Dear readers,
This issue grew out of a series of conversations the Learning Technologies team behind The Connected Professor has been having with faculty and those who support you. In a way, it's a return to our beginnings—our inaugural issue in fall 2019 also focused on active learning, and most if not all issues since have touched on the topic.
The difference this time is that active learning at IU no longer focuses primarily on learning spaces. Over the course of the pandemic, the university community moved into increasingly hybrid and online learning environments (and work environments in general!), and placed more emphasis on inclusion and accessibility.
Beginning with a feature on how the Mosaic initiative itself has evolved and is leading further evolution at IU, we've shaped the columns in this issue as foundational pieces that come together in the overarching theme of "Active Learning Everywhere."
Here's how they fit together:
- How do you get started? Who can you reach out to for guidance? Considering the two Es, experience and environment, and introducing the 2024 Mosaic Fellows
- What works best? Anatomy of an effective active learning exercise—including sample activities
- What's on the horizon? From the Mosaic blog: Rethinking how we assign classrooms
- How do you stay current? Where to find active learning tips and examples
- Is there on-demand training available? Teaching for Student Success: Learn how to incorporate simple and high-impact strategies
And this wouldn't be the Connected Professor if we didn't add some upcoming events and news you might have missed in the midst of everything else.
If you have suggestions about potential future topics or themes for the Connected Prof, please drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you!
Best,
Sarah
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Sarah Engel
Editor in Chief, The Connected Professor
Faculty Liaison, UITS Learning Technologies
Indiana University