A new fellowship aimed at transforming classroom dynamics to support student flourishing will be expanded after receiving resounding positive feedback from its inaugural cohort.
Launched in spring 2024, the Purposeful Teaching Fellowship, a joint effort from the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence (CFDE) and the Emory Purpose Project, is designed to help faculty redevelop courses and shape their teaching practices not only to support student learning but also to promote student flourishing.
“This fellowship was born from the Student Flourishing initiative, exploring what that means in a classroom space,” says Liesl Wuest, director of learning design and technology for the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence, who developed the program with support from Ira Bedzow, executive director of the Emory Purpose Project — housed in the Center for Ethics — and associate professor in the School of Medicine. “We're here to support student learning in a way that builds students’ capacity to reflect on who they are and how they want to grow given their interests by purposefully redesigning courses with autonomy, competence and relatedness in mind.”
A new approach to teaching and learning
The fellowship’s core philosophy revolves around the idea that for students to truly flourish, faculty must also thrive in their teaching practices. Wuest and Bedzow believe this will lead to a more engaging, supportive and meaningful educational experience for both faculty and students.
Over the course of six workshops in the spring semester, fellows are instructed on how to place student learning and emotions at the heart of every course, coupling research-based practices in cognitive and skill development with ways to promote student well-being. By inserting the core values of autonomy, competence and relatedness into course design, research shows students’ self-worth increases and they gain intrinsic motivation, cognitive competence and an overall greater understanding of course material.
“In addition to content knowledge, I really wanted to support [students’] comfort in my discipline and their personal growth and fulfillment more broadly,” says Michael Martin, associate teaching professor of biology in Oxford College. “This fellowship gave me the tools to support my students' development as talented biologists and as engaged people pursuing their own interests.”
The program introduces faculty to innovative teaching methodologies, such as alternative grading structures, discussions on reflection and helping students think about purpose.
“I gained insight and knowledge about how to help students learn in a collaborative and interactive manner,” says Erica Davis, assistant clinical professor in the School of Nursing. “I learned how to set up activity-based learning in my classroom while connecting it to the class and learning objectives. I was able to encourage more class participation and learned how to better organize class administrative tasks.”
As faculty progress through the six spring workshops, CFDE and Purpose Project leaders offer support on ways to design or redesign courses planned for the following fall semester. During the fall semester when courses are underway, leaders check in with the faculty at least twice to monitor effectiveness and provide feedback.
Building a community of purpose-driven educators
This year’s cohort consists of ten faculty members from Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, the School of Medicine and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Participants range from assistant teaching professors to full professors, bringing diverse experiences and perspectives to the program.
“This is a great way to build a community of faculty who not only care about their own flourishing, but also student flourishing,” says Bedzow. “We’re finding students participate more and faculty feel better teaching.”
As the inaugural cohort implements their redesigned courses this fall, facilitators will collect data on student flourishing. This will help quantify the impact of the new teaching approaches on student well-being and academic success.
Plans are already underway to expand the fellowship to 20 faculty members for the spring 2025 cohort, doubling its reach and impact.
“We’re doubling our efforts for next year so more faculty have the opportunity to take part in this valuable program and share what they have learned with their schools and colleges,” says Bedzow. “Our hope is that even faculty who have not taken the fellowship can incorporate the teachings into their courses.”
Applications for next year’s fellowship are now open, with the program set to begin in February.
“I would certainly recommend other faculty take this fellowship to help them stay engaged with the students they're teaching and to gain guidance in developing learning activities with personalized approaches for their audience,” adds Davis.
For more information about the Purposeful Teaching Fellowship and how to apply, please visit the CFDE website.
Michal Arbilly, Assistant Teaching Professor, Biology & QTM, Emory College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Ayres, Professor, Candler School of Theology Yuk Fai Cheong, Associate Professor, Psychology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences Erica Davis, Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Nursing Jennifer Frediani, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing Yun Kim, Associate Teaching Professor, Linguistics, Emory College of Arts and Sciences Michael Martin, Associate Teaching Professor, Biology/Environmental Science, Oxford College Marilia Ribeiro, Associate Teaching Professor, Spanish and Portuguese, Emory College of Arts and Sciences Aaron Putt, Assistant Teaching Professor, Film & Media Studies, Emory College of Arts and Sciences Erin Weinisch, Assistant Professor, Director of Didactic Education Physician Assistant program, School of Medicine 2024 Purposeful Teaching Fellowship Cohort