Evidence-Based Teaching Certificate

The Evidence-Based Teaching Certificate emphasizes instructional practices – primarily for face-to-face courses – which enact principles of backward course design and establish learner-centered environments.

These ten practices, listed in the Learning Outcomes section on this page, are the focus of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Ten for Teaching workshop series. Each practice is introduced in its own workshop and each workshop will be offered once each academic year.

Instructors seeking to earn the certificate will need to demonstrate each of these practices using evidence of their choosing. Although we recommend participation in each of the workshops (which could be completed in a single year or over multiple years), the skills themselves might also be developed in other ways, either through participation in other CTL programs – past or future – or through individual learning. More information is included on this page about how to demonstrate the instructional practices.

This certificate fulfills the “Instructional Strategy” requirement for the Boise State Provost’s Teaching Scholars award. It is also a good place for new instructors to begin as the certificate introduces important, foundational teaching practices. Furthermore, instructors can use the materials developed for this certificate as part of their teaching portfolio for annual evaluations and/or the tenure & promotion process.

Learning Outcomes / Teaching Practices

Educators who complete the Evidence-Based Teaching Certificate will be able to:

COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION

create summative assessments that are authentic, transparent, and offer students choices
develop learning activities that provide scaffolding for summative assessments (and course learning outcomes)
develop class sessions that integrate activities aligned to class & course learning outcomes that engage students with one another and course content
use a variety of formative assessments to guide instruction
institute flexible course policies that support all learners

LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS

use intentional and learning-centered grading strategies
facilitate effective classroom engagement and interactions
create a classroom climate where all students can participate and feel supported in learning
provide timely learning-focused feedback to students
communicates with students clearly, regularly, and in a supportive tone

Please let us know that you’re working toward this certificate by completing this form.

Requirements

In order to earn the Evidence-Based Teaching Certificate, you need to demonstrate each of the ten teaching practices listed in the learning outcomes section. The table on this page summarizes the kind of evidence we suggest to demonstrate each practice / learning outcome. If you have alternative or additional evidence which shows how you implement that practice, you’re welcome to include that instead. For each practice, include a brief narrative about how the evidence demonstrates that teaching practice. The narrative will probably be about 1 paragraph long for each practice.

Notes on what to submit

In terms of how you present this, it is up to you what makes the most sense. It might be most useful down the road to collect it in a google doc, google slideshow, or even on a google site (or any other version of these media). Please ensure that the evidence you are using is accessible to any viewer. Here is an example of how the submission might look and what it would include. Ideally, what you create can be reused as part of the evaluation processes at the university!

Notes on how to submit

Submit a link to your compilation of evidence via this Google form. Please ensure that the document itself and any evidence you are using are accessible to any viewer at Boise State.

Category	Teaching Practice (certificate learning outcome)	Suggested Examples of Evidence
COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION	create summative assessments that are authentic, transparent, and offer students choices	2-3 examples of summative assessments which show these practices; narrative should make explicit which strategies are used in which assignment(s)
COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION	develop learning activities that provide scaffolding for summative assessments (and course LOs)	3+ lesson plans and/or example activities; narrative should describe how scaffolding is happening and which summative assessment / course LO students are being supported in achieving
COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION	develop class sessions that integrate activities aligned to class & course LOs that engage students with one another and course content	3+ lesson plans that include aligned activities; narrative should highlight the alignment of activities and how students are interacting with each other
COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION	use a variety of formative assessments to guide instruction	3+ examples of formative assessments that have guided instruction; narrative should explain how each was used, what was learned about student learning, and how, if appropriate, instruction was modified based on results
COURSE DESIGN IN ACTION	institute flexible course policies that support all learners	excerpts from syllabi; narrative should highlight what the flexible policies are and how they support students
LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS	use intentional and learning-centered grading strategies	syllabus excerpts or other evidence; narrative should explain what learner-centered grading strategies are in use, either at the assignment- or course-level
LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS	facilitate effective classroom engagement and interactions	3+ examples, evidence will vary, but might include comments from course evaluations or mid-semester surveys, could be from peer or CTL observation, could include syllabus language or class norms; narrative should describe how the collected evidence establishes the students’ experience in the classroom
LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS	create a classroom climate where all students can participate and feel supported in learning	3+ examples, evidence will vary, but might include comments from course evaluations or mid-semester surveys, could be from peer or CTL observation, could include syllabus language or class norms; narrative should describe how the collected evidence establishes the students’ experience in the classroom
LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS	provide timely learning-focused feedback to students	3+ examples of how assignments are set up for this (e.g., rubrics), specific examples of feedback; narrative should highlight how feedback is provided and how it is focused on student learning (rather than only grades)
LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS	communicates with students clearly, regularly, and in a supportive tone	3+ examples of how you communicate, e.g., from syllabus, Canvas announcements, emails, videos; narrative should highlight what strategies are used & how they are used

Additional Resources

Coming soon!