Course Design - Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

A student with shaggy black hair, glasses, and a sweater is shown holding up a Chemistry worksheet and pencil as they attempt to complete an in-class assignment.

Assignments

Recap: Effective and Compassionate Strategies for Low- and No-Tech Assessments

A CETL session exploring oral exams and in-class writing gave UM instructors ideas on supporting learning in the age of AI.

A dark skinned wheelchair user with long hair and a beanie sits at a small table, using their laptop to participate in a video meeting that is being live captioned.

Course Design

Recap: Answering Your Most Pressing Disability / Accessibility Questions

Dr. Liz Norell answered pressing questions about accessibility, shared UM’s myriad resources for instructors, and shed light on the accommodations process.

Three people at a table draped in blue: Joel Amidon (a white man w/plaid shirt), Nicole Roberson (a white woman w/red shirt), and Candies Winfun-Cook (a Black woman w/multicolor shirt).

Course Design

Recap: The K-12 Landscape and College Student Preparation

On Wednesday, September 16, CETL hosted a panel on “The K-12 Landscape and College Student Preparation,” moderated by our Senior Director Dr. Josh Eyler. Panelists Dr. Joel Amidon, Dr. Nicole Roberson, and Dr. Candies Winfun-Cook were asked what a college student in 2026 might be like, how this

Marvin King, a Black instructor in a white quarter-zip shirt, sits at his desk. A student in a chair facing him is shown. She has long dark hair.

Alternative Grading

Talking It Out: Why I Switched to Oral Final Exams

One professor shares how he experimented with a new format for his classes’ final exams. While exhausting, Dr. Marvin King found the process to be deeply rewarding and worth continuing in discussion-heavy courses.

Medical workspace with laptop, molecules, and stethoscope on green background.

Course Design

I thought adding theory would create barriers. Instead, it removed them.

In this guest blog post, Dr. Kristen Alley Swain shares a reflection on how adding theory boosted students’ performance and empowered greater understanding.

Events

Recap: Welcome Week takeaways

CETL offered multiple opportunities for instructors to plan for an engaging fall semester ahead. Here are a few of our key takeaways.

A woman in a deep red long-sleeved button-down shirt is talking to others at a round table with a blue tablecloth. The room is seen in the background with a crowd of people engaging similarly

Events

CETL Fall 2026 Programming Preview

We at CETL are excited for another year of connecting with UM instructors to facilitate honest and useful conversations about teaching.

Three adults sit at a table in a white industrial space. They have books and notebooks open in front of them. No digital devices are in view.

Course Design

Recap: Analog Approaches in the Age of AI

Designing learning environments that encourage student thinking and learning requires intentionality. Three professors share how they’re approaching teaching in the age of AI.

Flower Darby speaks. Behind her and projected on the wall is a slide that reads, "Enjoyment promotes intrinsic and extrinsic motivation."

Course Design

Recap: Harness the Science of Emotion in the Age of AI with Flower Darby

Drawing on affective neuroscience, Flower Darby provides several ideas for engaging students and deepening learning.

Four college students are in a classroom with a chalkboard in the background and single desks + chairs arranged in rows. Two of the people are giving each other a high five.

Inclusive Teaching

Recap: When and Why Students Participate in Class

Understanding common barriers to classroom engagement can help instructors create many ways for students to participate in class--and boost student learning.

The University of Mississippi Grove is shown under a light dusting of snow.

Teaching Resources

Recap: Teaching in Light of Delays

Read key takeaways from a Q&A about revamping our course calendars after two weeks of campus closure.

A white woman with long brown hair, wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and canvas shoes, sits on a step in front of a white pillar while reading, pen in hand.

Assignments

Recap: When and Why Do Students Read for Class?

One possible hurdle preventing students from completing course reading assignments is the gap between the reading skills of students and those of their instructors.