| Center for Teaching Newsletter: February 2025 | Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa
Thank you for reading the Center for Teaching newsletter! This month’s edition features updates on the Course Design Institute, a new course design resource, a Q&A with one of our Graduate Fellows, the second edition of our Staff Spotlight series, and links to upcoming events.
First, we’re excited to highlight our Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiatives and share an upcoming opportunity to get involved.
This month's feature article explores how the University of Iowa is using SoTL to enhance faculty success and improve learning experiences for students. It includes insights from campus leaders, a recap of last fall’s SoTL Institute, and details on an upcoming event with SoTL expert Dr. Susannah McGowan.
Join us on Monday, Feb. 24, for an Interactive SoTL Workshop with Dr. McGowan, director of curriculum transformation initiatives at Georgetown University. This engaging session will focus on adopting a scholarly approach to teaching and learning, helping participants generate meaningful inquiries about student learning and develop pathways to explore these questions.
| | | Reimagine Your Course: Inspiration from the Course Design Institute | The Course Design Institute provides instructors with dedicated time, structure, and collaboration opportunities that enable them to take a fresh approach to course design. Past participants have used the Course Design Institute to create visual course maps, align learning objectives with real-world applications, and develop engaging, structured learning experiences. This article highlights the insights and approaches some previous participants have gained from the weeklong experience.
| | | Enhance Your Course Planning with Backward Design | Discover the Center for Teaching's latest resource on backward design, a strategic framework that starts with the context of the course and defining desired learning outcomes, then works backward to develop aligned assessments and instructional activities. This approach ensures your course components are purposefully structured to achieve your educational goals. Learn how to implement backward design step-by-step and create more intentional, effective learning experiences for your students.
| | | Graduate Fellow Q&A: Emily Wieder | Each year, graduate teaching fellows design and facilitate a workshop as part of their work with the Center for Teaching. Emily Wieder, a PhD student in French and Francophone World Studies, is hosting a TILE Classroom Teaching Demo from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 at Schaeffer Hall 40.
Learn more about the teaching demo and the inspiration behind it in our Q&A with Emily.
| | | Center for Teaching Staff Spotlight – Katherine Beydler | We’re excited to continue our Staff Spotlight series with Associate Director Katherine Beydler. In this feature, Katherine shares insights into her role at the Center for Teaching, her scholarly interests, and her favorite local spots in Iowa City. Discover how Katherine supports graduate student instructors and her passion for teaching.
| | | Upcoming Events and Deadlines | SoTL Institute Interactive Workshop
Monday, Feb. 24, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., UCC International Commons (Room 1117)
The university will welcome Susannah McGowan, director of curriculum transformation initiatives at Georgetown University, for an interactive Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) workshop. The event will explore scholarly approaches to teaching and learning.
Ida Cordelia Beam Visiting Scholar Lecture: Learning, Care, and World-Building in Higher Education
Tuesday, March 4, 2:30 - 4 p.m., IMU Iowa Theater (166)
Leigh Patel, Ida Cordelia Beam Visiting Scholar and professor of educational foundations, organizations, and policy at the University of Pittsburgh, will give a lecture and participate in a facilitated discussion with a UI education faculty member and a Center for Teaching staff member. This event is co-sponsored by the College of Education, the Center for Teaching, and the Division of Student Life.
TILE Teaching Demo
Wednesday, March 12, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., via Zoom
This teaching demonstration will showcase the pedagogical potential of Iowa’s superpowered TILE classrooms. Participants will become TILE-enabled.
CIRTL Teaching-as-Research Registration Deadline
Friday, March 21
Graduate students and post-docs from all disciplines can register for this series to learn about Teaching-as-Research, develop their own projects, and earn the CIRTL Practitioner Level certification. This six-part series will meet online on Wednesdays from noon - 1 p.m. beginning March 26. Participants must have previously earned the CIRTL Associate Level certification, which requires the completion of any pedagogy course offered through your academic department.
Cultivating Success: International Teaching
Wednesday, April 2, 3 - 4:30 p.m., UCC International Commons (Room 1117)
In this panel discussion, which was rescheduled from Feb. 12, veteran faculty with successful teaching careers at the University of Iowa will share different pedagogical approaches and discuss ways to enrich classroom environments based on transnational knowledge and wide-ranging experiences to enhance students’ learning outcomes.
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