Center for Teaching and Learning

Dr. Paul F. Diehl, Director

Welcome to the website for the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). As a Research I university, UTD is well-known for its extensive and innovative research activities, including the recent awarding of a Nobel Prize to one of its graduates. UTD also takes great pride in its commitment to its teaching mission. Excellent teaching is a pathway to promotion and tenure for faculty members and a significant element of yearly evaluations. UTD faculty have been the recipients of various awards for instructional excellence include numerous Regents Outstanding Teaching Awards (ROTA) given by the University of Texas System; a listing of such winners is provided in the “Awards & Recognition” drop down menu.

Although UTD has an excellent instructional faculty, our philosophy is that even the best instructors can improve their teaching and promote student learning by reflecting on their pedagogical practices and adopting cutting-edge teaching techniques. What we teach and the way we teach it are guided by affirmative answers to the question: “Does this enhance student learning?” Successful instruction ultimately cannot be measured by what instructors do, but rather by what students can do, now and in the future.

On this site, you will find a variety of resources to help you improve your instruction and therefore enhance the learning experiences of your students. Most notable are the many types of programs carried out by CTL that are designed to improve in-class performance of instructors as well as course and curriculum design. These are described under the “Programs” drop down menu. For those programs requiring applications, associated materials are available along with the program descriptions.

Beyond formal programs, CTL provides a number of resources for UTD faculty and teaching assistants, and indeed anyone visiting the website. These are available on the “Teaching Resources” drop down menu and include the Instructor Handbook, general best practices and teaching tips, school-specific resources, and much more. Our “Events Calendar” is continually updated with information about when and where to find our workshops, lectures, and other activities throughout each semester. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon.