Overview
The Pedagogical Lab is a semester-long, online professional development course designed to enhance instructional effectiveness by covering four focal areas of teaching. The Lab is taught by experienced SPS faculty and offered each Fall, Spring, and Summer semester, and is open to both full and part-time lecturers and associates at the school. The school's Faculty Assessment and Development team oversees the administration of the Pedagogical Lab and can provide additional information to faculty interested in learning more.
Course Structure and Design
Throughout the duration of the semester, participants of the Pedagogical Lab complete (10) asynchronous learning modules (including 6 “live” Zoom sessions) covering the following four focal areas of the Lab:
- Designing engaging class sessions
- Facilitating engaging class sessions
- Inclusive teaching and learning
- Assessment, rubrics, and feedback
Faculty can expect to spend approximately (4) hours per week completing course activities during the duration of the Lab.
Faculty who complete the Lab receive a “digital badge” for posting to LinkedIn and other digital media sources and a certificate from the School of Professional Studies. They also become eligible to take on faculty development leadership roles at SPS.
Impact and Testimonials
Over 130 SPS Faculty have completed the course from across 18 programs. Here’s what both new and experienced instructors had to say about their experience:
- “This experience was a defining moment in my teaching career.”
- “This was one of the best programs that I could take at Columbia University, and I hope this will be extended to many others.”
- "The Lab is a testament to the value Columbia and SPS places on pedagogy and professional development. Kudos to all!"
- "Your class was exactly what I was looking for as it provided me with the tools and accessories to information about a specific topic (junior faculty member)."
- "The experience and material were invaluable. I actually feel I can get good use of the framework and apply it to my class right away."
- "By using the methodologies I learned, I will be able to reach more students."
- "Highly recommend this class for anyone! Even if they have taught before. Many lecturers are experts in their field but maybe not experts in teaching. This course helped me know what I didn't know."
CONTACT THE TEAM
To learn more about the Pedagogical Lab or to inquire about registering for an upcoming semester, please contact the SPS Faculty Assessment and Development team at [email protected].