Education 750: Principles and Practices of University Teaching

Education 750 is a graduate level credit course about the principles and practices of university teaching.  It has been offered for many years at McMaster, and is currently offered each semester for thirteen weeks with one weekly three-hour meeting.  The focus is on assisting participants in honing essential pedagogical and practical teaching skills. This includes sessions on curriculum design, teaching strategies (e.g. Inquiry and Problem-Based Learning), assessment strategies, developing a teaching dossier, and research on teaching and learning. The modules are highly interactive and provide participants with resources, opportunities to participate in activities, and a range of constructive feedback. Wherever possible, teaching and learning experts will participate as guest speakers. The main evaluation requirements include short literature reviews, a mini-lesson presentation, a course portfolio, and a philosophy of teaching statement. 

The course is open to all McMaster University graduate students.  Four out of the twenty spaces in each offering of the course are available for post-doctoral fellows at McMaster. 

Recent instructors have included:

 

What past participants have said about their Education 750 experiences:
“This course has totally revolutionized the way I look at teaching.  It forced me to break apart the complex environment of the classroom into smaller manageable components and to evaluate these and dwell on how each component affects the learning that takes place.”
“In general, excellent course and it should be required for all people looking to teach in the future. I only wish there were more opportunities like this one to continue to learn more.”
“This course has definitely given me insight into the decisions and choices I have as a potential instructor. Before this course I would have likely been flying by the seat of my pants, I now feel like I understand some of the requirements of effective teaching.”

Click here to view the current course syllabus.

How to get involved:
For more information, contact CLL at cll@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext 24540.  All course registrations must occur through MUGSI / SOLAR.