Scholar/Artist-Teacher-Leader: 3 Opportunities for Digital Learning

I’ll admit that I don’t have a lot of bandwidth these days, but I continue to have interests, goals, and areas for growth and development. Currently, CSUCI has contracts with three organizations that provide professional learning in areas of academic life, teaching and learning, and skills/leadership. The courses, webinars, and other resources are available on-demand, meaning that they can be accessed at any time during the contract period once an account has been activated. For some, this means that we can work through a course while going for a walk, for example. They are asynchronous, which means that they are not facilitated by an active instructor.

With this blog post, I’d like to raise awareness about three opportunities for digital learning currently available thanks to an institutional commitment by CSUCI to employee learning and development. This post is largely aimed at CSUCI faculty, but some of these offerings are available and relevant to academic staff, as well. For this reason, I am including the point of contact for each resource, and they can be contacted for more information.

Caveat: We know, from a large body of research, that deep learning is not going to happen by passively consuming content, and much of what these platforms offer is transactional. In my experience (which is unique to my own disposition as a learner), I don’t have much recall from some of the courses I’ve completed through these platforms. However, I’ve found the breadth of learning possible by accessing this content to be beneficial: First, I am identifying topics of interest or areas of upskill, so I am beginning from a point of motivation. Next, when I do encounter something I find meaningful, I take note of it so I can remember it. I’ll return to a course and take more detailed notes when I find something I want to pursue further. Finally, the sheer amount of content I encounter across these three platforms means that I can process and reflect on some of the learning in an informal way, which is how I want to do it right now.

CSUCI has several other, facilitated (some incentivized) programs for academic development this summer and onward. But, if you’re looking for some fun, high-quality, relevant, and low-stakes/informal learning, consider logging in to one or more of these platforms and taking a look around. Below, I’m sharing content that I’ve appreciated or enjoyed from each organization. Note that all of the hyperlinked courses will require an account login to view.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)

Overview: NCFDD offers a supportive community for academicians at every stage of their careers. Their core curriculum features webinars about strategic planning, goal-setting, project management, and boundary-setting through the lens of academic life and the academic year. They also have guest expert sessions on special topics that range from publishing to navigating social dynamics, to ascending through leadership roles, and so on. Their “Monday Motivator” email often seems to speak to the university faculty experience during that point in the academic year, and their 14-day writing challenges are fun ways to start or refresh a daily writing habit with a supportive accountability group in a low-stakes environment. With CSUCI’s current institutional membership, any full-time or part-time faculty or staff member can activate and use their account.

CSUCI Contact: Stacey Anderson, Faculty Development Coordinator | Faculty Affairs, Success, and Equity (FASE)

NCFDD Webinars I’ve Enjoyed and Appreciated:

OneHE

Overview: OneHE (One Higher Ed) is an online platform and global community space for anyone who considers themselves educators in higher education (including faculty, staff, administrators, etc.). The platform contains micro-learning opportunities through 20-minute short courses, activities, and other resources, like shareable infographics. There are also interest or affiliation-based community spaces for shared discussions. The courses and resources are developed and facilitated by well-known experts in their respective fields, and the content has wide applicability to teaching, meetings, social dynamics, and other relevant topics. CSUCI currently has a contract with a membership limit, so please complete the OneHE request form if you are interested in activating an account.

CSUCI Contact: Megan Eberhardt-Alstot, Learning Design Lead | Teaching and Learning Innovations (TLi), Note that Megan curated Teaching and Learning Constellations, with resources for “Small Teaching & the Science of Learning” and “Academic Integrity, Assessment, & Feedback.”

OneHE Courses I’ve Enjoyed and Appreciated:

Applying Cultural Humility in Your Classroom
An Introduction to Culturally Responsive Teaching
Small Teaching (multiple courses: retrieval, predicting, learning through connecting, annotating the syllabus, self-explaining, etc.)

LinkedIn Learning

Overview: If you are a working professional in nearly any field, you may want to consider establishing a professional profile on LinkedIn. Through CSUCI’s institutional license, we also have access to LinkedIn Learning’s entire catalog of courses and webinars. These resources are not aimed at people working in higher education, so they have more broad applicability. They can be starting points for skill-building, project management, leadership development, etc. CSUCI employees can access LinkedIn Learning straight from the myCI landing page.

CSUCI Contact: Wendy Olson, Learning and Development Specialist | Human Resources (HR)

LinkedIn Courses I’ve Enjoyed and Appreciated:

OneHE and LinkedIn Learning issue badges or certificates for completed courses, and those items can be downloaded and shared or posted to websites and social media profiles. Each of these opportunities is available as a contract that our university has entered into as part of its commitment to the professional growth of CSUCI employees, so please consider making use of one or more of these spaces while we have them. And, if you have a course or resource to recommend, please share in the comments!

Teaching and Learning Innovations at CI