The Instructional Design, Engagement and Support (IDEAS) team is thrilled to introduce the new group of 12 fellows for the 2023-2024 Instructional Innovation Fellowship (IIF). These fellows are all about innovation in teaching with technology, and we’re excited to kick off this journey with them.
Our 12 fellows come from across UMass. They’ll meet monthly to share innovative tools and teaching methods they’ve been using in their classes. It’s a chance for them to learn from each other and make their teaching even better.
Fellow | Department |
Ali Söken | Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies / Residential Academic Program (RAP) |
Allie Wolf | College of Education |
Bjorn Nordtveit | College of Education |
Dandan Xu | Chemical Engineering |
Dhiroj P. Koirala | Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Fig Lefevre | Department of Theater |
Greeley Kyle | Journalism Department |
Kelly Klingler | Department of Environmental Conservation |
Leah Barber | Writing Program |
Lisa Lehmberg | College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Department of Music and Dance |
Matt Whitlock | Department of Philosophy |
Sofija Zagarins | School of Public Health and Health Sciences/ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology |
The first meeting took place at Bartlett Hall. We started with an icebreaker where everyone shared their thoughts on the upcoming semester and pondered how robots could enhance our lives! We all agreed it’s an exciting time, and the fellowship offers a unique chance to connect with forward-thinking educators across disciplines.
Next, fellows began discussing the ideas they might share in future meetings, and the room was full of theories about the future of AI and the importance of focusing on INNOVATION and not just technology for technology’s sake.
Our second meeting, the first presentation session, is on Friday, October 13th. We can’t wait to share with all of you the tips and tricks our fellows will be presenting. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this journey into instructional innovation!
IDEAS supports innovative teaching strategies using technology. We regularly engage with educators to see how they use technology in their teaching, share teaching ideas, build a community, and learn from each other. Interested in our past fellows? Meet our 2022-2023 fellows!