Our Instructional Consultants specialize in empowering educators through comprehensive support and training services.

We offer in-depth training on Canvas, instructional best practices, student engagement strategies, diverse assessment methods, and fostering a positive culture and communication within the educational environment.

Our course design expertise encompasses crafting clear course objectives, implementing backwards course design, optimizing course layout and delivery, ensuring best practices, and prioritizing accessibility and effective communication.

To supplement these services, we provide an array of resources including personalized one-on-one consulting appointments, an extensive library of on-demand learning tutorials on YouTube, and a faculty portal filled with helpful materials and guides, all aimed at enhancing the quality of education and simplifying the teaching process for faculty members.

Learn about our Instructional Consultants.

Our Instructional Consultants are dedicated to fostering continuous professional development among faculty. We conduct several different types of workshops tailored to diverse teaching needs and contexts.

• Professional Development Pond (PD Pond) – CEE’s PD Pond is a monthly workshop hosted by our instructional consultants, tailored for faculty members seeking to enhance their teaching and learning skills. Held in the Library Training Center from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, this come-and-go open lab provides personalized assistance on a range of topics, including Canvas course management, student engagement strategies, and innovative course design. Attendees are not only equipped with practical knowledge and skills, but also receive a themed goody bag and a collectible rubber duck, adding a fun and memorable touch to their professional development experience. PD Pond Schedule
• Online Workshops – Conducted during the Spring and Fall semesters, faculty members have the opportunity to engage in a four to six-week guided online course, designed to cover a spectrum of pertinent topics. These sessions delve into areas such as ‘Communication and Feedback’, ‘Teaching Gen Z’, and exploring the innovative use of ‘A.I. as a Teaching Assistant’, providing participants with valuable insights, practical strategies, and the latest pedagogical knowledge to enhance their teaching practice.

• Group Workshops – Our group workshop format is crafted in close coordination with academic departments, adopting a blended approach that seamlessly integrates online and face-to-face components. This model allows us to provide targeted guidance and instruction, tailor-fitted to the specific needs, challenges, and goals of each department. By doing so, we ensure that our support is both relevant and impactful, directly addressing the unique context of each academic discipline and fostering a collaborative environment for shared learning and growth.
• Back-to-School Bootcamp – At the commencement of each Fall semester, we proudly host a Saturday ‘Back-to-School Bootcamp’, an initiative specially designed to equip our new faculty members with essential skills and knowledge for a successful start to the academic year. This intensive workshop focuses on delivering comprehensive training in ‘Canvas Basics 1’ and ‘Canvas Basics 2’, ensuring participants gain a strong foundation and proficiency in navigating and utilizing the Canvas Learning Management System. In addition, we delve into ‘Best Practices for Online Teaching’, offering valuable strategies, tips, and best practices to enhance online instruction and foster an engaging, effective learning environment for students.

All workshops and trainings underscore our commitment to empowering educators, enhancing teaching effectiveness, and ultimately contributing to student success across the institution.

What is Instruction by Design?
Instruction by Design is the deliberate and thoughtful planning of the course structure including the instruction, contents, activities, and assessments. Being purposeful with course design elevates the overall quality of teaching and learning to provide students an enhanced learning experience optimizing their potential for success.

Building a House
Think of Instruction by Design like building a house. As a general rule, you would not build a home without a blueprint. Blueprints provide the layout of the entire house structure to ensure that everything works in unison. With a fully developed course blueprint, all components of your course will function harmoniously while reflecting your personal touches.

Where do I start?
Whether you are planning a new course or updating a current one, the Instructional Consultant team is available to support faculty through the planning and design process of their courses. From creating course templates and learning objectives to incorporating instructional technology and student engagement strategies, we are here to partner with you for purposeful instruction.

Start Here. Start Today.
If you are ready to start your Instruction by Design journey and would like assistance from one our Instructional Consultants, please Contact Us.

For more information or resources on Instruction by Design, our Instruction by Design Resources page has self-guided materials to get you started.

What is Quality Matters?
Quality Matters is a peer-review process focused on the continuous improvement of online and hybrid courses. The Quality Matters Rubrics and Standards provide instructors, course designers, and institutions with research-based best practices for designing online courses. 

If you would like to know more about Quality Matters, we have a no-obligation information Canvas course available to anyone with Tarleton credentials. The Quality Matters Basic Review course will provide you with an overview of QM and a roadmap to achieving QM Course Certification.

To receive the link to the QM Basic Review Course or begin the QM Redesign and Review Process, please follow the link below or scan the QR code to complete an inquiry form. Tarleton login required.

QM Basics Canvas Course Request

Evidence-informed teaching refers to the practice of making educational decisions based on a critical and thoughtful integration of the best available evidence from educational research, professional experience, and the context in which teaching is occurring. This approach encourages educators to utilize empirical research findings to inform and guide their teaching strategies, curriculum design, assessment methods, and other instructional practices.

Key components of evidence-informed teaching include:

1. Research Evidence: Utilizing findings from educational research to understand what has been proven effective (or ineffective) in various teaching and learning contexts.
2. Professional Experience: Drawing on the wealth of knowledge and insights that educators have developed through their own professional practice.
3. Contextual Understanding: Recognizing the unique characteristics of the specific educational discipline, including the needs, backgrounds, and prior knowledge of the students.
4. Critical Thinking: Applying critical analysis to evaluate the quality and relevance of evidence, and considering how it can be applied in specific teaching contexts.
5. Continuous Reflection and Adaptation: Engaging in ongoing reflection and adaptation of teaching practices based on the evolving understanding of what works best to facilitate student learning.

By adopting an evidence-informed approach, educators aim to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching, contribute to improved student outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within educational institutions.

Our Instructional Consultants are steadfast in their commitment to fostering exemplary educational practices, deeply grounded in evidence-informed teaching. We integrate these principles across our services, ensuring that our training and course design strategies support faculty in fostering student success.