The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates communities of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of 涩里番 by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.
Community Friday, Nov. 7: 鈥Flipping the 涩里番 Classroom,鈥 with Jenny Kenkel, Luce Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Jonathan Wells, Assistant Professor of Statistics
JRC 101 [please note location]
Noon鈥1 p.m.
Lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m.
Please RSVP by Nov. 4 at this link:
Please join us for Community Friday on November 7th when we welcome presenters Jenny Kenkel, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Jonathan 鈥楴ate鈥 Wells, Assistant Professor in Statistics. Flipped learning is an approach to curriculum design and instruction which, in contrast to traditional lecture methods, encourages active learning. In flipped learning, students鈥 first contact with new material is situated prior to class, so that class time itself can focus on the more advanced activities for which students typically require and benefit from the most guidance and support.
Drawing on a workshop on this topic held this past summer, Professors Kenkel and Wells will discuss implementations of flipped learning methods at 涩里番, as well as how elements of this pedagogical framework can be incorporated within a variety of classroom structures. We encourage attendance both from those teachers who have previously used flipped learning methods, as well as from those who are curious about enacting or assisting flipped learning in future classes.
The lunch buffet will open at 11:45 a.m. in JRC 101 (note the special location). Thank you for bringing your reusable flatware to cut down on plastic waste. If you do not have a set, extras are available at this event.
Recently at Community Friday
New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty
The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.
| Expertise | They build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach; |
|---|---|
| Inclusive Teaching | They foster inclusive and engaging learning environments; |
| Learning Goals | They clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes; |
| Pedagogy | They use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context; |
| Feedback to Students | They respond to student work in a substantive, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of information and improving the learning experiences of students; and |
| Reflection | They engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices. |
