Teaching Centers

TEACHING CENTERS

Research Institution, Private  Harvard  Stanford  Northwestern  MIT

Research Institution, Public  Penn State University  University of Iowa  University of Michigan  UC Berkeley

Others  Bowling Green State University (Doctoral I, competitive)  Fort Hayes State University (Masters I, noncompetitive)

Compiled by Peck Cho, 2000.

Teaching Centers 1 Harvard University

Center for Teaching and Learning

HISTORY

The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning was established in 1975 to enhance the quality of undergraduate education in Harvard College. Originally named the Harvard-Danforth Center in recognition of the Danforth Foundation's initial support, the Center was renamed in 1991 to honor former Harvard President Derek Bok and his many efforts to further the university's teaching mission.

Harvard's continuing support of the Center reflects a commitment to the belief that excellence in research, teaching, and learning are compatible at the very highest level. The Bok Center is part of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences.

Its services are available to anyone teaching Harvard undergraduates - tenured faculty, visiting instructors, teaching fellows and assistants, and course assistants. The Bok Center also collaborates informally with teachers belonging to other Harvard faculties, including those of Business, Government, Medicine, and Public Health.

The Bok Center does not profess a single educational philosophy. Rather, it attempts to tailor its services to meet the strengths and needs of individual faculty. The Center works with faculty and teaching fellows to develop types of teaching that actively involve students in their own instruction. Such active learning draws its inspiration from the research process itself: asking questions, forming hypotheses, and seeking evidence to test ideas.

SERVICES

1. Short-term programs include:  the Fall and Winter Teaching Orientations,

Teaching Centers 2  the New Faculty Orientation, and  Practice Teaching Sessions ("Microteaching").

Feedback on teaching is provided through videotaping and analysis, classroom observation, interpreting student evaluations, and teaching awards and certificates.

2. Long-term programs include:  the Discussion Leadership Seminar,  dinners for Teaching Fellows at Dudley House,  the Graduate Writing Fellows Program,  the Junior Faculty Seminar,  the Senior Teaching Fellows Seminar, and  the program on "Teaching in the American Classroom."

Ongoing support and mentoring occurs through course consultations, departmental training programs, the Head Teaching Fellows Network, services for international teaching fellows, teaching with technology, and writing-related services.

3. Professional development includes:  a lecture series on public speaking,  teaching consultations,  a walk-in clinic, and  advice on preparing teaching portfolios. Library Resources are an up-to-date collection of print and video materials that are available for consultation.

Short-Term Programs All departments in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences provide teacher training for graduate student teaching fellows; each selects the methods most appropriate for its discipline. Many department

Teaching Centers 3 programs involve the Bok Center, most often through teaching fellow participation in the Center's short-term training.

Fall and Winter Teaching Orientations In the days preceding the fall and spring semesters, the Bok Center holds teaching orientations, focusing principally on the needs of teaching fellows, with special offerings for faculty. Typically, the Fall and Winter

Teaching Orientations draw a combined total of 600 participants each year. Harvard faculty, Bok Center staff, and experienced teaching fellows, as well as invited speakers from other institutions, lead the orientation sessions.

The Fall and Winter Orientations primarily offer practical strategies for improving classroom practice. Topics for beginning teachers have included "Discussion Leading in Humanities," "The First Day of Class in the Social Sciences," "The Nuts and Bolts of Science Teaching," "Guiding and Responding to Student Writing," and "Professional Conduct." For more advanced teachers, the orientations have offered sessions such as "Teaching Quantitative Material to Non- Quantitative Students," "Using E-mail and Web sites to Enhance Learning," "Wittgenstein in the Classroom: A Pedagogical Investigation," and "Teaching Portfolios: Preparing for the Job Market."

All members of the Harvard FAS teaching community are invited to attend the Fall and Winter Orientations. Faculty and graduate students also receive advance schedules and invitations directly.

New Faculty Orientation Each fall the Bok Center, in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, organizes a New Faculty Orientation. This series of events introduces new junior and senior faculty to the teaching culture at Harvard, answering general questions such as "Who are Harvard students?" and "What is expected in the classroom?" as well as specifics on grading and disciplinary procedures. At the start of the semester, new faculty have the chance to meet each

Teaching Centers 4 other and invited members of the Harvard community, including selected students and veteran faculty, in a half-day meeting. Follow-up sessions later in the year permit exploration of related topics.

Practice Teaching Sessions ("Microteaching") How can beginning teachers gain practical classroom experience before they teach their first class? Future teaching fellows practice teaching one another in "microteaching sessions" offered by the Bok Center, where they can rehearse basic techniques in a friendly environment. A group of teaching fellows from a single department or course meets with the instructor and Bok Center staff. Participants alternate between the role of teacher and student. Each "teacher" gives a brief, prepared lesson and then hears comments from the group on the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching. In addition, their teaching is videotaped.

The prospective teaching fellows subsequently view and discuss their performance in a confidential, one-on-one session with a Bok Center staff member.

To schedule microteaching for a course, a course director or head teaching fellow should call the Bok Center, preferably prior to the start of the semester. In addition, "open" microteaching sessions are scheduled early in the semester for new teaching fellows whose course or department has not organized a session. To sign up for an open session, teaching fellows should call the Bok Center directly.

Microteaching is organized practice teaching. The goal is to give instructors confidence, support, and feedback by letting them try out among friends and colleagues a short slice of what they plan to do with their students. Ideally, microteaching sessions take place before the first day of class, and are videotaped for review individually with an experienced teaching consultant. Microteaching is a quick, efficient, proven, and fun way to help teachers get off to a strong start.

As many as six teachers from the same or similar courses can participate in a single microteaching session. Course heads, a few experienced instructors, and a Bok Center staff member are usually invited to serve as facilitators. While one person takes his or her turn as

Teaching Centers 5 teacher, everyone else plays the roles of students. It is the job of these pretend pupils to ask and answer questions realistically. It is the job of the pretend teacher to involve his or her "class" actively in this way.

Such a scenario typically runs for five to ten minutes. When finished, the person conducting the class has a moment or two to react to his or her own teaching. Then everyone else joins in to discuss what they saw that they especially liked. Finally, the group may mention just a few things that the practice teacher might try doing differently in the future.

Like all Bok Center tapes, videos of these sessions are for the benefit of those taped and will not be seen by anyone else without the explicit permission of the practice teacher. Session tapes can even be erased immediately if the practice teacher wishes. Nearly everyone, however, finds it extremely helpful to make an appointment to view and discuss their tape together with a Bok Center consultant.

What to prepare: Most course heads provide microteachers with scenarios to prepare in advance. If not, think of a few minutes of material that you especially would like to make sure your students understand by the end of your next class. As always, you should not only plan out how to treat the subject matter, but also give some thought to how you are going to present yourself, manage the class, and involve the students. There are, of course, many different ways of teaching a given lesson well. That is why participants find that, along with what they learn from their own experience practice teaching, they can also pick up many helpful ideas from observing fellow microteachers.

Feedback on Teaching The Bok Center offers and encourages use of a broad variety of feedback techniques, so that teachers can reflect on their own teaching as a first step toward improvement.

Videotaping and Analysis One of the Center's principal tools for feedback is videotaping. A teacher and students are usually videotaped in the Center's specially-equipped classrooms, or more rarely, at another

Teaching Centers 6 campus location. Over 200 teachers are videotaped annually. Each videotaped class is subsequently viewed in a confidential session with Bok Center staff members. The staff member and teacher together analyze specific teaching issues and focus on the taped individual's teaching recognizing that there are many effective ways to teach. Videotape allows teachers to experience their own teaching directly in a safe, supportive atmosphere. At the teacher's request, the Center can provide copies of the tape to be reviewed by others or included in a teaching portfolio as part of a job application.

To schedule a videotaping of your class, please telephone the Bok Center and tell the receptionist the day and time of your class. In most cases, we can arrange a taping within a week or two of your call, which gives you time to notify your class that you will meet at the Bok Center instead of your usual classroom. When the situation requires it (such as laboratory classes), we can also tape a class in its usual location.

