Local Learning Community
The CIRTL Network offers online courses every year, including:
- Summer and Fall semesters: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching
- Spring semester: Advancing Learning through Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching
Both courses focus on teaching, but discuss evidence-based practices that are relevant to all disciplines.
| Semester | Online Course | Duration/Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching | 7 weeks Late September to early November |
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| Spring | Advancing Learning through Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching | 7 weeks Early February to late March |
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| Summer | An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching | 7 weeks Late June to early August |
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| Note: The Spring course, Advancing Learning through Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching, builds on the CIRTL Network course, An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching. That course is recommended, but not required, as a prerequisite for participating in this course. | |||
CIRTL@Texas A&M facilitates at least one local learning community (LLC) a year on campus or via Zoom in conjunction with the online course. Each week participants will review the online materials and videos before coming together for face-to-face discussion on that week's topic.
The online courses are designed to provide current and future faculty, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with an introduction to effective teaching strategies and the research that supports them, as well as the opportunity to discuss and share teaching resources.
The goal of these seven-week courses is to equip the next generation of faculty to be effective teachers, thus improving the learning experience for the thousands of students they will teach.
The courses draw on the expertise of experienced faculty, educational researchers, and staff from university teaching centers, many of them affiliated with CIRTL.
| Weekly Topics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Week | An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching | Advancing Learning through Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching | |
| 1 | Principles of Learning – Accessing prior knowledge, mental models & knowledge organization | Peer Instruction | |
| 2 | Principles of Learning – feedback and motivation | Problem-Based Learning | |
| 3 | Learning Objectives | Inquiry-Based Labs | |
| 4 | Assessment | Learning Communities – Cooperative Learning | |
| 5 | Active Learning | Learning Communities – Learning through Diversity | |
| 6 | Inclusive Teaching | Course Design – The Flipped Classroom | |
| 7 | Final Assignment – Lesson Plan | Final Assignment – Principles and Practice | |
| Open to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty from the Texas A&M University System. Open to all disciplines. | |||
Participants who complete the course (receive letter of completion from national CIRTL network) AND attend and actively participate in 5 of the 8 weekly local learning community meetings, will receive a CIRTL Associate Certificate.
Certificate(s):
- CIRTL Associate Certificate – Massive Open Online Course and Local Learning Community
Email cirtl@tamu.edu for registration information.