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Who
should teach an FYI course?
Faculty members dedicated to undergraduate education who desire to implement inquiry-guided learning
into their pedagogy and who wish to share their teaching experiences
with their peers.
How
should my teaching for an FYI class differ from how I teach
my other classes?
The answer to this question depends on the extent to which
you already incorporate inquiry-guided learning into your
teaching. While the FYI program includes a wide variety of
subject matter, what all FYI faculty have in common is their
common goal to employ habits of inquiry as well as critical & creative thinking
in their first year students.
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How
does the FYI program prepare faculty for teaching?
FYI views student learning as an active process punctuated
by periods of guided reflection. Likewise, we consider FYI
faculty development as an active learning program. Whatever
your starting place as an inquiry-guided instructor, we all
have room to grow and learn from one another. You will find extensive online resources as our program Teaching First Year Students page.
..An orientation workshop is held for new faculty during the
semester prior to the one in which they will teach. This session
provides new faculty with the basic principles, guidelines
and processes that make up the FYI program. It is during this
time that faculty begin preparing the course objectives, outcomes, and assignments that will be central to the assessment process.
.. Monthly faculty workshops are conducted for faculty who will be teaching
an FYI course for the first time. More experienced faculty are welcome & encouraged
to attend as well, but attendance is voluntary. These
monthly meetings provide a time for reflection on teaching
and also time to share struggles and successes - whatever
the particular subject matter -- with like-minded faculty.
How
do I effectively incorporate Critical Thinking into my course?
Critical & creative thinking are not a single thing. They are concepts, attitudes,
ways of doing. Like the scientific method, they will be defined and appear differently in different course. Critical thinking occurs when one is presented with new information. Sir Ken Robinson describes creativity as a three-step process of [1] bringing forth ideas not present to our senses (imagination), [2] developing valuable, original ideas (creativity) , and [3] putting original ideas into practice (innovation). Critical thinking is desiring (being motivated) to ask useful, fair-minded
questions (what is the structure of the reasoning? how good
is the evidence?) about the new information, and having the
skills to answer the questions.
Steps:
1. the instructor selects one or more "models" of
critical thinking to guide the incorporation into the course.
Many disciplines have bodies of literature that address critical
thinking in the discipline.
2. with the help of the FYI team, the instructor discovers
tools, techniques, activities and assignments that accomplish
the goal.
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How
is communication fostered within the FYI program?
Monthly workshops provide an avenue of communication as faculty
come together to share experiences. These meetings are mandatory
for first-time FYI instructors. Participation after
teaching an initial FYI course is voluntary but highly recommended.
"Nuts and bolts" information such as registration
process and updates (during summer orientation), stipend delivery,
meeting reminders, deadline info and reminders and other timely
information will be sent to you via group email.
FYI
contact:
Rich Slatta, Program Director, 919-513-2229, slatta@ncsu.edu, Withers 277
Who
may take an FYI course?
FYI classes for the fall semester are intended for incoming
first year students at NC State. It does not include first
year transfer students who have spent earlier semesters at
another higher education institution.
FYI classes for the spring semester are intended for second-semester
first year students.
Upperclassmen are not eligible for FYI courses--no exceptions.
What
requirement will taking an FYI course fulfill?
FYI courses fulfill General Education Program requirements.
How
are FYI courses identified in PACKTRACS?
FYI courses have regular departmental prefixes in which a
"Q" follows the course section number. Ex: PS 201-010Q.
Who
supports the FYI program?
The FYI program is supported and funded by the Office of the
Provost and the Office of Undergraduate Academic Programs.
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