Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) provide an opportunity for OHIO instructors to collaborate with their peers to explore a topic of interest related to teaching and learning.
Most FLCs include faculty from different disciplines, which helps to foster discussion that includes a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. Learning communities typically meet for a semester or a year, and participants work toward completing goals related to the community topic.
FLC program outcomes include:
- Contribute to building a University-wide community committed to teaching excellence
- Increase faculty interest in teaching, learning and assessment
- Foster scholarly teaching and instructional strategies supporting student academic success
- Expand evaluation of teaching and/or assessment of learning
- Increase faculty collaboration across disciplines
- Encourage reflection on teaching practice
Learn more about FLCs
What Are FLCs? | Deliverables | Facilitating an FLC | Recommendations for Facilitators | Proposing an FLC | Past Topics
Current Faculty Learning Communities
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Cultivating Inclusive Wellness Pedagogies
Cultivating Inclusive Wellness Pedagogiesseeks to create a collaborative space for faculty members at Ohio University to explore the intersection of wellness and pedagogy through an inclusive lens. It will be led by Yogesh Sinha, assistant professor of instruction, Department of English, and Uzoma Miller, assistant professor of instruction, Department of African-American Studies.
The goal of the pedagogical wellness FLC is to empower faculty participants to integrate holistic wellness practices into their teaching methodologies, while simultaneously fostering inclusive learning environments that cater to diverse student needs. The format of the FLC will involve four regular in-person meetings over a semester allowing for sustained dialogue and reflection. Sessions will be interactive and participant-driven, encouraging active engagement and knowledge exchange among faculty members from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
Apply for the Cultivating Inclusive Wellness Pedagogies FLC by Sept. 6.
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Affective Domain Community of Practice
The Affective Domain Community of Practice focuses on teaching, learning, and assessment (TLA) associated with the Affective Domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The aim of the CoP is to bring together faculty from a variety of disciplines to collaborate on interdisciplinary affective TLA projects. For the purposes of this CoP, affective learning broadly refers to the relationship between learning and students’ interests, attitudes, emotions, and motivations. Accordingly, the focus of the CoP is to conceptualize, describe, and assess changes in students’ interest, attitudes, appreciations, values, and/or emotions as outcomes of learning experiences. Ideally, participants will pursue projects for the purpose of contributing to the scholarship of teaching and learning or discipline-based educational research.
The Community of Practice will be facilitated by Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Katie Hartman and CLTA staff. Full-time OHIO faculty with interest in the affective domain of learning are invited to apply. The community will be limited to 12. Participants are expected to already have some foundational knowledge and skills in affective-related teaching, learning, and assessment.
Apply for the Affective Domain Community of Practice by Sept. 6.
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Collaborative Learning: Building Student Engagement with Peer Feedback
College of Business Professor of Management Brian Hoyt, Lancaster campus, will facilitate an FLC focusing on use of peer review to support student learning and teaching effectiveness/efficiency. The FLC Collaborative Learning: Building Student Engagement with Peer Feedbackwill focus on how student engagement can be improved when individuals view work as meaningful.
Work is more meaningful when individuals have an opportunity to learn (i.e., content), improve (i.e., demonstrate mastery of models/theories in application) and contribute (peer interaction evaluation). Peer assessment is an active learning approach that impacts student learning and critical thinking. Through the practice of assessing their own work, students reflect on gaps in their understanding, a practice that makes them more resourceful, confident and, ultimately, better performers.
Apply for the Collaborative Learning: Building Student Engagement with Peer Feedback FLC by Sept. 6.
FLC Facilitators
Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs
Facilitator for the Community of Practice Affective Domain.
Professor, Management, Lancaster Campus
Facilitator for Collaborative Learning: Building Student Engagement with Peer Feedback.
Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of African-American Studies
Co-facilitator for Cultivating Inclusive Wellness Pedagogies.
Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of English
Co-facilitator for Cultivating Inclusive Wellness Pedagogies.
More Information About Faculty Learning Communities
Eager to learn more about FLCs? This section provides in-depth information about FLCs, including: what it's like to participate, who can facilitate or lead an FLC and facilitator responsibilities, how to propose an FLC, possible deliverables, recommendations for facilitators and past FLCs.
What Are Faculty Learning Communities?
A Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (CTLA) Faculty Learning Community (FLC) comprises a small group of instructors who investigate and provide solutions for just about any teaching, learning and assessment problem or opportunity.
FLCs can be organized by cohort or topic. Cohort FLCs address teaching, learning, and assessment development specific to a cohort of instructors. For example, those teaching in STEM disciplines, Graduate Student Instructors or faculty teaching large-enrollment courses. Topic-based FLCs focus on a theme like game-based learning, teaching with a global perspective or implementing reflective practice.
FLCs generally comprise eight to 12 instructors. FLCs meet synchronously (face-to-face or online) a minimum of four sessions over a semester and engage in activities and topical conversations.
FLC facilitators work with participants to determine the meeting schedule and help set the group’s goals. Previous OHIO FLCs have focused on topics such as teaching challenges, Team-Based Learning strategies and global perspectives in diverse classrooms.
Possible Deliverables Following FLC Participation
The CTLA asks FLC members share their findings with the OHIO community and/or at conferences.
The following are possible deliverables :
- Development of a CTLA digital resource page
- A LMS module
- Blog posts
- Podcast episode(s)
- Conference presentation (Spotlight on Learning, symposia, etc.)
- A white paper to be shared on the CTLA website
Who Can Facilitate or Lead an FLC and What Are the Responsibilities?
Full-time faculty (instructional, tenure-track and clinical), as well as staff dedicated to leading instructional support and with pedagogical expertise related to teaching, learning and/or assessment may serve as facilitators . Small stipends are available for facilitators and completing participants.
