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Teaching Effectiveness

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The Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF), developed by the Institute for Learning & Teaching at Colorado State University, is a tool that provides faculty with a set of pedagogical competencies to help focus their developing teaching practice. The TEF includes seven essential, interrelated domains of effective teaching practices grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Principles of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework

  • The TEF provides theory and evidence-based practices that support effective teaching, and thus, it includes strategies relevant for all course modalities.
  • The TEF is a living document that will be updated periodically, as research on teaching and learning develops.
  • The TEF is designed to be developmental and self-reflective; it is not intended to be used as a stand-alone evaluative tool but rather as a resource for goal setting and reflection within an iterative process.
  • Meaningful measures of teaching must separate the impact of the instructor from the many other factors that affect the attainment of educational outcomes. Teaching is a developmental process that takes time, experience, reflection, and support; the TEF is intended to be used as a supportive and self-reflective tool to improve teaching effectiveness and student success.
  • The TEF acknowledges that just as students bring assets to their learning, instructors have a set of assets and strengths that they bring to their teaching.
  • The TEF is designed to honor variety in effective teaching. Students benefit from the cultural wealth instructors bring to their teaching; the TEF encourages instructors to find their own path to teaching effectiveness, beginning with their strengths.
  • The TEF is not intended to be used as an evaluative tool but as a starting point for self-reflection, setting goals and building on strengths.
  • The TEF provides a common language and definition of teaching effectiveness that facilitates discussion of best practices in teaching among faculty and between faculty and students.
  • Effective teaching occurs when students attain course outcomes and goals that departments and/or instructors set. The TEF provides the components proven to consistently promote student success. The complexity of developing teaching effectiveness is reflected in the depth of the seven criteria in this framework. The TEF provides the foundation for faculty both within and across disciplines to collaborate with and support each other as they support students in their learning.
  • The TEF threads student centered and inclusive pedagogy throughout each of the domains. While Inclusive Pedagogy is identified as its own domain, fundamental inclusive practices are identified in and woven throughout each of the other domains.
  • The TEF fosters an equitable approach to feedback on teaching and supports teaching success for all faculty demographics.

The Four-Step Process for Adopting the TEF

The four-step process for implementing the TEF overlaid on a cycle arrow indicating an iterative process.

Begin the goal setting process by choosing one of the seven domains. To choose a domain, consider feedback from students, colleagues, or supervisor, and/or identify the TEF domain that most intrigues you. Your department might consider a domain to focus on for a year.

Once you choose a domain from the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF), navigate to the ‘Seven Domains’ section of this page and click on the domain in which you would like to grow. Then, review the contents of the page and set a goal for improving your teaching [Word document].

Attend professional development offered by the CTLI and other campus partners that aligns with the domain of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework and your teaching goal. Integrate evidence-based teaching practices into your classroom and keep track of how students respond to these integrated practices.

Collect evidence of teaching successes aligned with your teaching goal. Reflect on what went well, how you know, and what you will revise as you continue to refine your teaching practice.

The Seven Domains

Begin your journey, as described in the Process section, by selecting one of the following TEF domains.

Link to the pedagogical content knowledge domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want to use strategies that work best in my discipline.

Description:

The intersection of content and pedagogical expertise. When instructors know their students’ prior knowledge and preconceptions, they intentionally choose instructional strategies that work best in their discipline for their current students.

Link to the curriculum/curricular alignment domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want an organized, efficient course aligned with course outcomes.

Description:

Provide the foundation for any course. Instructors who connect course learning objectives, assignments, activities, and assessments provide students with a clear path to success in their course.

Link to the feedback & assessment domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want to give students helpful feedback.

Description:

Used to continuously monitor performance and communicate progress and levels of mastery to students. Instructors who incorporate frequent and ongoing assessments are able to use these data to adjust teaching strategies and provide feedback to students about their learning, motivating students to be more self-directed.

Link to the inclusive pedagogy domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want an inclusive and equitable classroom.

Description:

A student-centered teaching approach that considers all students’ backgrounds, experiences, and learning variabilities. Instructors who ensure equitable access to course materials, foster belonging, and address the needs of a diverse student population create a more robust learning experience for all learners.

Link to the student motivation domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want students to be motivated.

Description:

Sparked by the perceived value or benefit of the academic content or task. When instructors use a variety of researched motivation techniques, student involvement and commitment to learning increases.

Link to the classroom climate domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want a welcoming classroom.

Description:

Refers to the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environment in which students learn. Instructors who intentionally create a safe space and foster a community of learners find that students are more engaged.

Link to the instructional strategies domain of the TEF framework.

Goal:

I want to create an active and engaging classroom.

Description:

Provide an active and engaging experience for learners. Instructors who use a variety of evidenced-based teaching strategies create an environment for increased student engagement and critical thinking.