Teaching Excellence Institute
The Teaching Excellence Institute is a series of year-long programs for faculty interested in focusing on a specific topic related to teaching and learning.
Participants meet monthly beginning at the start of the academic year and complete projects and assignments related to that topic. Faculty that complete the minimum requirements receive a certificate and a $500 stipend. Anyone who teaches UT Health Science Center students is eligible to participate.
Teaching Excellence Institute Tracks
Faculty New to Teaching
Begins September 13, 2024
Clinical Educator
Begins September 6, 2024
The Art and Science of Effective Communication
Begins September 19, 2024
Active Learning Course Redesign
Begins January 2025
Faculty New to Teaching
Begins September 13, 2024
Intended for faculty who are early in their teaching careers, participants in this track will be introduced to the fundamentals of teaching and learning at a health science center. Topics will include writing a teaching philosophy, developing learning goals, creating a course skeleton, effective use of class time, inclusive learning spaces, student engagement, providing effective feedback and assessment to students, time management, effective presentation strategies, and student ratings of instruction.
Participants in this program must be nominated by their college’s academic dean or department chair.
Clinical Educator
Begins September 6, 2024
The Clinical Educator track is a 9-month program for faculty interested in developing and/or deepening their understanding of the pedagogical strategies used to effectively teach students in the clinical setting. Topics will include setting expectations, feedback and coaching and case-based learning.
The Clinical Educator program is open to all UT Health Science Center clinical faculty. Interested participants should contact their academic dean or department chair to register for this certificate.
Active Learning Course Redesign
Begins January 2025
The Active Learning Course Redesign Teaching Excellence Institute (TEI) is an 8-month program for instructors interested in integrating Active Learning into a course redesign. Active learning instruction includes evidence-based strategies to promote student learning and engagement. In this TEI, participants will craft learning outcomes that reflect big picture goals. Based on the learning outcomes, participants will then design assessments and teaching methods aligned with effective active learning strategies.
The Art and Science of Effective Communication
Begins September 19, 2024
The Art and Science of Effective Communication is open to faculty that are interested in refining their oral communication skills through the exploration and application of effective verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication strategies. Interactive workshops provide a safe space for practice and feedback, enabling participants to enhance their ability to establish presence, deliver captivating lectures, lead stimulating discussions, and engage audiences by gaining and maintaining attention. Participants will practice crafting impactful narratives that are responsive to their learners and educational contexts. Graduates of the Art and Science of Effective Communication will be uniquely equipped to leverage communication theory to educate and inspire the next generation of learners.
Sessions will meet the third Thursday at noon Central/1pm Eastern, starting September 19.
Inclusive Teaching and Learning
The Inclusive Teaching and Learning track builds a community of faculty committed to creating inclusive learning environments and using inclusive teaching strategies. The nine-month track offers an encouraging space for brainstorming new ideas, designing teaching activities, and developing teaching philosophies as inclusive educators. All participants will receive a copy of the recently-released book What Inclusive Instructors Do and work one-on-one with TLC Consultants to redesign their teaching. Further, faculty who complete the track will be invited to present their redesigned plans in a virtual forum open to the UT Health Science Center community. This track is available through a grant from the Office of Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity.
The Pedagogy of the Social Determinants of Health
The Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) track is a 9-month program for faculty interested in developing and/or deepening their understanding of the social determinants of health and the pedagogical strategies used to effectively teach students. Topics will include the use of interprofessional collaboration, experiential learning, collaborative learning, and service learning in SDoH. By the end of the series, participants will have a plan ready to be implemented in a course.
The Pedagogy of the Social Determinants of Health program is open to all UT Health Science faculty. Interested participants should contact their academic dean or department chair to register for this certificate.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) track is an 18-month program for faculty interested in contributing to the formal peer-reviewed scholarship of teaching and learning. Participants are supported as they develop a research concept and move towards the publication of original research. Topics include an overview of SoTL, study design and conception, literature review, IRB approval, data collection, data analysis, and writing. Participants will have a SoTL manuscript ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal by the end of the program.
This course is appropriate for faculty new to SoTL as well as experienced SoTL researchers interested in joining a learning community of likeminded scholars. Those who complete this certificate will also receive the “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” medallion.
Course Design
The Course Design Track is a 7-month program for faculty interested in learning Backward Design, an evidence-based method for designing effective courses. In this program, participants craft learning outcomes aligned with big picture goals. Based on the learning outcomes, participants then create assessments, curate content and choose appropriate teaching strategies aligned with their learning objectives. Participants complete the Course Design Track with a developed course outline, rough draft of a syllabus and an understanding of how to transfer this design process to additional courses.
Universal Design for Learning
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) track includes three areas of focus: 1) what is inclusive teaching and why is it important to consider these principles when teaching, 2) what are the principles of UDL and how can they be used in support of inclusive teaching, and 3) how can participants use what they learn in this track to influence and mentor other UTHSC instructors. This track was made available through a grant from the Office of Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity.
The Universal Design for Learning program is open to all UT Health Science Center faculty. Interested participants should contact their academic dean or department chair to register for this certificate.