Published:
January 3, 2025
Lights, Camera, Action!
Our team appreciates compelling documentary films that bring stories to life. To wrap up 2024, we are featuring a collection of stories about the top 10 ways CTL engaged with UT educators to advance teaching and learning at UT Austin. Through a diverse range of programs, events, and resources, the scenes below showcase our support for faculty, instructors, and graduate students to enhance their instructional practice. CTL staff helped create learning experiences shaped by belonging, well-being, engagement, and the freedom to try new strategies.
Grab some popcorn and enjoy this countdown of top strategies and vibrant vignettes from an extraordinary year!
10. Celebrate
- 50 Years of CTL
We kicked off the year by celebrating our 50th anniversary at the Perry-Castañeda Library. This commemorative event brought together faculty, staff, and students for an afternoon of reflection and celebration. Guests enjoyed food, archival exhibits, storytelling sessions, and a book fair, highlighting five decades of contributions to excellence teaching and learning scholarship.
9. Showcase
- Graduate Teaching Showcase
Graduate students shared innovative strategies and reflected on their teaching experiences during this annual showcase. This event celebrated the achievements of these instructors and inspired all UT Austin educators with best practices to enhance student engagement and learning. - Technology-Enhanced Learning Symposium
This symposium showcased innovative ways technology is being used to enhance learning experiences. Faculty and instructional staff shared their rich and diverse projects, inspiring attendees to incorporate technology into their own teaching practices.
8. Connect
- PTF Summer Lunches
Provost’s Teaching Fellows hosted informal summer lunches for instructors to connect and share teaching experiences in a relaxed setting. The gatherings of this teaching community fostered collaboration and dialogue among educators from diverse disciplines. - Texas Teach Up (TxTU)
Texas Teach-Up, the Provost's Teaching Fellows’ signature event, brought educators together to reflect on teaching practices through non-evaluative peer observations. This two-day opportunity included in-person and online classes, cross-disciplinary discussions, and shared insights in informal coffee shop gatherings. Participants left inspired to bring fresh ideas into their classrooms. - Came to Listen
This event invited faculty and staff to come together for a candid discussion on the challenges and opportunities of teaching in the current academic climate. It was a space for open dialogue, active listening, and stories from students on the theme of belonging.
7. Equip
- Transformative Teaching and Learning Symposium (TTL)
This symposium brought together faculty to explore cutting-edge approaches in teaching and learning. It focused on innovative strategies for student engagement, including experiential learning, flipped classrooms, and active learning techniques. - Inclusive Course Design Institute (ICDI)
Graduate students and post-docs participated in this intensive institute to learn how to design inclusive courses that accommodate diverse learning needs. The sessions focused on creating accessible course content, building inclusive classroom environments, and implementing universal design for learning (UDL) principles. - Writing to Learn Workshop
This workshop emphasized using writing as a tool to deepen student understanding and engagement across disciplines. Instructors explored activities and prompts to enhance learning outcomes through structured written reflection. - Focus on Feedback Workshop
Faculty members engaged in a workshop that emphasized the provision of effective, timely, and constructive feedback to students. Strategies discussed included rubrics, peer review, and formative assessment to support student learning and improvement.
6. Welcome
- RISE Program for Early Career Faculty
This event welcomed new faculty members to the university community. Early career faculty had the opportunity to network with peers, learn about resources available to them, and receive guidance on navigating their first years of teaching at UT. - Special Visitors Reception
CTL hosted a reception for visiting scholars, thought leaders, and other special guests from the academic community. This event offered an opportunity for faculty and staff to engage with visitors, exchange ideas, and build collaborative relationships.
5. Convene
- Book Club Series
The CTL Book Club launched its first discussion of the year with Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James M. Lang. Faculty shared insights on implementing small changes that create significant impacts in their teaching. - Early Career Faculty Book Club
This in-person book club focused on Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College by Felten and Lambert. Through weekly discussions, participants explored practical strategies to help students develop meaningful relationships that drive their success.
4. Collaborate
- Accessible Pedagogy Conversations
Faculty and instructors gathered to discuss strategies for creating accessible classrooms. The session highlighted inclusive practices that remove barriers to learning and ensure equitable opportunities for all students.
3. Prompt
- Using Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools for Academic Research
This workshop focused on exploring generative AI tools designed for academic research. Participants evaluated various GenAI tools and learned how to incorporate them into their research practices. - Prompt Design for Teaching and Learning: Planning Interactions with GenAI
In this workshop, instructors learned how to intentionally design prompts to maximize the potential of AI tools, ensuring that these technologies serve as powerful resources for course design, assignments, and student engagement. - Teaching in Times of Crisis: Course Design and Course Facilitation
Crises may be discrete or ongoing and experienced on individual or communal levels. These resources recommend strategies for instructors designing or redesigning courses with crisis preparedness in mind, as well as strategies for instructors responding to crisis situations while teaching.
2. Think
- PTF Think Tank – Compassionate Pedagogy
Facilitated by Professors Sarah Sloan, Mary Beer, and Starla Simmons, this Think Tank invited instructors to discuss the effectiveness of compassionate pedagogy in modern classrooms. Participants explored ways to create empathetic, supportive learning environments while maintaining academic rigor. - Election Season: Strategies for Promoting Instructor and Student Wellness
This resource included strategies for promoting instructor and student wellbeing during a challenging election season. Faculty learned how to set and respect boundaries, prioritize wellbeing and that of their students, and communicate clearly and often to set them and their students up for success. - Graduate Teaching Preparation Series
This series provides graduate student instructors with opportunities to learn, observe, and practice classroom teaching techniques with feedback and reflection. Campus partners such as Texas Career Engagement, Disability and Access, and the Counseling and Mental Health Center contribute valuable resources for enhancing teaching and professional growth.
1. Appreciate
- Holiday Party
The CTL wrapped up the year with its annual holiday party, bringing together faculty, instructors, and staff to celebrate their accomplishments. This festive event recognized the community's dedication to teaching excellence while fostering connections in a joyful atmosphere.