A column in The New York Times this past February, titled “How to Hold Colleges Accountable,” had several suggestions for making higher education more effective, but at the top of the list was “quality of teaching.” Noting that most professors come from Ph.D. programs where there’s much more emphasis on research than pedagogy, the co-authors lamented the lack of training, evaluation, and assessment that college professors receive when it comes to teaching.  

Well, Georgia Tech is on it — and actually has been for some time.

The Institute’s Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), founded in 1986, provides “development, assessment, and support” to “enhance the teaching and learning environment.” Throughout the year, CETL offers workshops, learning communities, brown-bag luncheons, individual consultations, learning technology support, and more, serving not only faculty but also graduate students, teaching assistants, and postdoctoral fellows.

Every spring, CETL hosts Celebrating Teaching Day, and the unit also play a key role in the faculty awards selection process. At this year’s Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon, held April 17, CETL honored 18 faculty members specifically for their teaching effectiveness. All of these awards include a monetary prize, funded by various endowments and grants.

Tris Utschig, Assistant Director of the Office of Assessment and Academic Professional with a joint appointment with Nuclear & Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics, received the Curriculum Innovation Award.

The Curriculum Innovation Award recognizes faculty who are improving the quality of education at Georgia Tech through pedagogical and curricular innovation and who show evidence that the innovation has been evaluated and has improved student learning and/or the student experience.

Watch as Tris Utschig and other Georgia Tech faculty members share their teaching strategies.