TeaCHE Category 5

Category 5: Self-Directed Study (50 Points)

The final component of the capstone program is self-directed study related to teaching in higher education. To fulfill Category 5 you need to accumulate 50 points from the schedule of activities provided below.

• The various activities require different documentation when submitted in your program completion packet. Most of the instructions for documenting your self-study activities are common sense and most of the items require the versatile Activity Tracking Form (on Canvas). The goal is a final submission packet that is clear and easy to validate when it is submitted for final review.
• Some activities in Category 5 require pre-approval to qualify for points. If you are interested in an event that requires pre-approval contact the TeaCHE coordinator through the TeaCHE Canvas site. The ATL will review the available information for the event and make a determination, so providing adequate information and links is important. You will be notified via email if the event is approved. If approved, items may be posted or publicized in the Canvas site for others to use, as well. Thus, all participants in TeaCHE are encouraged to identify self-directed events, articles, and books for the benefit of all.

Detailed instructions for each activity are included below the table.

 Detailed Requirements

A. Attend a colloquium, seminar, symposium or lecture on higher education

• Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form

There are several regular offerings at Baylor that are approved for 5.A. See the approved events page. Other sessions, whether at Baylor or somewhere else, require approval. Contact the TeaCHE coordinator via Canvas for approval to use an event under 5.A.

B. Observe the teaching of a faculty member (see Category 4)

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form; Classroom Observation Reflection.
• Limit: 3

You may repeat the Category 4 observation of a faculty member up to three additional times for self-directed study points. Instructions are the same as for the initial observation in Category 4.

C. Read an article from the TeaCHE Self-Directed Study Bibliography

• Pre-Approval Required for any article not on the Self-Directed Study Bibliography
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• No Limit

Pre-approved texts may be found on the Self-Directed Study Bibliography. Suggestions for texts are welcome; submit them in the TeaCHE Canvas site. For Category 5 credit, complete the Activity Tracking Form clearly indicating that the form is being used to document a text from the Self-Directed Study Bibliography.

D. Attend a conference on teaching and higher education or a conference session on teaching and higher education at a professional or academic conference

• Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• No Limit

Contact the TeaCHE coordinator via Canvas to request approval for an event to qualify for 5.D.

E. Serve as peer reviewer for the Teaching Capstone in Higher Education

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form; the Peer Review forms (Syllabus or Teaching Philosophy) that you provide your colleague
• Limit: 2 Syllabi and 2 Teaching Philosophies

Serving as a peer reviewer for statements of teaching philosophy and course syllabi can be a learning experience for the reviewer, too. Complete an Activity Tracking Form clearly noting that it is being used to record your service as a reviewer. Provide the name of the participant for whom you acted as reviewer and include the appropriate Peer Review form from your review.

F. Present at a colloquium, seminar, symposium

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form; program page or other document describing topic and content of presentation
• No Limit

While no pre-approval is required for this item, the primary topic of your presentation must be teaching and higher education and the venue should be scholarly and professional. If you have doubts regarding a presentation, consult with the TeaCHE coordinator via the Canvas site. To reward contributions to a culture of excellence in teaching, points for this activity can be claimed for multiple events, even if the content remains the same.

G. Reading a book from Self-Directed Study Bibliography

• Pre-Approval Required for any book not on Self-Directed Study Bibliography
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• No Limit

Pre-approved texts may be found on the Self-Directed Study Bibliography. Suggestions for texts are welcome; submit them in the TeaCHE Canvas site. For Category 5 credit, complete the Activity Tracking Form clearly indicating that it is being used to record a text from the Self-Directed Study Bibliography.

H. Receiving additional teaching observation and feedback (see Category 4)

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form; observer's Classroom Observation Feedback; your Classroom Observation Reflection
• Limit: 3

You may receive up to three additional observations of your teaching as outlined in Category 4. Instructions are the same as for the initial observation in Category 4.

I. Participate in Seminars for Excellence in Teaching (SET)

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• No Limit

If you are fulfilling Category 1 by attending five SETs, then to receive points in Category 5 you must fill out an Activity Tracking Form beginning with the sixth SET. SETs you attend to fulfill Category 1 cannot be used for points in Category 5.

J. Write an analysis and reflection on student evaluations

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: No additional forms needed
• Limit: 3 (from courses taught in the preceding or current academic year)

Write a 2-5 page analysis and reflection on student evaluations you have received from a full semester of teaching. This option is oriented toward Baylor graduate student teachers of record, but you may use student evaluations from teaching in other higher education settings (e.g., adjunct teaching at another college or university). If you teach more than one section, you may elect to include a comparison and contrast of classroom dynamics between multiple sections or limit your analysis and reflection to a single section. Because of the timing of the TeaCHE program, these student evaluations can only come from the preceding Fall and Spring semesters and the Fall semester of the TeaCHE year (Spring evals would not be available before final submission of the TeaCHE packet). No separate cover page is required, but be sure that the title/heading clearly identifies this Category 5 activity and the semester of teaching.