Classroom Observation Direct classroom observation is also offered by the Bok Center. Such observation by experienced staff is especially appropriate if the class is small (such as a tutorial) or if the instructor believes that taping might distract students. A confidential review follows each observation. Call or visit the Bok Center if you would like to arrange a classroom observation.

Interpreting Student Evaluations The Bok Center provides assistance to teachers in designing, collecting, and interpreting student feedback, preferably early in the semester, thus enabling mid-course adjustments. Sample evaluation forms are available as online documents. The Center can (on a small scale) collect and tabulate evaluations to ensure student anonymity.

At the request of a course head or teaching fellow, the Center also provides Student Feedback Interviews. A Bok Center staff person speaks directly to students (the teacher is out of the room), soliciting their comments. As with written evaluations, the teacher and staff person privately consider and interpret the results.

Teaching Centers 7 More than 90 percent of FAS classes enrolling 20 or more are evaluated by students at the end of the semester using a common evaluation form; results are tabulated and published by the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE). The Bok Center plays no role in these summative evaluations, but staff are again available to assist teachers and course heads in interpreting them.

Teaching Awards and Certificates Although it does not evaluate teachers directly, the Bok Center awards the "Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching" (based on student CUE evaluations) to outstanding teaching fellows at a special reception each semester. Award recipients have achieved 4.5 or above on the evaluations' 5-point scale; the number of recipients have risen steadily over the past decade, and now stands between 15 and 20 percent of the teaching fellow population. The names of recent award recipients are usually available on the What's New page.

Participants in semester-long Bok Center programs, such as Graduate Writing Fellows and Senior Teaching Fellows, also receive certificates to acknowledge the training and experience they have received.

Long-Term Programs The Bok Center offers a number of programs that involve participation over weeks or months.

Discussion Leadership Seminar Each fall the Bok Center offers a ten-week Master Class for faculty and experienced teaching fellows to enhance discussion leading skills through the Case Method. Participants from a broad range of disciplines explore problems in classroom dynamics and the choices a teacher makes to encourage active learning. For the approximately 30 participants, the seminar presents a rare opportunity to discuss their craft, share common challenges, and learn from one another in a gathering of committed teachers.

Teaching Centers 8 Junior Faculty Seminar Junior faculty from varied disciplines come together to discuss practices and theories of teaching. Several luncheon meetings are scheduled each term to suit the group's needs, with the agenda determined by consensus. Past meetings have addressed discussion leading, advising, and balancing the demands of teaching with personal and professional concerns.

Senior Teaching Fellows Seminar This program provides a discussion forum for advanced teaching fellows and post-doctoral instructors across all disciplines, and encourages them to develop mentor relationships with novice teaching fellows in their departments. The fellows meet seven times during the semester to consider cross-disciplinary teaching issues such as teacher and student motivation, collaborative learning, diversity and communication breakdowns, and technology and teaching. Participants are encouraged to approach current questions and the literature on teaching with the same scholarly rigor they apply to their own research.

Graduate Writing Fellows Program Each semester, the Graduate Writing Fellows Program enrolls approximately 25 teaching fellows from various departments who share a wish to improve their students' writing and to provide substantive feedback on that writing. Fellows attend a two-day workshop and reconvene several times during the semester to learn how to design assignments, to use writing to generate classroom discussion, to respond to student drafts and papers, and to link theories of writing pedagogy to their own experience with students.

Teaching in the American Classroom Program The Teaching in the American Classroom program constitutes an important part of the Center's commitment to training international teaching fellows. It provides training in pedagogy (sensitivity to students' needs, flexible teaching strategies), culture (non-verbal communication, student-teacher interaction styles), and language (providing clear explanations, asking questions, using transitions, interpreting students' colloquial speech). The program meets for one week before classes begin and periodically throughout the semester.

Teaching Centers 9 Dudley Teaching Fellows' Dinners

These pizza dinners - held several times over the semester at Dudley House, the graduate student center - provide a forum for informal, focused discussions on different teaching issues. They are open to all Harvard teaching fellows, instructors, tutors, and preceptors. Discussion topics from past sessions include teaching and learning styles, collaborative learning, grading and feedback, writing letters of recommendation, discussion leading, and effective teaching techniques.

Ongoing Support and Mentoring A range of additional specific services for teaching and learning are available throughout the semester.

Course Consultations As consultants to courses, Bok Center staff work with professors, head teaching fellows, or groups of teaching fellows -- attending teaching fellow meetings, administering and discussing mid-term course evaluations, and generally offering guidance for training, planning, or trouble- shooting. A professor may wish to collaborate with the Bok Center in training all teaching fellows for a course, or to focus more particularly on those new to teaching. Center staff can also assist faculty with curriculum and course design.

Departmental Training Programs The Center's staff works collaboratively with a number of departments in programs ranging from jointly sponsored training for new teaching fellows (beyond the Fall and Winter Teaching Orientations) to videotaping the entire faculty of a department. One example of jointly-sponsored training for new teaching fellows is the Teaching Apprenticeship Program in the Mathematics Department, where each graduate student-in-training visits and provides guest lectures to the class of an experienced coach. In other departments, Bok Center staff facilitate teaching retreats, semester-long teaching seminars for new teaching fellows, or training for specific undergraduate programs such as sophomore tutorial.

Teaching Centers 10 Head Teaching Fellows' Network

Head teaching fellows meet periodically each term to exchange information and strategies on issues including sectioning, course administration, equity in grading and evaluations, and improving course staff meetings. Bok Center staff are available to discuss and help resolve these and other such issues.

Services for International Teaching Fellows In addition to the Teaching in the American Classroom program, the Bok Center provides ongoing individual support to international teaching fellows and faculty. They meet with an ESL instructor in individual and small group sessions to work on pronunciation, academic speaking and listening skills, and effective classroom communication. Some also meet regularly with undergraduates for informal conversation and an introduction to American culture. International teaching fellows and faculty may also schedule individual consultations with Bok Center consultants who are able to advise, observe classes, and help with class planning.

Teaching with Technology In collaboration with the Instructional Computing Group (ICG, part of FAS Computer Services), the Bok Center fosters the use of technology for undergraduate courses. The Center focuses particularly on pedagogical advice for using web sites and other technological tools to enrich courses. Combining content knowledge, pedagogical experience, and web-authoring skills learned from the ICG, teachers can create custom sites to meet their goals. Bok Center consultants are available to discuss the appropriateness of technology with teaching fellows or faculty who are contemplating such projects.

Writing-Related Services The Bok Center also collaborates with courses to promote informed attention to student writing. At the request of a professor or head teaching fellow, Bok Center staff facilitate sessions on how to prepare students for assignments, how to respond to student writing, and how to achieve equity in grading. Discussions are tailored to individual courses and draw on work that students have submitted. Among the handouts that the Center distributes (at the office and as online

Teaching Centers 11 documents) are tip sheets on grading and on responding to student papers and a student writing self-assessment sheet.

Letters of Recommendation Bok Center consultants also advise teaching fellows on writing letters of recommendation.

Professional Development The Bok Center offers programs and facilities to help teaching fellows, junior faculty, and other members of FAS in their professional development as well as their teaching. The pamphlet Professional Development Begins Today - jointly published by the Bok Center, the Graduate School, and the Office of Career Services - is available at the Center.

Series on Lecturing and Public Speaking Prominent faculty members from different departments lecture on such practical topics as the art of lecturing, speaking with confidence, and the use and misuse of presentation aids. The series has also included presentations by a vocal coach from the American Repertory Theater on "teaching as performance."

Teaching Consultations & Walk-in Clinic Throughout the year, Bok Center staff are available to meet privately with faculty and teaching fellows to address concerns about teaching and learning. Private consultations have covered topics such as dealing with problem students, interpreting teaching evaluations, and grading and responding to student writing. Less frequently, staff help develop a job seminar or portfolio.

