We are pleased to welcome CEU doctoral students to a new year of courses at the Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research.
Whether you are starting as a Teaching Assistant this year, thinking about teaching a course, or preparing for the job market, the Center offers a range of doctoral student courses that can be taken individually or as part of the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education.
This year, we are excited to introduce two new elective courses covering mentorship in academia (fall) and the use of AI in higher education classrooms (spring). They complement other recently introduced or revised electives on the history and contexts of university teaching (fall), democratic and inclusive teaching (winter), and interactive teaching (spring). We have also introduced changes to simplify the Certificate structure, reducing the number of requirements to 7 US credits (14 ECTS), which is 4 courses on average.
Read below to find out more information about these changes and a brief description of how to complete the Certificate.
How to start the Teaching Certificate?
While you can also begin with an elective course that captures your interest, most people start with “Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education” (2 credits), a thorough introduction to planning and teaching a class, from setting learning outcomes and facilitating discussions to grading and using learning technologies.
Alternatively, “Getting Started as a TA” (1-credit) offers a shorter, practical introduction to the essentials of being a Teaching Assistant, such as working with technology, grading, and responding to common concerns. You can then continue with “Getting Started Teaching,” a 1-credit course focused on designing and teaching a session. Together, these two courses provide an equivalent to the 2-credit Foundations course.
Ready to design your own course?
After you complete the steps above, "Learning by Design" can help you develop a complete course step-by-step, from creating a syllabus and learning outcomes to designing meaningful assessments and incorporating inclusive learning strategies.
Interested in trying a new elective?
We offer a range of elective courses so you have a choice in how to fulfill the 2 credits of electives in the Teaching Certificate.
This fall, "History and Contexts of University Teaching" (2 credits) examines the variety of universities around the world and the contexts in which different forms of teaching arise and are practiced, including lecturing, oral exams, written assessments, lab work, and more. If you ever wondered why your educational experience was the way it was, want to teach in a new higher education system, or think through alternatives, this is a chance to read and reflect on the larger contexts that shape teaching.
Alternatively, our new course, "Mentoring and Student Needs" (1 credit) is designed to support doctoral students who mentor others or who are generally interested in how educators can support students' development through mentoring, supervision, and structured attention to needs.
In the winter, look out for our most popular elective, "Democratic and Inclusive Teaching" (2 credits), which merges democratic theory with concrete practices educators can adopt. In the spring, we are pleased to introduce "Teaching and Artificial Intelligence" (1 credit), aimed at adapting your courses to the new AI landscape. Together, we critically reflect on developments, trends, and narratives surrounding AI in the higher education classroom. Alternatively, "Interactive Teaching, Learning, and Assessment" (2 credits) recently expanded and updated our longest running elective, exploring hands-on and creative practices for greater student engagement and impact.
If you have more than 2 credits from the Getting Started or Foundations courses, you can also count them as electives.
Want to complete the Teaching Certificate?
Once you have completed the required foundational courses (either Foundations or Getting Started I and II), Learning by Design, and one or two electives (2 credits, total), you finish with "Creating a Teaching Portfolio." In this capstone, 1-credit course, you reflect on what you have done in previous courses, write a teaching philosophy statement, explore supervision strategies, and combine all your materials into one portfolio that can be used when applying for teaching opportunities inside or outside CEU.
Find out more about the courses and the Teaching Certificate
Current course schedules can be found on the Yehuda Elkana Center Sharepoint site [login required]. Additional information about the Teaching Certificate can be found on the Center’s website. Registration for the fall term is open through September 21 via SITS [login required]. Advance registration for winter and spring terms is also open at the same time and then will reopen in advance of the term, itself.
Have questions about the courses or the Certificate? Feel free to reach out to us at elkanacenter@ceu.edu.