The Essentials of Teaching and Learning

About the Essentials of Teaching and Learning series

Completion of the four Essentials workshops satisfies a core requirement of CTL’s Teaching Development Program for graduate students. While these workshops are ideally taken in sequence, we realize that schedules and interests vary. CTL offers the four Essentials workshops every semester.

Accompanying preparatory modules in the Essentials Canvas site take 20 minutes to complete ahead of these workshops. They help participants prepare for live conversations, and contain resources that can be referenced at any point during or after the Essentials series.

Essentials 1: Inclusive Teaching 

Learn about the key terms, frameworks, and principles of inclusive teaching. Join the CTL for a workshop for graduate students focused on strategies and tools for including all of your students in the learning process. We will ask how instructors can create inclusive classroom environments that set up all students for success, as well as how instructors can help students learn through the diversity of experiences and perspectives they bring to the classroom.

Prior to attending this session, participants are expected to have completed a 20-minute module. To get started on the module, self-enroll in this Essentials Canvas site.

By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

• Identify and reflect on teacher and learner identities and their relationship to inclusive teaching
• Describe key terms in inclusive teaching scholarship
• Develop strategies for creating an inclusive course climate
• Apply inclusive teaching principles to their own teaching practice

Essentials 2: Designing Learning Objectives

Learn about and engage with backward design: a scalable, end-in-mind approach to instruction that will help you effectively plan an activity, a class session, or an entire course. In this workshop for graduate students, we will discuss how to use previously-determined and described learning objectives as part of the backward design approach to drive assignments, feedback, and in-class activities for students.

Prior to attending this session, participants are expected to have completed a 20-minute module. To get started on the module, self-enroll in this Essentials Canvas site.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Describe the Backward Design process and how to use this approach to their own teaching practice.
• Develop learning objectives for their students.
• Explain the connection between learning objectives, assessments, and assignments.

Essentials 3: Active Learning

Practice developing class activities that align with your learning objectives for students and incentivize all students to participate. Join the CTL for this workshop for graduate students focused on giving you strategies to better engage students in their own learning. In this workshop, we will discuss the evidence and efficacy of a variety of active learning strategies, and consider how these approaches can make our classrooms more inclusive.

Prior to attending this session, participants are expected to have completed a 20-minute module. To get started on the module, self-enroll in this Essentials Canvas site.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Apply reflections of learning experiences to help determine how participants want to facilitate student learning in their classrooms.
• Practice and apply frameworks with which participants can plan effective learning experiences based on defined learning objectives.
• Describe the benefits of active learning and address challenges that may arise when facilitating active learning in the classroom.

Essentials 4: Assessment & Feedback

Join the CTL for a workshop for graduate students focused on giving you tools to assess students accurately, efficiently, and encouragingly. In this workshop, you will learn approaches for assessing student learning and providing feedback that encourages students to focus more on their improvement and less on bottom line scores. We will introduce tools to help streamline and standardize assessment and feedback, while helping students better understand what is valuable in the topic and discipline. Breakout groups during this session will allow you to focus your discussion on written assignments or problem sets.

Prior to attending this session, participants are expected to have completed a 20-minute module. To get started on the module, self-enroll in this Essentials Canvas site.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Describe the difference between formative and summative assessments.
• Develop the values and concepts that underlay a rubric.
• Practice marking papers with and without a rubric to understand value of developing one.

CTL Facilitators

Ian Althouse

Cailtin DeClercq

Abby Schroering

Related CTL Programs, Services, and Resources

Microteaching Practice Sessions
The CTL runs microteaching practice sessions for graduate students, where you can try out any of the approaches or techniques covered in the Essentials of Teaching and Learning sessions. Learn more about microteaching.

Teaching Observations
Would you like trained graduate student Teaching Consultants to visit your class and offer you supportive, confidential feedback on your teaching? Sign up for an observation.

Mid-Course Reviews
Ready for some timely input from your students about how your instruction is helping them to learn, and what could be improved? A graduate student Teaching Consultant can visit your class or section, collect feedback, and discuss it with you. Sign up for an mid-course review

Consultations
The CTL offers in-person consultation to graduate students on all topics addressed in the Essentials of Teaching and Learning sessions. To set up a consultation, email CTLgrads@columbia.edu.

Contact

Questions about the Essentials of Teaching and Learning? Contact the Graduate Student Programs and Services team at CTLgrads@columbia.edu.