Teaching and Learning
A group of instructors in a discussion

Learning Communities and Cohorts

Throughout the academic year, the Teaching and Learning team offers a variety of ongoing programming to support and grow our teaching and learning efforts for the WMU community.   

Learning communities enable participants to explore a topic in-depth, generate ideas for further exploration, and provide WMU Teaching and Learning with advice on future programming and scholarship of teaching and learning opportunities. Each group is facilitated or co-facilitated by an instructional designer or Office of Faculty Development staff member. 

Learning cohorts operate similarly, though they are often created to continue work based on an initial group learning experience or opportunity such as New Faculty Orientation, grant recipients, and the like.  

To learn more about our communities and cohorts, read below or contact us for more information.

Learning Communities

In today’s chaotic world, helping one another succeed requires intentionally cultivating human-centered connections. We’ll brainstorm what concrete actions we as instructors can take to foster active, accessible, and inclusive student engagement while also navigating the external challenges that we all face as they present themselves both in and out of the classroom.

Discover what flexible learning can look like at WMU and in your own area of focus. Collaborate and converse with those who are testing out different ideas and doing research to improve practice and our student outcomes. This group gives participants the opportunity to discuss the definition, purpose, design, and facilitation of HyFlex learning experiences.

The rapid development and widespread use of Generative AI, such as GPT-4 and Claude 2, has raised many questions regarding ethical and bias issues. We’ll address, discuss, and analyze the impact of these tools on higher education and develop recommendations for their responsible use here at WMU.

Connect with other instructors who are exploring the use of AI in higher education. Participants will have a chance to share their experiences incorporating AI in the class and in Elearning, to learn from each other, and to make recommendations to WMUx as it develops teaching materials and advice for the rest of the university community.

Designed for new faculty, as well as faculty who are approaching their fourth year review, this community of inquiry will focus on several activities to prepare for tenure and promotion review. Sessions will follow the semester cadence so that participants can engage in conversations and activities that are immediately applicable.

Visit the Early Career Faculty page

You’ve come a long way on your teaching and learning journey – so, what’s next? This post-tenure development opportunity utilizes NCFDD resources to help mid-career faculty who have achieved tenure and promotion assess their future goals, develop strategies to achieve them, and discover ways to cultivate a better work/life balance.

When discussing the most useful resources they have encountered, especially as new GTAs, students consistently describe support from peers and faculty mentors:  the GTA Learning Community Fellowship program is meant to enhance these kinds of mentoring communities across camps. Participants will earn a $300 scholarship as they use their discipline-specific expertise paired with additional support and resources, collaborating to enhance teaching and learning in their communities. Learn more about the GTA Learning Community Fellowship program

Cohorts

Recipients of the WMU Experience-Driven Learning Venture grants continue to meet to share experiences, build and strengthen networks, and provide a solid foundation of support so that the university community can continue to “inspire, accelerate and scale experience-driven learning opportunities that support students in their pursuit of meaningful careers and a life well lived.”

In August of 2024, WMU Teaching and Learning, PBL Works, and a group of WMU faculty met for a transformative four-day workshop designed to equip faculty with strategies for implementing engaging, student-centered project-based learning (PBL) experiences.  

This cohort continues to meet to discuss how Gold Standard PBL serves students and their communities, discuss strategies for engaging students in learner-centered practices driven by sustained inquiry throughout the project, how to balance structure and flexibility in the project facilitation, and how to share this learning with the campus community.

Since 2008, the Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) at Western Michigan University has helped participants develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the systems that support the University. Graduates leave equipped with essential leadership skills to help advance our campus and community. Each year, the ALA recruits eligible faculty and staff to apply to be a part of a collaborative learning experience. (Application-based)

Gateways to Completion (G2C) is a support system and an extensive set of resources for faculty and academic administrators and support staff, providing them with methods, materials, and scaffolding to increase the success and retention of the university’s students. An OFD faculty fellow works with Merze Tate College to support institutional goals using best practices in higher education.

Western Michigan University has joined with other colleges and universities in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to participate in the Academic Leadership. Up to four outstanding faculty are selected each year to serve as Western Michigan ALDP Fellows under the mentorship of the Office of Faculty Development. The goal of this program is to expose faculty who are interested in administration and those who have recently moved into an administrative role as chair or associate dean (within the last three years) to the challenges and rewards of institutional service and to prepare them for potential leadership positions within the academy.