CIRTL Learning Goals

CIRTL Associate — Describe and Recognize Value

Learning Objectives

see Associate certification requirements

Process

TEACHING-AS-RESEARCH

• Describe how to access the literature and existing knowledge about teaching and learning issues, in a discipline or more broadly.
• Define and recognize the value of the Teaching-as-Research process, and how it can be used for ongoing enhancement of learning.
• Describe a “full-inquiry” cycle.
• Describe how the integration of Evidence-Based Teaching, Learning Communities and Learning-through-Diversity within Teaching-as-Research can be integrated to implement and advance effective teaching practices for diverse learners.

Content

EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING

• Describe and recognize the value of realistic well-defined, achievable, measurable and student-centered learning goals.
• Describe several known high-impact, evidence-based effective instructional practices and materials and recognize their alignment with particular types of learning goals.
• Describe several assessment techniques and recognize their alignment with particular types of learning goals.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES

• Describe and recognize the value of learning communities, and how they impact student learning.
• Describe several techniques for creating a LC within a learning environment, including strategies that promote positive interdependence between learners so as to accomplish learning goals.
• Describe several techniques and issues of establishing LCs comprising a diverse group of learners.
• Recognize the value of and participate in local professionally-focused learning communities associated with teaching and learning.

LEARNING THROUGH DIVERSITY

• Describe the scope of diversity in learning environments, of both students and instructor.*
• Describe the impact of diversity on student learning, in particular how diversity can enhance learning, and how inequities can negatively impact learning if not addressed.
• Describe how an instructor’s beliefs and biases can influence student learning.
• Describe and recognize the value of drawing on diversity in the development of teaching plans (including content, teaching practices and assessments) to foster learning.
• Describe several learning-through-diversity (LtD) techniques and strategies.

* Including, but not limited to, educational background, race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and cognitive skill.

CIRTL Practitioner — Develop and Implement

Learning Objectives

see Practitioner certification requirements

Process

TEACHING-AS-RESEARCH

• Develop and execute a Teaching-as-Research plan for a limited teaching and learning project*
  • Find and critically consider the literature and existing knowledge associated with the teaching and learning project.
  • Create realistic well-defined, achievable, measurable and student-centered learning goals for the teaching and learning project.
  • Find or develop assessment (measurement) tool(s) that are aligned with the learning goals of the teaching and learning project.
  • Develop a teaching plan (a hypothesis) to accomplish learning goals.
  • Implement the teaching plan and collect some data regarding achievement of learning goals.
  • Analyze the data and draw evidence-based conclusions about the impact on student learning.
  • Complete a full-inquiry cycle for the teaching and learning project by using findings to suggest improvements to the above actions.
• Show the integration of Evidence-Based Teaching, Learning Communities and Learning-through-Diversity to accomplish learning goals.

* Often this will be a first TAR effort, and need not be extensive or intended for public presentation. Optimally the project will be a coherent, complete experience of the full-inquiry cycle, but opportunities and situations vary from campus-to-campus and student-to-student.

Content

EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING

• Access the literature and existing knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of existing evidence-based knowledge concerning high-impact, evidence-based teaching practices.
• Integrate one or more evidence-based teaching strategies into a teaching plan so as to accomplish learning goals.
• Implement one or more evidence-based teaching strategies for students in a learning experience.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES

• Access the literature and existing knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of the knowledge concerning LCs and their impact on student learning.
• Integrate one or more LC strategies into a teaching plan so as to accomplish learning goals and learning-through-diversity.
• Implement one or more LC strategies for students in a learning experience.
• Contribute to local professionally-focused learning communities associated with teaching and learning.

LEARNING THROUGH DIVERSITY

• Access the literature and existing knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of diversity and its impact on accomplishing learning goals.
• Examine and describe own beliefs and biases, including how they may influence their students’ learning.
• Determine the diverse backgrounds among a group of students, and consider the opportunities and challenges of the findings on each student’s learning.
• Create a teaching plan that incorporates content and teaching practices responsive to the students’ backgrounds.
• Integrate one or more LtD techniques and strategies in a teaching plan so as to use students’ diversity to enhance the learning of all.
• Implement one or more LtD strategies in a teaching experience.

CIRTL Scholar — Advance and Disseminate

Learning Objectives

see Scholar certification requirements

CIRTL Scholars have added to community knowledge about teaching and learning. They have designed and implemented a Teaching-as-Research investigation, and defended the findings to CIRTL learning-community peers. The significance of CIRTL Scholar Teaching-as-Research work is established through presentation and/or publication of the findings to all-university, regional, national, or international audiences.