TLC To Go

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools are increasingly being used in higher education to support teaching and course development. These tools can assist  educators with tasks such as brainstorming course ideas, drafting learning activities, generating case scenarios, and developing formative assessments. In health sciences education, where faculty often balance teaching with clinical an...

Group work is a collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to analyze problems, discuss concepts, or complete shared tasks. In health sciences education, group work reflects the collaborative nature of clinical practice, where professionals work in teams to make decisions and deliver patient care. When intentionally structured, group work promotes deeper learning by encouragin...

Authentic assessment emphasizes the application of knowledge and skills in contexts that mirror real-world practice. In health sciences education, authentic assessment tasks—such as clinical simulations, case analyses, portfolios, and project-based evaluations—measure how effectively learners can integrate theory with practice. These approaches align evaluation with the competencies and profession...

Effective presentations are audience-centered. They keep the audience focused while they are informed or persuaded. Effective presentation techniques ensure that your students and peers engage with your ideas in a meaningful way. Mastering the art of effective presentations can even help you to win friends or influence people.

Rubrics are an assessment tool that guide grading by articulating specific components of assignments and communicating expectations for those components. Rubrics lend themselves to assessments where it is important to communicate high expectations, provide targeted feedback, and demonstrate learning priorities. When provided to students and used for assessment, rubrics purposefully communicate you...

As more students enter health professions programs with multiple language backgrounds, supporting the needs of English language learners (ELL) has become an important focus for educators. Strengthening support for these learners also helps prepare future healthcare professionals to serve patients from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. By applying evidence-based practices for wor...

Planning, preparation, and sleep are vital to the success of students at UTHSC. This section includes advice and techniques that prepare students for academic success.

Accessible learning and course design removes avoidable barriers so all learners—across abilities, languages, technologies, and contexts—can engage, demonstrate competence, and progress. In the health sciences, accessibility is essential for professional formation, clinical safety, and patient care. It is also an anticipatory practice: designing for variability from the start (e.g., captions, stru...

Effective scaffolding strategies help learners move beyond their current level of understanding by providing structured support as they build new skills. Rooted in Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding enables students to tackle challenging tasks with guided assistance—promoting deeper learning, confidence, and independence. In the health sciences, where learners often...

Metacognition—the awareness and control of one's thinking—and self-regulation—the ability to plan, monitor, and adjust one's learning behaviors—are essential for academic success and professional growth in the health sciences. Together, these processes enable learners to assess what they know, identify gaps, select appropriate strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness in both academic and clini...

Engaging lectures keep your audience focused while providing new insight and stimulating thinking and analysis. Active lecturing can motivate your audience to develop new skills and think in new ways. TLC ‧To‧Go is a production of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tenneesee Health Science Center. Visit http://tlc.uthsc.edu/resources for additional information.

Student engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, and investment students show toward learning. In the health sciences, engagement is a key contributor to meaningful learning, clinical preparedness, and professional identity formation. Research shows that when learners are engaged, they are more likely to persist in rigorous programs, develop clinical reasoning skills, and...

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are among the most widely used formats in health sciences education due to their efficiency in assessing broad content areas, ease of scoring, and suitability for computer-based testing. When well-constructed, MCQs can assess not only factual recall, but also application, analysis, and clinical reasoning. However, poorly written items can mislead students, encourag...

Prince (2004) defines active learning as "any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing" (p. 223). Faculty facilitate an active learning environment when students are not only passive recipients of knowledge but are also active participants in knowledge cre...

Feedback has been described as the "cornerstone" of effective teaching ( Cantillon, 2008 ) and is essential for performance improvement. Feedback, whether verbal or written, should include both positive and constructive guidance for maintaining and improving knowledge, skills, and attitudes with an emphasis on improvement strategies. "Without feedback, mistakes go uncorrected, good performance is...

An overview of several learning theories and how they might be applied in health sciences education. TLC To Go is produced by the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is research geared towards investigating what happens in the classroom with the intent of improving teaching and learning. SoTL research can answer questions such as what effect did the strategy have on student learning, how did I teach a specific concept, what are the differences between courses or students, or what does the literature say is the be...

Course syllabi provide students and faculty with a road map for successfully navigating a course including details about content, requirements, assignments, assessments, policies, resources, schedule, expectations, and responsibilities. In addition, syllabi act as an agreement (invitation) between the faculty and students about how the course will function including promises of what students will...

Online learning has been described as internet-based course(s) that occur synchronously (real-time) and/or asynchronously (not in real-time). During online courses, students and faculty engage in learning through the use of technology, e.g., Blackboard. Benefits of online learning include convenience (24/7 access), flexibility, student-centered learning, and expansion of the curriculum to global r...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are transforming student learning by enabling more personalized, responsive, and engaging educational experiences. In health sciences education, where students must master complex knowledge and clinical reasoning, AI can provide tailored support that enhances comprehension and skill development. These tools include AI tutors that give instant feedback on case stu...

Creating a welcoming classroom climate supports motivation, focus, and student participation. Research across higher education and the health sciences shows that students are more likely to engage and persist when the learning environment includes respectful relationships, clear expectations, and visible support structures. Faculty also report greater satisfaction and teaching effectiveness in env...

AI is reshaping assessment in health science education, providing tools for personalized, precise evaluations that help identify learner strengths and areas for improvement. While AI can enhance formative assessment, relying on it too heavily may limit the development of critical thinking and adaptability—skills essential for healthcare practice. Educators play a key role in maintaining the integr...

Faculty have a unique opportunity to support student well-being in both classroom and clinical settings. This can include using clear and flexible teaching approaches, offering regular check-ins to help students reflect on their personal and academic experiences, and creating a welcoming learning environment. These strategies can help students stay engaged, especially when they are facing challeng...

According to  Seifer and Connors (2007) , "service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities" (p. 5). Service-learning activities promote learning via active participation in real-life experiences that enhance students' knowledge,...