CTL Newsletter - September 2025
鈥淭he art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.鈥
鈥斕齅ark Van Doren (American poet, critic, and educator)
馃摎Large Courses, Clear Strategies, and Teaching with Purpose
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CTL and ASSETT: Now One Team
As of May 2025, CTL and ASSETT have officially merged into one unified team under the CTL name. This merger strengthens our shared mission to support teaching and learning across campus, combining ASSETT鈥檚 expertise in educational technology with CTL鈥檚 university-wide reach. While the ASSETT name is no longer in use, its impact continues through CTL鈥檚 expanded services. The ASSETT student fee has been discontinued as part of this transition.
Large Courses
Strategies for Creating Connection and Clarity in Large Lecture Settings
Large lecture courses can be challenging for students who may feel disconnected or unsure where to start. Fortunately, a few small adjustments can help students navigate these environments more confidently.
- Set clear expectations: Walk students through the syllabus and highlight tools like Canvas calendars and notifications.
- Create connection: Encourage introductions, study groups, or discussion threads to build community.
- Support planning: Recommend working backward from deadlines and breaking tasks into smaller steps.
- Make learning visible: Use quick check-ins or reflections to help students track their progress.
- Share resources early: Point students to tutoring, tech support, and other campus services.
听听Explore our full resource guide for students:听Large Courses: Tools to Support Students
Educators looking for additional support can join the Large Course Community of Practice (LCCoP), a campus-wide network that offers monthly meetings, workshops, and shared resources to enhance teaching and learning in large-enrollment courses.
听听Join our Large Courses Community of Practice (LCCoP)
Five Perspectives on Teaching听
What does it mean to be an effective educator? According to Daniel D. Pratt鈥檚 research (2005), the answer depends on your perspective: your beliefs, intentions, and values as a teacher.
In Five Perspectives on Teaching in Adult and Higher Education (2005), Pratt identifies five research-based approaches to teaching:
- Transmission 鈥 delivering clear, structured content
- Apprenticeship 鈥 modeling expert practice
- Developmental 鈥 helping students construct meaning
- Nurturing 鈥 creating a supportive, inclusive environment
- Social Reform 鈥 using education to drive societal change
Each perspective reflects a different role for the teacher and a unique vision of what success looks like in the classroom. For example, while the transmission perspective prioritizes clarity and content mastery, the social reform perspective emphasizes justice and systemic change.
It鈥檚 also important to note that these perspectives are not mutually exclusive. Many educators see themselves in more than one, and effective teaching often draws on all five in different ways depending on context, students, and goals.
Understanding your own teaching perspectives is more than an academic exercise - it鈥檚 a powerful tool for growth, connection, and student impact.
Want to go deeper? Explore our webpage on听Five Perspectives on Teaching
馃摎听Recommended Readings of the Month:
- 听- by Daniel D. Pratt
This book outlines five distinct teaching perspectives each offering a unique view of effective teaching. It encourages educators to reflect on their values and adapt their approach to context and learner needs.
听 - - by Frank Heppner
Heppner provides practical strategies for effectively managing, engaging, and assessing students in large-enrollment courses.
馃専 Buff Spotlight: Fall Teaching, Learning, and Technology Conference 2025
Join CTL and OIT for the Fall Teaching, Learning, and Technology Conference on October 2鈥3, 2025, held in hybrid format (CASE building and Zoom).
This year鈥檚 theme, Engage Every Learner, highlights key topics including:
- Student engagement
- Technology & AI in higher ed
- Large course design
- Learning environments where all students thrive
Enjoy our keynote speakers, interactive workshops, faculty panels, and lunch each day. RSVP by September 26 to reserve your spot!
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馃敆 Explore the full conference schedule and details on our website
Need help with parking? Email us at CTL@colorado.edu.