Teaching Portfolios Because search committees at colleges and universities increasingly consider teaching experience and expertise to be significant factors when identifying desirable job candidates, the Bok Center advises teaching fellows to begin documenting their teaching early in their careers. The Center has developed a booklet on how to create a teaching portfolio, which includes information about the academic job market, articles on documenting one's teaching, and a sample

Teaching Centers 12 portfolio. Bok Center staff are available to help teaching fellows design their own teaching portfolios.

Library Resources The Bok Center maintains an up-to-date library of print and video materials available for consultation. Faculty and teaching fellows may borrow books, periodicals, and some videotapes for use outside the Bok Center, or may view tapes at the Center.

Books and Journals The Bok Center library includes over 200 books on teaching and learning, ranging from the theoretical, such as Dewey, Piaget, and Whitehead, to the practical and specific, such as the Jossey-Bass "New Directions for Teaching and Learning" series. The Center also subscribes to more than 30 current journals on higher education and related topics.

Videotapes The Bok Center videotape collection includes the tapes which it produces under the title "The Harvard Teaching Series," plus a number of other university and commercially produced videotapes on teaching and learning. It also includes tapes of master teachers, samples of different teaching styles, workshops by staff and faculty, and videotapes of selected sessions from previous Teaching Orientations.

The Bok Center's staff includes the director, seven associate directors, an assistant director responsible for finance, an office coordinator, a technology and media specialist, and two staff assistants. Many of the professional staff have doctorates in traditional academic disciplines and a record of outstanding teaching. In addition, the Center trains and employs graduate student Teaching Consultants (for video viewings and peer support of graduate student teaching fellows) and work-study students (for clerical work and videotaping).

 Director Operation of the Bok Center: Activities, Staffing, Funding and Special Projects

Teaching Centers 13  Associate Director Teacher Training in Social Science and Humanities.  Associate Director Mathematics and Science Education.  Associate Director Head Teaching Fellow Network; Graduate Writing Fellows Seminar; Responding to Student Writing.  Associate Director Natural Sciences; Teaching with Technology.  Associate Director Pedagogical Support to Core and Departmental Courses; Midsemester Evaluations; Consultations.  Associate Director Core Courses; Case-Based Teaching; Race and Gender Issues; Leadership.  Associate Director Junior Faculty Seminar; Senior Teaching Fellows Program; Humanities.  Int’l Faculty Coordinator Training and Workshops for International Teaching Fellows.  Senior Teaching Consultant Physical Sciences; Mathematics; Teaching in English.  Assistant Director Financial Administration; Assistant for Case Discussion Seminars.  Program Coordinator Information on Bok Center resources; Administrative Coordination.  Technical Supervisor Videotaping, Audio-Visual, Multimedia and Computer Management.  Staff Assistant Programs Assistance; Financial Administration Assistance.  Staff Assistant Programs Assistance; Project Adapt Assistance.

Teaching Centers 14 Stanford University

HISTORY

The Center for Teaching and Learning was originally established at Stanford in 1975 through a grant from the Danforth Foundation. One of five such centers funded nationally, it drew on Stanford's resources in faculty and scholarship to promote the improvement of college and university teaching in the Bay Area. In line with this goal, CTL also provided assistance to the contingent of future faculty at Stanford, the teaching assistants. Professor David Halliburton, from English and Modern Thought and Literature, was CTL's director during these early years. In 1978 the Danforth Foundation changed direction, leaving Stanford and the other four centers on their own financially. Two institutions decided to continue the centers with their own funds, Harvard and Stanford, though with exclusively on-campus purposes. At Stanford, CTL focused on giving training to interested TAs, soon serving several hundred each year. A year later, with mandatory end-quarter course evaluations having been adopted, the Faculty Senate successfully requested that CTL be opened to faculty as well. Since then, approximately 500 faculty have used one or more of our services.

CTL reports to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. In addition, an Advisory Committee of faculty, staff, and students advises on policy decisions.

MISSION

In its broadest terms, CTL's purpose is to promote excellence in teaching at all ranks and excellence in student learning inside and outside the classroom. Our goal is to see teaching equally valued with research as a professional commitment of faculty and teaching assistants and to provide the training and resources to make excellent teaching possible. Effective teaching encompasses more than just the transmission of subject matter, however.

Teaching Centers 15 Excellent teaching, first of all, gains the students' attention and convinces them of the importance of what is being taught and learned. Such teaching then communicates not only information and concepts but develops powers of analysis, synthesis, judgment, and evaluation, all in a context of considered values. When teaching has truly succeeded, students leave with an ability to learn, question, evaluate, and commit on their own.

Our goals for student learning are complementary-that students not settle for learning just the "stuff" or enough "stuff" for a decent grade. They should be training their minds and sensibilities for a lifetime responsibility of critical, independent thought and commitment to personal and community goals. They should have high expectations of their own efforts and of their teachers' efforts. They should see learning as extending far beyond the classroom to most of what they experience.

SERVICES

Videotaping Classes Student Small Group Evaluation Classroom Observation Teaching at Stanford Handbook Departmental or Small Group Workshops, Lectures and Reading Groups Library of Books and Videotapes TA Student Evaluation Questionnaires Teaching Orientations Speaking of Teaching Newsletter Assistance with Teaching Portfolios Handouts on Teaching Information on Teaching and Technology Individualized instruction on basic and advanced computer skills Introduction to technology resources on campus Oral Communication courses

Teaching Centers 16 STAFF

 Director  Associate Director – Humanities  Associate Director –Science and Engineering  Office Manager  Assistant Office Manager  Instructional Technology Specialist  Lecturers (2)

Teaching Centers 17 Northwestern University

Center for Teaching Excellence

HISTORY

Founded in September 1992, the Center supports Northwestern University's long tradition of teaching excellence. The Center is a University-wide program, serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, with operations supported by an endowment from the Searle Family. The Center promotes an ongoing discussion about teaching and learning matters, striving both to facilitate that conversation and to contribute to it intellectually. It seeks primarily to treat teaching as scholarship, as serious intellectual work that is as important as the research that faculty members produce, and to think of college courses as windows on the way professors define and practice their disciplines. Through its grants program, the Center supports faculty members who wish to experiment. It also offers a number of services to help individuals collect, analyze, and evaluate information about the ways they teach.

SERVICES

Promoting A Conversation The Center promotes an ongoing discussion about teaching and learning matters, striving both to facilitate that conversation and to contribute to it intellectually. It seek primarily to treat teaching as serious intellectual work, as serious and important as the research and scholarship faculty members produce, and to think of college courses as windows on the way scholars define and practice their disciplines.

While it nourishes a broad dialogue about a host of questions, a few central inquiries lie at the heart of this discussion:  What do we expect our students to be able to do intellectually, physically, or emotionally as a result of our instruction?  How can we best help and encourage students to develop those abilities?  How can we have a sustained and substantial influence on the ways students think and act?

Teaching Centers 18 To advance this conversation, the Center  maintains a library of articles, books, and videotapes;  sponsors various forums and workshops, including annual programs for all new faculty members and a faculty retreat;  publishes a newsletter twice each quarter;  maintains eleven faculty fellows of the center;  offers small grants to faculty members; and  Supports school-wide and other special teaching improvement programs.

Providing Feedback The Center offers a number of services designed to help individuals collect thorough and systematic information about their teaching so they can decide what to keep and what to change.

Videotaping Faculty members and teaching assistants can arrange for the Center to videotape a class. This service offers teachers an opportunity to examine their teaching closely, whether in the classroom, laboratory, lecture hall, or studio. A technician, positioned in the back of the room, records the class, using a small, unobtrusive video camcorder and a wireless microphone. At the end of the class, the technician gives the recorded video cassette to the teacher (ensuring that the professor will have complete control of it), along with a viewing guide prepared by the Center. The instructor can ask a consultant from the Center to view the tape or seek feedback from a colleague or view it alone. Instructors can also arrange for the Center to videotape a practice teaching session.

