Thank you for visiting the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education (AdvancED- formerly known as the Center for Teaching).
We are currently redeveloping our site. For current events and workshops, please visit our new site.
Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn: A Spring 2012 Graduate Course
Jan. 6, 2012—Grad students in science and engineering fields with an interest in teaching take note: The Department of Physics and Astronomy is offering a one-credit, graduate-level course on science pedagogy. PHYS302: Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn Course #13242 Directed readings and discussion of topics in the teaching of science and engineering. Practical application of best...
GradSTEP: Graduate Student Teaching Event for Professional Development
Dec. 16, 2011—Held in January each year, GradSTEP provides several workshops and discussions on teaching, learning, and professional development issues across the disciplines. All Vanderbilt graduate and professional students, as well as post-doctoral fellows, are invited to attend. The 2012 GradSTEP event will be held Saturday, January 21, 2012, in Wilson Hall and will feature two sessions...
Interpreting and Making Sense of Course Evaluations
Dec. 14, 2011—As the semester draws to a close, our students are given the opportunity to provide us with a potentially valuable source of feedback on our teaching and its effects on their learning. You may find it challenging, however, to interpret what your end-of-semester course evaluations mean and decide how to act on them. The CFT...
PhD Career Connections December Seminar
Dec. 12, 2011—Vanderbilt PhD Career Connections is a monthly seminar series about career options for PhD scientists. Speakers from a diverse range of exciting scientific careers present their career path and share insights from their professional experiences. The series is run by VUMC PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and sponsored by the BRET Office of Career Development. Advance...
From the Stacks…
Dec. 9, 2011—Teaching Unprepared Students: Strategies for Promoting Success & Retention in Higher Ed by Kathleen F. Gabriel From the publisher… As societal expectations about attending college have grown, professors report increasing numbers of students who are unprepared for the rigors of postsecondary education—not just more students with learning disabilities (whose numbers have more than tripled), but...
VMAT an example of Classroom-learned skills solving real-world problems
Dec. 8, 2011—This week the Vanderbilt Mobile Application Team (VMAT) was profiled in Campus Technology. VMAT develops iPhone- and Android-compatible apps for the Vanderbilt campus, teaches dozens of students how to program mobile apps – which has become a lucrative business for many, including current and former members who have landed jobs across the country. Of note, is Chris...
Junior Faculty Teaching Fellow Spotlight: Emily Nacol
Dec. 7, 2011—“The initial challenge for undergraduate teachers of classic texts like the ones on my syllabi is finding a way to ease students’ trepidation about their ability to understand, much less criticize, daunting works like Plato’s Republic or Marx’s Capital.” A class of many students generates a diverse set of comments and questions, but as I...