Enhance your teaching skills with CELT's help

There's no need to leave campus for a teaching conference when you can glean the latest teaching tips and trade secrets right here at Iowa State.

Each semester, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) holds an Award-winning Faculty Series where ISU faculty who have earned teaching accolades share their knowledge with other instructors. 

Ann Marie VanDerZanden, director of CELT, professor of horticulture and the recipient of numerous teaching awards, is the series' next speaker on Feb. 3 (12:10-1 p.m., 2030 Morrill). Her topic, "Aligning Your Course with Learning Objectives Creates Efficiency, Concrete Learning Gains," will address well-written and measurable learning objectives that can result in more efficient class preparation and constructive feedback for students. She also will offer ideas on how to determine measureable learning objectives, now required by the state legislature.

"In order to meet the requirements of state legislation, faculty who teach larger courses need to determine if students are meeting at least one learning objective for the course," VanDerZanden said. "A key to being able to do that is to have measureable learning objectives."

All instructors are invited to attend this free seminar. To register, log on to AccessPlus, click on the "Employee" tab, and select "HRS Training" in the left column. Click "Continue" and "Courses." Scroll to the CELT classes, and select "Enroll" next to class you wish to attend.

Professor of animal science Curtis Youngs will present the next seminar in the series on Feb. 13 (12:10-1 p.m., 2030 Morrill). His topic is "Active Classroom = Engaged Students."