Learning Communities
A faculty learning community is a specifically structured learning community of faculty, instructors, and staff in higher education with a curriculum that enhances teaching and learning and includes the goals of building community, engaging in scholarly practice, and developing the scholarship of teaching and learning. (Cox, 2019)
Fall 2023 Learning Communities, Book Clubs, & Affinity Groups
Open to all UMD instructors and graduate instructors.
Active learning is beneficial for all students across disciplines and class sizes. In this experiential learning community, you will work with your colleagues to identify, practice, implement, and reflect on active learning strategies. Come to each session prepared to try new things and improve your course! Feel free to bring your lunch.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson, TLTC
This community will meet in-person in ESJ 0201 on Wednesdays (10/18, 10/25, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22) from 12:00-1:30pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Register here for Active Learning.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
Reflecting on your experiences and learning about race and racism are essential parts of the journey to becoming anti-racist. We will begin this learning community by working through Anneliese Singh’s “The Racial Healing Handbook.” Next semester, we will continue our work by applying our foundational knowledge to our teaching. Join us to become an anti-racist educator and create truly inclusive learning experiences for our students.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson, TLTC and Tait Brooks, ODI
This book club will meet online on Fridays (9/8, 9/15, 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, 11/17) from 1:00-2:30pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Registration for this Book Club is closed for this semester.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
Are you interested in increasing student motivation? In this community, we will discuss motivation theories, the ARCS model, and strategies to design courses and classroom environments that stimulate motivation in learners.
Coordinated by Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
This community will meet online on Thursdays (9/21, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30) from 2:00-3:30pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Register here for Motivational Design for Learning.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.
This learning community will serve as a space where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) instructors can build community and learn more about teaching and learning from a queer lens. Throughout the semester, we will discuss how our work as instructors intersects with our identities as queer people. Bring your lunch and get to know your colleagues.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson, TLTC
This affinity group will meet in-person in ESJ 0201 on Wednesdays four times throughout the semester (exact dates TBD) from 11:30am-1:00pm.
Register here for Queer Instructors.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
Are you a graduate student or postdoc who is teaching or preparing to teach? Connect with your peers in this informal book club! In this community, we will read "Teaching Matters: A Guide for Graduate Students" by Aeron Haynie and Stephanie Spong and have informal conversations about topics from the book, such as designing courses, creating a welcoming classroom community, navigating classroom challenges, and cultivating well-being.
You will receive a free copy of the book as part of your participation in this learning community. Please register as early as you can to guarantee your spot.
Coordinated by Mona Thompson, TLTC
This book club will meet on Tuesdays (9/5, 9/19, 10/3, 10/17, 10/31, 11/14) from 9:30-11:00am. Meetings will be in person in ESJ 1103, with options for calling in virtually as needed. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Register here for Teaching and Learning Book Club for Graduate Students & Postdocs.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Mona Thompson at mona1@umd.edu.
Join a group of STEM colleagues to learn about, share, and reflect upon STEM education. New and returning members are always welcome! We will read current research in STEM Education, share our own successes, challenges, and practices, and learn from one another. We will meet in person midday on Tuesdays. Snacks will be provided - feel free to bring your lunch. Each learning community member will receive one of two books as part of the community, and topics from week to week will be determined by the group at the start of the term.
Coordinated by Anjula Batra, TLTC
This community will meet in-person in ESJ on Tuesdays (9/19, 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, 11/7, 12/5) from 11:00am-12:20pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Register here for Teaching STEM: Sharing, Reflecting, and Learning Together.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Anjula Batra at abatra@umd.edu.
Are you looking for ways to create more successful and equitable team experiences for your students? In this 4-week fall learning community, we will work with colleagues to learn about teamwork best practices, share our experiences with teamwork in the classroom, and build or redesign team experiences in our courses. The community will continue in the spring semester with a shift towards supporting each other as we get into the thick of it with implementing our new or improved team experiences. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to take part in both the fall and spring versions of this learning community.
Coordinated by Jackelyn López Roshwalb, TLTC
This community will meet in-person in ESJ 0201 on four consecutive Fridays this fall (10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3) from 11:00am-12:15pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Jackelyn López Roshwalb at roshwalb@umd.edu.
Are you dedicated to increasing access, equity, and success for all of your students? Universal Design for Learning is an accessibility framework that will support you and your students. Join us to learn about and discuss best practices in accessibility, course design strategies, and tips for implementing accommodations.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson, TLTC
This community will meet in-person in ESJ 0201 and online via Zoom on Thursdays (10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9) from 12:30-1:45pm. Before registering, please make sure you are available for most, if not all, of these meetings.
Register here for Universal Design for Learning.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
This is a space for Women of Color to build a supportive community, discuss teaching and learning at the University of Maryland, address challenges faced in their roles, and explore strategies to overcome them.
Coordinated by Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
Fall 2023 sessions will be scheduled based on the availability of learning community members.
Register here for Women of Color.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.