Resources

Long-term content aimed at supporting course design and teaching. 

Welcoming Online Students

Learn the benefits of using a welcome video for an online class to kick-start a great learning partnership.

Small things, big impacts

During the pivot to online in 2020, Professor Roland Vegso prioritized small organizational features that ended up making a big difference for his students.

Scaffold final projects to improve learning

Learned from featured instructor Leah Sandall about how to use the scaffolding technique in teaching

Using Accessibility Checker in Canvas and Office

This presentation focuses on making course materials more accessible and working towards Universal Design for a biology course.

We are TRIO

TRIO is a college access and success program that helps first-generation students earn their college degree.

Implementing Student Choice within an Assignment

Potential benefits of offering student choice include enhancing student engagement and encouraging students to approach assignments as a process of discovery.

Using Movie Analysis to Promote Inclusive Learning

Learn how to assign movies along with academic texts/readings to promote inclusive learning

Motivations For Learning: A Culturally Relevant Approach

Articulate two culturally-informed kinds of motivations students have for learning.

Exercising Empathy and Social Research Practices

Exercising Empathy helps students do away with the self-centric bias” that often creates a pre-set rhetorical agenda.

How to Help Your First-Generation Students Succeed

First-generation students often lack the parental guidance and prior knowledge about how to succeed in college that many of their peers enjoy.

Providing Essential Student Resources in a Robust Orientation Module

Center for Transformative Teaching Instructional Designer, Eyde Olson, explains the creation of an orientation module to help with courses.

Humanizing Your Course: Creating an Inclusive Classroom with a "Liquid Syllabus"

The liquid syllabus is designed to "tell" students, that I, as their instructor, am excited to be a partner with them in their learning.

Impacts of Cognitive Load on Student Learning

This video explains aspects of course design that can contribute to cognitive overload as well as simple things instructors can do to reduce the cognitive load of their students.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources

These resources will help faculty build courses that are more inclusive of the diverse student body at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

What is SoTL?

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a scholarly tradition that involves instructors systematically investigating their own teaching

Getting a SoTL Project Underway

As with other types of research, a SoTL project should begin with a good question

Before You Begin a Project

If you are thinking of starting – or perhaps are already working on – a SoTL project, then consider scheduling a consultation with the Center for Transformative Teaching.

What is formative assessment and feedback?

Formative assessments are typically low- or no-stakes assessments used with the intent of informing the instructor about how well their instructional approach is working.

Proctoring Decision Tree

Considering proctoring exams? Use this helpful decision tree to find the best method to use with your class.

Planning for the first week of classes

This resource page aims to help faculty prepare for the first week of classes.

A Guide to Learning Online

This guide is designed to give students best-practices for approaching their fully or partially online courses.

The CTT Guide for Online & Flexible Hybrid Teaching

Welcome to the Center for Transformative Teaching’s guide to getting started with online instruction

Keep Learning

Thoroughly reading this guide will be a great first step towards finishing this semester the best you possibly can.

Hands-On Learning and Assessment

There is no way to replace the valuable experience that students get in a hands-on course environment, but there are alternatives

Instructional Design Resources

The Center for Transformative has created a variety of resources to support teaching and learning at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Teaching@UNL: A Comprehensive Resource

The Teaching@UNL course in Canvas is designed as a resource for all instructors with teaching resources and updates

Course Structure and Organization

Learn the basics of Canvas such as organizing lesson plans and communicating with students

Examples of SoTL at UNL

SoTL is most valuable as it is built over time and answers important questions and challenges facing academia. Here is how UNL faculty are contributing to this conversation.

Course Planning

A good way to keep course planning from becoming overwhelming is to break the process into steps

Fresh Voices on Large Enrollment Courses

The Fresh Voices sections of the Knute Broady Collection aim to highlight recent publications and the work of emerging scholars

Communication

To keep your students (and perhaps even yourself) from going adrift, regular and supportive communication is critical in an online course.

Evolution and Nature of Science Instruction

Evolution and Nature of Science Instruction: A First-Person Account of Changes in Evolution Instruction Throughout a Career - Lawrence C. Scharmann

Creating a Syllabus

Learn some essential points of your syllabus should include to ensure effective communication to students from the start

Scheduling face-to-face & online sessions using Canvas Scheduler

Instructors need a good way to know who will be online or in the classroom. One tool that addresses this problem rather neatly is the Canvas Calendar.

Fostering Engagement and Community

In an online course, it is easy for students to feel isolated. They are, in most cases, physically isolated from their peers, so intentional community-building is necessary to help counter feelings of remoteness.

Mechanics Education Using Anime

Learn about fluid mechanics education using Japanese anime

Additional Materials

Additional course design materials, part of the Knute Broady Collection.

Assessing Student Learning

Assessing student learning involves asking what your students need to know or be able to do. And, what would be the best evidence of progress?

Student Buy-In Toward Formative Assessments

This resource considers student buy-in toward formative assessments along with there relevancy and importance.

Presentation Style

One of the best ways an instructor can engage their students is by modifying their presentation style

Classroom Technology Tips

For instructors using the General Purpose (GP) Classrooms for teaching this semester. We have a few tips for getting most out of classroom technology.

Inclusive Excellence

When designing courses, either online or in-person, it is essential to remember that not all of our students are the same.

The Visual Representation of Dual Language Education

The Visual Representation of Dual Language Education - Theresa Catalano

Download from Digital Commons

Student Participation

It is important to have an environment that encourages students to engage with the content.

Strategies and Practices for Inclusive Excellence

Use this guide to help you develop inclusive courses and create more welcoming and effective learning environments.

Preparing to Teach Essentials

The following resources will help get the semester off to a good start. 

Knute Broady Collection

The Knute Broady Collection for Improved Pedagogy and the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning aims to support teaching and learning

Suggested Resources

If you would like to further explore topics related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) – these resources are a good place to start.

Additional Materials

TEDx Talks can be an excellent way to see other people engage their students

Inclusiveness in Course Planning

Use this guide to aid you in developing your courses to achieve more welcoming and effective learning environments.