The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is a premier source for modern learning, instruction, and support in technology education.
An all-encompassing resource center for UTHSC faculty and instructional staff, the center hosts events designed for faculty and staff to share expertise and explore innovations in the pursuit of teaching excellence. It also collaborates with faculty, staff, and administration to develop and sustain a culture that encourages and rewards excellence in teaching, holding true to its mission and strategic plan of “developing outstanding health care and research professionals by promoting, empowering and recognizing excellence and innovation in teaching and learning.“
“We are faculty-centered and activity-based, committed to collaboration with and support of faculty to achieve their teaching and learning outcomes,” said Karen Shader, PhD, associate director of the TLC “Each faculty member has a unique end in mind, situation, and preference.
Dr. Shader said the staff of the center hopes to raise campus awareness of its services. ”We aim to bring more focus to the TLC, so that people will know who we are and what we do and know. We are here to help with faculty’s teaching experiences and student success.”
Services the center offers include developing and offering wide-ranging training on all of the academic technologies supported by the university, and helping instructors use technology that will keep students engaged and give them the ability to receive information in a way that is meaningful. Also offered are, faculty development workshops, webinars, training sessions, and assistance in the designing of courses by instructional designers providing personalized and confidential consultation and assistance.
Some examples are:
• Assessing and improving teaching through confidential consultations
• Reviewing and discussing options for course design and instructional material.
• Reviewing a course syllabus to ensure it meets university/college requirements, including course schedules and refining learning objectives/outcomes to clarify what the students are expected to accomplish.
• Exploring, researching and selecting teaching methods, assignments and exams that will meet learning objectives, instructor preferences, instructional challenges and goals.
• Creating and updating online/eLearning courses to meet nationally recognized quality standards, including course overview and introduction, learning objectives, assessment and measurement, instructional materials, learner interaction and engagement, course technology, learner support, and accessibility.
• Developing engaging course schedules – a course map that guides the learning process and includes weekly topics, assignments and assessments.
The Teaching and Learning Center is located at 920 Madison Avenue, Suite 424. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu/tlc or call (901) 448-1218.