Dr. Jessica Striker has joined the Office of Teaching and Learning as a faculty teaching fellow for the 2022-2023 school year. Faculty teaching fellows provide support and leadership with teaching and learning in collaboration with the director of the Office of Teaching and Learning to advance a culture of learning improvement at NDSU.
As a fellow, Dr. Striker will:
- Write an article on the transformation of her classes to a student-centered model,
- Present workshops on practical steps to teaching transformation,
- Share instructional expertise to support use of best practices in NDSU classes, and
- Provide guidance to the director and staff of the Office of Teaching and Learning.
When asked what she wants to achieve in this fellowship, Striker says, “I’m excited to support instructional effectiveness at NDSU in practical ways by sharing my story and collaborating with faculty as they work on innovative changes to their classes.”
Striker is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics within the College of Science and Mathematics. She teaches Calculus II, Differential Equations, Introduction to Abstract Mathematics, as well as undergraduate and graduate Combinatorics.
As a participant in the Gateways Cohort 2 in 2017-2018, Striker acquired the tools to transform her teaching to a student-centered model. “I learned new ideas at each Gateways workshop, which I then adapted to implement in my classes, sometimes making significant modifications in the week between the workshop and the beginning of classes!” Striker goes on to say, “Since then, I’ve continued to make changes each semester in response to how things went and the variations of the learning environment.”
With an active research program in combinatorics Striker has graduated 4 Ph.D. students and 1 Master’s student, obtained 2 grants, written 13 papers, given 28 external talks, and organized 5 conferences, in the past 5 years while also working on teaching transformation. Striker would like faculty to know, “It’s possible and worthwhile to implement innovative instructional practices, even as a research-focused faculty member.”
Watch for more information on Striker’s workshops this year where she will share specific tools and techniques with the NDSU faculty and the broader higher education community, as well as perspectives on the advantages and challenges involved in active learning.
NDSU’s Office of Teaching and Learning creates and shares best practices to enhance inclusive learning and teaching. Learn more about the programs and services offered on the Office of Teaching and Learning website at www.ndsu.edu/otl.