Length: Aim for 500-750 words
Due:  November 18 for those piloting projects in the fall; March 4 for those piloting in the spring

Address and reflect on the following two questions:

1.  Where are you in your experiment? That is, what components of your course redesign plan have you completed so far, and what components have not yet happened?

2. How are things going?  You can choose what to focus on for this question, but you might consider:

• Student engagement and reactions – How are students experiencing the course, and what are you noticing as differences in student engagement compared to prior semesters or previous versions of the course?
• Student learning – how does your redesigned course seem to be affecting students’ learning? Where, in particular, do you see evidence of students’ learning?
• Workload – Has your innovation project changed your prep, student interaction, or grading / feedback activities in ways that substantially alter your workflow or workload? How are you experiencing this impact?
• Your learning and professional development – what are you learning from piloting your innovation project? You might think about: a) what you are learning about the pedagogical method you are using, b) what you are learning about how students respond to various approaches; c) what you are learning about others in your field who are doing similar things; d) any new knowledge and/or skills you have gained through working on the project.
• Ongoing questions and areas where you need support- Has your work on this project raised new questions for you about your course or the project? Have you discovered areas where you could use additional support, resources, or input?

On the final day of the Innovation Institute, fellows have the opportunity to share their project and progress with one another and with a broader audience of colleagues and administrators.

Time limit: 10 minutes Continue reading →

Due Friday, May 22.  In this reflection activity, fellows will consolidate the learning and progress gained so far and will outline their near-term goals.  Write a few paragraphs in response to the following questions.

• What have you learned so far that may prove valuable to your project?  (You might cite something learned in a workshop but you also might cite an informal conversation with another fellow or staff member or something you figured out on your own.)
• What progress have you made on your project?
• What do you need to accomplish in the next week?
• Worries and joys?  What’s worrying you about your progress or your next steps?  Has anything got you excited or feeling energized about your upcoming work?

To document and share your project planning work, write a blog post that addresses the following 4 topics:

• Identify major components of project work.
• Identify resources (including consultations with colleagues and staff) needed to complete the project.
• Articulate questions that remain that you don’t yet know how to answer or solve.
• Reflect: What about your project plan seems most ambitious or challenging? Where do you anticipate problems or difficulties?  What do you see as the components for which you are most prepared already?
• Timeline: Map project work against calendar.