Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are rich environments for faculty-driven instructional innovation where instructors routinely engage in informal, embedded formative assessment as part of everyday teaching practice. In these settings, faculty may notice recurring themes in student explanations, misconceptions, and questions as instruction unfolds and make in-the-moment instructional adjustments. Faculty also frequently implement active learning strategies; however, the evidence generated through these practices is not always systematically captured, analyzed, or documented to inform subsequent instructional decisions. This project builds on these existing practices by applying an improvement science framework using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles-to support faculty by providing a structured approach to instructional decision-making. During the 2025–2026 academic year, four biology faculty at West Virginia University Institute of Technology are participating in guided PDSA cycles as part of the work by WVU Teaching and Learning Center’s Engaged Teaching Scholars. Faculty identify a focused instructional aim, implement a small instructional change, collect embedded evidence of impact, and engage in structured reflection and peer dialogue to refine practice. Data sources will include sample PDSA templates, reflection artifacts and a faculty perception survey. As the project is currently ongoing, outcome data are not yet available, but early faculty perceptions suggest particular value for early-career faculty, with anticipated benefits including increased reflective practice and low-risk instructional experimentation. By systematizing practices faculty already use, this approach demonstrates how improvement science can support sustainable, faculty-centered models of teaching development and documentation of teaching effectiveness in PUI contexts, while potentially minimizing additional faculty burden.

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