Current Initiatives and Special Events

This page includes information about special events and current ITE Initiatives. 
Current Initiatives and Special Events

On this page, you will find:

Active Learning Proposal

Since 2021 and through the generous support of the Martinson Family Foundation, the Institute for Teaching Excellence (ITE) has initiated the VITAL (Virtual Immersive Technologically Augmented Learning) project.  Through this project, instructors interested in revising their course syllabi to implement new active learning approaches as a regular part of course delivery are invited to submit proposals to support their activities. The support is in the form of a $1,000 stipend (or budget transfer to the instructor's department).  All courses, regardless of the delivery mode, are eligible.

For the latest round, the ITE expects to grant up to ten awards.  Details of this CFP are given below.

Timeline

  • Call for proposals will open April 8, 2024 and end May 20, 2024 at midnight.

  • Decisions for awards will be announced by June 17, 2024.

  • Revised syllabi will be due by August 5, 2024.

  • Funds will be distributed in September, 2024.

In order to support instructors in their efforts to craft successful proposals, the ITE Advisory Board will be hosting an information session on March 18th at 10:00am. We encourage all interested instructors to attend. Please register here. Applicants may review a recording from this info session. The passcode is: m^e&f7Yh

Application

The application for the active learning proposal is available here.

Selection Criteria

Grants will be awarded to proposals on the basis of:

  1. Problem Statement: The proposal clearly demonstrates a need for a revision of classroom activities and a clear understanding of the limitations of current classroom activities. 
  2. Innovation: The active learning activities can build on current strategies but need to add new activities, different from what is currently happening as part of the course.
  3. Pedagogical foundation: The types of activities being proposed are based on best practice backed by research.
  4. Preparedness for Implementation: The types of activities being proposed can be implemented during the Fall 2024 semester. 
  5. Assessment: The proposal includes a clear assessment plan that demonstrates how the effectiveness of these active learning activities will be measured. 
  6. Impact: The proposal illustrates ways in which this project may impact the larger education environment at NJIT.

In the event of ties, awards will be given to courses with higher student enrollment in order to have the largest impact on NJIT students. 

The rubric is available below.

Expectations

Recipients of the awards will be required to:

  • Provide a copy of the revised syllabus or course outline for the class that includes the following:
    • One or more active learning techniques (both weekly and throughout the semester) with these activities labeled as "Active Learning" or "AL" in the syllabus. 
    • Active learning activities that are chosen to best support students’ achievement of the measurable course learning outcomes. As part of the application, instructors should fill out this matrix to demonstrate which learning outcomes are aligned with the chosen activities (this is part of the proposal application). 
    • Strategies that are appropriate for the mode of instruction and encourage student-to-student interaction.
  • Courses that have scheduled meeting times should have class time dedicated to active learning, and courses that are online (fully asynchronous) should have activities that students can complete as such. 
  • Present at an ITE event or write a final report that includes a narrative summarizing the challenges and accomplishments of your experience creating active learning activities, the impact on your teaching, the impact on students and their performance, and any lessons learned.
  • Share a survey with all of your students at the end of the first semester in which the new active learning activities are used.
  • Optional: email the ITE Advisory Board for potential suggestions regarding additional (non-monetary) support.

If you have questions about this initiative, please submit them to ite@njit.edu. 

Extra Resources 

The ITE has organized a number of resources that might be helpful for instructors interested in implementing Active Learning techniques into their instruction. Please see a sample bibliography here.

Evaluation Rubric

Problem Statement The proposal clearly demonstrates a need for a revision of classroom activities and a clear understanding of the limitations of current classroom activities.
3 Points		 The proposal does not define a need for a revision of classroom activities, but does illustrate the current lack of active learning strategies in the course and subsequent limitations.
2 Points
 		 The proposal lacks a documented rationale for implementing active learning and does not discuss the limitations of the current teaching methods.
1 Point
 
Innovation

The proposal includes a specific plan for high-impact, active learning activities that  are thoroughly integrated into the course. 

The use of active learning in the course occurs weekly, is innovative and immersive for students, and goes beyond what has historically been done as part of the course.

3 Points

The proposal includes a general  outline for active learning activities that  may not be thoroughly integrated into the course. 

The use of active learning in the course occurs multiple times throughout the semester but is not weekly, follows basic best practice, and goes beyond what has historically been done as part of the course.

 2 Points

The proposal offers a weak or abstract plan for implementing active learning in the classroom.

The use of active learning in the course occurs a few times throughout the semester, but does not significantly change the course delivery.

