The OTLT Center for Teaching is delighted to share the new eighth edition of the Handbook for Teaching Excellence. The handbook supports instructors in navigating their teaching roles and creating meaningful learning experiences for their students. 

“The Center for Teaching interacts with a wide range of faculty members and TAs, and the content of the handbook is informed by our conversations, collaborations, and think-partnering,” says Anastasia Williams, assistant director of the OTLT Center for Teaching and primary author of the eighth edition. “Whether you are new to the university or an experienced instructor, you will find the reflective activities and suggested teaching techniques useful.”

The handbook offers opportunities for reflection on learning and teaching experiences and shares evidence-based strategies for planning aligned and equitable courses, developing syllabi, nurturing a sense of belonging for students, and more. You will also find teaching strategies for specific contexts such as a discussion section, a lab, or a service-learning course. Each section has guided reflections and activities to help instructors become scholarly teachers. 

“This edition incorporates new research and was written to acknowledge new questions and considerations that have emerged in the ever-changing landscape of teaching in higher education,” says Anna Bostwick Flaming, director of the OTLT Center for Teaching. “The handbook has been one of the signature resources of the Center for Teaching for much of its history, and we hope it will continue to be part of how we partner with instructors to support excellence in teaching and learning.”

The latest edition uses Pressbooks, a software that allows you to create open educational resources. Content in Pressbooks can be integrated into ICON courses, exported to ready-to-print PDFs, or exported virtually. Center for Teaching staff consulted with experts in academic technologies about the best ways to leverage Pressbooks for the handbook. 

“Using Pressbooks to deliver the handbook means that readers are going to encounter thoughtful content in a great looking format,” says Vicky Maloy, assistant director of OTLT Academic Technologies. “By preparing the book to be downloaded as well as accessed online, this book can truly be read anywhere.”

Bookmark the eighth edition of the Handbook for Teaching Excellence: pressbooks.uiowa.edu/teaching-handbook.  

We invite you to contact the OTLT Center for Teaching with questions and suggestions at teaching@uiowa.edu.