For more than twenty years, the leaders of ITUE have encouraged the adoption of student-centered and active classroom pedagogies—and in particular—the use of Problem-Based Learning. The core leadership team has consisted of members from diverse disciplines from across the University; recent leaders come from areas such as: Biochemistry, English, Information Systems, Physics, Music, and Psychology. ITUE is a faculty-led group that has conducted workshops nationally and internationally and is widely recognized as a leader in the development of engaged learning strategies.
Biography
Philip Duker is the Director of the Institute for Transforming University Education (ITUE) at the University of Delaware. He is an avid proponent of problem-based learning and has also published pedagogical research on: standards-based grading, just-in-time teaching, flipped pedagogy, and using clickers to capture dynamic thinking. His current pedagogical research interests include: ways to foster curiosity in the classroom and the role of scaffolding and backwards design in the creation of PBL problems. Dr. Duker remains active as a classroom instructor and continues to pursue research in music theory around repetition and temporality. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Theory from the University of Michigan where he was the James A. Winn Fellow at the Institute for the Humanities.
Professor
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Biography
John Jungck is the Associate Director of the Institute for Transforming University Education (ITUE) at the University of Delaware. He was the founder of the Society for Mathematical Biology Education Committee/Sub-Group and is well-known for his contributions to mathematical and theoretical biology education, and promoting interdisciplinary work at the interface between science, technology, and the humanities. Dr. Jungck is the former director of the Dupont Interdisciplinary Science Learning Laboratories. He is a tenured full Professor of Biological Sciences and holds joint appointments in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, the Bioinformatics/ Computational Biology Program, and the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN). Dr. Jungck’s research interests include Mathematical Biology, Evolution, Bioinformatics, Image Analysis, Education, Citizen Science, Crowdsourcing, and Constructivist Pedagogy.
Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Biography
Jacqueline L. Hilsenbeck-Fajardo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Delaware. Dr. Fajardo has been extensively involved in the development and implementation of a general chemistry course sequence integrated with biological sciences. As a recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 2018 and active facilitator at local and external training workshops in pedagogy, Dr. Fajardo strives to create learning environments that are active and supportive of meaningful learning. Dr. Fajardo is Co-Director of the local chapter for the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), a national network committed to the training of future faculty in pedagogical sciences. In this capacity, she serves as the Institutional Administrative Leader and heads the Teaching-as-Research working group. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Education from the University of Northern Colorado.
Psychological and Brain Sciences
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Biography
Agnes Ly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Delaware. She is an advocate for the use of mixed pedagogies and tools, such as problem-based learning, team-based learning, and clickers, to tailor and enhance student engagement and learning. Dr. Ly’s current pedagogical interests are in developing methods to engage and support students taking large-enrollment introductory courses and the use of technology to support student learning both inside and outside of the classroom. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Irvine.
Biography
Adebanjo Oriade utilizes his background in computational condensed matter physics to engage in the challenge of designing, implementing, and assessing learning tools for science educational purposes. Much like moments in simulations of nanomagnetic films in his research, tools for student-centered learning present challenges in the spatial, temporal, and competing energies/objectives dimensions of implementation. These tools include project-specific rubrics that serve the needs of both students and graduate teaching assistants, design of group tasks, micro-experiment PBL, and development of ten new laboratory exercises grounded in the 5Es instructional model.
Department Advisor
Management Information Systems
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Biography
Mark A. Serva is an associate professor of management information systems at The University of Delaware. Professor Serva received his MBA from Syracuse University, and his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. He has published numerous articles in the areas of e-commerce trust, latent growth modeling, and the improvement of student learning. He is also the recipient of many teaching awards, including the Lerner College’s Outstanding Teacher. Dr. Serva is the former director for UD’s Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education, a leading advocate for the integration of student-centered pedagogies into higher education. He is also a well-traveled educational consultant, having conducted teaching improvement workshops on five continents, including Egypt, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey, and India. In 2019, Professor Serva earned his Teacher-Consultant Certification in Team-based Learning from the TBL Collaborative.
Department of Communication
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Biography
Dr. Timmins is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication. She brings more than 20 years of experience as a professional television journalist to the University. She worked in large and small-market TV stations in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States, spending 14 years at Philadelphia’s NBC10 as a producer, writer and digital editor. She is a strong proponent of learning through experiencing and doing. She uses traditional problem-based learning strategies, as well as client-based projects and other ways in which to engage students in learning and doing. Dr. Timmins earned a PhD in Mass Media and Communication from Temple University in 2010 and a MJ (Master’s of Journalism) from Temple in 2001.