An NMU delegation of faculty and staff members traveled to Michigan Tech’s campus to participate in the first Upper Peninsula Teaching and Learning Conference. The presentation tracks included active learning, online learning, assessment and other issues in higher education. NMU representatives delivered eight presentations. The event was co-sponsored by the NMU Center for Teaching and Learning and Michigan Tech’s William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

“Though there are many good teaching and learning conferences, they typically involve travel distances that make it difficult for large numbers of faculty to attend,” said Matt Smock of AIS-Instructional Design and Technology. “One of this conference’s key goals was to bring a similar opportunity closer to home.”

Presentations by NMU faculty and staff were: 

·         "Revising and Assessing a General Education Program: The Northern Michigan University Experience,” by Mike Burgmeier of Olson Library and Wendy Farkas, English

·         "Creating a Culture of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment,” Judith Puncochar, School of Education, Leadership and Public Service and coordinator of NMU Assessment of Learning Committee

·         "Scaffolding Information Literacy across Courses: Approaches Used at Northern Michigan University and Michigan Tech,” by Michael Strahan, professor and library instruction coordinator, with MTU co-presenters

·         "Facilitating Group Projects in an Online Environment,” Melanie Reaves, School of Education, Leadership and Public Service

·         “Group Exams: Like Cocktail Hour without the Drinks,” Gary Stark, College of Business

·         "The World Has Changed; We Should Too - Toward Digigogy,” Bree Carlson, Chris Kirk and Patricia Hogan, School of Health and Human Performance

·         “Moving from an Experiment to the Norm in your Classroom,” Jill Leonard, Biology

·         "Becoming an Online Teacher,” Stacey DeLoose and Scott Smith, Center for Teaching and Learning, and Shaun Thunell, School of Clinical Sciences