Small Group Analysis (SGA) Developed at Vanderbilt and Northwestern this simple procedure will provide you with early and extensive feedback from students, often giving you information and insights that do not emerge from end-of-term student ratings and comments. Best of all, you do not have to wait until the quarter is over to receive feedback. If changes are appropriate, you can make them for the same class that made the suggestions.

Teaching Centers 19 Course Analysis Project The Center has developed a number of guidelines to help faculty members make systematic analyses of particular courses they teach. These guidelines treat courses as serious intellectual inventions, as reflections of the ways scholars think about their disciplines. They offer faculty members a way to explore intellectual goals, methods of fostering the achievement of those goals, and the influence courses have on students' thinking and actions.

New Teaching Assistants Workshops The New TA Workshops Program is a university-wide, half-day set of workshops for new teaching assistants. Throughout the morning, small groups of new TAs, with their departmental colleagues, work with a Teaching Assistant Fellow (TAF), exploring philosophies and strategies of good teaching at Northwestern University. The TAFs are selected through a competitive process and represent some of the best, experienced teaching assistants and graduate student scholars at Northwestern University. New teaching assistants work with a TAF from their discipline or a closely related one, so that their training is as discipline-specific as possible. Participants in the workshops have the opportunity to reflect upon their own approaches towards teaching, and to practice skills and techniques for teaching discussion sections, teaching and assisting in laboratories, and working with professors in large lecture courses.

Graduate students who are new to Northwestern or who will be teaching/TAing for the first time are encouraged to attend these workshops. For some departments, attendance at these workshops is mandatory.

Fellowships Northwestern established the Charles Deering McCormick Professorships in 1992 with a $10 million gift from Mr. McCormick. The professorships recognize excellence in teaching. The Charles Deering McCormick University Distinguished Lectureship was established in 1994 to recognize outstanding teaching by full-time lecturers. The McCormick Professors hold their chair appointments for three years while the University Distinguished Lecturer holds a one year appointment. Both the McCormick Professors and the McCormick Distinguished Lecturers are

Teaching Centers 20 appointed as fellows of the Searle Center for life. As fellows, these teachers serve as role models, present lectures and workshops about teaching, participate in a fellows seminar, and provide articles for the newsletter of the Center.

Teaching Assistant Fellows Program The Teaching Assistant Fellows (TAF) Program of the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence began in 1995 to provide extensive professional training for a select group of outstanding Northwestern TAs. Participants in the TAF program are selected each spring in a competitive process that looks at demonstrated excellence and creativity in teaching. Over the summer, the TAFs work individually and together to master some key principles of learning theory and to develop advanced teaching techniques and communication skills. Each TAF then designs and leads a series of workshops for a specific group of TAs at the annual fall for all new teaching assistants, as well as a follow-up workshop later in the fall quarter.

Throughout the year, TAFs have the opportunity to join the Center in helping to offer services to the graduate student teaching assistants and instructors within the university. Teaching Assistant Fellows benefit enormously from the training they receive at the Center, and usually find their work at the Center tremendously enriches their own teaching. TAFs also usually receive a small stipend, and a letter of recommendation on their teaching for their placement files.

The Center has six professional staff members: a director and assistant director, a coordinator of research and evaluation, a full-time program coordinator, a half-time coordinator of the International Scholars Program, and a half-time media coordinator.

FACILITIES

The Center has facilities for  small meetings and workshops,  a computerized video editing studio,  a seminar room,

Teaching Centers 21  a large resource room that houses a library

Faculty members  may browse through materials,  work on extended projects,  use computer and media facilities,  videotape themselves in a mock classroom, or  arrange to hold meetings in the Center.

Teaching Centers 22 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Teaching and Learning Laboratory

HISTORY AND MISSION

The Teaching and Learning Laboratory was begun in 1997 as a resource for faculty, administration, and students who share a desire to improve the quality of teaching and learning at MIT. A part of the office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education, TLL both offers its own programs that focus on teaching and learning, and works in partnership with MIT schools and departments on their initiatives. Its goals are to strengthen the quality of instruction at the Institute, to better understand the process of learning in science and engineering, and to create new and innovative educational programs and curricula.

SERVICES

The following is a list of TLL activities and programs:  Class Videotaping and Consulting Program  Individual consultation with faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants  Assessment and evaluation services  Forum on Educational Innovation  The Project on Interdisciplinary Education  Consultation on mentoring programs  Information on grants for science and technology education  Orientation for New Faculty*  Orientation for Graduate Teaching Staff**  Independent Activities Period series "Better Teaching @ MIT" in January  Department-based workshops  Microteaching workshops  Courses in teaching for doctoral students  Teaching workshops for undergraduates

Teaching Centers 23  "The Torch or the Firehose," a guidebook on recitation teaching  "Teach Talk" column in The Faculty Newsletter  The TLL library of books, journals, and videotapes

 Director  Project Coordinator  Faculty Liaison  Graduate Student Representative  Graduate Education Office  Undergraduate Student Representative  Associate Dean, Office of Academic Services Director, Undergraduate Program  Lecturer

Teaching Centers 24 Penn State University

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

HISTORY The Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT)* is dedicated to enhancing undergraduate education at Penn State by working collaboratively with those who are charged with the responsibility of teaching here--including faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, departments, colleges, and campuses. Working in partnership with individual teachers as well as academic units, CELT provides programs, services, and resources designed to increase understanding of the teaching-learning process, promote teaching as a scholarly activity, and encourage interdisciplinary conversations about teaching and learning among all members of the University community.

SERVICES

Consultation Each year many individual instructors as well as academic units at Penn State consult with CELT about a wide range of practical issues related to teaching. Depending on the circumstances, consultations with faculty, instructors, and TAs may involve reviewing course materials, analyzing feedback data, discussing techniques, or observing a class.

CELT is also available to consult with units (departments, colleges, and campuses) to help them design, implement, and assess programs that meet the specific needs of their own communities.

Assessment One of the central activities of the Center for Excellence is to encourage the collection of timely, systematic, and descriptive feedback.

Teaching Centers 25 Forum on Large Classrooms CELT offers a collection of interrelated programs for teachers of large class sections. The goal of all these programs is to create a community in which teachers of large classes can discuss needs and challenges specific to them and share tips that can be applied immediately in the classroom.

Programs  Luncheons for Teachers of Large Classes  Large Class FAQ, where those of you who teach large classes can ask questions,offer solutions, and share experiences  Electronic mailing list for those who teach large classes at Penn State  The "Take Your Professor to Lunch" for students in large classes  Fund for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (FELT),

Support for Teaching Assistants At Penn State, as at most large universities, teaching assistants play a significant role in undergraduate education.

Grants The Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching coordinates the Fund for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (FELT) which is an effort to seek proposals from faculty members in all colleges at all locations and by staff members in academic support units that are aimed at improving and enriching undergraduate education. Funded are proposals for projects designed to improve undergraduate education at Penn State through some combination of the following good practices:  increasing student-faculty contact  communicating high expectations  encouraging active learning  creating learning communities  collaborating across disciplines at the general education level  assessing progress and giving effective feedback

Teaching Centers 26  respecting diverse learning styles  making smart use of information technology Most awards are in the range of $3,000--$5,000, although requests up to $10,000 are also considered. The amount of the request is less important than the potential for lasting curricular impact.

Awards CELT also accepts nominations for the Atherton, Eisenhower, and Alumni Teaching Fellow Awards, which recognize outstanding teachers at Penn State.

George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching and Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching Named for two University presidents who each played a significant role in the history of general education at Penn State, these awards honor excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level. The Atherton Award is presented each year to four faculty members who have devoted substantial effort to undergraduate teaching. Alternatively, the Eisenhower Award is generally awarded to two faculty who, in addition to being outstanding teachers themselves, have also provided some kind of support or mentoring to others. Members of a research staff, administrators, and those who are predominately teachers of graduate students are not eligible for these awards.

