Cohort-Based Learning Opportunities – Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation
Univeristy of Pennsylvania
Close

Cohort-Based Learning Opportunities

CETLI offers a range of cohort-based programs designed to prepare graduate students as future faculty. These courses offer the opportunity to build community with fellow graduate students and delve into a wide variety of teaching topics. Attendance counts towards the workshop requirements for the CETLI Teaching Certificate. 

Register for a Program

Learning Communities

Learning Community for Teaching that Enables Every Student to Thrive

Want to dive into the wide range of literature that explores teaching practices designed to help all of our students to thrive? In this year-long monthly reading group, CETLI Graduate Fellows for Teaching Today's Students will lead guided discussions around topics such as alternative grading, accessible course design, and many others. Topics will be chosen based on the participants’ and leader’s particular interests.  

This learning community is open to Penn doctoral and terminal master’s students and postdoctoral fellows. Attending at least five of the seven sessions will count as two workshops towards the CETLI Teaching Certificate.

Registration is closed.

Mini-Courses

Educators are responsible for creating classes in which all students feel welcome and capable of succeeding. This five-session mini-course will introduce participants to teaching practices that cultivate academic connection among students, incorporate transparency into their teaching, engage with differences in meaningful ways, and balance structure and flexibility so that the full range of their students can thrive. Participants will study evidence-based practices, explore case studies, and engage in group discussion to develop concrete skills that will make sure that their classes provide equal opportunity for learning.   

This course is open to Penn doctoral and terminal master’s students and postdoctoral fellows. Completing the course will count as two workshops towards the CETLI Teaching Certificate.

Note: While each section has a specific thematic focus, registration is not restricted by discipline. Participants are encouraged to choose the section that best fits their schedule, keeping in mind the theme of each section. 

Section 1: Teaching that Enables Every Student to Thrive in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Discussion-Based Classes 

Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. March 24, 26, 31, April 2, 7. 

In this section focused on strategies for discussion-based classes, participants will learn how to design and facilitate discussions that engage all students and promote critical thinking. Through case studies and group discussions, participants will explore techniques to foster open dialogue, encourage a full range of perspectives, and create a classroom culture where all voices are heard and valued.

Section 2: Teaching That Enables Every Student to Thrive in STEM and Quantitative Classes 

Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. 

Participants in this section will learn evidence-based practices to enhance student engagement and achievement in quantitative disciplines. Through practical exercises and group discussions, participants will explore how to incorporate a full range of examples and perspectives into the curriculum and discuss ways to create a supportive learning environment that encourages all students to succeed. 

The Course in College Teaching is an eight-session mini-course intended to prepare postdoctoral fellows and graduate students nearing the job market to teach college courses and develop as instructors. In this structured series of workshops and discussions, participants will consider concrete ways of organizing, preparing for, and teaching a course. They will also engage in practical, hands-on activities to help them reflect on their own teaching goals and style. Participants will finish this course with a portfolio of teaching materials – including sample assignments, in-class activities, and syllabi – that they can use on the job market and to prepare for their future as teachers. 

This course is open to PhD students or postdoctoral fellows with little or no teaching experience. (Note: except in fields like design where a masters is a terminal degree, the Course in College Teaching is not appropriate for master’s students.)  

Attendance counts as three workshops towards the CETLI Teaching Certificate. 

Enrollment is currently closed and is expected to open in the Summer of 2025.

To join the Listserv and learn about future registration dates, contact CETLI.

Sample Syllabus

This four-session mini-course is designed to introduce graduate students to online teaching. Participants will consider how to teach a fully online course that is both engaging for students and meets rigorous standards. In weekly sessions, they will gain experience working with the Canvas platform as they they think creatively about how to use Canvas and a wide range of other online tools. Alongside this technical experience, participants will consider key pedagogical questions for teaching online such as keeping students motivated and creating a sense of community. This mini-course will help graduate students prepare for online and technology-enhanced teaching at Penn, and it will also better equip them in their future careers as faculty in an increasingly digital academy. 

This course is open to Penn doctoral and terminal master’s students and postdoctoral fellows. There are three “live” sessions and one week that is fully asynchronous. Attendance at all four sessions counts as two workshops toward the teaching certificate. 

Spring 2025 dates: Thursdays, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. February 13, February 20, March 6. All sessions on Zoom. 

Registration is now open.

Contact CETLI if you have any questions.

Course Design Institute

The Course Design Institute is an opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are designing a course, whether that be for a proposed course at Penn or for a job market sample. This mini-course will provide structure, camaraderie, and feedback over the course of a 3-day institute. Alongside CETLI staff, the cohort will consider evidence-based practices in course design as they work collaboratively on articulating course objectives, brainstorming in-class activities, designing assignments and assessments, and crafting course policies. Participants will leave the institute with a new foundation in course design that can be applied to future courses. 

This course is open to Penn doctoral and terminal master’s students and postdoctoral fellows. Attendance counts as two workshops towards the CETLI Teaching Certificate.  

One section will be offered in May 2025 (dates to be announced). 

To join the Listserv and learn about future registration dates, contact CETLI.

Register for a Program