Facilitators are responsible for:
- Identifying resources (texts, articles, digital materials, etc.) to support the FLC
- Setting FLC meeting dates, times and locations/modalities
- Establishing agendas and activities for each FLC meeting (a minimum of 4)
- Sending meeting reminders and updates to participants and tracking participation
- Working with the CTLA Associate Director for Faculty Programming to identify assessment and evaluation processes and collect artifacts or reflections from FLC members
- Working with the CTLA Associate Director for Faculty Programming to submit a final FLC report to the CTLA
Recommendations for FLC Facilitators
The CTLA offers recommendations to ensure FLCs offer a meaningful experience for participants and facilitators:
- Limit your FLC to 12 to 15.
- Make FLC membership voluntary; develop an interest form with the CTLA Associate Director for Faculty Programming.
- Consider bringing in OHIO expert resources in the form of FLC affiliates. Affiliates may include librarians, technologists and consultants who can attend meetings at the group's invitation.
- Select applicants for diverse FLC membership: Consider each candidate's campus role, rank, experience and whether they have a multidisciplinary background. Three reasons for these considerations: participant curiosity, robust innovations and broadened perspectives.
- Schedule the FLC for one semester with a second semester possible for deeper dives and/or exploration. Identify meeting times before the first meeting using a meeting platform or Outlook, as well as teaching schedules, to guide selection.
- Build in community building activities and ways for FLC members to socialize at each meeting.
- Allow members, with the facilitator, to refine outcomes, meeting topics and procedures.
- Focus on obtaining and maintaining FLC member commitment. Plan productive meetings. Note progress made, outcomes to be achieved, and deliverable dates if applicable.
- Consider assessing 3 areas of the FLC's impact: member development, student learning and/or effectiveness of the FLC's innovation, and value of FLC approaches engaged.
- Focus on evidence-based, scholarly approaches.
Proposing an FLC
CTLA encourages instructors and staff with instructional expertise to consider developing and leading an FLC. Those facilitators are encouraged to think creatively and to determine the best approaches to meeting goals and outcomes identified for the FLC.
CTLA accepts FLC proposals on an ongoing basis, but review deadlines are set Oct. 15 in the fall and March 15 in the spring. CTLA offers small stipends for facilitators and up to 12 participants and is also able to provide some administrative and communications support.
FLC Proposal
To propose an FLC, complete the online form . In the form, you will be asked to complete and submit information related to your proposed FLC topic:
- Proposed FLC Title: We recommend a name that clearly indicates theme and may create interest in the learning community.
- FLC Short Description: A summary of the proposed FLC’s overarching goal, content, format, focus, and/or purpose. (Maximum 250 words.)
- Anticipated FLC Outcomes: What do you want the faculty to know, be able to do and/or value as a result of their participation in the FLC. (5 maximum)
- Delivery modality
- FLC Session Descriptions: Briefly describe the focus of and activities associated with each planned session (4 required). We understand that the design may be revised during further development of the FLC.
- FLC Materials: List specific reference materials (e.g., book titles, journal article references, videos, guest speakers) you will or may use to design or deliver the FLC. We understand this list may change as your planning progresses.
- Assessment: Describe how you plan to assess the impact or effectiveness of this FLC? How will you know the goal and outcomes have been met? (250 words maximum)
Past FLCs
To help you gain a better understanding of FLC topics and potentially inspire the creation of new FLCs, explore previous FLC topics and their descriptions.
- AI and Teaching and Learning in Higher Education-- This FLC explored current developments in higher education and ChatGPT/AI, instructional concerns and strategies for leveraging or mitigating the impact of this ever-evolving technology, including development of course policies, assignments and assessments. (Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024)
- Teaching Excellence on Regional Campuses-- The nature of regional campus instruction at OHIO has shifted. This group reviewed the unique situation of teaching and learning in the regional system and provided productive feedback about ways to ensure high-quality, effective teaching given the current context. (Offered across Fall 2023 and Spring 2024)
- Digital Game-based learning for Experiential Education --This FLC considered how video games facilitate experiential learning and what adaptations must be made to current teaching practices to fully leverage digital game-based learning. Participants engaged with video games as both text in hands-on activities, as well as theoretically, to understand video games as a literacy. (Spring 2023)
- Facilitating Student Career Development– This FLC helped faculty identify opportunities for enhancing confidence and skills in leading career-related conversations with students in any discipline. Participants identified strategies to engage students in career planning and career development discussions both in and out of the classroom. (Year: 2020)
- Teaching with a Global Perspective– This interdisciplinary FLC focused on how to better create classroom environments and learning experiences that help students become global citizens. The group explored and addressed issues encountered when assessing and redeveloping a course from a global perspective. (Year: 2019)
- Large-Enrollment Course FLC– This FLC focused on supporting instructors who taught courses with high enrollment — either one or more sections of the same course with a total enrollment of 100 or more students in one term. (Year: 2018)
- Reflective Practice FLC– In this FLC, faculty reflected on their teaching and learning practices and scholarship. Their theme was: “How do faculty create a more engaging classroom for today’s university students? (Year: 2017)
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Start an FLC
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment accepts proposals for Faculty Learning Communities on a rolling basis and offers three to four FLCs each academic year. Faculty are invited to submit a proposal via the online form .
Proposals include information about facilitators, as well as the following: a summary of the proposed FLC’s overarching goal, content, format, focus, and/or purpose; anticipated FLC outcomes; FLC session descriptions; anticipated FLC materials; and description of how you plan to assess the impact or effectiveness of this FLC.
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FLC Questions
Have questions about FLCs or need more information about participating, facilitating or submitting a proposal? Send an email to the CTLA.