TLC To Go

Aligned course design means that your learning goals, objectives, assessment tools, and teaching strategies all tie together to support student learning. Aligned course design begins with identifying overarching learning goals, developing measurable learning objectives, and then designing assessment tools to evaluate how well learners have met these objectives. Generally, this process of beginning...

Experiential learning is a student-centered pedagogical strategy that emphasizes the significant role of real-life experiences and critical reflection to promote learning. David Kolb (1984) described experiential learning as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience" (p. 38) and developed a four-stage learning cycle. In Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, s...

Competency-based assessment requires the meaningful evaluation of students' competence and aims to reduce the theory-practice gap by promoting continuous competency development. In this approach, clear definition of competencies, accurate assessments, and effective feedback are all essential for assessing students' attainment learning goals (knowledge, attitudes, skills). Each competency is define...

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an evidence-based educational framework that reduces barriers to learning by centering three main principles: engagement, representation, and action and expression. Engagement refers to ways that  faculty  can connect with learners by recognizing their needs, demonstrating the relevance of course materials, and creating a welcoming environment. Under the prin...

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered, active learning strategy where students work in small groups (4-6 members) to solve complex, real-world problems that can have multiple solutions. While similar to case-based and team-based learning in that student groups solve problems, PBL emphasizes the student's role in identifying learning objectives and knowledge gaps based on the problem a...

Prior to the start of a clinical rotation or experience, faculty should discuss their expectations of learner performance with the learners. Topics to discuss should include goals and objectives/outcomes, teaching strategies, evaluation and feedback techniques, daily schedule, clinical duties, case presentations, writing notes, supervision hierarchy, modes of communication, and other pertinent pol...

Assessment tools can help faculty evaluate how well their learners have met learning goals and objectives. Faculty can use formal assessment tools, like examinations and quizzes, to gauge student learning. Additionally, faculty can use informal assessment tools like in-class discussion, two-sentence mini-papers in class, brief student surveys or Socratic questioning, to determine if students are l...

Hurtubsie et al. (2015) described the flipped classroom as "the practice of assigning students didactic material, traditionally covered in lectures, to be learned before class while using face-to-face time for more engaging and active learning strategies" such as case-based or team-based learning, reflection, simulations, or discussions. By flipping the classroom, students are given the opportunit...

Teaching Philosophies, sometimes called Teaching Statements, are documents that are helpful in informing students of your priorities, applying to teaching positions and reflecting on teaching practices. Teaching Philosophies articulate your central goals as an educator, provide concrete examples of your teaching and share how you evaluate your teaching effectiveness. Teaching Philosophies can vary...

Team-based learning (TBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy that utilizes a flipped classroom model allowing students the opportunity to work in groups to solve authentic problems. TBL is a collaborative, active learning strategy that can be utilized in both large and small classrooms, and "supports the development of high-performance learning teams and provides opportunities for these...

Robust research suggests that students benefit immensely from student-faculty interaction, particularly when it comes to student well-being, intellectual commitment, and motivation (Morrison 2021). While getting to know students can be challenging in larger classes or within an online context, certain teaching strategies, such as mini-surveys or small-group meetings, can help faculty connect with...

Class discussions offer many pedagogical benefits, including building community and offering faculty the chance to informally assess student learning. These class discussions can take many forms, including structured, semi-structured, or informal discussion sessions. When planning a class discussion, it is helpful to have a clearly defined goal for the session. In addition to establishing a goal,...

Gamification or Gamified Learning is a learning strategy that involves using game attributes and game design elements to enhance learner performance. It relies on instructional elements that support learning (e.g., clear and relevant goals, immediate and continuous feedback, and positive reinforcement of target behaviors) and game design elements that increase engagement and motivation (e.g., simp...

When local, community, or global events impact our classrooms, it can be challenging to maintain focus on teaching and learning. Teaching may feel mundane or even irrelevant in the face of tumultuous events. Sometimes a student's identity or a faculty's identity may make them especially vulnerable to the impact of natural disaster, violence, or tragedy. Faculty should recognize their own limitatio...

Learning outcomes, frequently interchanged with the term learning objectives, are measurable statements that describe what students should know, be able to do, and value by the end of an educational experience, course, program, etc. Learning outcomes communicate the major components of the educational experience to the students who can then focus their efforts on what is important. When written ef...

Dr. Chester M. Pierce, a psychiatry professor at Harvard, coined the term 'microaggression' in 1970 to document day-to-day verbal insults (microinsults), subtle derogations (micro assaults) and dismissals (microinvalidations) aimed at minoritized groups. Some documented microaggressions include asking questions like 'but where are you really from?' to a person of color or saying that someone is 'p...

Case-based learning (CBL) is a learner-centered teaching strategy in which learners  analyze authentic problems, real or fictional, to address problems, resolve questions, and/or identify solutions.  Working in groups or individually, learners examine cases using guided inquiry, applying knowledge and critical thinking skills, and connecting theory to practice developing relevant skills ( Thistlet...

Faculty often come under immense pressure to perform as excellent educators, stellar researchers, and adept practitioners within their disciplines. This pressure, combined with expectations of university-wide service and external obligations, can deteriorate the wellbeing of faculty members. Additionally, members of underrepresented and minoritized groups often face high risks of burnout and fatig...