This page includes links to materials from select courses and workshops that have been offered previously in synchronous online environments through the CIRTL Cross-Network Learning Community. These instructional materials are being made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
Content varies by course or workshop, but may include: syllabi, course plans, handouts, slides, and assignments. Materials will be added as they become available and permissions are secured.
Course Material
The College Classroom (Fall 2021)
These materials are for a 10 week course designed to provide an introduction to key learning principles and the basics of effective, evidence-based teaching practices in this course about teaching in the college classroom. The course focuses on developing inclusive, learner-centered approaches to teaching. Students will explore the interconnectedness of learning objectives, assessment, and learning activities through both discussion of course materials and developing and practicing their own lesson plan. Student learn to:
- Explore inclusive, learner-centered teaching theories and practices
- Read and discuss literature on effective teaching and learning, and apply to your teaching practice
- Create connections between learning objectives, assessments, and learning activities in order to build and teach a lesson plan
- Reflect on personal teaching values and decision making
Planning Your Teaching-as-Research Project (Summer 2021)
These materials are for a 6-week flipped course designed to guide participants through developing a Teaching-as-Research question, identifying project methods and outcomes, and more. Each week, students watch videos, read articles, and complete assignments on their own time; in weekly sessions, students refine their work with peer review, work through sticking points with instructors, and build community to sustain their work. Students are expected to meet occasionally with a local TAR contact (typically the person at your CIRTL member institution who mentors TAR students and/or runs your institution’s TAR program) to refine key components of your TAR project plan. By the end of the course, students present a TAR project plan.
Equity in STEM for All Genders (Fall 2019)
This course is designed to help students gain knowledge of the ways that gender bias impacts STEM training and careers. Discussion focuses on strategies to recognize bias, intervene, and advocate for equity. Participants increase awareness of gender bias through analysis of identity, roles, and contexts where gender bias manifests in STEM university situations using videos that portray gender bias through narrative and expert interviews paired with empirical research (Pietri, 2017). Attention to classroom relationships expand intervention strategies to research mentorship and academic advising. Participants create a peer reviewed professional biography, learn and practice documented strategies to combat gender bias in STEM, collaboratively develop strategies for STEM classrooms, and gain exposure to STEM professionals who address gender bias in their careers.
Basics of Online Learning and Teaching (2020)
This course is designed to help graduate students and postdocs new to teaching online learn how to design and run an effective course. Topics include: – The roles and responsibilities of the online learner and the online instructor, and how they differ from those in face-to-face courses; – Creating learning objectives; – Developing engaging online learning activities; – Assessing student learning; – and teaching & learning in a synchronous online environment. The course has two, 90 minute sessions and presentations. After attending an initial online session, students will work through 6 weekly, asynchronous modules about effective online pedagogy, each involving approximately 4-6 hours of readings, assignments, and peer feedback.
Service-Learning in STEM Classrooms: Introduction to Pedagogy and Practice (Spring 2017)
This course serves as an introduction to the basics of service-learning pedagogy, with special focus on STEM disciplines. Service-learning is a high-impact pedagogy that engages students in applying what they are learning about in their class to a real-world community need or issue, and includes reflective activities to demonstrate and deepen the service and learning connections. This course introduces best practices, research, and examples of pedagogy.
Workshop Material
Exploring Practices in the Classroom
Exploring Practices in the Classroom (EPIC) is a learning community designed for graduate student instructors while they teach. This site offers resources to support the adaptation and facilitation of the EPIC learning community model within various institutional and disciplinary contexts.
Understanding and Addressing Bias in STEM Classes (Fall 2019)
This workshop is intended for future faculty at all levels, disciplines, and roles in STEM, and aims to teach participants about biases in STEM, as well as provide concrete tips for addressing bias and creating welcoming class environments. Participants learn key terms such as “implicit bias” “social identity-threat” and “identity-safe cues.” Participants also take part in a moderated discussion to reflect on how biases may impact their teaching and how to incorporate different strategies into their teaching plans. This workshop provides participants with access to a variety of relevant resources including videos and articles to learn about bias, and a toolkit of techniques to address bias and social identity threat. At the end of Session 1, participants should be able to identify at least three ways biases impact their teaching practices. Importantly, after Session 2, participants should have a plan to implement three inclusive teaching strategies into their teaching.
Using Qualitative Methods to Enrich Teaching and Learning (Fall 2019)
This workshop provides an introduction to qualitative research methods for classroom-based research in this two-part workshop. Participants explore fundamental differences between qualitative orientations and more common research designs in STEM. Foundational (theoretical) knowledge that underlies much of qualitative research will be summarized so that students understand how and why qualitative research looks and feels different. The advantages of using observation as a qualitative method will be explored, with special emphasis on understanding the difference between approaching an inquiry product from an inductive versus deductive reasoning approach and how the method of observation can add rigor when examining learning behaviors. Participants also learn what makes for effective qualitative research interviews.and explore the distinguishing features of qualitative interviews, describes their use as primary and secondary data collection methods and engages participants in constructing interview questions for classroom-based research.
Getting Ready to Teach in the American Classroom Part 1: Cross-Cultural Analysis (Spring 2018)
This workshop is designed for international teaching assistants (ITAs) who are getting ready to teach in the American classroom. The workshop covers important actions ITAs can take before the semester begins and learn about expectations of American undergraduate students in order to more effectively interact with students. Cross-sharing of cultural norms and expectations from participants’ home countries will provide reflective opportunities to determine how best to interact with American undergraduate students.
Getting Ready to teach in the American Classroom Part 2: Building Rapport and Effective Communication Skills (Spring 2019)
This case-study-based workshop is focused on building and maintaining rapport with students. The workshop will include a facilitated case study discussion. In that discussion, participants will investigate sources of miscommunication between students and instructors, and discuss tangible strategies to increase effective communication (verbal and non-verbal) with others in and out of the classroom. Participants propose strategies to build rapport with undergraduate students and Generate a list of compensation strategies that will increase the effectiveness of their communications with students.
Getting the Job: How to Frame and Sell Your Teaching-as-Research Experience in Your Job Search (Fall 2018)
This two-part workshop addresses the following questions. How do you leverage your Teaching-as-Research (TAR) project in your job search for faculty, postdoctoral, and positions other than academia? How and where should you include your TAR experience in your CV and cover letter? What interview questions might you get related to your TAR experience, and how can you answer them to clearly and concisely explain what you learned from the TAR process? Participants practice writing and talking about their TAR project in a way that makes sense to potential employers and learn how to integrate your project into your CV, cover letter, and responses to interview questions.
The Academic Job Search (Fall 2018)
Navigating the academic job market requires knowledge, time, organizational skills, and perseverance. This interactive workshop seeks to answer some of the most common questions asked by graduate students and postdoctoral scholars pursuing positions in higher education. Some of these questions include: (1) What type of school is right for my goals?; (2) When should I begin the job search process?; (3) What different types of academic positions are available?; and, (4) How much salary should I expect? Participants in the workshop will learn about a wide range of tools and resources available to assist them in answering many questions about finding and securing an academic job.
Understanding and Implementing Metacognition in the Classroom (Fall 2018)
Metacognition, or thinking about one’s own thinking, is a critical active learning concept in the classroom. Once mastered, self-reflection allows students to take ownership over their own learning by critically self-examining both the bounds of their knowledge and how they may best expand upon them. This two-part workshop addressed the many roles metacognition assumes in a learning environment.