Since its beginnings in the late 90s, the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning at Abilene Christian University has worked to improve education for ACU students by training faculty in technology and curriculum development, integrating faith and learning and helping faculty adapt teaching styles to the way students learn.
The center, which was founded with the mission to develop and enrich faculty, is housed in the Brown Library complex. From this centralized location on the ACU campus, the Adams Center works to creatively synergize the many resources and innovations available for learning on campus, said Dr. Mimi Barnard, director of faculty enrichment.
"The Adams Center truly is the center for teaching and learning on our campus—faculty come in and out all day long, seeking connections across disciplines, learning new technologies and building community. They challenge one another to be more relevant for their students, to engage them in meaningful ways," said Barnard.
Several times a week, faculty members attend luncheon presentations in which they participate in conversations about current research in a specific discipline or about the scholarship of teaching and learning. Recent topics included "Coordinating Disciplines in an Integrated Course Syllabus" and "How to Increase Accountability in Student Teams."
One example of the formational activities the Adams Center organizes is the faculty reading group, which brings faculty members together to discuss recent books that will help them better educate their students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. This past semester, the group read Sons of Mississippi and discussed racial reconciliation, and Serve God, Save the Planet, a book about environmental stewardship. In 2008, faculty members can participate in discussions centered on the book The Gospel according to Starbucks.
The Adams Center also seeks to educate faculty about the most effective ways to integrate educational technology into teaching and learning. Through research, panel discussions and focus groups, the center can pursue opportunities to help faculty and students make more effective use of time inside and outside the classroom.
The Center also pursues more effective methods and technologies to improve ACU curriculum. Recently, ACU has researched extensively the uses of Apple products and other converged, mobile devices, considering how they can be used on a daily basis to enrich curriculum and enhance the learning experience. Already, ACU has taken advantage of iTunes U to make educational material convenient and available worldwide.
Many of the Adams Center activities, such as the faculty luncheon presentations and reading group discussions, are made available on the Internet as podcasts, providing access to faculty presentations and discussions. According to Barnard, more than 97 percent of the ACU faculty participates in Adams Center activities.
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