ACUE Focus: Kate Evans

More than 153 UA - Pulaski Technical College faculty have improved their teaching practices through a program with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). This rigorous, evidence based, 25-week course engages instructors with independently validated research to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. ACUE Focus is a question and answer series where faculty share their experiences with ACUE.

Kate Evans
Chair of Co-Curricular Assessment and Associate Teaching Professor of English, Department of Languages and Communication
Education: M.A. University of Central Arkansas, B.A. University of Central Arkansas

1. What ACUE Cohort were you a part of?

UA-PTC ACUE Cohort A, 2018

2. What do you teach and how do you think you benefited from the ACUE course?

I have been an English instructor here at UA-PTC since 2008. I currently teach Composition II, World Literature I, and American Literature I.

I was part of the first faculty cohort for the Effective Teaching Practices course (back in 2018) and I just finished the Promoting Active Learning course a few days ago. Both ACUE courses reinforced my commitment to evolving and expanding my classroom and Blackboard strategies. We all need some freshening-up in our approach to curriculum and pedagogy from time to time, and the ACUE courses provide new tricks for us “old dogs” in higher ed.

3. Best thing you learned from ACUE?

The tried-and-true ACUE practice that I will ALWAYS use in my classes is the Think-Pair-Share activity. This technique works in person and online, and it allows students to engage with the course material and with one another. Always a hit in my classes!

4. Do you think your students benefited from you taking the ACUE course and if so, how?

My students have certainly benefitted from the tricks and strategies I learned in the ACUE courses. I have used several ACUE tactics to encourage engagement, retention, and student satisfaction.

5. What was your favorite module in ACUE?

I loved the modules that focused on promoting diversity and civility in the classroom!