College Teaching Development Program
This program is open to all Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue in Indianapolis, and Purdue Polytechnic Statewide faculty, staff, post docs, and graduate students. We define teaching broadly (classes, mentoring, advising, etc.), and have designed these programs to meet varied goals. The program is offered by the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) and consists of two tracks:
- The Certificate of Foundations in College Teaching
- The Certificate of Practice in College Teaching — Under review; not offered Fall 2024
The tracks are both standalone and can be completed in any order. The Practice Certificate can also be completed multiple times with different emphases. Below are descriptions, as well as the requirements to complete each certificate
Certificate of Foundations in College Teaching
The Foundations Certificate provides an overview of central topics in college teaching. This program has an online, asynchronous structure. It is open to all Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue in Indianapolis, and Purdue Polytechnic Statewide faculty, staff, post docs, and graduate students. We define teaching broadly (classes, mentoring, advising, etc.), and have designed the program to meet varied goals.
The structure of this program consists of four main modules: Reflecting on Teaching & Learning, Defining and Assessing Student Learning, Creating a Learner-Centered Environment, and Becoming a Scholarly Teacher.
This program is designed to be cohort-based and is dependent upon participant engagement on discussion board threads as participants bring important knowledge and experience to this environment. Many past participants have found engaging with other instructors to be the most valuable part of this program. For more information on program details, read the Foundations Syllabus.
During Foundations, you will work toward the following goals:
- Recognize and reflect upon your own values related to teaching and learning.
- Recognize and describe the value of evidence-based approaches to teaching that facilitate student learning.
- Build community and discuss evidence-based teaching approaches with fellow participants.
- Consider implications of evidence-based approaches for your own teaching practices.
- Identify what else you want to know and resources to continue expanding your teaching knowledge and practices.
What a typical week will look like:
- Engage with content in each unit module.
- Share a short reflection in a small discussion group.
- Optional: Join facilitators for weekly Office Hour Discussions.
Registration Information:
The six-week, online program is delivered in a 100 percent asynchronous format. The Fall 2024 session runs Mon., Sept 9, through Fri., Oct 18. Participants should plan to devote approximately three hours during each week of the program. Register here by Fri., Aug. 23.
We are able to accept the first 50 registrants. We will have a waitlist once we reach that capacity. If you are unsure whether you will have availability to participate fully in the program, please defer to a semester you are able to participate; we offer this program each semester (Fall/Spring).
Certificate of Practice in College Teaching
We are taking time to reflect and revise the Certificate of Practice Program, so it will not be offered Fall 2024. In the meantime, we suggest you visit the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning page on Teaching@Purdue to learn more about and explore inquiry-based practices to address challenges/opportunities in your teaching.
The Certificate of Practice is an inquiry-based, semester-long program that requires participants have a teaching role, broadly defined, during the semester or summer term in which they complete the certificate. Participants identify a challenge/opportunity that they will address that semester using evidence-based practices, in consultation with an appropriate mentor of their choosing.
Participants are encouraged to choose topics relevant to their specific teaching role; this can involve new mentoring practices in advising, a lab, or office hours; designing new assessments or learning activities; or enhancing a series of professional development workshops for colleagues.
Participants may complete the Certificate of Practice multiple times over different semesters, as long as they have a teaching role during that semester. Each time a participant completes the certificate, they must choose a different area of emphasis (e.g., engagement, student motivation, assessment, diversity and inclusion, and mentoring students.)