Commentary Category
From the Director
Dec. 7, 2020—As I write this, the second strangest semester of my academic career is drawing to a close. The strangest semester was, of course, last spring, but this fall was certainly unusual and full of challenges for both teaching and learning. I am continually impressed at the creative and skillful ways the Vanderbilt teaching community has...
Learning in Two Time Zones: International Students’ Experiences during Covid-19
Nov. 11, 2020—By: José Luis de Ramón Ruiz and Nazirah Mohd Khairi, Teaching Affiliates, Vanderbilt Center for Teaching During the fall semester of 2020, most students have had to adapt to new models of teaching and learning, with course schedules combining in-person classes––which have looked very different this semester amid safety protocols––and remote classes conducted via Zoom....
Celebration of Learning Spotlight: The Smiler: A Case Study in Roller Coaster Safety
Aug. 26, 2020—On February 13, 2020, the Center for Teaching held a Celebration of Learning, an exhibition of students as producers. The event featured students from all over campus sharing what they learned, created, designed, and discovered. Each year millions of riders brave the courses of the world’s 5,000 roller coasters, but should passengers feel unsafe riding these behemoths of twisted...
Junior Faculty Spotlight: Daniela D’Eugenio
Jul. 20, 2020—Each year, the CFT Newsletter highlights the work of our Junior Faculty Teaching Fellows. This month, Daniela D’Eugenio, French & Italian, talks about some of the most useful lessons she has learned from the Fellowship. As a Senior Lecturer of Italian in the Department of French and Italian and affiliated faculty for the Certificate in Second Language Studies, I...
Suggestions for online teaching at Vanderbilt
Jul. 16, 2020—By Dr. Adriane Seiffert and Dr. Ashleigh Maxcey, Vanderbilt University Department of Psychology The following are thoughts, reflections, and suggestions on teaching online based on our experiences teaching courses over Maymester and Summer 2020. We hope they help you plan your online course as we can all strive to deliver top-notch courses this fall. Discuss...
Celebration of Learning Spotlight: Progress of Sustainable Fashion in Our Daily Lives
Jul. 15, 2020—On February 13, 2020, the Center for Teaching held a Celebration of Learning, an exhibition of students as producers. The event featured students from all over campus sharing what they learned, created, designed, and discovered. Madeline Repath, Angelica Park, Mathilde Caindec’s project was two parts: a sustainability guide and a reflection. Each team made a guide that encourages students...
Celebration of Learning Spotlight: Martin C.K. Shade: An Interactive Twine Narrative
Jun. 10, 2020—On February 13, 2020, the Center for Teaching held a Celebration of Learning, an exhibition of students as producers. The event featured students from all over campus sharing what they learned, created, designed, and discovered. Martin C.K. Shade is an interactive narrative (IF) Dylan Kistler built in the free program known as Twine. It seeks to blend narratorial and procedural...
Junior Faculty Spotlight: Jennifer Ridgway
May. 18, 2020—Each month, the CFT highlights the work of our Junior Faculty Teaching Fellows. This month, Jennifer Ridgway, Nursing, talks about her teaching philosophy and interests. Engaging in the Center for Teaching’s (CFT) Junior Faculty Teaching Fellowship (JFTF) has become one of the greatest growth opportunities in my professional development as faculty. One of my primary goals in participating in this...
Latest Episode of the Leading Lines Podcast
May. 13, 2020—During this season of Leading Lines, we’re exploring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education. A big part of that impact lands on our students. Robin DeRosa is the director of the Open Learning & Teaching Collaborative, or Open CoLab, at Plymouth State University, a public liberal arts institution that’s part of the University. She...
Teaching Innovations at Vanderbilt: Faith Rovenolt and high impact learning experiences
May. 11, 2020—By Faith Rovenolt, CFT undergraduate intern Faith Rovenolt initiated the Teaching Innovations at Vanderbilt blog series in spring 2019. She has shared posts based on interviews with Vanderbilt instructors every two weeks during the academic year since then. As she graduates and moves on to graduate school, she closes out the Teaching Innovations at Vanderbilt...