{"id":168,"date":"2023-01-25T13:46:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T18:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/tlcguide\/?post_type=chapter&p=168"},"modified":"2023-07-26T18:33:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T22:33:10","slug":"chapter-1-what-is-a-teaching-and-learning-centre","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/tlcguide\/chapter\/chapter-1-what-is-a-teaching-and-learning-centre\/","title":{"raw":"What is a Teaching and Learning Centre?","rendered":"What is a Teaching and Learning Centre?"},"content":{"raw":"\"Students\r\n\r\nby Dr. Kathleen Bortolin and Ye Chen, Vancouver Island University\r\n

What is a Teaching and Learning Centre<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nA teaching and learning centre (TLC) is a centralized support unit within a post-secondary institution that provides leadership, guidance, and resources related to teaching and learning. Generally, [pb_glossary id=\"306\"]TLC[\/pb_glossary]s provide support to educators interested in developing and enhancing their teaching practice and in turn, the experiences of their learners. Many instructors hired to teach in college or university settings come to their positions with knowledge, expertise, and skills within their subject matter. Until relatively recently, however, not all of these educators would have arrived with deep experience or training in teaching, course design, lesson planning, or assessment strategies. And if when they do, there continue to be ways to develop and enhance as they go along their professional pathways. TLCs can support these educators develop skills and expertise in teaching, enabling them to share their subject-matter expertise more effectively.\r\n\r\nTLC support can vary widely and is influenced deeply by the culture, values, and needs of an institution. In fact, TLCs that are in the process of creating and defining themselves need to consider closely the culture and mandate of their institution in order to define their service and leadership structures. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the ways in which TLCs can support, inspire, and enhance teaching practice, professional development, and learning experiences across the post-secondary sector.\r\n

