Campus News

Former LSU administrator to open CTL’s National Speaker Series

McGuire
Saundra McGuire

Three nationally recognized experts on student learning will visit UGA this fall as part of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s National Speaker Series, presentations and workshops for faculty and graduate assistants.

The National Speaker Series begins Aug. 29 with Saundra Yancy McGuire, director emerita of the Center for Academic Success and former assistant vice chancellor and professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University. She will present a series of lectures on ­metacognition as a key to student success and learning, drawing upon her 2015 book Teach Students How to Learn.

At 6 p.m. that same day, she will lead the session “Metacognition: The Key to Acing Courses.” This additional session is designed specifically for undergraduates, and faculty are encouraged to recommend this talk to their students.

The second set of lectures in the National Speaker Series, focusing on learning and memory, will be presented Sept. 12 by Henry Roediger. Co-author of the 2014 book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, Roegider is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

On Oct. 18, Kate McConnell, senior director for research and assessment at the Association of American Colleges & Universities, will present her lecture series covering best practices in programmatic and general education assessment.

UGA faculty also will share their teaching practices during the fall semester. Upcoming speakers include Jennifer Palmer, a professor of history in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Paige Carmichael, a professor of pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Topics include using social media for teaching and using multimodal teaching methods to improve learning.

The Pedagogy and Practice Series, which will begin in September, will feature CTL speakers focusing on a range of teaching and learning topics, including active learning strategies, using Kaltura for media streaming and a series of sessions about the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The CTL also offers a First-Year Odyssey Series for any faculty interested in or currently teaching a First-Year Odyssey Seminar course. FYO Seminars are required one-hour credit courses that allow first-year students to get to know UGA and faculty members in a small class setting.

Reacting to the Past is an award-winning pedagogy that transcends traditional disciplinary divisions and gives students a unique opportunity to engage in active learning. UGA introduced Reacting to the Past in 2003, integrating the pedagogy into the undergraduate curriculum.

Peggy Elliott, Chase Hagood and Naomi Norman will present “Reacting to the Past and Setting the Stage for Active Learning” on Sept. 19.

For more information, visit ctl.uga.edu/events/all-events.