The Mission of the CTLA
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates a community of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of Grinnell College by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.
Summer 2024 Workshops
Summer workshops sponsored by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CTLA) are a central component of faculty and staff professional development at Grinnell College. The purpose of these workshops is to provide opportunities for participants to improve teaching and learning by generating and sharing educational knowledge, discovering and practicing pedagogical competencies, and building peer connections and collaboration. Workshop topics will typically explore issues concerning curricular development, pedagogical strategies, and the broad environment of learning at the College.
A full schedule of workshops, including descriptions, leaders, times, and locations, is available on the Summer Workshops page of the site. This document on workshop guidelines (PDF) provides more information about program details, stipends, and other logistical issues. Register for summer workshops at GLADIS Summer Workshop Registration (login required).
New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty
The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.
While teaching methods vary by discipline and instructor, broadly speaking, excellent teachers do the following:
- Build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach
- Foster inclusive and engaging learning environments
- Clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes
- Use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context
- Respond to student work in a substantial, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of informing and improving the learning experiences of students
- Engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices
