Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment cultivates a community of inquiry and practice to promote excellent teaching, learning, and scholarship in the liberal arts. We nurture the learning environment of Grinnell College by fostering conversation and reflection at the intersection of pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructional design, and academic technologies. We advance practices of teaching and learning that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the best available evidence.

Community Friday, March 28: “Writing Mentors,” with Tisha Turk, Director of Academic Support for Writing and Speaking

HSSC A1231, noon to 1 p.m.

Please join us for the next Community Friday on March 28th. We will be joined by Tisha Turk, Director of Academic Support for Writing and Speaking. More information will be provided when available.

In the meantime, the CTLA wishes the campus community a happy spring break!

New Definition of Teaching Excellence Approved by Faculty

The Presidential Task Force on Evaluating Teaching Excellence proposed that the faculty endorse a new definition of teaching excellence and recommended that the Dean of the College use this definition in faculty reviews. The following definition was approved in the spring of 2024.

While teaching methods vary by discipline and instructor, broadly speaking, excellent teachers do the following:

Expertise	They build, maintain, and effectively apply expertise for the courses they teach;
Inclusive Teaching	They foster inclusive and engaging learning environments;
Learning Goals	They clearly and effectively communicate to students learning goals and expectations that align with relevant departmental, disciplinary, or institutional learning outcomes;
Pedagogy	They use pedagogies that are appropriate for the learning goals and context;
Feedback to Students	They respond to student work in a substantive, timely, and individualized way for the purposes of information and improving the learning experiences of students; and
Reflection	They engage in a reflective process to enhance their teaching practices.

Community Friday with Joseph Tucker Edmonds

Spring 2025 Community Fridays

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Humanities and Social Studies Center, Room A1231 from noon to 1 p.m. Lunch is served beginning at 11:45 a.m.

Jan. 24: “The Prehistory of Affirmative Action at Grinnell College,” with Dan Kaiser, professor emeritus of history.
Feb. 7: “Faculty and Staff Advising Partnerships," with Joyce Stern, dean for student success and academic advising, and faculty/staff panelists.
Feb. 14: “Open Table Conversation”
Feb. 21: “Faculty/Staff Involvement with Non-Profits,” with Monica Chavez-Silva, vice president of community engagement and strategic planning; Ross Haenfler, professor of sociology; Roger Henderson, field placement and licensing oordinator in education; and Mike Guenther, associate professor of history.
Feb. 28: “Mental Health First Aid Training at Grinnell,” with Alexis Steele, manager of operations, SHAW.
March 7: “GrinnBooks: Preparing for Grinnell's New All-Access Textbook Program,” with Brad Lindberg, associate vice president of institutional initiatives and enrollment; Cassie Wherry, manager, Pioneer Bookstore; and Andi Tracy, associate dean for student academic life. [this event will be held in JRC 101]
March 28: “Writing Mentors,” with Tisha Turk, director of academic support for writing and speaking.
April 4: “Canvas: Using the New Learning Management System,” with Gina Donovan, LMS administrator. [this event will be held in JRC 101]
April 11: “Getting Real with Assessment,” with Vanessa Preast, associate director of the CTLA.
April 18: “Summer Research Programming in the Libraries,” with Phil Jones, associate professor, humanities librarian, and coordinator of research services.
April 25: “Institute for Global Engagement Programs,” with Ashley Laux, Brigittine French, and Susie Duke, IGE.
May 2: “Laetitia Moon Conard: Community Activist and Teacher,” with Susan Ferguson, director of the CTLA, and students.
May 9: “Philanthropy and the Academic Mission of the College,” with Anne Harris, president, and Bernadine Douglas, vice president for development and alumni relations.