Alumni Teaching Fellow Award for Outstanding Teaching This award, made possible by the Penn State Alumni Association, recognizes distinguished teaching and provides a forum for encouraging effective teaching. Recipients will be asked to share their talents and expertise with others throughout the University system. Year-long responsibilities may include such activities as participating in workshops and symposia, giving lectures or presentations on teaching techniques for new faculty and graduate assistants, taking part in discussions or seminars with students in the Schreyer Honors College, or teaching honors courses. Two awards will be presented, only one of which may be given to a University Part faculty member.

Teaching Centers 27 Eligibility: All nominees must have been full-time members of the Penn State faculty for at least three years. To be considered for the Eisenhower and Alumni Teaching Fellow Awards, nominees must be tenured members of the faculty with a minimum of five years teaching experience at Penn State.

 Director  Associate Director (2)  Graduate Assistant  Research Assistant  Writing Intern  Teaching Fellows (2)  Speech Communications  Human Development and Family Studies  Support Staff (2)

Teaching Centers 28 University of Iowa

Center for Teaching

HISTORY In February, 1995, the Regents approved a proposal--originating with the Council on Teaching and endorsed by the Faculty Senate--to create a Center for Teaching. The Center has been in full operation since the beginning of August, 1996.

MISSION

The mission of the Center for Teaching, as approved during the process of its creation, is to "promote and support efforts to enhance instruction at The University of Iowa." In pursuit of this mission, the Center has established four overlapping goals. We strive to:

1. Support and promote the development of teaching skills. 2. Strengthen the culture of teaching. 3. Serve as a symbol of the university's commitment to teaching. 4. Influence policy discussions in ways that support the development of an excellent teaching and learning environment.

SERVICES

There are a variety of ways in which we might accomplish our mission. In choosing among these, we are guided by the needs of our clients--the faculty and graduate teaching assistants. If you don't see a service you are interested in listed, please let us know.

 Individual Consultations  Classroom observation  Videotaping  Course Assessment by Student Interview (CASI)  Discussion Mapping

Teaching Centers 29  Departmental Consultation  Custom Workshops  Campus-wide Offerings  Teaching-Talk listserv  Teaching Circle  Workshops  Films at Noon  Special Events

Individual Consultations Center staff consult with individual faculty and TAs on teaching issues of all kinds -- from help with presentation skills to ideas for active learning or dealing with challenging students. Staff can assist teachers in thinking through curricular changes, syllabus revisions, student evaluations, or dilemmas over grading. If available resources prove inadequate, staff members will research the issue to locate ideas. Appointments can be made by telephone, e-mail, or by coming to our office. Classroom Observation A Center staff person can visit your class. Before the visit you and the staff member will discuss your goals for the observation. After class you will have a chance to visit with the observer and receive feedback. Videotaping A member of the Center staff can tape your class session. (We can provide a wireless lapel microphone if appropriate). At the end of the session, the staff member will give you the tape. You can choose to review the tape yourself, using a guide prepared by the Center, or review the tape with a consultant from the Center by appointment. Course Assessment by Student Interview (CASI) Students can provide valuable information for improving your course. CASIs provide student feedback about your course. A Center consultant meets with your class for about twenty minutes at the beginning of a class meeting. Students answer the following questions in small groups. What is the instructor doing to help you learn in this class?

Teaching Centers 30 What is the instructor doing that gets in the way of your learning in this class? What can the instructor do to improve your learning in this class? What can you do to improve your learning in this class? The class then responds to the items generated in the small groups. You and the consultant meet later in the week to look over the findings and discuss how best to interpret and utilize the data to improve your course. Discussion Mapping A Center staff person can visit your class and observe discussion patterns, noting who participates, to whom they are speaking, and the type of statement the speaker is making. This is a great tool for assessing the quality and type of student interaction in your class.

Custom Workshops Departments can request any of our series of workshops for faculty and TA training or development. We can also prepare workshops on topics of special interest to your department. Teaching-Talk We have created an e-mail discussion group for the discussion of teaching issues on campus. The list is open to all and is unmoderated. Teaching Circles Four to six faculty members or graduate students meet weekly with a staff member to discuss issues that arise in teaching. Workshops Each semester, three or four open enrollment workshops address common teaching issues. Some of these workshops are designed for graduate students who are or hope to become teaching assistants, but faculty are welcome as well. Occasionally we conduct workshops for specific groups. Films at Noon Three times per semester, we invite members of the campus community to eat lunch together and watch a video about some aspect of teaching and learning. These films invariably generate some wonderful conversation. Open to all interested parties. Dessert and coffee provided. Special Events

Teaching Centers 31 From time to time we sponsor or co-sponsor events of wide interest to the university community. Information about these special events will be included in our web site.

 Director  Associate Director  Center Manager  Graduate Assistants (4)

Teaching Centers 32 University of Michigan

Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

HISTORY AND MISSION

CRLT is dedicated to the support and advancement of learning and teaching at the University of Michigan. CRLT professional staff work collaboratively with faculty members, graduate student instructors (GSIs), the academic administration, and students to promote a University culture that values and rewards teaching, respects and supports individual differences among learners, and encourages learning environments in which diverse students can learn and excel. CRLT is a central administrative unit reporting to the provost and serving all 19 schools and colleges of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus.

SERVICES

 Services for New Faculty  Midterm Feedback  Curriculum Evaluation  Curriculum Development  Customized Services  Staff Directory  Video Lending Library  Consultations  GSI Training  Faculty Programs  Grants  Multicultural Teaching and Learning  Publications

Teaching Centers 33 Consultations: Professional staff consult with faculty members, graduate student instructors, administrators, and academic committees on instructional matters. Consultations include discussion of classroom- related concerns, interpretation of student ratings, reviews of a videotape of an instructor's class, and general discussion of ways to improve teaching and learning.

Midterm Feedback: CRLT facilitates midterm feedback sessions for instructors who wish to assess and improve their teaching as the term progresses. A CRLT consultant typically visits an instructor's class early to midway through the term, observes the class, confers with the students in the class, and then meets with the instructor later to report findings and discuss recommended changes. This service is used by faculty in charge of large, multi-section courses as well, where it can provide individual feedback to the section leaders and also give the instructor an overview of the course to facilitate and inform curricular improvement.

Faculty Programs: CRLT offers a series of instructional and special programs for the teaching faculty of the University during the academic year. Program topics may include: getting students actively involved, fostering critical thinking, leading discussions, using instructional media and technology, and giving electronic presentations in the classroom.

Curriculum Development: For colleges and departments, CRLT provides assistance with curriculum development and program evaluation to assess the results of curricular changes.

Services for New Faculty: In cooperation with the Office of Academic Affairs, CRLT conducts fall and winter orientation programs for new faculty members at the University. The program introduces faculty to policies and services that support teaching and research at the University. Special sessions on teaching issues and resources are included. CRLT coordinates the Engineering Fellows program with the

Teaching Centers 34 College of Engineering. Designed for its new faculty, the core of the program consists of biweekly meetings that focus on particular teaching issues.

By special arrangement with the LS & A Dean's Office, CRLT provides all new tenure-track faculty with the opportunity for midterm feedback in the courses they teach during their first year at the University of Michigan.

Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Training: CRLT provides a variety of services for graduate student instructors: orientation programs in the fall and winter for new GSIs, a series of programs on teaching for GSIs during the academic year, individual consultations, and other services.

