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Questions & Answers
Roberta “Robin” Sullivan is an instructional designer and a teaching and learning consultant with the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC).
What is the mission of the Teaching & Learning Center?
The mission of the Teaching & Learning Center is to provide faculty with opportunities to learn new teaching skills. We provide workshops, speakers, programs, discussion groups and consultations. Topics include the teaching-and-learning process and the effective use of the latest information technology and new media. These innovations can be used to enrich course content and presentations.
What services do you provide?
We are available to those with questions about resources and support for teaching. We consult with faculty about teaching effectiveness and technology-enhanced teaching methods. We also offer group and one-on-one instruction. All of our services are available to UB faculty, staff and graduate assistants. Graduate students are eligible to register for many of our workshops and seminars. Undergraduate students are welcome to register for the TLC workshops co-sponsored by the UB Libraries. The TLC Instruction Program includes a variety of workshops and seminars. The Teaching Effectiveness series helps faculty enhance their teaching skills and includes upcoming topics such as teaching large classes, student assessment through group work and oral examinations, and moving lectures out of the classroom. The Genteels’ Excellence in Teaching event, scheduled for March 31, includes a series of workshops about the theory and philosophy behind cooperative and active learning in higher education led by Barbara J. Millis, director of the Excellence in Teaching Program at the University of Nevada-Reno. To be kept informed about our events, subscribe to the TLC listserv or send an email to ubtlc@buffalo.edu. We also have an extensive collection of books and media about pedagogy and instructional technology. The TLC suite houses technology tools, including workstations equipped with the latest software, video-editing workstations, scanners and printers. Projectors, laptops, cameras and camcorders are available for loan to faculty and staff for the preparation of classroom content or academic presentations. The TLC Web site recently was updated. You will find links to teaching tips and strategies, as well as previously recorded workshops and other events.
Are faculty coming to the TLC with a greater knowledge of technology than in the past?
Yes, faculty members are increasingly comfortable with the use of educational technology. Instead of being driven by the available technology, faculty members now use it as a tool to meet their objectives.
What is the most frequent request you get from faculty?
Assistance using UBlearns is the most often requested service. UBlearns is a valuable resource used by faculty to communicate and provide course content. Faculty members also are becoming more sophisticated in their use of UBlearns.
What about the students? Has their high level of sophistication and immersion in technology affected the way your office responds to faculty? Have you had to ramp up your efforts to meet the need?
Student requests often provide the impetus for faculty to adopt various forms of instructional technology, including expanded use of UBlearns. We work to meet the needs expressed by faculty.
Do you find that some senior faculty still resist using technology in the classroom?
Yes, this is sometimes the case. However, since faculty use the services of the TLC on a voluntary basis, we often do not have the opportunity to work with those who are resistant to integrating instructional technologies.
Where can faculty find a schedule of workshops?
The TLC workshop and event schedule can be found by clicking here. The TLC listserv is a great way to be kept informed about upcoming workshops and events. Click here to subscribe.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
I wish you would have asked about the future of the Teaching & Learning Center. The TLC was formed at the beginning of the current school year as a result of a merger between the Educational Technology Center (ETC) and the Center for Teaching and Learning Resources (CTLR). These centers provided many years of outstanding service to the UB community. The ETC provided support for instructional technology initiatives and the CTLR provided support for faculty regarding pedagogy. The missions of these two centers now are combined in the mission of the TLC. Faculty members are given teaching responsibilities because they are experts in their fields, but they sometimes need assistance with teaching skills. Technology is just one of many tools that help faculty provide meaningful learning for students. I have high expectations for the future of the TLC. There currently are job openings listed on the UBJobs Web site for a director and an administrative assistant for the center. We hope to locate outstanding people to fill these positions who will be able to help move the TLC toward becoming an important resource for learning and instruction at UB. The TLC has accomplished a lot in the short time it has been in existence and there are many additional opportunities for the TLC to benefit the UB instructional community.