverage technology in the classroom and create meaningful learning opportunities for students is a new project for the center.
“There are so many great faculty here and being able to share ideas across all the schools on different ways of leveraging technology to promote learning in the classroom is something I am really excited about,” said Jonathan Zemmer, CIE educational technology liaison. “To be innovative within an organization, you have to have great people, and I’ve just been constantly impressed at the high caliber of not only faculty that we have here but students as well,” said Zemmer.
Located in the D’Azzo Research Library, the CIE offers space for collaboration, team meetings and individual work stations. In-person or virtual consultation and collaboration appointments are also offered to students, faculty, and staff.
“Traditionally, I think writing centers at universities just have that student focus, but here we’re also able to bring some of those resources to faculty as well, both for their own research and publication, or as they work with students on their thesis or dissertation, and then also with staff who are working on their own reporting or business writing,” said Carolyn Stoermer, CIE writing and communications specialist.
The impetus for creating the CIE came from activities surrounding AFIT’s reaccreditation process completed in 2021. AFIT followed the Higher Learning Commission’s Open Pathway option for reaccreditation which focuses on quality assurance and institutional improvement through the development of a quality initiative proposal.
The purpose of AFIT’s QIP was to identify ways to improve the learning experience for students and the teaching environment for all instructional personnel. Faculty and staff from across AFIT’s schools served on QIP committees and one of the recommendations was to develop a teaching and learning center.
Providing guest lecture to classes has helped to introduce the CIE to faculty and students.
“They know that they can bring their work down to the writing lab and work with me,” said Stoermer. “I have been connecting with students, both those who are just finishing their thesis writing and those getting geared up to start that thesis research and planning. That’s been really interesting to see both ends.”
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