Teaching and Learning Consortium

The TLC convenes four meetings (two per semester) and two social gatherings per academic year. Through a combination of presentations, workshops, and other activities, members:

• share information, tools, and research efforts to promote increased dialogue across school boundaries;
• address common challenges and leverage collective expertise to inform and design solutions;
• connect colleagues on campus to discuss teaching, learning, and technological goals;
• identify cross-School opportunities for exploration and collaboration, including School-level initiatives that can be scaled;
• provide feedback and guidance to University-level initiatives.

University-wide TLC activities have included:

• Cross-School Insight Sharing: Members share real-time insights from across Harvard’s classrooms which helps to identify emerging challenges, innovations, and successes. Their contributions allow us to design more relevant, responsive programming and disseminate effective practices across the university.
• Collaborative Program Design: Members volunteer to help shape the vision and content of HILT’s annual university-wide conference as well as other special events throughout the year. They contribute early ideas, provide feedback on emerging themes, and help ensure our programming reflects the needs of our constituents. Many also take on active roles as breakout session organizers and facilitators, creating space for rich, relevant conversations that spark new thinking.
• Elevating Everyday Practice: Members regularly suggest faculty stories, tools, and strategies for publication in Into Practice, VPAL’s biweekly teaching and learning e-letter. Their contributions help spotlight teaching practices across Harvard and surface practical ideas others can apply.
• Critical Support and Resources: In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, TLC members partnered with Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (VPAL) and Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) to launch Teach Remotely and Learn Remotely—two essential websites created in just one week to support Harvard’s swift transition to online teaching and learning. These resources continue to be widely used for guidance on effective digital pedagogy.

HILT aims to further advance the TLC’s work by providing administrative support and connection across the multi-faceted and fast-changing teaching and learning space.

TLC membership is managed by HILT and TLC co-chairs and will be reviewed annually. Invitations to new members will be extended upon completion of the annual review and/or as spots become available. Membership will be allocated to ensure a broad representation of teaching and learning organizations.