Center for Instructional Innovation - Western Washington University's Teaching and Learning Center
About the Showcase
The Innovative Teaching Showcase is a website publication created each academic year by the Center for Instructional Innovation (CII) to spotlight WWU instructors' best practices in pedagogy, instructional technologies, and expanded learning environments. The advantages of being "showcased" are numerous. The CII often presents innovations from the Showcase website at campus-based functions as well as national conferences.
Each instructor's Showcase is completely different. Some instructors are showcased because of the way they teach an entire course, a single lesson, or the way they approach all their classes. At the heart of each Showcase is the innovative method instructors use to facilitate their students' learning in unique and creative ways. For example:
- Dr. Grace Wang uses interactive techniques in her environmental policy courses to engage students in sustainability efforts and their own learning; methods include mock town halls, debates, and case studies. See Grace Wang's showcase from 2006-07.
- Mike Mana worked with two undergraduate students to fine tune the assessment tools that he uses in his courses. Starting with developing learning objectives and learning outcomes, then designing assessment tools that could be used to improve the course, they dramatically changed the way he teaches. See Mike Mana's showcase from 2004.
- Tara Perry encouraged her students to use their communication skills in the real world through community service projects which they presented to the class at the end of the quarter. She described her focus on the community as a more exciting way to extend learning beyond the classroom. See Tara Perry's showcase from 2003.
The CII works with several nominated instructors annually to develop and publish their innovation on the Showcase website. Each separate section is composed of three parts: A multimedia showcase (using video, audio and graphics) which gives examples of the course; a portfolio (usually written by the instructor) that describes the innovative process in detail; and an institutional goals section, that links WWU's student learning outcomes in specific areas to those contained in the course. Previous showcases are available on the main Showcase home page.
