ETL P3 project supports course and curriculum innovation at UI
A P3 initiative is reshaping the educational experience in key courses taken by the majority of undergraduate students at Iowa. The Excellence in Teaching and Learning (ETL) project, which is an expansion of the previously funded Hawkeye Introductory Courses project, is implementing strategies to improve academic success for all students.
A major focus of the project has been introductory courses within six UI departments: biology, chemistry, computer science, health and human physiology, mathematics, and statistics and actuarial science. In an average academic year, 13 courses offered by these departments have a combined enrollment of around 11,500 students. These courses form the foundation of many popular majors at the UI.
The ETL project applies a multifaceted approach to enhance student success in these courses, providing data to evaluate teaching effectiveness, supporting instructor development, and aligning departmental goals with student learning.
“We are embracing multiple methods to improve student outcomes in introductory courses critical to the success of undergraduate students at Iowa,” says Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and lead of the ETL project. “By establishing a culture that embraces innovative and evidence-based strategies, we’re making significant strides toward achieving our vision for teaching and learning excellence.”
Each collaboration is tailored to the specific needs of the course or department. In chemistry, the integration of learning assistants has created a more interactive and engaging classroom environment. The computer science curriculum has been adjusted to balance departmental learning objectives with student needs. Health and human physiology introduced innovative assessment methods, while mathematics has reimagined both curriculum and teaching methods to better prepare students for the challenges ahead.
Technological tools like TopHat, Gradescope, and Elements of Success further complement these advances by streamlining teaching processes and providing data for continuous improvement. Faculty members who are participating in the ETL project are starting to see firsthand the impact it is having in their classroom.
“Having learning assistants in my large enrollment courses changed how I approach my lectures, but they also brought a lot to the table on simple things like lecture notes, slides, messaging, and even how user-friendly the ICON site is,” says Mouna Maalouf, associate professor of instruction in chemistry.
Year two of the project has included the TA Mentor Program, which involves a teaching assistant for a course providing guidance for other TAs. The TA Mentors answer teaching questions, provide support and examples for new TAs, help run team meetings for TAs, and encourage communication between faculty and TAs.
ETL P3 Showcase
Thursday, April 18
2 - 4 p.m.
IMU Black Box Theatre
Join us for an open house event highlighting the work faculty and staff at Iowa have been doing to improve student outcomes.
Hanxi Tang, a TA mentor in the biology department, thinks the additional guidance and support for new graduate TAs significantly enhances the experience for both instructors and students. Being a TA mentor has also helped shape her own perspective on teaching and learning.
“I've personally improved my own teaching through this role and gained a better understanding of effective teaching techniques,” says Tang. “I've always enjoyed teaching and learning at Iowa, and this experience allows me to support my colleagues and let them have the same great experience I did.”
Another component of the ETL project is Students as Partners. This internationally recognized program hires undergraduate students to sit in on classes and consult instructors on program development and course design. After launching a small pilot of Students as Partners in fall 2023, the university recently received a $30,000 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to expand the program in fall 2024.
Maalouf is one of the faculty partners for the pilot and credits the program for providing instructors a better sense of what students are experiencing in the classroom, which provides the opportunity to create or modify course materials as needed throughout the semester.
“That partnership allows us to take observations from a student perspective and see what we can design or create to either improve or support skills that students are struggling with.” - Mouna Maalouf, associate professor of instruction in chemistry
For example, after observing students in Maalouf’s chemistry classes struggling with effective note taking, one of the student partners watched recordings of Maalouf’s previous lectures to create sample notes that could be provided to the class at the start of the semester.
Beyond the many classroom level interventions, the ETL project also focuses on making sustained, large-scale advancements to teaching and learning.
In the past few months, ETL leaders convened a DEO Excellence in Teaching and Learning Action Group consisting of departmental leaders from multiple colleges to focus on structural aspects that impact how successful the university is at advancing teaching and learning. The group – with the support of staff from the Center for Teaching, Office of Assessment, and Academic Support and Retention – is engaging across departments to identify faculty needs for teaching introductory courses that support student success, and to discuss strategies and challenges for implementing and sustaining curricular innovation.
The ETL project is one of many student success initiatives in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan that are positively impacting student outcomes, showing how comprehensive, evidence-based, and collaborative efforts are achieving excellence in teaching and learning at the University of Iowa.