To conclude the recognition of the Center for Teaching’s 25th anniversary, the Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology (OTLT) is celebrating collaborations within OTLT.

Our four units partner with the UI campus to provide integrated, comprehensive, expert support of teaching and learning through

• faculty development, graduate student development, and organizational development (Center for Teaching)
• course coordination and academic technology (Instructional Services)
• learning spaces design and support (Learning Spaces Technology)
• teaching and learning analytics and research (Research and Analytics)

Formed in 2014, OTLT has sparked and supported numerous transformative initiatives across the University of Iowa. We asked a member of each unit to describe how collaboration with the OTLT Center for Teaching made this work possible.

OTLT Center for Teaching collaborations with OTLT Instructional Services:

“Working with the Center for Teaching has given Instructional Services the ability to assist university faculty in making their teaching more effective and efficient. We combine our strengths to give instructors well-rounded and informed advice.

We often collaborate in consultations and in developing workshops, combining academic technology with the best pedagogical advice that the Center for Teaching provides. We have worked together to facilitate workshops where the Center for Teaching’s strengths in pedagogical knowledge complemented the academic technology topics. Our rubric workshops have included not only instruction in technologies like ICON and Gradescope that have rubric capabilities, but also information on what makes a good rubric and how to use rubrics to provide feedback to students.”

Vicky Maloy, assistant director of Academic Technologies, OTLT Instructional Services

OTLT Center for Teaching collaborations with OTLT Learning Spaces:

“The units we have integrated into OTLT often have much greater degrees of separation at most institutions. With the OTLT Center for Teaching specifically, it is powerful to always be collaborating on how the intersection of technology tools—software from Instructional Services and hardware from Learning Spaces Technology—can provide impactful teaching and learning experiences for our students.

A great example of collaboration is the introduction of the Catchbox microphones. That tool got it’s start when one of our staff attended a conference where the Catchbox microphones were used. Due to our close working relationship, I was able to pick up the phone and call the OTLT Center for Teaching and ask, ‘One of our staff saw this interactive, throwable microphone at a conference. We think we could integrate it into some of our learning spaces. Do you feel there is any utility or merit to such a thing?’  Center for Teaching staff helped our team work on a pilot, which eventually led to permanent installation of the microphones in a number of UI classrooms.”

Tino Kaltsas, associate director of OTLT Learning Spaces Technology

OTLT Center for Teaching collaborations with OTLT Research and Analytics:

“By collaborating with the OTLT Center for Teaching, I think my work has a greater impact at the UI. Working with the Center for Teaching results in productive conversations in faculty consultations, and it’s complementary since we provide data about what is occurring in an instructor’s course and the Center for Teaching offers practical solutions, resources, strategies, and best practices. For example, the data may reveal that students are not accessing certain course materials frequently, and the Center for Teaching can offer pedagogical strategies the instructor can considering implementing. The cycle of data-informed instruction is improved by having the context and actionable strategies that can be measured.”

Anna Smith, learning analytics specialist, OTLT Research and Analytics

Thank you for helping us celebrate the OTLT Center for Teaching’s milestone anniversary.