Teaching and Learning
The Teaching Excellence Initiative (TEI) supports UM's focus on improving student success and learning. It is a collaboration between the Office of Organizational Learning and Development, the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, and the Office of the Provost.
Learning Assistant Program
The Learning Assistant Program at UM pairs high-performing undergraduate students with faculty focused on transforming their courses into engaging, active learning based courses. To learn how to add a learning assistant to your course, contact Josh Herring, Learning Assistant Program Coordinator.
Engaging Teaching Practices Course
Take advantage of our great online resource on Engaging Teaching Practices, which offers an introduction to research on how students learn, clear guidelines for making your courses accessible to all students, and practical strategies for engaging students throughout the semester. The course was created by Morgen Alwell, from our Teaching and Learning Program, and Marlene Zentz, Jo Costello, and Robert Squires from UMOnline. While the course was designed for new faculty and graduate instructors, it offers ideas and resources to anyone engaged in the work of teaching and learning. It also provides critical information on making your courses accessible to all learners. You can self-enroll in Engaging Teaching Practices and have the option to earn a Certificate of Completion for the course or simply use it as a reference.
Mobile Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching (MIST)
Each summer, this Institute gathers UM faculty and graduate students for an in-depth study of evidence-based active learning strategies that have been shown to improve student understanding and success. Participants will engage in workshops and a group project and be named Scientific Teaching Fellows through the national organization.
Transform your Teaching with Open Educational Resources
Open educational resources (OER) are public domain or openly licensed educational materials that faculty and students may freely use, customize, and share. They improve affordability, narrow performance gaps, and help level the academic playing field for students.
The course, open to all UM and Missoula College instructors, includes a series of self-paced, online learning modules that provide in-depth coverage of OER, Creative Commons licensing, finding and evaluating OER, and open pedagogy. Take the entire course, or dip into the individual modules relevant to your needs. Each module includes a downloadable "key takeaways" document for easy access to key concepts and useful links. Contact Wendy Walker at the Mansfield Library with comments or questions.
Mentoring for Mental Health
Delivered by UM and UM-affiliated faculty—Annie Belcourt, Bryan Cochran, Holly Schleicher—this program is offered through Moodle and provides engaging and invaluable context, core values, and practical tips on managing your mentoring relationship with your graduate students, as well as injecting practices in support of well being into the lives of both you and your students. Faculty who complete the course will earn a certificate, which we will encourage Chairs, Deans, and the Provost to recognize formally as evidence of professional growth and development. But most importantly we hope you will invest some time in a learning opportunity that will positively impact your relationships!
We are recruiting a first cohort of faculty to complete the online training, which should take around four hours to complete. Those who complete by mid-October will be invited to attend fall lunch sessions with food where our UM trainers will be available to consult, answer questions, and moderate discussion on integrating these principles into your mentorship practice.
This program was developed by The Graduate School, in collaboration with UM Online and Professors Annie Belcourt, Bryan Cochran, and Holly Schleicher.
Pedagogy Resources
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Active Learning Library
A library of active learning activities that can help promote student engagement and learning. Try integrating just one new activity into your lesson!
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Solve a Teaching Problem
From the Eberly Center of Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University. Select the problem that best matches your situation and this resource will provide solutions!
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Backward Design
Determine your goals for what you want your students to be able to do or know, create a learning plan for helping your students meet those course goals, and assess whether or not your students are learning what you want them to learn.
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Formative Assessment
Assess your course goals by modifying things you are already doing in your courses and learn additional techniques to gather evidence of student learning.
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Pedagogy Project
A faculty-led and initiated effort originating out of the College of Humanities and Sciences to encourage conversation and reflections about teaching at UM.
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Copyright Resources and Issues
Contacts and resources for navigating copyright concerns
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Public Domain and Creative Commons
Works you can use freely--a guide to materials that do not pose copyright concerns
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Office for Disability Equity
Information on accommodating students with disabilities
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Information about FERPA
Understand your responsibilities under FERPA
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Office of the Registrar
Resources for faculty and staff on course scheduling, registration, transcripts, grade changes, early alert, and more.
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Experiential Learning and Career Success
a variety of resources to assist with student career development
Resources for Teaching with Technology
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Moodle Resources
Online tip sheets and video tutorials for Moodle
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One-Button Studio
An easy-to-use studio for creating video content and practicing presentations
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Lightboard Studio
A self serve video production studio with an illuminated glass board that makes it easy to use drawings and illustrations while presenting
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Website Development
Assistance with the design and maintenance of UM websites
Teaching Awards
Humanities & Sciences Awards and Grants
Most Inspirational Teacher of the Year Award
For additional awards, see the Week of Excellence Employee Awards
Assessment
Assessment is an ongoing effort to improve the quality of instruction, student learning, and overall effectiveness of a department or unit. The Assessment website provides more guidance and information about assessment procedures at UM.