Faculty Development Days Reflection (Part 1)

 

Below is a reflection by Mr Roy Tan, an EAST Ministry Staff who has recently attended the Faculty Development Days. Roy co-taught Shepherd Care with Dr Casey Lok in this recent semester. He is currently pursuing his EdD with Asia Graduate School of Theology.

Faculty Development Reflection (Part 1)

This is my second Faculty Development workshop and like the first it was conducted fully online. Being a relative newcomer to the EAST family, just over a year, there was a lot to learn, like the first one about a year ago.

The course took into consideration the requirements and challenges of good current education design and practices as well as feedback gleaned from the students’ end of course evaluation. There was a clear sense of both looking back at how we fared as educators as well as equipping ourselves to meet future challenges.

The development course focused on equipping us to better teach hybrid (onsite and online) classes, covering the following topics:
– Assessment & Learning: Developing and using rubrics
– Formative assignments: Enhancing learning
– Teaching and learning in a flipped classroom
– Maximizing online asynchronous discussions
– Incorporating active learning strategies
– Teaching a course with both onsite & remote students

Though challenging, I found the course very helpful with more than adequate course facilitators’ support and clear and comprehensive online resources. There was also a very congenial atmosphere of learning and the feedback from facilitators and course mates were very constructive and encouraging.

The day passed very quickly and the feedback we received from our the facilitators and classmates on our assignments left me feeling encouraged, helped and inspired to become a better teacher.