 Director  Director's Executive Secretary  Associate Director  Administrative Associate  Information & Reception  Program Assistant  Faculty Workshops  Computer Systems Specialist  Engineering Fellows Program  Course and Program Development  Grants for Faculty and Instructional Development  GSI assistants (Departmental Training, Orientation, Development Program, Workshops)  Instructional Consultation and Videotaping  International Graduate Student Training  Midterm Feedback  Multicultural Teaching and Learning  Research Scientist

Teaching Centers 35 UC Berkeley

Office of Educational Development Instructional Technology Program Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (Proposed)

HISTORY

New advances in the learning sciences and educational technology will have a major impact in higher education in the future, and UC Berkeley should play a leadership role in developing pedagogically sound strategies for their use. Various committees on campus have been working on a proposal for a Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology to take the lead in developing and implementing these strategies. The proposed Center will be charged with developing a faculty-driven approach to the use of new pedagogies and educational technologies. The services and research will support faculty, lecturers and graduate student instructors in deploying both innovative methods of developing and delivering curricular improvements, and successful pedagogical models that are enhanced by educational technologies. The Center will draw together the quality work and staff of current distributed organizations with a central campus educational development and technology focus. We hope that the Center will be endowed with resources sufficient to support research in pedagogical and curricular innovations, especially those that will enable UC Berkeley undergraduates to benefit from the University's preeminent research capabilities. However, the Center is expected to raise much of these resources through extramural fundraising efforts, and thus increase the total pool of resources available to the campus as a whole in educational development of technology.

MISSION

The mission of the proposed Center is to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning, and to promote innovations in the creative and effective use of both new and traditional educational methods, tools, and technologies.

Teaching Centers 36 The Center will be responsible for:  Providing faculty leadership and close interaction with the Academic Senate.  Providing faculty, instructor, and GSI development in teaching and learning.  Coordinating campuswide units to provide "one-stop shopping" for educational development and technology.  Creating a forum for faculty discussions, seminars, and workshops on undergraduate education and teaching.  Supporting faculty in developing collaborative projects to improve undergraduate education by taking advantage of the new scholarship in teaching and learning.  Supporting and providing resources for departmental or discipline-based strategic planning in educational development and technology.  Leading and facilitating multidisciplinary fundraising efforts in educational development and technology.  Promoting and supporting cross-disciplinary innovations and cooperation across departments, schools, and colleges.  Evaluating ongoing educational development and technology efforts and providing "best practices" information.  Assisting faculty in developing effective student learning assessments and evaluation planning.

Teaching Awards Distinguished Teaching Award This award program was initiated to encourage and reward excellence in teaching on the Berkeley campus. 198 faculty members in 47 departments have been recognized for distinguished teaching since 1959.

Educational Initiatives Award The Educational Initiatives Award is an award presented annually to a department or unit on the Berkeley campus in recognition of distinctive contributions to undergraduate education. Designed to complement the campus's Distinguished Teaching Award for individual faculty, the Educational Initiatives Award is presented to a department, unit, or group of faculty that has

Teaching Centers 37 created an outstanding program or initiative that has had a sustained impact upon undergraduate education and can serve as a workable model for others on campus.

Presidential Chair Award Since 1982, the Office of the President has provided the Berkeley campus with up to $30,000 per year for a faculty member or group of faculty to undertake initiatives in Undergraduate Education.

Grant programs In conjunction with the Committee on Teaching of the Academic Senate, the Office of Educational Development (OED) offers two grant programs.

Instructional Minigrants provide rapid access to modest funds (up to $1000) for small-scale projects to improve existing courses, develop new courses, evaluate instruction, and assess curricular needs.

Classroom Technologies Grants (up to $3500) are designed to help faculty introduce new instructional technologies into the classroom; projects might include creating multimedia instructional materials, developing and monitoring electronic information servers for courses, and so on.

Teaching Centers 38 Fort Hays State University

Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technology

HISTORY

The Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technology (CTELT) opened its door in February 1994. Fort Hays State University formed CTELT to assist faculty with the convergence of information technologies into digital formats. CTELT compliments faculty needs with the expertise of our helpful professionals who have strong backgrounds in photographic services, academic computing and radio/television production. The CTELT mission then is to provide campus-wide faculty development activities and apply appropriate technology to instructional settings. CTELT directly supports the following programs: Faculty Development, Photographic Services, Satellite Downlink and Closed Circuit TV, Multimedia Design and Development, Instructional Design, Media Duplication and Interactive Television Operation/Training. The facilities that we support include the Faculty and Staff Development Lab, Graphic Lab, Interactive Video Classrooms and Video Conference Room.

MISSION

The Mission of the Center For Teaching Excellence and Learning Technology is twofold. CTELT will provide the faculty and staff of Fort Hays State University the highest quality support for teaching through specific programs and services designed to assist faculty to become more effective teachers. CTELT will provide the highest quality technical support for the media infrastructure used to augment and deliver Fort Hays State University courses.

SERVICES

 Workshops & Development Opportunities Workshops & Infobytes on a variety of computer software and hardware.

 CCTV & Satellite Downlinks

Teaching Centers 39 Scheduling, and playback over Closed Circuit TV. Scheduling, recording, and playback of satellite downlinks

 Instructional Design Advice on how to design your lesson, course, or program to maximize learning.

 Photography Photographic support for classrooms presentations, portraits, university events. Scanning, digitizing, clip art, photo editing.

 Web Development Design and development of web-based courses.

 Multimedia Design and create graphics and animations for instructional purposes.

 Audio/Video Services Design, development, and tape duplication of video and audio courses.

 Distance Education Support Design, and implementation, of distance education delivery media.

 Director  Office Manager  Audio and Video Specialist  Faculty Developer Specialist  Satellite and Television Scheduling  ITV Engineer and Operations  Academic Computing

Teaching Centers 40  Web Course Developer  CCTV and Telenet II Technician/Operations  Photography and Graphics

Teaching Centers 41 Bowling Green State University BGSU

Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology

HISTORY

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) opened on July 1, 1996 as part of President Sidney Ribeau's Community Building Initiative.

Since that time the CTLT has provided the members of the BGSU learning community several workshops dealing with the integration of technology in the classroom, seminars on Teaching, as well as assisted faculty, staff, and the community at large through numerous individual and small-group consultations.

SERVICES

The CTLT supports the enhancement of teaching for BGSU faculty through various methods including technology.

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology is dedicated to providing faculty with the resources and an environment which facilitates excellence in teaching.  Teaching as a valuable scholarly activity for university professors.  Individual faculty consultation.  Teaching which recognizes the learning needs of all students.  A wide variety of teaching methods.  Collaborations among faculty which focuses on issues of teaching and learning.  The idea of equity and access to information and technology.  In addition, the CTLT maintains both a library of Teaching and Learning Resources as well as a Multimedia Development Studio to enhance the professional development of faculty throughout the university community.

Teaching Centers 42 STAFF

The CTLT is comprised of a number of diverse and talented professionals. These include the three full-time university staff members, faculty associates as well as graduate and undergraduate staff members. In addition to this staff, the Center cooperates with several other individuals (from on and off campus) in the development and facilitation of programs and events on various topics.

 Director  Coordinator for Faculty Development  Faculty Associate (2)  Coordinator for Instructional Development  Secretary  Graduate assistant

Teaching Centers 43 CASE STUDY

University of North Carolina

MISSION

The mission of the Center for Teaching and Learning is to support teaching and learning at all levels and in all contexts in which instruction occurs in the university. In pursuing this goal, the Center works to enhance the intellectual climate, promote open and ongoing dialogue among all members of the University community, and serves as an advocate for academic initiatives, as these enterprises relate to teaching and learning.

