About the Teaching Experiment Academy
The Teaching Experiment Academy (TEA) program is designed for STEM faculty teaching lower-division undergraduate courses to redesign an existing course guided by the mastery learning model and employing specifications grading to encourage a growth mindset for student success. 35 faculty from UCI, SJSU, and CPP will be supported by the TEA faculty learning community during the course redesign process.
Three Areas of Focus:
Faculty Development
- Fostering a faculty learning-community
Course Redesign
- Adopting mastery learning and specifications grading in STEM teaching
Student Success
- Increasing growth mindset to support STEM learning success
About the Team
A collaborative team from the University of California Irvine (UCI), San Jose State University (SJSU), and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP), will create a cohort-based faculty development program, the Teaching Experiment Academy (TEA).
Michael Dennin
Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, UCI
Megan Linos
Director of LX Design & Online Education, UCI
Victoria Bhavsar
Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence, CPP
Nikos Mourtos
Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, SJSU
Laura Sullivan-Green
Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, SJSU
Eileen Chen
Instructional Designer, College of Engineering, SJSU
The Master Trainers
Renée Link
Professor of Teaching in Chemistry, UC Irvine
William J Howitz
Organic Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator, Georgia Institute of Technology
Kate McKnelly
Lecturer in Chemistry, Emory University
Project Timeline
2020 - 2021
- Conduct literature review and design assessment tools
- Develop the training curriculum and material
- Host introductory mini-seminars with external experts
2021 - 2022
- Deliver the faculty peer coach training program
- Launch a STEM course redesign program
- Implement redesigned curriculum in STEM teaching
Post 2022
- Invite participants to the TEA teaching showcase event
- Establish a Faculty Learning Community
Faculty Supported
Students Impacted
CA Learning Labs
In 2018, Assembly Bill 1809 established the California Education Learning Lab (“Learning Lab”). Housed at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the Learning Lab hosts competitive grant opportunities for intersegmental faculty teams to increase learning outcomes and close equity gaps across California’s public higher education segments.