Faculty Resources

Dean’s Office
Teaching Resource Library
Academic Advising: Adviser’s Handbook
Syllabus Design Guidelines [PDF]
The Grinnell College Guide to Writing, Research, and Speaking [PDF]
Sites@Grinnell (web hosting and digital publishing provided by DLAC)
CTLA Grinnell Share Site (requires Grinnell network login)

Discussion at Teaching with Technology Fair

GCIEL/Digital Studio Workshop Series on Immersive Technologies

Faculty, students, and staff at Grinnell College are warmly invited to participate in our dynamic drop-in workshop series, where you’ll explore cutting-edge immersive technology tools and techniques for academic and creative endeavors. Each hands-on session provides practical insights and creative tools tailored for diverse academic disciplines, from history and archaeology to media studies and environmental science. Whether you’re new to these technologies or looking to refine your expertise, this series offers something for everyone. Join us to unlock innovative approaches for teaching, research, and creative exploration.

All workshops will take place in the Digital Studio in Burling Library from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

January 31: 3D Scanning
This workshop introduces participants to 3D scanning for cultural heritage visualization and digital reconstruction. Topics include standards for processing scans, cataloging practices, and creating interactive 3D models. Participants will use tools such as the RevoPoint Mini 2 3D Scanner, Creaform Academia 3D scanner, VXelements, Sketchfab, WordPress, and ArcGIS StoryMaps to explore these techniques. Learn how to connect these technologies to academic research and curricula.
February 21: 3D Printing
Learn to process and optimize 3D scans for printing in this workshop, with an emphasis on cleaning, decimating, and preparing models for use in academic and creative projects. The session covers locating existing scans online and working with Tinkercad and Sketchfab, alongside 3D printers in the Digital Studio. Discussions will focus on applications for science and humanities, including exporting compatible file formats like FBX, OBJ, and STL.
March 28: 360 Degree Images/Video
This session explores creating immersive 360-degree media for educational and research purposes. Participants will work with the Insta360 X3 camera and edit footage using WeVideo, covering essential techniques for downloading, processing, and enhancing 360 images and videos. The workshop also discusses hosting and viewing platforms, including Stornaway.io, and applications in teaching and research.
April 4: Spatial Audio
Delve into spatial audio recording and editing to create immersive soundscapes for projects in anthropology, media studies, and more. Using Zoom H1n handheld recorders and Audacity, participants will learn to capture, transfer, and refine audio for interactive media and storytelling. This workshop will also explore platforms for hosting recordings and their integration into Grinnell curricula.
April 25: Interactive Immersive Storytelling with Stornaway.io
Discover the potential of Stornaway.io, a platform for creating interactive narratives and simulations. Topics include crafting branching stories, interactive 360 storytelling, and educational learning modules. Participants will integrate tools such as Audacity, WeVideo, Zoom H1n handheld recorders, and the Insta360 X3 camera to develop their projects. Learn to bring engaging, interactive storytelling into academic and creative contexts.

Support the development of teachers and learners through consultations, tutorials, and workshops at the course and curricular levels
Build a culture of reflection, engagement, and celebration around liberal arts teaching and learning through programming such as Community Friday lunch and the annual Teaching with Technology Fair
Welcome new faculty members to the Grinnell College learning community through New Faculty Orientation and ongoing programs of faculty development
Promote assessment of course, department, and college-wide learning outcomes through consultations and reviews of department-level assessment practices

Integrate established and emerging digital technologies, methods, and practices into teaching, learning, and scholarship through the Digital Liberal Arts Collaborative
Administer major elements of the digital campus infrastructure for teaching and learning, such as the Sites@Grinnell platform for web hosting and digital publishing
Provide training and support for classroom technologies and hardware/software applications such as video and audio production and Blackboard, the learning management system
Collaborate with campus partners such as the Libraries, ITS, and DASIL, and coordinate campus-wide initiatives such as the Innovation Fund Grant and the co-led Vivero Digital Fellows program

Contact Information

Phone

641-269-3020

Humanities and Social Studies Center, S1370
1226 Park Street
Grinnell, IA 50112
United States