When Dr. Bwalya Lungu, Department of Food Science and Technology, wanted to explore ways to learn more about the student learning experience in her large-enrollment classes, she turned to Undergraduate Education’s Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (LTA) for the use of mid-quarter inquiry surveys (MQIs). In this blog interview and post, we learn more about Dr. Lungu, her approach to teaching and learning, and her use of MQIs.

Members of the inaugural First Generation Faculty Learning Community reflected on the following prompt: How does being a first gen faculty member change the way you teach? Below are there responses and classroom approaches:

By: Joe Anistranski, Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Human Ecology 

In my first two quarters teaching at UC Davis I was assigned four separate courses, including our three-course lifespan development series (HDE 100A, HDE 100B, HDE100C, HDE 141). These courses served more than 800 students, total. As daunting as that task was, designing and implementing these courses provided a prime opportunity to implement and test evidence-based classroom practices.

By: Julie Sze, Professor of American Studies

My goal, if not always the actual practice, is to inculcate a culture and vocabulary of liberatory and transformative education.  

When I think about the transformative experiences I had as an undergraduate at a UC 25+ years ago, I remember amazing professors in huge lecture classes. I remember connecting with Teaching Assistants on a personal level. And I remember the creative assignments that taught me how to think and write differently. 

By: Becca Thomases, Associate Professor of Mathematics

By: Marco Molinaro, Assistant Vice Provost for Educational Effectiveness

As we think about course design it is important to consider equitable and inclusive pedagogies, especially as UC Davis classrooms become more and more diverse.

By: Kem Saichaie, Ph.D., Associate Director, Learning and Teaching Support

Happy New Year!