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04/16/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/16/2025 20:39

New BU Initiative Focused on Elevating Classroom Experiences Through Greater Collaboration

New BU Initiative Focused on Elevating Classroom Experiences Through Greater Collaboration

Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning seeks to improve the learning experience across campus by encouraging stronger cooperation between BU's schools, colleges, centers

"The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is launching at a time when we are placing increased emphasis on the importance of convergence, collaboration, the role of AI in teaching and learning," says Wendy Colby. Photo by Janice Checchio

University News

New BU Initiative Focused on Elevating Classroom Experiences Through Greater Collaboration

Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning seeks to improve the learning experience across campus by encouraging stronger cooperation between BU's schools, colleges, centers, and institutes

April 16, 2025
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Boston University can feel like a big place, with 17 schools and colleges, not to mention various University-wide centers and institutes, all educating some 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. That means a student studying biology in the College of Arts & Sciences, another taking a data class in the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences, and another in a journalism course in the College of Communication could all have vastly different learning experiences-related to anything from the classroom technology to the professor's lecture style.

Wendy Colby. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

And that's especially true when it comes to the large classroom experience, those often introductory classes where more than 100 or 200 students fill an auditorium.

Now, BU has launched a new initiative to help transform and elevate the learning experience across the entire University, by encouraging greater collaboration for experimentation and innovation across its array of colleges, schools, centers, and institutes. The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, or IETL, under the leadership of Wendy Colby, vice president and associate provost of BU Virtual and the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, will focus on shaping the future of learning at BU.

BU Today asked Colby to help explain the mission of IETL.

Q&A

with Wendy Colby

BU Today: How would you explain the difference between BU Virtual and the new Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning?

Colby: Both units-one focused on our online population and one focused on our residential population-are uniquely designed to help us continue to steer and shape the future of learning. Fundamentally, we are united in our mission to stay on the pulse of what it means to deliver a robust, high-quality differentiated learning experience, particularly given the very dynamic and changing world we are in.

BU Today: It's been three years since BU Virtual launched. Is the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning the next iteration of BU Virtual, or is this an entirely separate initiative?

Colby: It is hard to believe it has been three years!

I like to think of the two units as part of a much broader strategic approach we are taking at Boston University-which is to elevate teaching and learning, to promote academic innovation and transformation in the creation of a differentiated student experience, and to advance our mission in making a BU education available to more learners around the world.

Often online units inside of universities are catalysts for innovation and experimentation. BU Virtual was created at a moment when many universities were beginning to broaden and diversify their academic offerings to also include a vibrant online portfolio to target adjacent and growing workforce markets.

We are very proud today to have over 30 online programs at the graduate level. We have really led the industry in taking a bold move with our portfolio, which is geared toward working professionals in fields such as business, global public health, and data science and AI. These online master's programs allow our students-who are stationed everywhere from Delhi to Singapore and London to Austin-to remain in their jobs and their locations of preference while also being part of a global community of learners.

To accomplish the kind of experience these learners desire, we also need to have the rigor and richness of a program that is offered entirely online. Our programs incorporate asynchronous and live studio scheduled synchronous sessions. They also include the kind of pedagogical innovation required to help students thrive: immersive and engaging curriculum, opportunities for team building and collaboration, hands-on exercises and group projects, peer-to-peer interactions, the incorporation of experiential and industry-relevant learning, robust assessments, and more.

BU Today: Is there a reason why IETL is coming to fruition and launching now?

The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is launching at a time when we are placing increased emphasis on the importance of convergence, collaboration, the role of AI in teaching and learning, and the interdisciplinary approaches that will be increasingly important for our students in the world of work.

Like many universities, we have had a core focus for years on teaching and learning. What is new about this institute is the way in which we are amplifying our impact through the work that is being done in every classroom across our schools and colleges. In my short time overseeing the new institute, I have had the pleasure of meeting with many faculty and students, working to connect the ideas, people, and resources that will drive the kind of forward momentum we seek.

The institute sits at the intersection of education innovation, faculty collaboration, and strategic impactful solutions. Our goal is to promote engagement across our faculty community and to extend our reach through programs and initiatives that will support our students in measurable ways.

BU Today: Can you talk about two or three of the primary goals for IETL?

While we are just getting started, we have a number of ambitious goals that are arising out of conversations in our community.

  • To surface new programs, techniques, and approaches that are learner-centric, research-driven, and equitable, and build on our interdisciplinary breadth of excellence across BU
  • To create AI resources for teaching and learning and to explore AI's potential across disciplines in order to deepen engagement, promote literacy, and enrich classroom experiences
  • To identify and support an ecosystem of partnerships that promote diversity of experience, and inspire and uplift our learners
  • To identify opportunities for workforce innovation to support learners in a globally changing economy
  • To support faculty in academic innovation and technology, and through the use of digital tools and emerging technologies that result in impactful learning experiences
  • To provide opportunities for faculty to incubate and experiment through the institute's Shipley Academic Innovation fund

BU Today: It sounds like this is very much a faculty-driven initiative?

