Yale Center for Teaching and Learning

Teaching Excellence at Yale

Teaching Excellence at Yale, a regular communication distributed to all faculty during the academic year, highlights teaching practices of individual faculty members from across departments and schools, supplemented with relevant research and resources that are available to instructors through the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning.

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Lecturing with Steven Smith

Lecturing elegantly and effectively requires a deft balance between raising intellectual stakes for students and speaking in everyday language.

Using Small Groups in Large Classes with Helen Caines

Taking time to replicate the processes of scientific discourse in small groups can transform learning potential in large classes.

Using Audio Portfolios as a Means for Assessing Student Progress with Angela Lee-Smith

Instructors can provide better feedback when they hear frequent recordings of their students’ language development.

Co-Teaching in a Clinical Setting with Patrice O'Neill-Wilhelm & Sharen McKay

When a scientist and a clinician teach together, students are able to “see” the science at work in their future patients.

Difficult Topics in the Classroom with Hedy Kober

When a scientist and a clinician teach together, students are able to “see” the science at work in their future patients.

Critical Reading of Scientific Literature with Michael Koelle

Successfully teaching students to “think like scientists” means teaching them new critical reading skills and providing them with opportunities to practice with peers.

Partially Flipped Large Lectures with Kyle Jensen

Partially 'flipping' a large lecture class enables faculty to restructure class time to make room for engagement.

Experiential Learning with Maria Trumpler

Experiential learning creates opportunities for students to understand course concepts from multiple points of view and offers a rewarding environment outside of the classroom

Acting in Immunobiology with Paula Kavathas

Acting in an immunobiology class increases student engagement and retention of new concepts.

Flexible Teaching Spaces with Heather Klemann

Flexible teaching spaces offer pedagogical advantages: Teaching in CTL classrooms

Classroom Polling with Patrick Holland

Classroom polling offers opportunities for active student participation in large classes.

Primary Sources with Bruce Gordon and Joel Baden

Co-teaching with rare and primary sources benefits student learning.

Case-Based Learning with Marney White

Case studies help students learn to collaborate while applying knowledge to public issues.

Law Clinics with Muneer Ahmad

Experiential learning in law clinics fosters critical and social thinking.

Course Design with Jami Carlacio

Clearly organized courses promote learning through engagement and reflection.

Student Inquiry with Aimee Meredith Cox

Encouraging bold inquiry helps students become independent thinkers.

Student Collaboration with Joseph Wolenski

Student collaboration promotes social and academic literacy.

Student Self-Reflection with Marta Figlerowicz and Ayesha Ramachandran

Self-reflection helps students engage thoughtfully with peers and content.