, the author of several popular books on teaching, including 鈥淒istracted: Why Students Can鈥檛 Focus and What You Can Do About It鈥� and 鈥淪mall Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning,鈥� has joined the faculty of the University of Notre Dame through September of next year.
Lang鈥檚 appointment as a visiting professor of the practice is through the , a component of , which serves as the hub of learning excellence and innovation at the University. He will spend approximately one week per month on campus and one week per month working remotely with faculty.
A Notre Dame graduate and former professor of English and director of the D鈥橝mour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption University, Lang stepped down from full-time academic work in 2021 to focus on his writing and teaching. He has consulted with the United Nations on a multiyear project to develop teaching materials in ethics and integrity for high school and college faculty, and he writes a monthly column for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
During Lang鈥檚 time at Notre Dame, Notre Dame Learning will offer regular opportunities for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and others to interact with him and learn from his decades of experience researching student learning.
鈥淔or those of us who care deeply about the education students receive in our classes, Jim鈥檚 name is synonymous with inspired teaching,鈥� said , Notre Dame鈥檚 vice president and associate provost for teaching and learning, who leads the work of Notre Dame Learning. 鈥淲e are excited to be able to welcome him back to campus on an ongoing basis for the next year.鈥�
鈥淢y undergraduate learning experiences at the University of Notre Dame were so transformative that I have continued to reflect and ,鈥� Lang said. 鈥淚 have been admiring the innovative work of the Kaneb Center since it was founded, so I am thrilled to partner with and her team this year. The weeks I will spend at the center will offer me an opportunity to contribute new questions and ideas to the exciting conversations already happening on teaching and learning on campus.鈥�
Upcoming events with Lang include:
1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, on Zoom
Lang and Rudenga, the director of the Kaneb Center, will present and discuss three pathways to creating or re-creating final assignments in light of the specific needs of students and the changing conditions in which courses are being taught (e.g., amid the growing presence of artificial intelligence). This online webinar is free and open to instructors and teachers both from Notre Dame and elsewhere, but .
9-10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in Meeting Room 2 South W210, Duncan Student Center
This event is designed for members of the Notre Dame teaching community to discuss what AI in practice means for instructors in classrooms, departments and at the University. There will be time to network with colleagues, a short overview of a current unanswered question or innovation in AI, and discussion prompts to consider together. Lang will lead the conversation with the Kaneb Center鈥檚 , 听补苍诲 . Notre Dame faculty, postdocs and graduate students can .
Spring 2024
Translating the good teaching practices that support learning in the classroom to the writing strategies that engage readers and help them learn from academic research, Lang will work with Notre Dame faculty interested in reaching audiences beyond their disciplinary peers. The faculty seminar will meet once per month from January through May. To ensure participants receive plentiful feedback on their work, enrollment will be limited. See for more details.
Future events with Lang will be posted at .
Originally published by Notre Dame Learning at on Oct. 26.