Apply for the CIT Active Learning Faculty Fellowship – Summer-Fall 2017

  • Dates: May 2017 – December 2017
  • Deadline for Applications:  Friday, April 21, 2017
  • Applicants notified: Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Applications are now being accepted for the CIT’s Active Learning Faculty Fellowship, running from Summer to Fall 2017.  The Fellows program will consist of four parts with participating faculty eligible to receive a total of $1,100 deposited to a Duke University research account.

The purpose of this Fellowship is to help faculty achieve greater student learning and deeper engagement with course material by using active learning and flipped classroom techniques proven successful at Duke and elsewhere.  Participants will share teaching experiences with other faculty and practice with ideas from the pedagogical literature to help them redesign activities in a Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 course.

Jeffrey Forbes, Gennifer Weisenfeld, and Minna Ng participating in the 2015 CIT Fellows program.
Comments from Previous Active Learning Faculty Fellowship Participants
  • “The CIT Fellowship exceeded my expectations. I did not expect … to learn about so many active learning strategies in such an interactive way, and to develop so many relationships with colleagues. It was particularly engaging to hear from a range of disciplines.”
  • “The community that was created in the Fellowship program was fantastic. Everyone brought a diversity of ideas that were well received and respected. It really was a wonderful program!”
  • “I have learned so much and the timing of the Fellowship program was perfect. I plan to implement all the new techniques as I develop my class.”

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For more information about flipped classrooms and active learning, see the CIT’s basic introduction to active learning techniquesVanderbilt’s Center for Teaching guide to flipping the classroom, and the University of Texas Austin’s guide to “flipping” a class. You can also read posts by previous CIT Faculty Fellows about their experiences using active learning methods and teaching flipped classes.

Fellowship coordinators and participants

CIT consultants Andrea Novicki and Randy A. Riddle, along with consultants Seth Anderson and Haiyan Zhou, are coordinating and supporting the Fellowship.  Guests from the CIT or Duke faculty participants from previous Fellowship programs may also take part, depending on the needs and interests of the participants.

Fellows program format

The Fellowship will consist of four parts.  Fellows who complete the Kick-Off Week, Summer-Fall Roundtables and Visit a Classroom portions of the Fellowship are eligible to receive $1,000 deposited to a Duke research account.  Faculty who complete a blog post about their experience will receive an additional $100 deposited to the account.

  • Fellows Kick-Off Week
    The Kick-Off Week will consist of five meetings from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm daily, Monday-Friday, May 8 – 12, 2017.  During the week, faculty will exchange ideas with colleagues and learn about methods and techniques used successfully here at Duke.
  • Roundtable Meetings
    A total of five two-hour Roundtable sessions will be scheduled by the Fellows as a group and will be held periodically through the summer and with a limited number in the Fall.  
    Participants will develop their syllabus and teaching materials throughout the summer, based on the activities of the Kick-Off Week. Roundtable meetings will be planned by participants to investigate topics from the Kick-Off Week in more depth, try out teaching techniques, and get feedback from other faculty on their plans for the Fall.  
  • Visit a Classroom
    During the Fall, faculty in the program will visit two classes taught by other participants in the program to reflect on their own teaching and share ideas.
  • Blog Post
    Fellows will be expected to produce a short post for the CIT blog that looks at one or more changes made to their Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 course to incorporate active learning.  (See examples of faculty blog posts from previous Fellows programs in the CIT blog.)

Eligibility and application

This program is open to faculty of any rank who teach in Trinity, Pratt, Nicholas or Sanford. Faculty who have dual appointments in one of these schools, even if their primary appointment is not in these schools, may also apply, as long as they teach undergraduate students in classes listed in one of these schools.

Graduate students are not eligible for this program, but may contact the Graduate School for similar professional development opportunities.

Applications are due Friday, April 21st, by 5:00 pm.  Applicants will be notified Wednesday, April 26th on the status of their application.  If you have any questions about the program, please contact the CIT.