University Teaching from Coursera

University Teaching is an introductory course in teaching and learning in tertiary education, designed by staff at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hong Kong.

With input from instructors, guests and interviewees, including teaching award winners, students, and experts in the fields, you will be exposed to research evidence in relation to effective university teaching and practical instructional design strategies. You will also be exposed to multiple examples of effective teaching, and hear the views of teachers whose teaching has been judged to be excellent.

More specifically, University Teaching will help you to address the following questions:

- What does teaching in higher education involve?

- What does research evidence tell us about effective teaching in higher education?

- How can we ensure that our instructional design will help our students achieve their intended learning outcomes?

- What pedagogic options do we have to make our teaching successful?

- What assessment and feedback practices can help our students learn more effectively?

After completing the learning tasks in this course, you will be able to:

- Discuss the teaching and learning context in higher education and reflect on the potential challenges and opportunities you might encounter.

- Explain key teaching and learning concepts and relevant evidence in relation to effective university teaching.

- Analyse the relationships between various aspects of teaching and student learning.

- Identify a range of instructional strategies to support effective student learning.

- Apply key concepts to the structuring of course outlines and lesson plans in order to create learning experiences to support successful student learning.

Course trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJu-dViz3NE

Course outline: http://www.cetl.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CETL-MOOC-course-outline.pdf

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Introduction

What does it look like teaching in higher education?

This module focuses on a wider scope of what it is like teaching in higher education, such as, what responsibilities are involved, where challenges and opportunities might occur, and how experienced academics approach their teaching development, to help you to think about your teaching role in a broader context.

What does research tell us about effective teaching in higher education?

This module focuses on a selection of established research evidence on effective university teaching in higher education for you to learn what works, what doesn’t, what helps, and what hinders. No overwhelming literature review. These are only selected essentials.

How shall we go about curriculum and instructional design?

This is a practical module where you will be introduced to some key ideas you can immediately apply in your instructional design. You will also hear directly from the founders of one of the concepts in this module, Professor John Biggs and Dr. Catherine Tang.

What pedagogical options can we find from successful examples? – An instructional toolbox

Module 4 presents a range of real instructional examples from different disciplines, hoping to inspire you to design your own course. Depending on your interest and discipline, you are invited to choose three (or more) examples to watch. For almost every example, there are one or two readings for those who are interested in exploring more.

How to design effective assessment?

This module will provide you with some principles and practical examples for designing assessment that is effective and enhances students’ learning. It will introduce the purpose of different types of assessment, the design principles, and a number of exemplary practices.

How to provide constructive and high-impact feedback?

This module will offer advice and strategies on providing constructive and high-impact feedback to students. We will show examples supported by evidence and theories. We will also look at some common concerns among teachers on giving feedback and discuss possible solutions to make feedback manageable and sustainable.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Covers various aspects of teaching in higher education, such as responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities, fostering reflection on teaching roles

Provides a curated selection of established research evidence on effective university teaching, promoting evidence-based instructional practices

Introduces key ideas for instructional design, enabling learners to immediately apply concepts in their teaching approach

Presents real instructional examples from diverse disciplines, inspiring the design of effective and engaging course experiences

Offers principles and practical guidance for designing assessments that enhance student learning, promoting the creation of meaningful and effective evaluations

Provides strategies and advice on giving constructive and high-impact feedback, emphasizing the value of effective communication in the learning process

Reviews summary

Highly rated university teaching course

Learners say that this largely positive course provides engaging assignments, difficult exams, and in-depth readings at a university level. Students appreciate the experienced instructors who offer clear explanations of concepts in well-organized video lectures. They also commend the course for its provision of reading materials that offer scholarly research and practical examples for teaching and assessment. Additionally, learners find the course's focus on student engagement and active learning strategies valuable for improving their teaching practices. Overall, the course is highly recommended for university teachers, new and experienced alike, who seek to enhance their skills and knowledge in university-level teaching.

Emphasizes strategies for active learning and student engagement

"It has helped me become aware of techniques and improving my course outline."

"I met my goals as it provided me a good foundation for university teaching."

"This course is indeed a great help for University teachers like me to upgrade our skills in teaching."

Instructors offer clear explanations and examples

"The lecturers were clear and concise and provided great examples."

"The charts and videos were very helpful."

"The reading material was good at complimenting the lectures."

Course materials are supported by scholarly research

"The course was evidence driven, the reading lists contained many research latest articles which imparted new information."

"All the resources which are provided in this course are really worthy."

"The course provided detailed and novel information about teaching and learning in contemporary higher education."

Provides practical examples and strategies for teaching and assessment

"The course provided detailed and novel information about teaching and learning in contemporary higher education."

"I successfully implemented several methods discussed in this course in my own teaching, assessment, and providing feedback."

"It can be obviously seen there was a great effort in building the course."

Enhance teaching skills and knowledge in higher education

"This course was excellent. Although it says it is a beginner course, the knowledge provided in this course is based upon scholarly research around best teaching practices."

"This course is a must for any university lecturer!"

"This is a well-structured, highly organized, theoretically reach, and practically useful course about teaching at the University level."

