The Increments and Transformations Institute at the University of South Florida: A Case Study
InSITE 2006
• Volume 6
• 2006
The paper presents a research case study that describes the three year history of the Increments and Transformations Institute (ITI) at the University of South Florida. The ITI's goal is to encourage faculty members from all disciplines to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching through the appropriate use of technologies and pedagogical strategies. Institute participation consists of a year-long cohort-based program of faculty development divided into three distinct phases. In Phase I, participating faculty members attend an intensive week-long workshop on teaching with technology. Phase II takes place during the fall semester that follows, during which time each participant must implement a single technology-based/pedagogically-informed change to one or more courses (a.k.a., an "increment"). During Phase III, in the spring, each participant must share his or her experiences with additional departmental and college colleagues in a formal setting. There is also an optional Phase IV, during which participants may return to the institute and act as facilitators for subsequent cohorts. Since it was established, the ITI's organization and approach has undergone two significant changes, moving from extensive reliance on outside facilitators to almost exclusive use of former participants and moving from traditional workshop activities to a structure based around teaching cases. The case study considers how these changes impacted outcomes and have led to an approach to faculty development that is both highly effective and increasingly self-sustaining.
Educational technology, case method, faculty development, peer instruction, teaching cases, educational leadership
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