In spring of 2024, UVM's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences named department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor and Graduate Student Advisor David Jangraw as the inaugural winner of the James and Carol Wiggans Teaching Excellence Award.

It was not only a way to recognize what excellent teaching looks like on campus, but a rare way to bring that excellent teaching into the light where an entire learning community can learn about it -- and learn from it.

Dr. Jangraw was recognized for his skill, enthusiasm, and dedication to students in both the classroom and his neuroengineering lab, the Glass Brain Lab. 

In a June 2024 conversation, he gratefully noted that the celebrations around the award provided a rare chance for him to connect with peers around the specifics of what happens in the classroom.  

"The meaningful part is that it shines a light on teaching," he gratefully observed. "Teaching is surprisingly lonely sometimes. Students see some version of what you are trying to do, but your colleagues hardly ever see it, and they’re arguably the ones who can appreciate it the most. So the teaching award was a chance to hear from other people who really care about their teaching, some of whom I hadn't heard from before." 

"It was an honor to receive this award that puts tangible value on teaching, which we all value as educators but we don't always celebrate." 

Alumni Donors Who Were Ready to Support Excellent Teaching

The award was made possible by Jim and Carol Wiggans, both 1981 graduates of UVM. Jim's father was a plant and soil science professor and department chair for nearly 20 years, and Jim himself graduated with a degree in civil engineering. Originally from Marlborough, NY, Carol always held a strong interest in a teaching career that included elementary and secondary education. She completed studies at UVM with a focus on special education. Her career since has focused on mathematics and science curricula for students with special needs. 

Their own experiences led them both to recognize the tremendous impact of excellent faculty on students, They also shared the strong belief that such excellence could and should be recognized and celebrated. These inspired them to create an endowed fund to support a faculty teaching award to be given to a professor or professors who exemplify teaching excellence in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. 

Dr. Jangraw is the first to receive the recognition.

Innovative Low-Tech Adjustments Can Turn into Significant Impact for Students

In 2021, Dr. Jangraw participated in a professional development opportunity focused on inclusive teaching. He was inspired to implement a student feedback mechanism called the Ticket Home, through which students shared what their classroom experience had been like during each class session. Students respond just before they leave, so completing it is their “ticket home.”

Through a simple online survey, students answer: 

1. What was the most confusing concept in today’s class?

2. What is one thing you liked about today’s class?

3. How could we make today’s class more effective? 

Dr. Jangraw says that he's often surprised by the feedback he receives. “My students tend to like interrupting lectures with activities, even ones I thought would be unpleasant for them. I thought they hated all quizzes, but it turns out that a lot of people liked them." He notes that his approach to quizzes includes a live review of the responses, so he can see how the class as a whole is answering. "This means that if lots of people are getting things wrong, we can address it, asking everyone to talk it over with a neighbor, or we can go over it as a class, and then answer again. I was surprised how many students like that." 

Students like it, and it also helps him see where there might be confusion with material presented, and to address it with the class in real time.  

The Ticket Home encourages a growth mindset in students: that they can improve through effort and practice. "This process of metacognition, or thinking about thinking, helps them not only understand the material, but also how they learn that material best and what they still need to work on," says Dr. Jangraw.

In fall semester of 2024, Dr. Jangraw and his department will expand the Ticket Home model to over a dozen engineering classes through a proposal that’s linked to the college’s Inclusive Excellence work. They suggest that an approach like Ticket Home can help realize the goal to receive feedback “from every student every class” using technology, rather than "from a few volunteers raising hands." 

Improving the Classroom Experience for Students Aligns with UVM's Strategic Goals

For students whose experiences and identities have tended to be underrepresented in higher education, real-time feedback is an especially powerful tool for faculty to access. There are many reasons that students might be unable to access the materials, or to keep up in or out of class, no matter how gifted they may be. 

And without dedicated processes, these might be hard for professors to know about. “Some students are shy about giving feedback, especially those that have been made to feel like they don’t belong there,” Dr. Jangraw says. “When we ask them, ' What was most confusing? What's one thing you liked? What can we do better next time? ' we can help get them grounded in the material and encourage them to think positively before they share their barriers to learning.” 

Addressing these small barriers can have a big impact. "I once learned that our students come in with only so much cognitive load to give. They have to split that between the material and whatever barriers or challenges are at work in the background. As an instructor your job is to minimize those barriers so students can focus on the learning." 

"I think it's worth the effort,” he says. “I find teaching to be so rewarding, such a connection with these students who are open and formative in their lives." 

He laughs, saying, "Actually, it's so much fun that I have to stop myself from spending all of my time on teaching."

It’s an approach that students recognize. In a nomination, one current student said, “Dr. Jangraw is the perfect recipient for the Wiggans Innovation in Teaching Award. He is a caring, compassionate, and intelligent professor. He shares his knowledge in an understandable and intriguing way with all his students. Dr. J. truly wants to see his students succeed and learn. He is not the type of professor to give you the answers, but he will help you think critically and get there on your own with his guidance, which makes you feel 10x more successful than just the answer being given to you.”

Supporting Great Teaching at UVM

Alumni and donors are making a difference in classrooms all across campus and well beyond.  Support for prizes like the Wiggans Award, scholarship, travel funds, research, and many other elements of university life and learning all benefit tremendously from philanthropists like the Wiggans.

If you are interested in joining them, learn more about programs to support here, or contact Kevin Morgenstein-Fuerst at 802-656-3227 or kevin.morgenstein-fuerst@uvm.edu to talk about your philanthropic goals.