馃搮 What鈥檚 Ahead: Events & Announcements:
- 馃彨 Teaching a large course at CU with over 100+ students? Join us for The Large Course Communityof Practice (LCCoP). It is a space to share ideas, resources, and discuss the implementation of ideas with fellow faculty.听Our first meeting will be in-person on 9/17 in CASE E390 at 2pm-3pm. Please check out for more information and join the .
听 - 馃懃 The CTL offers free and confidential classroom observations for educators at all levels. We can help you refine your teaching techniques, address specific teaching challenges, experiment with new strategies, enhance the student learning experience, and more! We offer a variety of observation types, including a data-driven approach (formerly ASSETT鈥檚 VIP service), a qualitative approach, and classroom interviews. Learn more and request a consultation to discuss an observation for your course today!
听 - 馃 The CTL is hosting the Well-being and Resilience Community of Practice (WBRCoP) to better support you for your own well-being and resilience as an instructor and to continue to help build community for further destigmatizing the feeling of burnout. The WBRCoP is a space to share ideas, resources, and discuss strategies that help foster well-being for individuals as well as pedagogical wellness practices that you can use in your courses. For more information, please visit the and join the .
听 - 馃帗 Join us for the Fall Teaching, Learning, and Technology Conference on October 2鈥3, 2025, hosted by the CTL and OIT. This two-day hybrid event centers on the theme 鈥淓ngage Every Learner鈥 and will feature workshops, panels, and hands-on sessions exploring innovative approaches to teaching with technology. From digital accessibility to inclusive design and student engagement, the conference offers something for every educator. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided鈥 to reserve your spot!
听 - 馃摎Are you interested in revamping your Canvas Courses? OIT's Academic Technology Consulting team is offering to assist all instructors and faculty with their Canvas needs. We also have sessions to assist instructors with leveraging the Canvas Studio Video platform, or leveraging the new CidiLabs DesignPLUS toolkit. You can view all training offerings on
听 - 馃捇 Laptop Funding for Lecturers: In 2025鈥26 CU 抖阴传媒在线鈥檚 Office of Information Technology (OIT) will offer one-time funding for eligible lecturers to purchase a new Dell or Apple laptop that meets the university鈥檚 Secure Computing Standard. This initiative, supported in part by OIT鈥檚 equipment return program, ensures lecturers have secure, up-to-date technology for teaching. Learn more on the or submit the .
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Join Us for Other Upcoming Events!
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馃帀Celebrating Our CTL Community
Fall Intensive 2025: A Strong Start to the Academic Year
The 2025 Fall Intensive was a fantastic kickoff to the new academic year! Over three energizing days in August, more than 40 workshops brought together graduate students, new instructors, and seasoned educators from across campus to explore timely topics in teaching, professional development, and career preparation.
From inclusive teaching strategies and active learning design to grading practices and academic career pathways, the sessions were rich with ideas and grounded in CU 抖阴传媒在线鈥檚 teaching culture. Whether participants attended one workshop or twelve, they walked away with practical tools, new perspectives, and meaningful connections.
A huge thank you to Preston听Cumming (Professional Development Lead, CTL) for organizing the Fall Intensive 2025, and also a huge thank you to everyone who participated, presented, and helped create such a welcoming and vibrant learning environment. We鈥檙e especially grateful to those who joined us in person bright and early with coffee, tea, and pastries in hand!
Here鈥檚 to a semester of great teaching and continued growth. We can鈥檛 wait to see what you do next!
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馃帗 InspirED鉁忥笍馃摎 Explore the CTL Podcast Network
Looking for fresh ideas, inspiring voices, and real conversations about teaching and learning at CU 抖阴传媒在线? The听CTL Podcast Network is your go-to hub for stories, strategies, and insights from across our campus community.
Formerly part of ASSETT, the CTL Podcast Network features a range of mini-series that highlight innovative teaching practices, student perspectives, and faculty-staff collaborations aimed at improving the student experience.听
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Forward this newsletter to someone you think might be interested in signing up. Our newsletter is published monthly during the academic year and includes timely teaching strategies and resources, updates, and upcoming events of interest to the campus teaching community.听