CETLSS supports instructors on their path to transformative teaching for student success. Here are a variety of resources that may be helpful as you grow as an instructor:
SIFT: Student Instructional Feedback Technique
Although end-of-course evaluations are sometimes helpful in enhancing your teaching, they come too late for you to make any mid-semester tweaks to your course. They can also include biased or unconstructive feedback. The Student Instructional Feedback Technique, or SIFT, is a non-evaluative, confidential, and supportive way to see how your course is going before the semester is over.
Transformative Teaching and Learning Sandbox
Are you an "out of the box" instructor? Enjoy experimenting with new teaching techniques and philosophies? If so, you are invited to join our TTL Sandbox community. Every other week, we'll meet to discuss a new idea in teaching and learning, and then we'll experiment with its applications in our courses.
Inclusive Teaching
At Appalachian, we believe that all instructors and students should see their identities, stories, and histories represented in the disciplines that they choose to study. We also believe that quality teaching is characterized by pedagogical choices that center equity, inclusion, and belongingness in our courses. Here you'll find a variety of resources—some compiled by App State faculty and some created by scholars at other institutions—that will empower you on your inclusive teaching journey. The resources here include:
- Inclusive Excellence Teaching Strategies
- Inclusive Syllabus Framework
- Using Case Studies for Inclusion
- Minoritized Students Well-Being
- Anti-Racism Resources
- Bias & Course Evaluations
Student Success
The Student Experience Project (SEP) is a collaborative of university leaders, faculty, researchers and national education organizations committed to innovative, research-based practices to increase degree attainment by building equitable learning environments and fostering a sense of belonging on campus. Check out their resources for designing courses for student success.
Think UDL Podcast
Lillian Nave, a Senior Lecturer and the UDL Coordinator at Appalachian State, is the host of the Think UDL Podcast. UDL, or Universal Design for Learning, is a teaching strategy that aims to create a flexible and inclusive learning environment for all students. This podcast is dedicated to increasing the conversation about UDL in higher education and provides an outlet for higher education and workforce professionals to share their ideas, innovations, and accomplishments around UDL.
Teaching Guides
The Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success has prepared teaching guides and compiled resources to assist you as you design and deliver your course regardless of delivery mode. These guides contain best practices, examples, support pages, and resources in three key areas: course organization, instructional strategies, and assessment of student learning.
How to Teach a Good First Day of Class
- Advice Guide provided by The Chronicle - something for every style, every classroom and every professional!
Need Help Creating your Syllabus?
Each course at AppState is unique and, as the syllabus is a reflection of the course and the instructor, each syllabus is unique as well. For additional help, check out the Student Experience Project Modules!
Tips:
- Use a friendly and inviting tone. Convey procedures and expectations, but also express the excitement inherent to the content you teach.
- Revise and improve your syllabus. Create a syllabus before the start of your course, but don’t stop there; continue to revise the syllabus—perhaps marking it up throughout the semester—to improve it for the next time you teach the course.
- Make sure your syllabus is accessible. Check with AppState IT Support Services on how!
- Stay aware of the academic calendar. As you develop your schedule for the semester, always refer to the academic calendar. Also be mindful of religious holidays.
- Post your syllabus. Students have an expectation that a syllabus will be available to them at the start of the course, so be sure that your syllabus is readily accessible. Your AsuLearn course shell is a great place to post your syllabus.
- Introduce the syllabus to your students. Introduce the syllabus to your students on the first day of class. If necessary, show them how to read the syllabus; perhaps even conduct a group activity (e.g., a syllabus scavenger hunt) or quiz to ensure that students have read and understand all components of the syllabus.