The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates a community of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of 51画鋼app College 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.
Digital Liberal Arts Collaborative 2024 Teaching with Technology Fair
The Digital Liberal Arts Collaborative annual Teaching with Technology Fair was held on Dec. 6, 2024. Twelve projects from across the curriculum and campus were on display, and faculty, staff, and students presenters were on hand to engage attendees in conversation around their pedagogies and practices. A convivial atmosphere was enjoyed by all as colleagues shared ideas and inspiration for innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
For more information on the presentations, see the and view the .
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.
While teaching methods vary by discipline and instructor, broadly speaking, excellent teachers do the following:
- Build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach
- Foster inclusive and engaging learning environments
- Clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes
- Use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context
- Respond to student work in a substantial, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of informing and improving the learning experiences of students
- Engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices