U100 Faculty Wiki User Guide By Michael Schofield

Table of Contents: What is the wiki and who it is for? What the wiki can be used for. Logging into the wiki (or not-depending on what you want to do) How to search the wiki-tagged pages U100 New Faculty page Course outline & syllabus templates/calendars Required Assignments Core assignments/SLO grid Campus visits/guest lecturers Freshman Common Reading Instructor resources (stuff in CIELO) & how to teach freshmen Optional assignments Faculty Collaboration Center

What the wiki is and who it is for? U100 uses a “wiki” as a means of sharing information and resources amongst U100 faculty. Our wiki is both a “library” of instructor resources and best practices AND a space for sharing/collaboration between U100 faculty members. The wiki is for faculty ONLY, not students.

What the wiki can be used for. U100 is a unique course in the sense that none of us have advanced degrees in its subject matter. This means that we are all starting “blind.” The wiki provides helpful ideas and some necessary information (like required assignments and guest lecturer information) but it is not meant to handcuff the instructor’s unique perspectives/experiences.

Logging into the wiki (or not-depending on what you want to do) How you log onto the Wiki depends on how involved you want to be. If you just want to view pages, you can go to http://u100faculty.pbworks.com. If you want to use the “Faculty Collaboration Center” in the Wiki, leave comments, or edit pages, you must create a wiki user account or request to be added to the wiki as an editor.

How to search the wiki-tagged pages The U100 Faculty Wiki is a “Web 2.0” tool, meaning that each page in the wiki is “tagged” with likely search terms. This means that you are more likely to find the page you are looking for. At the top right of the homepage, there is a search box. The wiki also lists pages categorically like a regular website.

U100 New Faculty page If you are new to U100 and aren’t sure where to get started, go to the U100 New Faculty page. This page has links to everything from syllabus templates to assignments to how guest lecturers and arrange class visits (as well as how to incorporate these into your class).

Course outline & syllabus templates/calendars Each Fall U100 produces a new syllabus template. Use of this template is NOT required. Like most everything else in the wiki, the template is there to help you plan your course (and it is your course). The syllabus template is constructed by drawing on the collective syllabi of the entire faculty, which means we need yours! Click here to see sample syllabi from current and former faculty, as well as to contribute yours.

Required Assignments The Required Assignments lists the “core assignments” established by the steering committee with faculty input and collaboration. On this page you will find links to all 8 required assignments. Each link offers faculty suggestions on ways to teach the required assignments (and many also offer templates). You are encouraged to share your ideas regarding these assignments as well as your own unique approach.

Core assignments/SLO grid The core assignments/SLO grid provides you with a justification for each core assignment plus an invaluable teaching tool that can be discussed with students.

Campus visits/guest lecturers The Campus Resources page provides a list of required guest lecturers/campus visits (Career Center, Financial Aid, Klotz Student Health Center, Learning Resource Center, Matador Involvement Center, Oviatt Library, and University Counseling) that students need to be familiar with. Here you will find contact information, guides to when you schedule these visits during the semester, as well as ideas for incorporating these visits into your curriculum.

Freshman Common Reading Every academic year, U100 participates in the Freshman Common Reading, designed to give students the opportunity to participate in a campus-wide intellectual discussion. On the Freshman Common Reading page you will find links to resources regarding the FCR as well as teaching ideas.

Instructor resources (stuff in CIELO) & how to teach freshmen On the homepage, the link “SH 440 Resources (Cheryl’s office in CIELO) will provide you a list of book, DVD, and video titles available for your use as a U100 instructor. In addition, you will find directions for checking out either of the two U100 instructor laptops and projectors (plus how to set them up). The important thing to remember is that what ever you are interested in doing in your class, we can probably help you do it.

Optional assignments The Optional Assignments page is an ever evolving list of various assignments faculty have created that are not part of the core assignments (but may be an extension of a core assignment). It is a great place to get ideas and you are more than welcome to create a page and upload your own assignments.

Faculty Collaboration Center The Faculty Collaboration Center is a page especially designed for faculty to share in-progress syllabi and assignments in order to get feedback. It can also be a space just to share your positive/negative experiences, get suggestions, or just vent. To view or use the Faculty Collaboration Center requires logging in (same if you want to create a page in the wiki, edit a page, or leave a comment). To log in you must email Cheryl at cheryl.spector@csun.edu and request to be added to the wiki as an “editor.” Cheryl will then add your email to the wiki (so make sure she has your email) and you will be in!

Creating and editing pages in the Wiki Creating, editing, or leaving comments on pages and their content requires being “logged in” to the wiki. Contact cheryl.spector@csun.edu or michael.schofield@csun.edu to be added as a user to the wiki. Once logged in, go to the top right side of any page in the wiki and you will see “Create a page.” You will be asked to name your page. Using your name and the name of the assignment/link separated by a hyphen is a good idea. Once you name your page and click “create page” you will see a blank page that looks just like a Microsoft Word document. Write or paste in your content and then scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see “save.” Click save and your page is created.