1 Point
Pedagogical Foundation Activities are clearly grounded in research-based evidence/best-practices. Sufficient evidence and reference to published research is cited.
3 Points		 Activities are clearly grounded in research-based evidence/best-practices. Examples are provided, though they may not be from published, scholarly sources.
2 Points		 Activities are not grounded in research-based evidence/best-practices or their support is unclear.
1 Point
Preparedness The types of activities being proposed can be prepared now for delivery in the next semester (fall) with no need for additional resources.
3 Points		 The types of activities being proposed can be prepared now for delivery in the next semester (fall), but only if additional resources (funds, materials, etc) are acquired.
2 Points		 The types of activities being proposed may require additional time (beyond the upcoming semester) and resources.
1 Point
Assessment

The proposal includes a clear assessment plan that demonstrates how the effectiveness of these active learning activities will be measured (quantitatively or qualitatively).

The proposal indicates how active learning activities will impact the assessment of the traditional student learning outcomes of the course.

3 Points

The proposal includes a general assessment plan that demonstrates how the effectiveness of these active learning activities will be measured (quantitatively or qualitatively).

2 Points

The proposal does not include an assessment plan for either the active learning activities or the student learning outcomes.

1 Point
Impact

The active learning activities provide a new, transformative way of teaching the course.

The proposal also illustrates ways in which this project may impact the larger education environment at NJIT.

3 Points

The active learning activities provide some new approaches to teaching the course.

The proposal does not clearly suggest how the project will impact the larger education environment at NJIT.

2 Points

The active learning activities do not innovate the teaching in the course.

The proposal does not suggest how the project will impact the larger education environment at NJIT.
1 Point

New Faculty Workshops

In fall 2015, Provost Deek established the first ever New Faculty Development Workshop with the intent to provide guidance and support to the newly hired tenure-track Assistant and Associate Professors.

Academic Year 2021 – 2022 

New Faculty Development Workshop

Dates: Specified below

Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (includes working dinner served at about 6:00 p.m.)

Place: Ballroom B

Total number of sessions: 10

Attendees are placed in groups and each group has a mentor (Distinguished Professor, Master Teacher, etc.).  

Each session has typically three time slots.

  1. Slot-1: Interactive Talk
  2. Slot-2: Brainstorming/Mentoring (group activity)
  3. Slot-3: Case-Study Presentations

The workshop has three themes; two themes have three sessions and one theme has four sessions; the themes are:

  • Effective Teaching 
  • Successful Grant Funding
  • Professional Service & Tenure

Week-1: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

  • Theme: Effective Teaching: Student Engagement

Week-2: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

  • Theme: Effective Teaching: Classroom Material

Week-3: Tuesday, September 28, 2021

  • Theme: Effective Teaching: Assignments, Assessment and Outside Classroom Activities

Week-4: Tuesday, October 5, 2021

  • Theme: Successful Grant Funding: Proposal Preparation

Week-5: Tuesday, October 12, 2021

  • Theme: Successful Grant Funding: Budget Preparation and Submission

Week-6: Tuesday, October 19, 2021

  • Theme: Successful Grant Funding: Proposal Review and Funding

Week-7: Tuesday, October 26, 2021

  • Theme: Professional Service & Tenure: Professional Societies

Week-8: Tuesday, November 2, 2021

  • Theme: Professional Service & Tenure: Scholarly Publications

Week-9: Tuesday, November 9, 2021

  • Theme: Professional Service & Tenure: Professional Ethics, IP and Students 

Week-10: Tuesday, November 16, 2021

  • Theme: Professional Service & Tenure: Tenure Considerations

ASEE Conference

The 2022 Spring American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Midatlantic Section Conference will be hosted by NJIT. The theme of the conference, which is scheduled for April 22-23, is “Innovation in Engineering Education”.

To encourage participation in this event the ITE is making two opportunities available:

NJIT faculty are encouraged to submit papers per the conference guidelines. The ITE will cover the conference registration fees for all NJIT faculty and staff whose abstracts are accepted.  

As part of the conference, there will be a two-part workshop titled “Essentials of Effective Instruction” that will take place on Friday, April 22 and Sunday, April 24. The ITE will sponsor seven instructors interested in attending the pre-conference workshop. Update: The request window has closed and the selection process is complete. 

May Social/Award Ceremony

We are hosting a Spring Social Event that will bring all participants and presenters together, to award them for all their contribution to the ITE events. We encourage you to stop by!

Here are the details:

Date: May 5, 2022

Location:  Campus Center Room CC 240

Time: 12:30 - 2:00 PM

Lunch will be served