Brief History of Teaching and Learning Centres (TLCs)<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nTeaching and learning centres (TLC), also known as Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs), were invented in North America in the middle of the 20th century. In 1962, the University of Michigan launched what is considered the first TLC, the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), as part of pioneering efforts to research and support the on-campus learning experience (Forgie et al., 2018; O\u2019Grady, 2017; University of Michigan, 2023).\r\n\r\nFor the past 60 years, the characteristics of [pb_glossary id=\"492\"]CTL[\/pb_glossary]s and their operations have evolved over time.\u00a0 As universities\u2019 concern for student learning has increased, CTLs have modified their services to include seminars, consultations, and financing for teaching and learning-related research (Sorcinelli, 2002). By 2017, at post-secondary colleges across Canada, there were 91 TLCs (Educational Developers Caucus, 2017). As a result of the globalization of higher education and the expansion of digital technologies, universities have recently been under significant political and public pressure to constantly innovate their teaching and learning techniques. With the Covid crisis in 2020, many teaching and learning centres all over the world were called upon to support the transition from classroom to online teaching.\u00a0 At this time, for many instructors, administrators, and students, the value and function of TLCs as a critical support unit for college teaching and learning came to light. Continually, creating strategic activities and contributions from support units, such as TLCs, for academics and students has become a strategy for higher education institutions to guarantee quality and competitiveness (P\u00e9rez-Sanagust\u00edn et al., 2022).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIn countries like Kenya, where Competency-Based Education Training (CBET) is becoming a popular teaching methodology, TLCs are seen by many as an emerging yet critical support unit for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning.\u00a0 As more and more institutions and instructors are called upon to design and facilitate [pb_glossary id=\"308\"]CBET[\/pb_glossary] courses, tertiary institutions like polytechnics and technical training institutes are seeing the need to have centralized support units like TLCs to respond to wide-spread need and interest in CBET teaching and learning. For this reason, as part of global partnerships such as the Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP) and the Young Africa Works Kenya (YAW-K) programs, TLCs are gaining momentum as a rich source of consolidated and situated support for the deliverables and goals of those programs.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Case Study: Building a Teaching and Learning Centre at KNP<\/strong><\/summary>\r\n
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Transcript of the Video<\/strong><\/summary>\r\n
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Building a Teaching and Learning Centre<\/strong>\r\nThere's no expert in a teaching and Learning Center. We are learning, all of us. We are learning and everybody is there to learn and improve.\r\nI am Caroline Massara. I am the Kissing National Polytechnic Teaching and Learning Center Administrator. Thank you so much for this opportunity.\r\nMy name is John Gekondo, the founder of the TLC. I contributed towards establishing the teaching and learning centre and now my role is to assist in coordinating activities of the center.\r\nWhat is a Teaching and Learning Centre?<\/strong>\r\nA teaching and learning centre is a department which is going to help trainers, those who have basic education and those who do not. So we are not putting pressure on those who have and those who do not have. This is a new department that everybody should be involved.\r\nThe Teaching and Learning Center basically is meant to empower teachers so that they can have the right methodologies to deliver content. So that now we can translate from teacher centered methodologies to learner centered methodologies.\r\nWe are going to work one-on-one with you. With the help of you and me, we are going to develop materials. My role is just to facilitate what you do.\r\nHow did Kisii National Polytechnic start?<\/strong>\r\nThe Kisii National Polytechnic Teaching Learning Center. I can see it goes back to 2017 when the KEFEP project took off and those of us who came to Canada, five of us, the project, the core team visited the center for innovation and excellence in learning. When we went back home, we decided that we can also take the idea also start a similar one in Kenya.\r\nWhat Skills do you need to operate a Teaching and Learning Centre?<\/strong>\r\nA Teaching and Learning Center by this nature requires staff who have the following qualities.\r\n#1<\/strong> Basic Education. People are highly illiterate in terms of methodology because you cannot give what you don't have. So we expect that the staff who are going to work or who are already working be having that knowledge which they can transfer to other trainers.\r\nIn the basic education somebody should have at lease a degree. You know when someone has a basic education and a degree, you have at least a basic knowledge on research.\r\n#2<\/strong> Personal Skills. Great interpersonal skills. Because you are going to interact with the trainers. You must have great interpersonal skills so that you are able to convince them. You are able to show them that they need a Teaching and Learning Center. And also remember when you deal with human beings we have various behaviours and therefore you should be able to know how to interact with the people of all behaviors because a Teaching and Learning Center by this nature is voluntary. You can't force people to come. So we have to have the greater interpersonal skills so that you are able to interact with the trainers to attract them come into the center.\r\n#3<\/strong> Time Management. Another quality is time management and staff must be able to manage time. Come on time and also know how to create the programs because trainers come and they have lessons. If you are not able to deliver service that means you are going to inadvertently effect the delivery of this trainer.\r\nShould be able to work under pressure. Someone who is able to absorb things, swallow and move on.\r\n#4<\/strong> Ability to work with technology\r\nAnother area. I can say that the staff must have is being able to work with IT. A Teaching and Learning Center also requires use of computers, use of tablets, use of technology. We have even projectors. So someone who is work there should be able to operate those machines and also maintain them well.\r\n#5<\/strong> Passion\r\nI need somebody who has passion to work. You do not have to be the center of knowledge, but have passion to learn and passion to work will make you move. Someone who is ready to learn. If you are told this is not working well, then you are able to adjust. You have to be flexible.\r\nA Teaching and Learning Center staff must also have passion for their work. You must have passion and the patience to deliver.\r\nAdvice about starting a Teaching and Learing Centre<\/strong>\r\nStarting a teaching Learning Center is not very difficult. What is most important is to get people who have the passion and who are willing to change the way we teach and then from there let them prepare proposal. Let them prepare a teaching plan.\r\nFrom there they can get the resources to start doing. If you want to start a Teaching and Learning Center. First of all, if you should understand what you want your Teaching and Learning Center to do. You have to have a vision and a mission for your Teaching and Learning Center.\r\nWhat do you need to make it effective?<\/strong>\r\nFor the Teaching and Learning Center to be effective, there needs to be support. We need to work together. We are a team. So basically a Teaching and Learning Center is to develop the professional and the career aspects of trainers so that they can deliver in class in the right way to our trainees so that they can become employable.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/details>\r\n

How do TLCs provide support?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nThe following outlines some of the ways TLCs provide support to their institutions.\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"2\"]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Case Study: A Day in the Life of a TLC--Kisii National Polytechnic (KNP)<\/strong><\/summary>\r\n
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Figure 3.1: Graphic by Amber Deakin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n