Teaching Circles
Teaching Circles Initiative
Teaching Circles Overview
A teaching circle (TC) is a supportive community of about 3-5 instructors who come together to explore a specific topic or theme related to best practices in teaching and learning. TC members will experiment with new instructional approaches, engage in collaborative research, and participate in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) related to the group's specific topic. All TCs will be paired with a larger community of individuals with a common goal or topic (see topic groups ).
Participants in UHD Teaching circles will enjoy opportunities to:
- Experiment with new teaching and learning strategies.
- Network and interact with colleagues who share an interest in a specific pedagogical question or issue.
- Collaborate within and across disciplines.
- Increase student learning and academic success.
- Access resources and funding for TC activities such as attending a webinar, purchasing materials, cost for a QM course review, etc. (Up to $1,000/year/TC)
- Receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the preliminary report (see important dates below) for professional development needs, such as travel to present findings.
Approximately 35-50 faculty participate in 10-12 Teaching Circles each academic year, with some yielding productive Course Innovation Initiative awards or even external grants, such as the Steelcase Education Active Learning Center Grant earned through a collaboration of the CTLE and a mathematics faculty teaching circle. UHD was one of four institutions nationwide to receive this grant in 2019, which includes installation of a new active learning classroom. For other examples of circle projects, please use the left menu to navigate to a list of descriptions and deliverables organzied by academic year.
Application Process
Eligibility: Any full-time or part-time instructor at the University of Houston-Downtown may apply. If you are interested in renewing funding for an active teaching circle, it is important that your application address the results of the previous year and outline new goals or a rationale for continued focus on previous goals.
Application: (see below): Complete by recruiting a group of 3-5 colleagues and proposing the formation of a TC that fits within one of the topic groups described (topic groups change each year). A team lead should be designated. Additional individuals can be added but it is recommended that teaching circles not get too large (less than 8-10). Proposals should outline specific goals/tasks, deliverables, and a detailed budget, as outlined in the application form.
Budget: The application form includes a template budget that can and should be modified. The standard template includes a $500 stipend for five TC members plus fringe benefits (20% of stipend) plus $1,000 for TC related expenses. Applicants can modify this budget for their purposes while keeping the total amount less than or equal to $4,000. For example, you may want to have a 6 member team and include a stipend for the extra member by reducing the TC-related expenses category. Or, you might provide a larger stipend for members that carry a greater responsibility.
Signatures: All applications must be accompanied by a signature page with the signatures of all TC members, and the signatures of the department chair and dean for the college in which the team lead resides.
Responsibilities of TC Members:
- Prepare for, attend, and actively participate in all TC meetings.
- As part of the final report due June 30 each year, submit an individual deliverable such as a teaching activity description, peer observation approach, revised course syllabus, etc.
- Submit a reflective analysis of the TC experience and respond to a CTLE survey.
Responsibilities of the TC:
- Using the approaches and tools described in your TC proposal, evaluate the effectiveness of a given teaching and learning strategy related to the TC topic in terms of student outcomes (e.g. learning, engagement, academic performance, retention, etc.).
- Attend and contribute to discussions during monthly gatherings of TC groups that are studying the same topic.
- Submit a preliminary report on the group's results and findings by the given due date.
- Share the group's work with a larger audience by giving a presentation (either on the UHD campus or at an external forum), by providing resource materials on the topic of the TC for the larger teaching community, by publishing findings, or by some other means to be agreed upon with the CTLE Director.
- Submit a final report due June 30 each year.
Responsibilities of the CTLE:
- Provide and host workshops and training related to the TC topic groups.
- Provide resources and meeting space for TC activities.
- Provide funding for requested TC-related training and materials, and continuing individual professional development.
- List active circles on the CTLE website and highlight TC accomplishments.
Contact
Please direct all questions about teaching circles or the application process to the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, ctle@uhd.edu.
Teaching Circle Topic Groups
- Online Course Design and Content Delivery
Teaching Circles in this group will focus on implementing and evaluating specific evidence-based online teaching and course design strategies. These might be strategies for effective online group work, utilizing instructional video, encouraging academic integrity, or creating an intuitive and well-organized course design. A review of the workshop topics offered by the Online Learning Consortium is a good way to identify other possible circle ideas in this topic group.
- Integrating Academic Support Services:
At UHD, students have access to many support services such as the Academic Support Center or Supplemental Instruction program. The focus of this topic group will be on the integration of these services into course design and content delivery. This might include approaches for enhancing course design or reinforcing learning success strategies as part of content coverage. - Trauma-Informed Teaching
Uncertainty and stress make teaching and learning more difficult. Beginning with being mindful of our own well-being as educators, trauma-informed teaching involves 1. creating a safe environment by reducing uncertainty for students, 2. developing connection by cultivating community, and 3. providing care and support by prioritizing well-being and reflection. Circles in this group will focus on exploring and implementing specific strategies to accomplish one or more of these objectives. Learn more about Trauma-Informed Teaching here. - Flexible Instructional Frameworks
An instructional framework is a set of pedagogical strategies shown to be effective in various contexts. They can be adapted according to individual teaching styles. A good framework is 1. Evidence-based, 2. Structured, 3. Flexible, 4. Transferable, and 5. Logical. Examples of frameworks include Team-Based Learning (TBL), Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, Peer Instruction, and the list goes on. Faculty in one of these circles will explore ways to adapt a specific framework or part of a framework to their teaching style and context. - Innovative Course Design
Teaching Circles in this topic group will develop, implement, and/or assess best practices and innovation in course design that support improved student engagement, motivation, and learning. These efforts might provide a foundation on which to organize a larger scale course redesign project as part of the CTLE program called the Course Innovation Initiative (CI2). TCs in this group should focus on integration of evidence-based teaching strategies into specific target courses to address specific challenges.