Teaching & Learning Cooperative
Mission
The mission of the North Park University Teaching and Learning Cooperative (NPU-TLC) is to cultivate best practices for effective pedagogy, instructional technology and student learning.
In order to achieve this mission, the NPU-TLC
- supports faculty in efforts of teaching and learning;
- offers faculty development opportunities focused on effective teaching and learning, including workshops, book groups, and discussions throughout the semester; and
- collaborates with other NPU units (e.g., School of Education, the Academic Technology Committee, etc.) to promote improvements in teaching and learning.
Events
The TLC hosts a faculty reading group each semester, a summer workshop with two possible attendance options (May and August), and one-time workshops as requested for the faculty retreat, professional development day or special events. The TLC also sponsors Monday Morning Mentor, a weekly 20-minute webinar on teaching during the academic year.
The TLC welcomes participation from from full-time faculty, adjunct instructors, and staff at NPU who are teaching, or are interested in teaching.
Teaching is enhanced when teachers talk about teaching! The TLC facilitates a teaching community by offering books groups each semester for interested instructors. Contact the TLC Director for the latest topic.
Our Book List
Active Learning (Magna)
Creating Engaging Discussion (Herman & Nilson)
Engaging Imagination (Brookfield)
Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning (Davis & Arend)
Geeky Pedagogy (Neuhaus)
Grading Strategies for the College Classroom (Magna)
Hitting Pause (Rice)
Introduction to Rubrics (Stevens & Levi)
Learner-Centered Teaching (Weimer)
Power of Mindful Learning (Langer)
Specifications Grading (Nilson)
Supporting College and University Students with Invisible Disabilities (Oslund)
Teaching for Experiential Learning (Wurdinger & Carlson)
The Spark of Learning (Cavanaugh)
Whistling Vivaldi (Steele)
The TLC summer workshop invites faculty to join together to work on a current teaching topic through reading of a text and workshop activities outside of the busy weeks of the semester. Participants critically reflect on teaching and engage with peers in discussion of teaching. Successful participants make a positive change to their teaching methods or strategies following the workshop. Contact the TLC Director for the latest topic.
Previous Sessions
Teaching at Its Best (Nilson)
What the Best College Students Do (Bain)
Teaching Naked (Bowen)
Engaging Diversity in Undergraduate Classrooms (Lee et al.)
Assessing and Improving your Teaching (Blumberg)
Small Teaching (Lang)
Teaching for Experiential Learning (Wurdinger & Carlson)
Cheating Lessons (Lang)
Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone (Tobin & Behling)
Why They Can’t Write (Warner)
A webinar series by Magna Publications, Monday Morning Mentor delivers 20-minute programs each Monday. “Week in and week out, these programs, presented by respected academic peers, cover timely and relevant topics in only 20 minutes—long enough to provide actionable insights, but short enough to fit anyone’s schedule.”
Recommended Reading
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Blumberg, P. (2013). Assessing and improving your teaching : Strategies and rubrics for faculty growth and student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Davis, B. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses (Revised and updated). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nilson, L. B. (2016). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (4th edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Svinicki, M., McKeachie, W., & Nicol, D. (2014). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (Fourteenth ed.). Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Weimer, M. (2010). Inspired college teaching: A career-long resource for professional growth. San Franscico: Jossey-Bass