Six College of Liberal Arts and Sciences professors and their Dean, Jay Howard, are being recognized nationally for their teaching abilities.

They’ve been recorded in their classrooms for the Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) online Course in Effective Teaching Practices, demonstrating their skills in areas such as “Motivating Your Students” and “Delivering an Effective Lecture.” ACUE sent a video crew to Butler to videotape the professors during LAS classes this fall.
Professor Ali O'Malley is ready for her closeup. (Photo by Allie Deno) The ACUE course focuses on helping higher education faculty develop techniques, skills, and knowledge that increase student engagement, improve student motivation, and lead to better learning results. ACUE partners with colleges and universities to develop and certify faculty in effective teaching techniques.

“A couple of people associated with ACUE had picked up and read my recent book, Discussion in the College Classroom,” said Howard, who also teaches sociology. “They initially contacted me about serving as an ‘expert’ consultant on teaching practices. When I discovered they were looking for teaching exemplars as well, I offered to recommend some of the outstanding teachers in LAS.”

Assistant Professor of Psychology Alison O’Malley is featured in segments on “Developing Self-Directed Learners” and “Motivating Your Students.” Chris Wilson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences, is shown in “Teaching Powerful Note-Taking Skills” and “Delivering an Effective Lecture.” Terri Jett, Associate Professor of Political Science, demonstrates “Motivating Your Students” and “Developing Self Directed Learners.”

Also part of the course are Psychology Professor Tara Lineweaver (“Planning Effective Class Discussions” and “Teaching Powerful Note-Taking Skills”), Associate Professor of Religion Chad Bauman (“Providing Useful Feedback” and “Aligning Assessments with Course Outcomes”), and Sociology Instructor Jess Butler (“Leading an Effective Discussion” and “Providing Clear Direction and Explanations”).

Howard introduced the videos for “Planning Effective Class Discussions,” “Facilitating Engaging Class Discussions,” “Teaching Powerful Note-Taking Skills,” and “Leading the First Day of Class.”

In all, ACUE showcased 30 experts from 15 different colleges and universities. Seven were from Butler.

“Butler University’s faculty members have made an invaluable contribution to ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices,” ACUE Chief Academic Officer Penny MacCormack said. “They opened up their classrooms to showcase the exemplary teaching that’s happening across the Butler campus. We are grateful for the partnership and excited to share Butler’s teaching methods with faculty from across the country.”

 

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822