“No one has ever asked me what I want students to remember 5 years from now. That was SUCH a helpful place to start to really highlight the aspects of content/process/learning that are most important to me. ”

“I already mostly planned using backward design (though I didn’t know that phrase before this week!). But this institute taught me to be deliberate and intentional about doing that.”

“My first experience designing my portion of a course was a bit of a struggle. However, after attending the Summer Institute, I feel that I have a better sense of direction, and have more resources when it’s time to design my own course! I’m actually excited to create my own syllabus!”

About the Institute

Co-facilitated by the TLC and the Center for Education Innovation and Learning in the Sciences (CEILS), the Summer Institute offers training on effective evidence-based teaching strategies and active learning. This four-day learning opportunity includes facilitated workshop sessions where instructors will practice innovative instructional approaches to increase student engagement and learning in your classroom. Instructors will work together in small groups to design a “teachable tidbit,” a brief course module with engaging activities and assessments to meet a course’s learning objectives.

Eligible instructors selected to participate will receive $500, payable to a research or professional development fund, and all participants will earn a certificate of completion. A record of participation can be included in instructors’ dossiers as evidence of efforts to improve teaching, as well as an activity that promotes inclusive excellence in education. Efforts in this area are recognized as a component of the promotion and tenure process at UCLA (see APM 210-1).

The Summer Institute is UCLA’s iteration of the National Academies Summer Institute, started at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2004. Since coming to campus in 2016, the program has expanded beyond STEM disciplines to include social sciences and humanities instructors, creating an interdisciplinary setting for advancing teaching excellence.