At nearly every college and university across the country, faculty have been faced with a sizeable challenge since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of campuses: how to immediately transition students from in-person to online classes. It’s no small task. Not all faculty have the necessary tools or resources to go virtual—and only 46 percent have ever taught an online course.
Two innovative educational organizations, the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), which prepares and credentials faculty for effective online and in-person instruction, and OpenStax, a nonprofit provider of free and open educational resources, understand the daunting challenge professors face. And to help, both are now offering a suite of free tools and resources to support faculty and students.
On April 2, ACUE launched a new series of six webinars about effective online instruction led by the nation’s leading experts in online teaching and learning including Northern Arizona State’s Flower Darby, co-author of Small Teaching Online, and Kansas State University’s Michael Wesch, author of Teaching Without Walls: 10 Tips for Online Teaching. As part of the initiative, faculty have access to expert-facilitated discussion boards, demonstration videos, and related online teaching supports.
ACUE is also launching a #ResilientFaculty campaign video to highlight faculty, institutions, and higher education leaders who have found new and creative ways to help students learn. These success stories will be shared to inspire a broader movement of more effective teaching and learning in these challenging times and beyond.
Promoted in collaboration with major higher education associations, the trainings also highlight the free and open educational resources (OER) provided by OpenStax and others. The Charles Koch Foundation has previously partnered with both ACUE on best practices for teaching and learning and with OpenStax on expanding access for all students through OER.
“This innovative partnership brings together ACUE and OpenStax to provide immediate support to faculty and students during this challenging time while preparing for a new normal in education” said CKF’s Director of Education Brennan Brown. “We’re proud to support this movement to empower learning now and everywhere.”
If you know of an educator who should be recognized through the #ResilientFaculty campaign, please post their story on social media using the hashtag #ResilientFaculty and tag ACUE (@ACUE_HQ). Or you can email info@acue.org directly. More information about ACUE’s faculty development is here and OpenStax’s resources are here.