A single Disciplinary Team will include members from several institutions, each looking to make changes in their own local courses. For example, the Math Team may have 10 instructors total, representing seven different SEISMIC institutions. The range of introductory courses taught by these instructors may include Pre-Calculus, Quantitative Literacy, Learning and Studying Mathematics for Understanding, Calculus I, and Calculus II. While the exact courses will vary, we expect (based on prior SEISMIC experience) that math instructors from across these institutions will find value in talking to each other about their courses and their decision-making around assessments. There likely will be many similarities in how students are assessed, teaching formats, class sizes, and challenges faced by these instructors. At the same time, there will be many differences that will inspire and challenge fellow team members.

The Disciplinary Team will serve as a collaborative space to learn together and to learn from each other about alternative assessment approaches. To provide some structure to the Teams, each team will follow a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle (Langley et al., 2009) over the course of SEISMIC Phase Two. This cycle will provide key prompts and check-ins to support accountability and progress. Ultimately, each team member will be responsible for implementing assessment changes in their own courses. Importantly, SEISMIC is not asserting what reforms should be done. SEISMIC is providing space and community to support members who are interested in exploring possible changes and are ready to make some changes in the next two years.

Table 1. Key Activities for the Disciplinary Team’s Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle

What is each team member’s responsibility?

Table 2. Disciplinary Team Roles