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David Trebing, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Communication Studies (COMM), and Stephanie Smith, an assistant professor who teaches in COMM and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), will lead a teaching colloquium on Friday, April 13, in Rm. 226 of Taylor Hall beginning at 2:15 p.m.

This panel discussion will be the first in a series of teaching colloquia and will highlight evidence-based teaching research ideas from James M. Lang’s book, Small Teaching. The panel discussion will focus on motivating factors for students and how to integrate these evidence-based motivating ideas into the classroom. Other ideas presented in Lang’s book will be discussed at future teaching colloquia.

“Based on ������’s Faculty Institute for Student Success, we were tasked with an action plan. We’re bringing the ideas in Lang’s research to our faculty in hopes to integrate some of these ideas into our classrooms,” Trebing said. “Every teaching professor should read this book.”

Trebing and Smith will moderate this first panel, which will include JMC Associate Professor Jan Leach; COMM Assistant Professor J.D. Ponder, Ph.D.; David Robins Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Information and interim director of the School of Visual Communication Design; and COMM Assistant Professor Rekha Sharma, Ph.D.. The structure of the colloquium will include an introduction from Trebing and Smith, followed by a panel discussion among the participants about current practices and potential uses of small teaching strategies in the future.

“Discussion with colleagues has revealed considerable interest and enthusiasm among the panelists and others in the school," Smith said. "We believe this sort of forum will enable us to share the fundamentals of small teaching and other best practices that emerge from both the panel and the audience. Those with whom we have already shared the small teaching precepts have embraced them as readily as we have.”

The presentation is free of charge and all are invited to attend. The colloquium series provides an opportunity for faculty, students, staff and others to foster intellectual and collaborative discussions, and to stay informed about current College of Communication and Information research initiatives and teaching efforts.