Days are getting longer, snow is melting, and birds are singing: spring is here! Many of us mark the new season with spring cleaning, an opportunity to start fresh after a long, cold winter. This spring, the release of Learning Suite provides an opportunity to refresh your teaching. As you become acquainted with BYU Learning Suite, you also can take advantage of several resources from the Center for Teaching and Learning that can help you freshen your courses: 

1. Designing a Course: L. Dee Fink’s instructional model provides a framework for cultivating significant learning.  By following its principles, you can strengthen and refocus your courses to make a greater impact on the lives of your students.
2. Developing Learning Outcomes: Well-constructed learning outcomes are an essential component of course design. Outcomes that emphasize the development of students’ abilities, attributes, and knowledge will add meaning and purpose to what students do in your course.
3. Creating a Syllabus: Creating a learning-centered syllabus benefits both you and your students by communicating expectations up front and clearly defining the path to success in the course. The syllabus should focus on the needs of the students and their learning processes.
4. Active Learning Ideas: Whether you’re planning your course for next semester or seeking a new approach to this Wednesday’s class, you’ll find abundant ideas here to help your students learn.
5. Writing Exams: These guidelines for writing exam items (multiple choice, true-false, matching,  short answer, and essay) can help you avoid common pitfalls and refine your tests to get better, more accurate results.

These are only a few of the resources CTL offers to help rejuvenate your teaching. Visit the “Planning a Course” and “Teaching a Course” tabs on our website for more fresh ideas. You can also contact your college’s Teaching and Learning Consultant for more specialized help. Here’s to a new season of powerful teaching and learning!