Teaching Consultations, Observations, & Student Feedback

A teaching consultation may cover a broad range of teaching topics such as engaging students in large lectures, creating learning outcomes, designing aligned assessments, and integrating active learning teaching strategies. During a teaching consultation, we also offer a review of course materials and Student Evaluation of Teaching (formerly course and professor evaluation).

Schedule a teaching consultation with an education specialist.

Classroom observations are a common component of teaching consultations. It provides educators with targeted, collaborative, evidence-based, and student-centered feedback to support teaching improvement and student success. Allow 2-3 weeks to complete the observation protocol, which include:

• a pre-observation to set goals (~30-minute meeting)
• a classroom observation (50- or 80-minute observation, based on course length), including student feedback
• a verbal debrief and a written report of post-observation findings, including evidence-based teaching recommendations (~60-minute meeting)

Note: We will try to fulfill consultations requested within two weeks; otherwise, we will offer a teaching consultation without a class observation.

Request a classroom observation with a teaching consultation.

Gather student feedback early and throughout the life of the course. Early student feedback allows educators to assess student learning and make manageable changes to the course. Give the Engaged Teaching team 10 minutes of a class session to collect early anonymous student feedback. Learn how educators can conduct and respond to student feedback.

Request a consultation for student feedback.

Writing consultations give educators strategies to effectively integrate writing pedagogy into the course. Consultation topics can include:

• Constructing writing assignments that promote deep and meaningful learning
• Developing writing practices that effectively respond to student writing
• Working with culturally and linguistically diverse student writers to equitably design assignments, provide feedback, and improve grading practices
• Promoting student voices in writing assignments and to make visible diverse student perspectives
• Designing writing rubrics that effectively grade and assess student writing

Learn more about the Writing Hub.
Request a writing consultation.

Digital Learning supports the integration of digital technology and the effective use of multimedia to enhance and promote student success. We collaborate with departments, faculty, and instructors to consult on teaching topics such as:

• (Re)design courses for online and hybrid learning
• Develop engaging instructional materials
• Utilize appropriate technical tools to enhance the digital learning experience

We promote student success by implementing learner-centered course planning strategies and universal design for learning principles. Learn more about the services provided by Digital Learning.

Departments or small groups of educators who have teaching questions or a topic they would like to explore together can request a group consultation. Select the corresponding person for this request with whom Engaged Teaching will communicate and arrange logistics of the consultation. 

We support educators who apply for the Course Development and Instructional Improvement Program facilitated by the Dean of Undergraduate Education. Engaged Teaching offers guidance on pedagogy that supports students’ learning: describing student-centered learning outcomes that support the goals of the course, designing assessments aligned with student-centered learning outcomes, addressing equity in student learning, and refining and enhancing educators’ ideas in the CDIIP proposal. Engaged Teaching  offers the following information to help educators successfully submit a CDIIP proposal.

• View a brief video on how Engaged Teaching supports educators in the proposal process of the CDIIP.
• Educators may benefit from meeting with several Teaching and Learning Commons units and other campus partners to address the full scope of the CDIIP application (e.g., digital learning, writing). 
• Email engagedteaching@ucsd.edu or the education specialist with whom you’re meeting a draft of the CDIIP proposal, or a summary, or bullet points of the course (re)design you have in mind, and a list of areas you would like to talk about to help the education specialist review in advance of the consultation; Subject Line: CDIIP draft proposal_last name, first initial
• Engaged Teaching supports educators until the CDIIP report is due the following year (e.g., Course Design Series, consulting on course (re)design, collecting student feedback, identifying assessment instruments, and conducting classroom observations).

Schedule a consultation to discuss your CDIIP proposal.