News Category
Come Work at the Center for Teaching
Jan. 20, 2022—Each year the Center for Teaching (CFT) hires a number of graduate students as part of its efforts to mentor and train graduate students, including those serving as teaching assistants or instructors of record here at Vanderbilt as well as those interested in developing teaching skills for future faculty careers. The CFT has several positions...
From the Executive Director
Jan. 18, 2022— As I write this, snow is falling in Nashville, and I’m reminded of all the challenges our local community has faced over the last two years, from tornadoes and storms to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The teaching community at Vanderbilt has had to adapt again and again over the last two years, and I...
Teaching in a Mask
Jan. 12, 2022—Since the university has reinstituted universal masking for the spring semester, some of us will be teaching in the classroom in a mask for the first time or the first time in a while. This presents some auditory and other challenges, but there are strategies you can use to mitigate these challenges. Here are a...
Come Work at the Center for Teaching
Dec. 21, 2021—Each year the Center for Teaching (CFT) hires a number of graduate students as part of its efforts to mentor and train graduate students, including those serving as teaching assistants or instructors of record here at Vanderbilt as well as those interested in developing teaching skills for future faculty careers. The CFT has several positions...
New Additions to the Course Design Resources Site
Dec. 14, 2021—Branching scenarios are much like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. In a branching scenario, learners are taken through a scenario where they must make decisions based on the events that are presented. In the newest addition to the CDR (Online Course Development Resources) site, Carrie Sennet and Diana Vasquez (Vanderbilt School of Nursing) teach us how...
Junior Faculty Spotlight: Michelle Marcus
Dec. 9, 2021—Each year, the CFT Newsletter highlights the work of our Junior Faculty Teaching Fellows. This month, Michelle Marcus, Economics, talks about some of the lessons she has gained from the Fellowship. The Junior Faculty Teaching Fellows program has been an invaluable opportunity to reflect on my own teaching practices and to enhance my teaching efficiency and skills. Through teaching seminars,...
CFT Partners with Divinity School to launch inaugural round of lifelong learning courses
Dec. 3, 2021—Vanderbilt Divinity School (VDS) has had a rich legacy of continuing education since the 1990s. Building on this legacy, in 2020, the Lifelong Learning Committee proposed a comprehensive Lifelong Learning curriculum to meet the needs of the diverse audiences that VDS is uniquely positioned to serve. VDS Lifelong Learning has its roots in Vanderbilt’s commitments...
Updated Teaching Guide: Personal Devices in the Classroom (Formerly Wireless in the Classroom)
Dec. 2, 2021—The CFT first published a guide on considering how to work with wireless devices in the classroom in 2010. Given the rapidly changing digital landscape since then, this guide has been updated to better consider and account for the changes in how personal electronic devices are used, and how widespread they have become. It considers how personal electronic devices (especially laptops) can impact learning in...
Highlights from the Center for Teaching 35th Anniversary Panel
Dec. 1, 2021—by Derek Bruff, executive director In honor of the Center for Teaching’s 35th anniversary, the CFT hosted a special anniversary panel on October 29, 2021, featuring staff and graduate student alumni of the CFT. The panelists discussed a series of questions on teaching and learning in higher education and the field of educational development. The...
Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Leading Lines Podcast
Nov. 30, 2021—by Derek Bruff, executive director Five years ago, I pitched the idea of a podcast about educational technology to a group of colleagues at Vanderbilt. I had been thinking about this idea for a while, interviewing faculty and others at Vanderbilt and elsewhere who were using technology creatively and effectively to enhance student learning. I...