On Thursday,  October 26th, the 8th Brown Bag Teaching Sharing Session took place at T2-202, hosted by Edith Yan. Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-Branaman, Head of the Department of Communication and an Associate Professor of International Journalism at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, presented his expertise on the topic of strategies for effective team-teaching and co-teaching for large classes. Five teaching staff attended the sharing session in person and 89 people joined the live broadcast.

Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-branaman sharing his experiences

Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-Branaman shared various methods and practices for managing and enhancing the learning experience in large class settings. His discussion focused on using collaborative teaching approaches to deal with larger class sizes, particularly within the context of UIC’s emphasis on liberal arts education and the surge in student numbers in recent years. He also elaborated the risks and benefits of such teaching approaches drawing on empirical cases. During the discussion, participants from various departments actively engaged with Dr. Hearns-Branaman, asking questions and sharing their own experiences about the co-teaching and team-teaching modes.

Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-branaman and the participants during the sharing

The Brown-Bag Teaching Sharing (BBTS) serves as an open platform for all teaching staff in UIC to share their teaching experiences and insights. CTL encourages and welcomes faculty members to register themselves as presenters and participate in fostering a culture of teaching and learning excellence at UIC.