Provides optional reading materials for further exploration

"The readings are essential but optional(?)"

"That doesn't make sense."

"All in all there were lots of good ideas for teaching at the university level."

May include too much text in videos and lack downloadable PDFs

"Too much referencing to articles, and text in the videos."

"I mean, either make a good video or give us reading material."

"I want to express my appreciation for the course; it was truly enjoyable and highly informative."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in University Teaching with these activities:

Review research on effective teaching

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Update your knowledge on evidence-based teaching practices.

Browse courses on Teaching and Learning

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Identify relevant research papers or articles on teaching.
Read and synthesize the key findings of the research.

Seek a mentor in your field

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Connect with experienced educators for guidance and support.

Browse courses on Teaching and Learning

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Identify potential mentors who align with your teaching goals.
Reach out to them and express your interest in mentorship.

Create a resource repository

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Build a collection of valuable resources for effective teaching.

Browse courses on Instructional Design

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Gather resources such as lesson plans, handouts, and online materials.
Organize the resources into a central location for easy access.

Five other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all eight activities

Review: The Teaching Gap by James M. Lang

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Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities in teaching higher education.

View Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education (Sage... on Amazon

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Read Chapter 1: The Teaching Gap
Reflect on your own teaching experiences and identify areas where you can improve.

Attend a virtual study group

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Get support and feedback from fellow learners.

Browse courses on University Teaching

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Join an online study group relevant to the course.
Participate actively in discussions and share your insights.

Attend a workshop on effective assessment

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Gain practical strategies for designing and implementing effective assessments.

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Identify a workshop that aligns with your teaching needs.
Attend the workshop and actively engage in the activities.

Create a teaching portfolio

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Compile and showcase your teaching skills and experiences.

Browse courses on Curriculum Design

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Gather evidence of your teaching practices, such as lesson plans, student feedback, and course materials.
Organize the evidence into sections that demonstrate your strengths and areas for improvement.

Mentor a student teacher

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Share your knowledge and pengalaman with aspiring teachers.

Browse courses on Teaching and Learning

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Reach out to your department or local schools to find mentoring opportunities.
Provide guidance and support to the student teacher on teaching methods and classroom management.

Career center

Learners who complete University Teaching will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Postsecondary Teacher

A Postsecondary Teacher provides instruction and support to students enrolled in higher education programs. Oftentimes, Postsecondary Teachers lecture to students and provide interactive learning experiences. Graduates of University Teaching who become Postsecondary Teachers can contribute to the development of pedagogical strategies for successful teaching and learning.

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Education Consultant

An Education Consultant provides advice and support to educational institutions and organizations on a variety of issues related to teaching and learning. Graduates of University Teaching who become Education Consultants can offer expertise in university teaching practices to their clients.

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Curriculum Developer

A Curriculum Developer designs, develops, and implements educational programs. Graduates of University Teaching seeking to become a Curriculum Developer can leverage the knowledge and skills they gained from this course on curriculum design to create effective learning experiences.

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Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers develop, implement, and evaluate instructional programs, and learning materials to support effective student learning. Graduates of University Teaching who become Instructional Designers can use instructional design strategies to build an effective learning experience that caters to the needs of a specific audience.

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Instructional Coach

An Instructional Coach provides support to teachers in improving their teaching practices. Graduates of University Teaching who become Instructional Coaches can use their knowledge of research evidence in relation to effective university teaching to support other educators.

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Academic Advisor

An Academic Advisor provides academic and career counseling to students. Graduates of University Teaching who become Academic Advisors can apply their understanding of curriculum and instructional design to help students plan their academic careers.

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Learning and Development Specialist

A Learning and Development Specialist develops and implements training programs for employees. Graduates of University Teaching who become Learning and Development Specialists can apply their knowledge of instructional design to create effective training materials.

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Dean

A Dean oversees the management of an academic unit. Graduates of University Teaching who become a Dean can provide support to faculty members seeking to enhance their teaching skills.

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Learning Specialist

A Learning Specialist provides support to students with learning differences. Graduates of University Teaching who become Learning Specialists can use their understanding of effective teaching and learning to help meet the needs of students with diverse learning needs.

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Instructional Technologist

An Instructional Technologist designs, develops, and implements instructional technologies. Graduates of University Teaching who seek to become Instructional Technologists can use their understanding of instructional design to improve the use of technology to support learning.

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Educational Psychologist

An Educational Psychologist studies the psychology of learning and teaching. Graduates of University Teaching seeking to become an Educational Psychologist can use the knowledge they gain from their study of research evidence on effective teaching to inform their research and practice.

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Educational Researcher

An Educational Researcher conducts research on teaching and learning. Graduates of University Teaching who become Educational Researchers can use their understanding of research methods to design and conduct research studies on effective teaching practices.

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Higher Education Administrator

A Higher Education Administrator manages the operations of an institution of higher education. Graduates of University Teaching who become Higher Education Administrators can use their understanding of teaching and learning to inform their decision-making.

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Teacher Educator

A Teacher Educator prepares teachers to enter the profession.

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Chief Learning Officer

A Chief Learning Officer oversees the learning and development function of an organization.

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