CTL Programs embrace five dimensions: 1. Teaching -The Center addresses teaching issues at the individual, department, curricular and institutional levels 2. Learning -The Center promotes the need for a better understanding of how students learn, how they develop intellectually and develop as active citizens and lifelong learners; how they perceive their learning needs; and how to create a positive context for learning 3. Community -The Center works to bring together and strengthen relationships between members of the instructional community: students, teachers, administrators, staff, and citizens at large 4. Environment -The Center supports an inclusive and responsive organizational, political and physical environment in which teaching, learning and scholarship can flourish 5. Advocacy -The Center promotes the importance of teaching and learning on the UNC campus, statewide and nationwide and serves as an advocate for individuals and groups working on teaching and learning initiatives

Teaching Centers 44 SERVICES

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers a wide variety of programs and services that support excellence in teaching at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Center is organized into six functional units:  Curriculum Development, Faculty Development,  Instructional Support and Technology Development,  Evaluation and Review,  Classroom Support and Technical Services, and  Administrative Resources and Support,

It operates under the leadership of a Faculty Director, an Associate Director, and an Advisory Committee. In addition to the part-time EPA Faculty Director, the Center has eight permanent employees (four EPA non-faculty, four SPA), two full-time temporary employees (one EPA non- faculty, one SPA), nine graduate assistants, and six undergraduate student assistants. Additionally, the Center employs over 50 faculty and TAs each year in TA training and faculty workshops. The Center appoints Faculty Fellows to work on special CTL projects as funding permits.  Director  Associate Director  Director, Curriculum Development  Director, Administrative Resources and Support and Director, Classroom Support and Technical Services  Acting Director, TA Development  Director, Faculty Development  Director, Instructional Development  Instructional Development Consultant  Instructional Technology Lab Manager

Teaching Centers 45  Secretary/Receptionist  Manager, Classroom Support and Equipment Loan

DEATILED ANALYSIS Challenges, Context, and Rationale The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, research university I (Carnegie Classification), with roughly 2,400 FTE faculty, 15,000 undergraduates, and 8,400 graduate and professional students. UNC is the flagship institution in the North Carolina University System and it enjoys a national reputation for excellence in research.

The challenges faced by the Center for Teaching and Learning at UNC are similar to those at other public research universities:  students come from diverse backgrounds, with varying levels of preparation;  some students are marginalized because of race, gender, sexual preference, or other characteristics;  the reward system focuses heavily on research and publication rather than teaching;  large numbers of undergraduates are taught by graduate teaching assistants; and  the faculty have little familiarity with modern teaching methods.

From the beginning, we felt that such a wide range of challenges demanded a comprehensive approach to their solution and required the collaboration of all elements of the university community. Moreover, in order to have a significant and long-lasting impact, we would need to try to change the culture of the university, a belief system in which excellence in research is valued above all else and good teaching is assumed to happen naturally. Over the past six years, the Center has developed a set of programs that promote the importance of teaching within the context of a research university and offer multiple opportunities for instructors and students to address teaching issues.

As a new teaching center, we had to establish our credibility and reputation by providing programs that our constituents requested. However, to accomplish institutional change on a large scale we also had to exercise leadership and develop programs that we believed were necessary,

Teaching Centers 46 even if these programs had little support. Small teaching centers at research universities do not usually employ such a comprehensive strategy, choosing instead to focus their efforts on a few high-profile programs that address specific problems identified by the administration. The danger in our approach was twofold.

First, there was a risk of diluting our impact by trying to do too many things at once; second, if we went to far in advance of constituents' needs, our support would evaporate. The University's administrative structure also had implications for our change strategy. UNC has two major divisions -- Academic Affairs and Health Affairs -- and our services were initially restricted to the former. Academic Affairs is dominated by the College of Arts and Sciences, with 32 departments and the majority of undergraduate majors, and if we had an impact on Arts and Sciences, the other schools would follow suit. Resource limitations also made it imperative that we choose programs and services that would have the greatest long-term impact. Although salaries come from permanent state funds, only a small portion of the operating budget is guaranteed from year to year.

As a result of our assessment of the environment and the limitations of personnel and funding, we employed two key development strategies:  responsive program/service design, and  varied program/service delivery strategies.

"Responsive design" means that programs are targeted to the specific needs and interests of departments, faculty members, teaching assistants, and students. "Varied Delivery" means that programs and services are presented in a variety of ways to appeal to the different needs and learning preferences of the target groups. In the sections below, we describe how these strategies work in specific program areas and how they promote institutional change.

Development Strategies and Methods of Operation I. Departments When the Center was formed, the director met individually with the department chairs in Arts and Sciences to ask what the new Center could do for them. On the basis of these interviews (and

Teaching Centers 47 a faculty survey), we developed the first program objectives for the Center. Among other things, department chairs identified training for graduate teaching assistants as a major problem. The way the Center responded to this request is an example of how our overall approach works. Only five departments had training programs in 1987, so we designed a one-day TA workshop/orientation and a TA handbook to provide a base level introduction to the university and to teaching. Although the program was successful and enhanced the Center's reputation, it did not meet our criteria for institutional change. It could not provide sufficient preparation for teaching, even if it were expanded to several days (which would also make it prohibitively expensive). Our goal was not for CTL to provide training for 400 new teaching assistants every year, but to call attention to the importance of this aspect of graduate education so that departments would be willing to provide training and support as part of their responsibility to graduate students.

By constantly advocating better training, seeking out faculty members and graduate students interested in starting programs, providing materials for TA training, and supporting individual initiatives for training, the Center has managed to increase the number of department-based programs from five to thirteen in the past five years. In addition, this effort included the publication of a booklet, "TAs and Professors as a Teaching Team: A Faculty Guide to TA Training and Supervision," that was sent to every faculty member at UNC. This booklet suggests approaches through which supervisors can help TAs learn from their work assignments and also provides models for department-based programs.

At the institutional level, the CTL staff worked with the Graduate School on revising the graduate program evaluation guidelines, which now require departments to document how they prepare graduate students for TA duties. The TA program illustrates the principle of responding to an expressed need while simultaneously trying to change the institutional culture surrounding that need.

The evaluation of teaching has always been a problem for schools and departments, since there is no university-wide evaluation instrument. The Center staff advocates rigorous and systematic assessment of teaching performance, and departments often request Center help in designing

Teaching Centers 48 teaching questionnaires. This year we are developing comprehensive teaching evaluation programs for use in the promotion-tenure process of two professional schools. These programs include peer observations, teaching portfolios, and student questionnaires. Currently, Center staff are also working on a pilot program for student outcomes assessment which may serve as a model for the entire University.

In 1987, we asked each department chair to select a faculty member to serve as a liaison to the Center. We met with these "departmental representatives" in small groups over many weeks to explain CTL's services and to explore ways we could respond to the needs of their departments. These faculty members became conduits for information from CTL to the departments and vice- versa, but equally important, they formed a "volunteer corps" that has helped the Center with many different programs.

For example, they assist in the design of workshops and seminars, lead workshop sessions, review drafts of documents before publication, and volunteer to pilot-test evaluation instruments and survey questionnaires in their classrooms. Perhaps one of their most valuable contributions to the Center's goals is their advocacy, in faculty meetings and on committees, of the importance of teaching. Several of them have commented that they are more likely to speak out on the subject because they know the Center supports them.

II. Faculty Members Faculty Focused programs are designed to encourage faculty members to revitalize their teaching and restructure their courses to emphasize critical thinking and active learning. To change the way college teachers think about teaching and learning requires individualized attention. Workshops and seminars can pique interest and raise awareness about special concerns, but research shows that they have little long-term impact on behavioral change. Consequently, most staff time is devoted to working with instructors one-on-one.

Last year, the staff provided consultations to 263 faculty members and 133 graduate teaching assistants. These encounters ranged from short-term problem-solving sessions to regular

Teaching Centers 49 meetings extending over one or two semesters. Long-term consultations generally involve Comprehensive Course Development, which we feel is one of the Center's most important programs. This program involves working intensively with teachers who are trying to design new courses or redesign old ones.

Although we send "Course Development Proposal Forms" to all faculty members annually, a teacher may request the service independently. Typically, the consultant first spends time with the instructor discussing his/her teaching philosophy, exploring the possibilities for innovations, and identifying constraints imposed by the curriculum, the department, or the students. The consultant then helps the teacher develop learning outcomes for the course, decide how those outcomes will be evaluated, and potential teaching strategies for achieving the goals. The instructor may bring various materials, readings, and sample test questions to the weekly meetings for examination and discussion. The consultant tries to build feedback mechanisms into the plan, designed to monitor student progress, evaluate teaching effectiveness, and identify course problems. If media materials are needed for the course, the Center staff will help locate commercial items or produce original materials in-house. Computer applications, including multimedia and spreadsheet templates (for course management, grading, etc.) are also part of the service.

