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.
Tweaking research presentations to foster community and knowledge construction: A focus on peer review
Nov. 10, 2021—by Cynthia J. Brame I recently got to watch a class session that taught me a new and very effective way to help students build their science identity by building a scientific community. It was awesome, and I can’t wait to figure out how to adapt it to one of my classes. Here’s the setting:...
Course improvement grant spotlight: Asami Nakano
Nov. 4, 2021—Asami Nakano, Lecturer in Asian Studies, talked with CFT assistant director Julaine Fowlin about her Course Improvement Grant, “Incorporating Japanese cultural experiences for Japanese language course.” Asami believes that authentic language learning involves integration of cultural experiences. In the video interview, she shares that in Tennessee there are not many opportunities for authentic Japanese cultural...
Making the most of clinical conference courses: Adding a “pair and share” element to prompt student engagement and reflection
Nov. 4, 2021—by Cynthia J. Brame I recently had the opportunity to watch Janelle Delle, Assistant Professor of Nursing, run one of the clinical conferences that she has with small groups of students every week. The point of a clinical conference course is to help students make sense of and learn from their ongoing clinical experiences, a...
Workshop: Teaching with Case Studies
Nov. 1, 2021—Case studies are a signature pedagogy throughout the professions and increasingly across all liberal arts disciplines. When used effectively, they can motivate students to learn deeply through meaningful, complex, and real-world scenarios, elevating anything from analytical thought to ethical reasoning, applied practices to theoretical critique. This workshop will explore how case studies are or can...
Updated Guide! Dealing with the Unexpected: Teaching When You or Your Students Can’t Make it to Class
Oct. 29, 2021—In 2017, the CFT first published a guide called Dealing with the Unexpected: Teaching When You or Your Students Can’t Make it to Class in response to concerns about how unpredictable events like travel delays or illness like the flu might affect student and faculty ability to attend class meetings. That guide has gone through...
New Guide on Project-based and Dynamic Collaborative Learning
Oct. 29, 2021—The newest addition to the CFT’s Course Development Resources (CDR) site, entitled Project-Based and Dynamic Collaborative Learning, is all about how instructors can design meaningful, effective group work through research-informed strategies and the intentional use of technology. The guide explores the research on collaborative groups and answers questions such as: How should we form groups?...
Course improvement grant spotlight: “Compare studies of 3D materials to creating quizzes to consider whether learning strategy outshines motivation in memory retention.”
Oct. 28, 2021—Alison Hilbun, senior lecturer in biological sciences, recently talked to CFT associate director Cynthia Brame about her Course Improvement Grant, “Compare studies of 3D materials to creating quizzes to consider whether learning strategy outshines motivation in memory retention.” Can you tell me briefly about your project and what inspired you to do it? Part of...