K. Present on teaching in higher education at a conference

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form; program page or other document describing topic and content of presentation
• No Limit

This activity is virtually the same as presenting in a colloquium, seminar or symposium (above). The difference is that presenting at a professional or scholarly conference entails a higher level of vetting to be accepted to present. While no pre-approval is required for this item, the primary topic of your presentation must be teaching and higher education. If you have doubts regarding a presentation, consult with the TeaCHE coordinator via the Canvas site to receive pre-approval. To reward contributions to a culture of excellence in teaching, points for this activity can be claimed for multiple events, even if the content remains the same.

L. Publish an article or chapter about teaching in higher education

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form as cover page; copy of chapter or article
• No Limit

Although the publication does not have to be peer-reviewed, the publication should be in print media. Electronic media will only qualify if the online publication is officially affiliated with a scholarly print publication or an otherwise highly reputable scholarly enterprise. For example, online publication in The Chronicle for Higher Education or a reputable publisher's fee-based electronic resource (such as that to which a library would subscribe) qualifies for these Category 5 points. Blog posts, private publishing, forums and similar venues do not qualify.

M. Receive a departmental or external teaching award

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Copy of award, press release, or other official documentation of award
• No Limit

The rationale for this item is to reward existing excellence in teaching. For this item, the scope anticipated is an award for teaching conferred by an educational unit under whose authority you have worked as a teacher in a higher education setting. This will most often take the form of an honor conferred by a department or program within Baylor University or within another institution of higher education.

N. Receive a college or university teaching award

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Copy of award, press release, or other official documentation of award
• No Limit

Like the corresponding item for departmental teaching awards, the rationale for this item is to reward existing excellence in teaching. For this item, the scope anticipated is an award for teaching conferred at a wider scale. One such award available at Baylor University is the Graduate School's Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher award. Any award for teaching excellence conferred by a college (i.e, College of Arts & Sciences; McLennan Community College), school (i.e., Graduate School, School of Education, School of Social Work, School of Business), or university qualifies for these Category 5 points.

O. Receive a grant for scholarly work in the field teaching and higher education

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Copy of grant award, press release, or other official documentation of award
• No Limit

The rational for this item is to reward ongoing scholarly work in the field of teaching and higher education. The focus of the grant (monetary, resources, etc.) must be teaching and higher education.

P. Serving as a Graduate Fellow for the Academy for Teaching and Learning

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form designating that you with to use your position as an ATL Graduate Fellow for TeaCHE Category 5
• Limit: 1

The rationale for this item is to reward extended professional engagement furthering excellence in teaching and higher education. The ATL hires a limited number of Graduate Fellows to carry out its mission at Baylor University. Graduate Fellows employed by the ATL for no less than seven months qualify for this item.

Q. Attend an Article Discussion facilitated by an ATL Graduate Fellow

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• Limit: None

The rationale for this item is to provide an opportunity to engage in a discussion about teaching in Higher Education, around a specific article. For the session, you are expected to read the article in advance and actively participate in the  conversation. The discussion dates and times, as well as any pertinent files, are provided on Canvas.

R. Complete course EDC 6372, Teaching and Learning in Online Environments

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form

The rationale for this item is to provide an opportunity to learn more about the technologies, methods, strategies, assessments, and research related synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid environments for teaching and learning. To participate, you will need to enroll in the course and successfully complete it.

S. Attend and Complete Designing for Online Teaching Success (DOTS)

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• Limit: None

The rationale for this item is to provide an opportunity to discuss the theory and practice of online teaching and instructional design. To participate, you will need to enroll in the program and successfully complete it.

T. Listen to an episode of the "Professors Talk Pedagogy" podcast or previously recorded Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (SET)

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• Limit: None

The rationale for this item is to provide an opportunity to engage with ideas from Baylor faculty about various aspects of pedagogy. The podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts or on the "Professors Talk Pedagogy" webpage.

U. Private Online Course Review through Baylor's Learning Design Team

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• Limit: None

The rationale for this item is to provide an opportunity improve participants' understanding of online course reviews. This activity consists of a one-on-one meeting with the Learning Design Team to review courses through the lens of the Baylor Adapted Online Learning Consortium Quality Review (OSCQR) rubric. Findings of the Baylor OSCQR review will be held confidentially between the Learning Experience Designer and TeaCHE participants and used to make recommendations on course redesigns. Please email learningdesign@baylor.edu to schedule a review.

V. Foundations for Teaching Workshop

• No Pre-Approval Required
• Documentation Requirement: Activity Tracking Form
• Limit: One

This workshop for graduate students provides a basic toolkit for teaching, addressing topics like lecturing, active learning, and course design. The one-day event is generally held the week before fall classes begin in August.