Teaching and Learning Support (TLS)

In 2019, the Classroom Discourse Observation CDO program proposed the development of Teaching and Learning Support (TLS) resources for new faculty members. TLS is unique and distinct from the CDO evaluation. The TLS program was piloted with new faculty members only, with the aim of providing support to faculty members in their first few years of interactions with their students. Connectivity and language support are crucial in every way for the first two years for new faculty and their students – TLS supports these goals. This also benefits faculty seeking reappointment.

The TLS program uses formative assessment. Formative assessment is feedback intended to foster development and improvement within an ongoing activity (teaching). TLS is designed to provide participating faculty with a Formative Report that gives the emerging American Sign Language (ASL) faculty helpful feedback to improve their teaching skills and interactions with their students inside and outside the classroom. The goal of TLS is to provide resources for faculty members to develop their skills and prepare for their third year of CDO evaluation. This has a parallel aim of improving the classroom experience for their students.

The TLS plan is for faculty to be assessed twice a semester for each semester during their first and second years. There are two groups of Teaching and Learning Support (TLS) groups, Group TLS-A, and Group TLS-B.

• TLS-A is designed for faculty members who use interpreters in their classrooms.
  • ASLPI: 0 – 2+
• TLS-B is for faculty members that use emerging signs in their classrooms.
  • ASLPI: 3 – 5

The TLS program offers formative feedback by categorizing emerging signers’ teaching and classroom management over three or four semesters. For example, a new non-signer/emerging faculty member would get four semesters of the TLS, and a signing faculty would get three semesters of the TLS. This benefits faculty seeking reappointment. A personalized feedback is provided to the faculty member after they are videotaped teaching in the classroom. The diagnostician shares the specifics of their analysis and the video in a Formative Report. TLS provides two types of formative feedback: pre-assessment and post-assessment.

• Pre-assessment:
  • Videos recording faculty teaching and interacting with their students in the classroom
• Post-assessment:
  • A diagnostician observes the faculty teaching and interacting with their students in the classroom

Please contact the Professional Development Coordinator, Contact, to be scheduled for a Teaching and Learning Support (TLS).