| Center for Teaching Newsletter: September 2025 | Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa
Welcome to the September edition of the Center for Teaching newsletter! This issue highlights our new year in review, provides resources and articles to enhance your teaching practice, and features a reflection from one of our Graduate Fellows.
We are also excited to announce that applications are open for the Spring 2026 cohort of the Scholarly Teaching Program, a learning community that supports teaching-focused faculty in exploring evidence-based practices and attending a national conference on education and student success. Applications are due Oct. 31.
In addition, the Center for Teaching is hosting or co-sponsoring several upcoming workshops:
- Sept. 19: Alt Grading on ICON (noon - 1 p.m., via Zoom)
Learn how to work toward transparency and accuracy in your use of ICON for every assessment plan, including alternative assessments like ungrading and contract grading. Co-sponsored by the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology.
- Sept. 26: Designing Your SoTL Study (1 - 3 p.m., 350 Van Allen Hall)
This interactive session will help you explore strategies for designing and conducting a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study.
- Oct. 10: Scaffolding to Set Students Up for Success (noon - 1 p.m., via Zoom)
Explore practical approaches that build autonomy, metacognitive skills, and motivation for students.
All instructors, regardless of appointment or experience level, are invited to participate in Center for Teaching events.
| | | Center for Teaching Year in Review | The Center for Teaching is delighted to share our 2024-25 Year in Review – a look back at the programs, partnerships, and progress that shaped our work over the past year. Explore the stories, highlights, and data from our year supporting teaching and learning on campus. As we look ahead to 2025-26, we invite you to share how we can partner with you to advance academic success at Iowa.
| | | Grow Your Teaching Practice—One Small Step at a Time! | | | | | What is SoTL? | The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a way to turn questions about teaching into meaningful, evidence-based inquiry. Our latest article explains what SoTL is, why it matters, and how Iowa instructors are using it to refine their courses and improve student learning. Whether you are curious about getting started or looking for a refresher, this piece provides a clear overview of the value SoTL brings to both faculty and students.
| | | Achieving Teaching Goals Through Student-Faculty Partnerships | Now in its third year, the Students as Partners program continues to grow, giving instructors and undergraduate students the chance to collaborate on improving courses together. Faculty benefit from fresh perspectives on their teaching, while students gain meaningful opportunities to shape learning experiences in ways that support their peers. This article provides examples of how small but powerful changes can transform courses and build stronger connections between students and instructors.
| | | Intellectual Empathy in the Classroom | In this reflective essay, 2024–25 Graduate Teaching Fellow Kit Fynaardt (Mathematics) explores the concept of intellectual empathy and how it can shift an instructor’s perspective on student learning. By examining common classroom frustrations through a learner’s eyes, he considers how faculty can better anticipate challenges, design clearer assignments, and create more supportive learning environments.
| | | |