At the end of the development process, the teacher has a complete course package that includes the syllabus, readings, textbooks, tests, and audiovisual materials, all designed to accomplish specific learning outcomes. The course development process also affords many opportunities for training the teacher in new techniques. Teaching critical thinking and higher-order intellectual skills not only assumes a course design directed toward those outcomes, but also requires active learning strategies, and most teachers need training in these techniques. Also, new themes and educational emphases can be incorporated into the course as a product of these consultations. For example, teachers may not be aware of the opportunities for infusing multicultural themes into a course, or may not recognize the need to modify teaching techniques to include a diverse student body. Similarly, a consultant can provide ways to integrate experiential learning or "internationalize" standard courses. The consultative process does not end when the course design is completed. The instructor can return periodically to report on the progress of the course

Teaching Centers 50 or ask for help in solving problems that arise with the course or the teaching technique being used. The consultant may observe the teacher or videotape the class for critical analysis and feedback.

Finally, the consultant can help interpret student evaluations of the course and suggest ways to improve the design or make the teaching more effective. New faculty members find that these consultations provide the kind of detailed teaching advice they need in their first years of teaching, and experienced professors report that they have found new energy and satisfaction in teaching after working intensively with Center consultants.

Other faculty-focused programs include open seminars on special teaching issues (e.g., critical thinking, using case studies, teaching large classes) and workshops designed for instructors in specific departments. Center staff have also designed a comprehensive program for the development and support of new faculty members which in under consideration for initiation next year. This program will include a new faculty orientation, intensive workshops (on teaching, research opportunities, writing, and multiculturalism), and a mentoring system.

III. Graduate Teaching Assistants Developing TAs as teaching professionals is the goal of the Center's TA-focused programs. Individual consultations are particularly important for the career development of teaching assistants. Graduate TAs from departments that have no training program often need a crash course in college teaching, and frequently this must occur at the same time they are teaching a course. The consultant must balance the needs of the undergraduates in a TA's class with the need of the TA to succeed in graduate school. Some TAs become so enamored of teaching that they spend more time and energy on it than they can afford, and the consultant must be sensitive to this situation when it arises.

Similarly, junior faculty members are trying to develop their teaching skills at the same time they are required to produce sufficient research to win tenure in the department. The consultant has a responsibility to help the faculty member balance these competing demands and support him/her in this critical stage of the academic career. Often, consultants provide letters of recommendation

Teaching Centers 51 (regarding teaching skills) for graduate students on the job market or for junior faculty members in the tenure process.

The annual campus-wide orientation for TAs is intended to give them an introduction to the job and the kinds of students they will be teaching. The participants are divided into small, discipline-related groups, each led by a faculty member and an experienced TA, in which they discuss issues such as student motivation, what to do the first day of class, and institutional regulations regarding teaching. The discussion agenda is followed by all groups, but the leaders provide a department-specific perspective on the issues. One session is devoted exclusively to the exploration of multicultural issues that can affect teaching.

The Center also provides department-based workshops in diversity training for TAs. Up to sixteen departments per semester are visited by a multicultural team of graduate students and undergraduates who lead discussions on problems that they have experienced and how TAs can be sensitive to the needs of their diverse students.

IV. Students As a rule, we try to include graduate and undergraduate students in faculty workshops so their perspective on teaching and learning can be represented and taken into account. We have found that their participation is particularly important in workshops on topics such as teaching in disciplines with a high non-persistence of majors and panel discussions on diversity and multiculturalism.

In 1990, the senior class showed their support of the Center's work by pledging their class gift as an endowment for CTL. The funds will become available in 1995 and will be used to support a "CTL Fellows" program. Fellows will be chosen from the ranks of master teachers, outstanding TAs and students and given an opportunity to work at the Center for a semester on special projects related to teaching and learning.

The service-learning program is another example of Center-student collaboration. In 1990, a small group of students created a task force to investigate methods of combining traditional

Teaching Centers 52 classroom learning with active community involvement. They organized themselves as the "a.p.p.l.e.s." (Assisting People in Planning Learning Experiences in Service). In a survey of the faculty, 150 professors indicated an interest in developing service components to their courses, and six participated in a pilot program in spring, 1991. Two CTL staff members worked with the a.p.p.l.e.s. students to help them develop the program, and the Center became the institutional home for the organization in 1991.

When faculty volunteer for the program, they meet with CTL staff members to develop ways to integrate the service-learning component into their courses (for course credit). This process often follows the "Comprehensive Course Development" model described above. CTL's involvement helps give the program academic credibility and a strong pedagogical foundation. To date, seventeen courses have been offered as service-learning courses. The UNC student body demonstrated their support of the Program by voting to increase student fees $0.90 per semester to fund a permanent full-time staff position to coordinate the program. The student attorney is the only other position at UNC funded in this way.

The North Carolina Community Action Scholars Program (NC-CASP) is another example of collaboration between CTL, faculty members, students, and the community. NC-CASP is a community service-learning internship program which was developed as a summer component of the a.p.p.l.e.s. program. Students in a.p.p.l.e.s. initiated the idea for a program that would bring together the needs of North Carolina communities, the skills and interests of students, and the academic resources of the university. Students secured a $25,000 grant to implement the program, and CTL staff worked with these students to develop the program's structure and implementation strategies.

CTL staff also provided the link between the interns and faculty members who would guide students in their community-based projects. In the first year of the program, thirteen interns were placed in public or non-profit organizations and eight UNC professors collaborated with the program. Interns worked on community issues such as housing, day care, education, community development and advocacy. Their projects included a community-based youth program, background research for child care legislation, a statewide needs assessment survey (with

Teaching Centers 53 statistical results and recommendations), a manual and database for a system for recruiting and linking volunteers with twenty-eight non-profit organizations, a Spanish translation service for a rural court system, and a computerized loan application for a non-profit development bank.

Impact of CTL Programs Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the Center's impact on institutional culture is provided by statistics on participation in our programs and services. In 1987-1988, CTL's first year of operation, 444 instructors participated in its programs, using our services 616 times. By the 1989-1990 school year, the number of participants had grown to 1,196 and the number of uses to 2,158. In 1991-1992, 1,542 instructors used CTL services 4,044 times. (Counting faculty and TAs, the entire Academic Affairs Division has 2,300 instructors.)

The impact of the Center seems to have reached the students as well. As far as we have been able to determine, the 1990 Senior Class gift for a Center endowment fund is the only example of direct student support for a teaching center anywhere in the nation. In addition, last year the student body voted to increase their fees by 90 cents to support the a.p.p.l.e.s. program.

Requests by schools and departments for assistance on important issues is evidence of a broad institutional impact. For example, recently CTL staff have assisted curriculum committees in English, History, Psychology, and Communications Studies and served on faculty committees developing promotion-tenure criteria for the School of Business Administration, the School of Education, the School of Dentistry, and the Institute of Government.

At the institutional level, changes in the environment for teaching are also apparent. The number of teaching awards was increased as a result of CTL advocacy (and the staff developed a more systematic selection process). The Center has been asked to assist UNC's Self-Study Committee in their work for re-accreditation with the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. CTL's reputation in Academic Affairs resulted in a demand for our services from Health Affairs, and this year we extended programs to selected schools in that division of the university. The Center's support by the university administration has increased and expanded regularly, and this year we have been allotted a position for a new teaching consultant.

Teaching Centers 54 Beyond the campus, the CTL has had an impact statewide and has become a model for other teaching centers in the area. Recently, Duke University created a Center for Teaching and Learning after close collaboration with Center staff, and North Carolina State University has sent several delegations to UNC to study the Center as a prototype for their own. Center staff were also consulted on the establishment of teaching centers or programs at UNC-Wilmington, Indiana University at Terre Haute, and Virginia Tech. The Center was also suggested as a model for similar programs in a 1992 study by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, "How Do Universities in the UNC System Identify and Reward Good Teaching?" Finally, the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure for the UNC University System has requested the Center's help in developing guidelines for assessing teaching on all sixteen UNC campuses.

Teaching Centers 55