How to improve student performance on tests? This was a tough nut to crack for Dr. Ayana Hinton. After reading Make it stick: the science of successful learning, she tried something called the testing effect – a technique shown to increase long term retention. When that did result in the gains she wanted, she included peer grading.
CfLT Newsletter
The posts below are from the CfLT newsletter which includes curated, research-based digital resources to support ongoing faculty development and pedagogical engagement. As of August 2025, CfLT Director Karen Spierling oversees the content. Posts from July 2020-May 2025 were compiled by previous Director Lew Ludwig.
Teaching and Learning Resources
A renewed interest in research on learning and teaching has greatly expanded the range of scholarship and resources that are focused on the intersection of learning, teaching, and pedagogy in higher education. Resources for a variety of topics are linked below and in the navigation menu.
In addition, faculty as well as colleagues in other offices and programs can contact me for help in identifying specific resources and scholarship on learning and teaching for their use including, for example, issues that address faculty development, academic advising, teaching and course evaluations, curriculum assessment, and measures of student academic achievement.
Mid-term Course Evaluations
Mid-semester course evaluations are a valuable resource for improving student learning, enhancing teaching effectiveness, and fostering a positive classroom learning environment. Unlike course evaluations completed at the end of the semester, feedback from students obtained at one or more times during the semester can lead to significant learning and teaching changes for both students and instructors while the course is still in progress.
Classroom Observation and Formative Peer Review of Teaching
“Formative peer review of teaching is focused on the long-term enhancement of teaching and learning. Even when mandatory, the process should be primarily driven and guided by the faculty member’s personal goals, by feedback from students and/or colleagues, and/or by a desire to address problems in a specific course or academic context” (Smith, 2014).
Faculty development scholarship has addressed the different purposes, procedures, and responsibilities that distinguish formative from summative evaluation of teaching.
Mentoring
Chairs Frank Hassebrock (2015 Director, Center for Learning and Teaching) and Susan Garcia (Associate Provost) led a workshop on February 18, 2015 on Building An Effective Mentoring Network.
Early Career Faculty Learning Community
This learning community addresses the goals and interests of early-career faculty (second-year through the tenure-review year) as they continue to develop, practice, and evaluate their teaching methods and skills.
Classroom Teaching Observations
Individual faculty (non-tenured or tenured) may request that the director of the Center for Learning and Teaching observe one or more classroom meetings, followed by discussion and feedback.
Conversations and Consultations
The Center for Learning and Teaching is available for one-on-one conversations or consultations with individual faculty members at all stages of professional development and experience.
Tidbit – Play in the College Classroom in a Pandemic
This short piece from the Chronicle provides seven ways to lighten things up in class that are emotionally, academically, and pedagogically sound.
Tidbit – ’tis the Season of Recommendations
Tidbit 1 – ’tis the season of recommendations
Have students been asking for letters of recommendations? The Lisska Center has created this video to provide you with suggestions on writing letters of recommendation, including things to focus on and what to ask of students. To ensure you have the full picture, consider this recommendation letter check list which you can share with students.