The Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching promotes university teaching that leads to meaningful student learning. Our offerings are available to any members of the Vanderbilt community interested in developing their teaching practices.
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...
Brightspace Support add Zoom Drop-in Hours
May. 6, 2020—Brightspace support continues to be available to help instructors make the most of their Brightspace courses. Click here for more information about our regular phone and email support Sundays through Fridays. During the month of May, the Brightspace Support team and the Digital Media team at the CFT will be teaming up to offer drop-in...
Apply Now for the Online Course Design Institute
May. 5, 2020—The Center for Teaching invites Vanderbilt faculty, postdocs, and graduate students to apply to its new Online Course Design Institute, a two-week online experience intended to help participants prepare to teach an online course. The Online Course Design Institute will be offered multiple times this summer and we are now accepting applications for our late May and June...
Teaching Innovations at Vanderbilt: Leah Marion Roberts and Student-driven Course Goals and Expectations
May. 4, 2020—By Faith Rovenolt, CFT undergraduate intern During Spring 2020, the Teaching Innovations at Vanderbilt blog series will highlight teaching innovations that CFT staff have implemented and evaluated in their own courses. As a student, I find it helpful when a course has clear goals. But while that helps guide student learning, what’s equally, if...
Using Top Hat to drive student engagement in asynchronous learning
Apr. 29, 2020—by Jesse Blocher, Assistant Professor of Finance When moving a class online, my observation is that most faculty’s first move is to create video. This is logical since much of what we do as faculty is lecture in some form or another. Video is an excellent communication tool and verbal communication is a cornerstone of...