Interested in learning about equitable, inclusive, and evidence-based practices to enhance student learning outcomes?

Faculty Development staff at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning are dedicated to the support and advancement of teaching and learning at the University of Connecticut. We work with anyone in a teaching or mentoring role, including all faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and staff. Consultations can be on an individual basis, designed for a group of faculty with shared interests, or organized to suit an entire academic department or unit.

Teaching Consultation services are available to all UConn faculty and staff at all campuses at no charge.

Consultations can span a range of topics and can be scheduled in-person or remotely.  Some of the most popular areas for consultation include:

• Instructional methods and strategies to more effectively engage all students
• Effective presentation skills (voice modulation, physical presence, space, body language, intonation, etc.)
• Classroom organization and management including how to pose effective questions, facilitate lively discussions, and leverage peer to peer learning
• Syllabus design, course design, and alignment of course level and lesson level learning outcomes
• Designing with equity and access in mind
• Effective utilization of educational technologies including best practices for online and hybrid blended teaching
• Strategies for effective involvement of teaching assistants, course learning assistants, near-peer mentors, and supplemental instruction
• Direct observation of presentation and teaching behaviors
• Strategies to encourage students to read/engage with course learning material and to attend/engage in class sessions
• Authentic assessment
• Interpretive review of quantitative and qualitative SET feedback, and strategies for developing and implementing formative feedback

Many faculty dread reading end-of-semester student evaluations (even when they are good!). Unsure of what the numbers mean or how to interpret student comments in a constructive way? Take advantage of our themed reader service and have a CETL faculty development specialist provide you with interpretive feedback and actionable strategies based on their reading and review of your SETs.

Unless otherwise specified, all services rendered in consultations are provided exclusively and in full confidentiality with the client. Clients may choose to share CETL formative observation feedback with others. For faculty, consideration for inclusion in one’s promotion, tenure, and review (PTR) files is advisable ONLY when the CETL formative observation feedback is combined with a thoughtful reflection and action plan.

Learning from Classroom Observation

For instructors who feel a classroom observation with feedback would be beneficial, there are options to schedule a one-time or recurring observation protocol. All observations involve a pre-observation and post-observation meeting with the consultant. Faculty will receive a confidential written report for each observation.

Related Articles/Resources

1. Interpreting Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) Results: Guidelines for Deans,
   Department Heads, and Faculty
2. Uttl, B., White, C.A., and Gonzalez D.W. (2017) Meta‐analysis of faculty's teaching effectiveness: Student evaluation of teaching
   ratings and student learning are not related. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 54, p.22‐42
3. https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/SRTE_Guidelines_Linse_JSEE_2017.pdf
4. Kreitzer, Rebecca J., and Jennie Sweet-Cushman. "Evaluating student evaluations of teaching: A review of measurement and equity bias in SETs and recommendations for ethical reform." Journal of Academic Ethics1 (2022): 73-84.

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