In collaboration with faculty steering committees, CRLT designs customized workshops and retreats to address an academic unit's specific teaching and learning needs. Departments can also apply for CRLT grants to fund the retreats and to implement plans to improve teaching and learning that develop from such events.

Possible Topics for Retreats or Programs

Innovative Teaching Techniques

Faculty may want to consider new approaches to teaching in their discipline (e.g., problem-based learning, innovative uses of technology, incorporating multicultural content into the curriculum). In collaboration with faculty in the unit, CRLT's consultants can help define the topic, develop resources to support the innovation, describe current best practices, or search for an outside speaker who would provide the necessary expertise in the area in question. CRLTs programs always feature faculty from the unit. In the past, such programs have ranged from half-day workshops to a series of presentations over the course of a month.

Facilitating Exchanges About Current Practice

Faculty in a unit may wish to spend time exchanging strategies and learning more about how their colleagues approach teaching and learning. CRLT can work with faculty to define the issues and then facilitate the discussion itself. Such discussions might also be informed by the results of information collected from undergraduates, graduate students, or alumni about their experiences in the program.

Effective Practices for Evaluating Teaching

CRLT staff can work with academic units to develop sound and useful systems for evaluating teaching. Consultants can provide information and conduct seminars about multiple methods of evaluating teaching, including student ratings, peer observation and peer review of materials, and teaching portfolios.

CRLT • University of Michigan • 1071 Palmer Commons • 100 Washtenaw Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2218
Phone: (734) 764-0505  •  Fax: (734) 647-3600  •  Email: crlt@umich.edu
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