I think it is important to state that faculty innovation is leading the way at BU-and we want to find more ways in which we can provide institutional support and create the conditions for prioritizing and scaling those areas that will result in the most impactful efforts. Some of this will involve new programming, faculty training, faculty workshops and exchanges. For instance, we have just launched a new Insights in Action series, and our first symposium on inclusive pedagogy will take place in May. By building the right support structure across our community, we create more access and scale for everyone, we strengthen the relationships between students and faculty, and we foster a culture of experimentation and continuous innovation.

BU Today: We've heard that one focus will be around large classrooms, of which there are many at BU. Can you talk about why there is a particular focus on improving the large classroom experience at BU-why is that important?

Large lecture courses are a staple for most undergraduate students. At BU, many students find themselves in a large lecture course of more than 100 students during their first or second year. The reason this has become central to our work is that students often struggle in these large classes, which can lead them to underperform or withdraw from the foundational courses needed for academic success. This can also contribute to switching majors, especially in the STEM fields.

So, as part of a partnership with the Undergraduate Affairs office at BU, we have taken on a multiyear project to address the curricular "choke points" that impact student success. We have identified five pilot course areas-Chemistry 101, Biology 107 and 108, and Math 213 and 214. These courses alone represent approximately 25 percent of BU students on an annual basis. Through the work of a core faculty team, and supported by a Shipley Academic Innovation grant through the institute, we have started to see some impressive results on student retention, success, and engagement. Some efforts of the project so far are:

  • Incorporation of adaptive learning strategies to address knowledge gaps for students
  • Creation of asynchronous pre-lab modules leveraging skills-based, question-embedded videos
  • Creation of remote weekend review sessions for students
  • Increased active and participatory engagement in the classroom, leveraging case studies, peer-to-peer interaction, and in-class polling
  • Incorporation of low-stakes knowledge checks to test understanding and lower student anxiety
  • Creation of new and modern approaches to help students feel more connected and succeed in real-world settings

The work will continue in the coming semesters as we also look at ways in which the success of these efforts can be applied more broadly across other large classrooms at BU.

BU Today: Who is on the faculty team?

  • Chemistry 101: Binyomin Abrams (College of Arts & Sciences research associate professor, chemistry), Keying Chen (CAS lecturer, chemistry), Klaudja Caushi (postdoc)
  • Biology 107 and 108: Kathryn Spilios (CAS master lecturer, biology, director of Instructional Labs, director of the Learning Assistant Program), Kale Hartmann (CAS director and postdoctoral associate lecturer, biology), Lynette Strickland (CAS assistant professor, biology)
  • Math 213 and Math 214: Emily Stephen (CAS assistant professor, statistical neuroscience), Jonathan Huggins (CAS assistant professor, mathematics and statistics)

BU Today: At a place like BU, where there are 17 different schools and colleges, not to mention so many centers and institutes, it can sometimes be hard for those units to communicate and share and learn from each other. Are there steps being taken to improve that, and how will IETL try to create better communication across campus?

Teaching and learning are at the forefront of everything we do. Some of the most compelling work across BU is emerging from faculty-driven experimentation. The challenge is: How do we shape the future of teaching and learning on a broader scale to best serve our students, and then promote that in collective ways?

BU is a large and complex institution. But if we think about the journey our students take at BU, it is one designed to expose them to multiple disciplines and become active learners and citizens in the world.

From an institutional perspective, I believe we all share a universal desire to embrace the distinct value each of our schools and colleges brings, while also creating a thriving learning journey that will set our students above the rest. Now is the time for us to come together and to identify new models for collaboration that truly promote teaching and learning-not just one school at a time, but also across the entire University. We have assembled a Strategic Advisory Council comprising deans and senior academic leaders to help steer the work of the new institute-and to provide the bridge we need to our faculty. I am incredibly inspired by the work I see in action, and I am thrilled to be in a position where we can work to unite and build on this momentum in ways that will serve many more throughout our community.

BU Today: What's your message to faculty at BU with this initiative? What do you hope they take away from it and how they benefit from it?

My primary message is this: let us help you share your work, your ideas, and your experiences with the broader world at BU. If I think back to our work at BU Virtual, for a moment, one of the most exciting developments for me has been to see a faculty member-who has only ever known the experience of serving 20 or 30 students in a physical classroom-now have the platform for reaching students everywhere from around the globe.

I think of the opportunities for our residential community in very similar ways. Over the past few months, as I have toured many of our schools and colleges, I am finding great examples of teaching and learning in action-from CFA and Questrom to COM and Wheelock, Sargent to the MED Campus, CDS to CAS. The challenge is these experiences are within a particular school or college and there is so much that could be extended for the benefit of all. The institute is working now to bring together faculty liaisons across our community, to help surface opportunities for greater collaboration, and to identify where we can learn, grow, and support one another.

BU Today: Similarly, what's the message to students?

Your voice matters. We want to understand what makes you successful at BU, and where you have challenges. We want to look at ways to enhance equity and access, engagement in the classroom, a sense of belonging, creativity and critical thinking, and how you prioritize your student learning to achieve your life and career goals. We want to know how you would define learning in the future and where we can learn from your experiences to allow new approaches to emerge. Similar to our faculty liaisons, we are also tapping into the existing student council and advisory groups on campus in order to inform our work going forward.

For when we come together as a community-students, faculty, staff-we have the power to create impactful learning experiences for everyone-on campus and beyond.

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