Stanford
Center for Teaching and Learning

Workshops & Courses

CTL's Graduate Teaching Programs offers a suite of workshops that we can bring to your department or program.  

Request a Grad Workshop from CTL

Student Workshop

When you request a workshop from Graduate Teaching Programs, a trained Graduate Teaching Consultant or CTL staff member will visit your group's regularly scheduled meeting to lead a workshop for your group. All workshops are available remotely or in-person. They are also available in durations from 50-90 minutes. We do ask that you request a workshop at least three weeks prior to your proposed date. Fulfillment of requests is subject to availability

Questions?

Contact Amanda Modell, Associate Director, Graduate Teaching Programs, for more information or to request a workshop for your department.

amodell at stanford dot edu
408 Panama Mall

Supporting Student Learning in STEM Sections

In this workshop, we will discuss what makes an effective learning environment and consider challenges to student participation. We will highlight specific strategies to promote active learning and equitable student participation in the classroom, with a focus on discussion sections.

Facilitating Discussions in Social Sciences and Humanities

In this workshop, we will review key principles for leading discussion sections in the social sciences and humanities. We will particularly focus on how to develop effective discussion questions and provide examples of potential lesson plans.

Facilitating Office Hours and Review Sessions

In this workshop, we will cover strategies for structuring and running effective and equitable office hours and review sessions. We will discuss asking questions as a teaching strategy and apply learning strategies to solve common challenges/questions regarding office hours. We will also share ideas for holding efficient review sessions.

Grading Problem Sets, Labs, and Exams

In this workshop, participants will discuss the purpose of grades and the benefits of using scoring tools for grading. This workshop will also cover the importance of communication around grading and give TAs strategies for working with a teaching team.

Designing a Learning-Centered Syllabus

What is the purpose of a syllabus? The premise of this workshop is that a syllabus can promote and support student learning while also communicating pertinent logistical information about a course. Participants will practice identifying aspects of a syllabus that support student learning by examining authentic syllabi examples. 

Creating Environments in which All Students Can Learn

In this workshop, participants will learn about strategies that they can use as TAs to create a learning environment where every student feels welcome and is able to succeed. They will consider how student circumstances and backgrounds may affect their classroom experiences, and they will discuss the essential role that TAs play in supporting students.

Learning by Design: Optimizing Course Design for Effective Student Learning

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to course design principles that maximize student learning and apply these principles to a course of their choice, by developing learning goals and activities for it. This learning experience provides hands-on practice as well as theoretical underpinnings to bridge practice and theory of effective course design. 

Accessibility in Action: Universal Design for Learning

This workshop introduces learners to an educational framework that prioritizes choice and autonomy for learners, Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL presupposes learner variability (the reality that learners vary across a variety of dimensions) and provides concrete design principles to create learning experiences that regard this variability as an asset. Participants in this workshop will come away with concrete strategies to provide flexibility and support to their students. 

CTL also offers the following courses to prepare graduate students to design and lead their own university and college courses:

CTL/EDUC 280: Learning & Teaching of Science: The course involves readings, discussion, and application of ideas through the creation of learning activities.

CTL/ENGR 312: Science and Engineering Course Design: Learn how to design effective course materials applying research in science and engineering. Topics include syllabus design, course content and format decisions, assessment planning and grading, and strategies for teaching improvement.