Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) initiative
As part of the Student Learning Outcomes Initiative, SLOs will be assessed and reported for all courses beginning in Fall, 2012. In order to assist faculty, we have set up a website dedicated to all aspects of the SLO Initiative, located at http://cstl.semo.edu/slo.

Because you will be able to report SLOs during this semester’s grade reporting period, you may find it useful to simply click on the “Assessing & Reporting SLOs” link at the top of that page, or to access it directly at http://cstl.semo.edu/slo/SLOAssessReport.htm. This section includes information about assessment and reporting as well as a sample reporting template. You may also wish to view the actual reporting template for your department, available from your chairperson or administrative assistant.

If you have any questions or require any assistance with any aspect of the SLO Initiative, please contact David Starrett or Brian Smentkowski in CSTL at 651-2298.
CSTL Support for Course Redesign
Course redesign is the process of redesigning whole courses to achieve better learning outcomes by taking advantage of the capabilities of information technology. It is about rethinking the way we deliver instruction in light of the possibilities that new technology offers and shifting students from a passive, note-taking role to an active learning role. Redesigned courses:
  • Emphasize active learning, student engagement with content and student engagement with each other
  • Rely heavily on readily available software used independently and in teams
  • Contain significant opportunities for on-demand, individualized student assistance
  • Replace single mode instruction with a more differentiated personnel strategy; including a greater use of course assistance, preceptors, etc.
  • Automate only those aspects of the course that can benefit from automation, for example, homework, quizzes, exams
  • Rely heavily on the assessment and improvement of student learning outcomes.
The goal of the CSTL is to assist faculty in all aspects of course redesign, from reimagining courses to investigating and adopting appropriate technologies and developing assessment instruments to gauge student learning. The staff of the CSTL and the Faculty Innovators Committee provides an on-demand support network for faculty interested and engaged in teaching innovation and course redesign.

Click on the following links to learn more about the Faculty Innovators, the Course Redesign Committee, the National Center for Academic Transformation, and information about the Six Models for Course Redesign.
Teaching, Learning, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
The ultimate goal of the CSTL is to enhance the quality of teaching and learning campus-wide. To this end, the Center sponsors a number of services and programs intended to stimulate, support, and reward pedagogical innovation, the use of instructional technology, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The efforts of the Center are facilitated through work of two key committees –the Teaching Associates and the Technology Associates—and two support offices: The Office of Instructional Technology (OIT) and the CSTL Faculty Associate. Together, they work with the Director to design and implement strategies, initiatives, and programs that enhance teaching and learning. In recent years, these efforts have enabled the CSTL to become a leading voice in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Southeast operates at two distinct, yet related, levels; one internal, the other external. Internally, the scholarship of teaching and learning is supported and rewarded through the SoTL Fellows Program. Externally, it is built upon the Center’s association with the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). An active leader in both domains, the CSTL focuses on one common goal: building and maintaining a community of teacher-scholars among and across college campuses.

Please feel free to read more about us and the workshops we offer. To learn more about SoTL and CASTL on campus, please visit our programs page.

May
5/8/2011: Mother's Day
5/14/2011: Spring Commencement
5/17/2011: Summer 4-Week Pre-Session Starts
5/30/2011: Memorial Day Observance: University is closed.

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