Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL)
PETAL is designed to disseminate, advance, and recognize innovative teaching and learning across UM’s multiple campuses. PETAL offers signature programs, expert speaker events, tailored services, rich resource materials, and awards designed to enhance the teaching environment at University of Miami.
- PETAL's peer-based Course Mentors program assists faculty with teaching improvement, implementation of innovative pedagogical methods, and utilizing emerging strategies and technologies. Click here to learn more about the Course Mentors program.
- For the PETAL Speaker Series, including valuable recordings of past sessions on teaching, click here.
Academic Technologies
Academic Technologies is focused on the teaching and learning side of IT. They work closely with faculty on projects related to teaching and learning, including instructional design, learning platforms, and exploring and developing technologies that enhance online and technology-enriched courses.
- Learning Innovation and Faculty Engagement (LIFE) Team
The Learning Innovation and Faculty Engagement (LIFE) Team partners with faculty members, academic units, and other university stakeholders to advance the culture of teaching and learning at the U. Their goal is to empower faculty members and others to create innovative, effective, and meaningful learning experiences through learner-centered and active learning pedagogies, differentiated teaching and learning platforms, and emerging educational technologies.
• LIFE Consultations and Workshops
Consultations and Workshops
• LIFE Archive
The LIFE Archive features online articles and resources addressing a wide range of learning and teaching topics. We created the LIFE Archive to provide a space to share relevant guides, media, and innovative teaching practices from across the University of Miami.
- Educational Technologies Summaries
Technology summaries were produced by a rapid investigation 'Hot Team' process. The 'Hot Team' process is a way to rapidly investigate a new technology, service, or teaching technique and understand how it can be used to enhance teaching and learning. The results of these ‘Hot Teams’ investigations are shared on this page and include information on flipped learning, interactive presentation tools, role playing & simulations, and more.
The Learning Platforms team manages and supports a variety of online technologies that faculty use to teach courses. They support the use of Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate and a variety of tools for student feedback, advising, appointments with academic support services, instructional video, educational uses of social media, and plagiarism detection. They also focus on testing, integrating, and deploying new technologies and platforms that elevate the student experience
Faculty Showcase
The Faculty Showcase is the University of Miami’s premiere teaching and learning event – an annual gathering where faculty share, network, and discover the ways in which their colleagues are enriching student experiences through innovative pedagogies and learning technologies. Led by faculty for faculty, this one-day conference aims to support faculty development and enhance student learning.
UM Libraries
UM Libraries has a breadth of resources to support faculty in teaching.
Visit the Subject Librarian page to find the librarian with expertise in your subject area.
The Faculty Exploratory Laboratory was designed to support teaching and research faculty at the University of Miami. It offers a One-Button Studio for recording multimedia presentations, a group meeting space for 10-12 people, and also informal seating for consultations and conversations.
The Creative Studio provides expert support and consultation in the use of digital audio, video, and graphic design technology, as well as web development and image creation techniques.
Data & Visualization Services at the University of Miami Libraries offer training and computing resources related to data analysis, data management, and data visualization.
Faculty also can reserve equipment for borrowing through UM Libraries. Laptops, video cameras, tripods, projectors with screens, are examples of some of the items that can be reserved.
Religious Holy Day Policy and Calendar
The University of Miami, although a secular institution, is determined to accommodate those students and faculty who wish to observe religious holy days. It seeks to reflect its awareness of and sensitivity to religious holy days whenever possible when scheduling University activities. Click here to review the Religious Holy Day Policy and recommended accommodations, download a printable PDF of the Multifaith Religious Holiday Calendar, and learn how to add these holidays to your Outlook calendar.
Inclusive Teaching
Dr. Miriam Lipsky, Director of Special Projects in the Office of the Provost, and Dr. Renee Dickens Callan, Assistant Vice President, Student Life, lead an Inclusive Teaching Workshop for faculty that provides information on research and research-based interventions to help faculty create a more inclusive environment in their classrooms for students of all identities and abilities, and includes breakout group time for faculty to discuss the application of workshop information to their own pedagogy. The most recent workshop was offered in partnership with the Office of Faculty Affairs on January 10, 2022.
Click here to view the recording
Click here to view the transcript
