​Teaching and Learning Enhancement Workshop

Introduction

The Teaching and Learning Enhancement Workshop (TLEW) is a compulsory workshop offered by the Network of Teaching and Learning for AKU's faculty. It aims to enhance the faculty's competence and confidence as facilitators of learning and engage them in reflecting on their teaching. It is offered annually in Karachi and biennially in East Africa and is a pre-requisite to gaining Advance HE (UK) Fellowship through the AKU TEACH scheme.

What is it?​

TLEW orients faculty members with instructional skills required to teach in the AKU environment. Participants review basic ideas about teaching and reflect on their current practices. Working with their peers and facilitators, faculty members experiment a variety of instructional strategies and techniques through micro-teaching. By targeting faculty from across all disciplines within the AKU, this workshop provides a multi-disciplinary context to learn about teaching and learning strategies.


How does it work?

After plenary sessions reflecting on theory and practice, participants break into small groups to practice through mini-lessons and reflect on their own and others' practices in a peer learning process assisted by the facilitator. During this time, participants engage in the roles of both instructor and learner. Each participant utilizes a six-phase lesson plan to deliver mini-lessons to their group. The six-phase lesson plan, known as BOPPPS, is comprised of: Bridge-in (B); Objective/Outcome (O); Pre-Assessment (P); Participatory Learning (P); Post-Assessment (P); and Summary/Closure (S).

Participants also take on the role of learners and subsequently provide feedback to the instructor. This helps instructors by: affirming effectiveness and increasing confidence; identifying how they can improve; and providing a focus for reflection.​

Each participant prepares and conducts three mini-lessons and receives feedback on teaching during their time as instructors. This allows for the incorporation of feedback; facilitating a process of discovery, experimentation, and consolidation of the strategies and techniques that participants encounter throughout the workshop.


Benefits:

TLEW provides:

  • An opportunity for faculty members to experiment with innovative teaching and learning strategies in a safe environment

  • It contributes to an increased awareness of participatory learning concepts, an opportunity to connect with colleagues across different disciplines;
  • An increased recognition of the importance of establishing a conducive learning environment;
  • An expanded knowledge of one's self as a teacher and the creation of a community of practice with other educators as well as the Network of Teaching and Learning;
  • A certificate for successful completion by the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW).

For those who are interested to participate in the TEACH (Teaching Enhancement Accredited Certification of the HEA) continuous professional development scheme to gain Advance HE (UK) Fellowship, TLEW is a pre-requisite course. 

Duration:

The workshop is spread over three days.

Participation:

This workshop is required for all faculty particularly those who have been employed for five years or less at AKU. It is also open for more experienced faculty, as the programme is flexible enough to accommodate participants from a wide-range of disciplines and experience levels. All those involved with faculty education development are also welcome to apply.

Resources:

Instructional Skills Workshop Network​

www.iswnetwork.ca