LT's Angel Pazurek and Matti Koivula presented locally at the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers (ADT) Conference Thursday, April 27 in McNamara Alumni Center. ADT members provide leadership to the University community through efforts aimed at supporting the University’s teaching mission.

Pazurek and Koivula's faculty development session, Learner Agency by Design, drew upon their research exploring the shifting roles and shared responsibilities of faculty and learners in a learner-centered approach to post-secondary education. Although literature on effective University teaching practices tends to focus on the efforts required of faculty and their responsibilities in designing and facilitating a course, more dialogue is necessary about shared responsibilities with learners and ways to actively involve them in co-creating meaningful learning experiences. Koivula and Pazurek also discussed ways to foster learner agency, including designing course activities that promote autonomy and self-efficacy, support a sense of ownership in the learning process, and develop skill in learning how to learn that can extend beyond a single course to positively impact subsequent educational pursuits.

[photo credit: P. O'Leary, University Relations]