Inclusive Teaching - Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

A room full of instructors seated at round tables with slides projected at the front.

Events

Recap: What Better Teaching Can Do

Dr. David Gooblar (University of Iowa) visited in September to share his research on supporting students through good teaching.

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.

A woman in the center of the picture has a hand up as she makes a point while discussing with two others. In the background are other tables of faculty discussing.

Teaching Resources

Recap: Facilitating Effective Classroom Discussions

On Wednesday, September 2, CETL kicked off our fall workshops with a session on “Facilitating Effective Classroom Discussions: A Tried-and-True Way to Maximize Student Learning and Engagement.” The facilitator for the workshop, CETL Senior Director Josh Eyler, started off by asking attendees to share the most challenging part

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.

A group of people sitting at round tables eating lunch listen to speaker Jessamyn Neuhaus.

Events

Recap: Real Talk about Teaching, with guest speaker Dr. Jessamyn Neuhaus

On Wednesday, October 22, CETL was thrilled to welcome our colleague Dr. Jessamyn Neuhaus to campus. Dr. Neuhaus is Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) and Professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University. We at CETL know her best for her refreshingly honest books

a group of people of various heights and apparent ethnicities is shown standing while facing a blalckboard. We see them from behind, and their arms are linked around one another's shoulder

Events

Recap: Understanding Mental Health from a Learning Perspective

By Brian Wesley Harrington, Graduate Teaching Fellow On October 15, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning hosted a powerful and timely workshop led by Dr. Liz Norell titled “Understanding Mental Health from a Learning Perspective.” The session explored how mental health challenges shape the learning environment and offered

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.