CTL Programming Pathways
- What is one insight you’ve gained as a teacher or as a learner that you are excited to share with fellow CU educators?
- What is one area of teaching and learning where you would like to learn more?
Whether you’re teaching for the first time or already a seasoned educator, there are always opportunities to share from your own experience, learn from others, and expand your teaching practice to incorporate innovative frameworks and strategies. At the CTL, we recognize the importance of sustained engagement in teaching and learning-related professional development–both for connecting with educators from across campus and staying inspired in your own teaching.
To help guide you through the CTL’s many offerings, we’re excited to announce our new CTL Programming Pathways.
What are the CTL Programming Pathways?
The CTL Programming Pathways are “choose your own adventure” style pathways for deepening your expertise in a particular area of teaching and learning.

To complete a pathway, participate in at least one offering at each of the following levels:
- Introductory
- Intermediate
- Advanced
We’ve provided a menu of programming options at each level. This is intended to help you select offerings tailored to your unique interests and needs.

Each offering includes an estimated investment level, indicating the expected time and commitment required. This helps you identify opportunities that align with your availability and professional development needs.

You self-track which offerings you complete and then let us know when you’ve finished a pathway!
(Pathway completion form coming soon.)

In addition to the pathway levels, you'll also find:
Gateway Offerings to help you explore foundational teaching and learning topics before beginning a pathway.
Future Directions with suggestions for continuing your professional growth after completing a pathway.
What You’ll Receive for Completing a Pathway
If you complete a CTL programming pathway, the CTL’s director will send a letter of completion to your department chair, program director, or you (at your request), recognizing your engagement in teaching and learning-related professional development. As of Fall 2026, the CTL offers two Programming Pathways:
Investment Level Guide
- Low-investment: Stand-alone, usually a 1- to 2-hour session, with no expectation of a final project
- Mid-investment: Program or community of practice involving attendance at more than one event or session, but still no expectation of a final project
- High-investment: Multi-week to year-long program, with the expectation of a final project
Currently Available Pathways as of Fall 2026

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this pathway, participants will be able to:
- Describe principles and practices for creating well-structured courses (e.g., using the Canvas LMS)
- Apply backward design and UDL principles to develop a course or curriculum that supports the learning and the success of all students
- Reflect on various aspects of their course design that align with the course learning objectives
- Propose and/or implement course or curriculum (re) design to enhance success for all learners.
Programming options for completing this pathway:
Gateway (not required to complete pathway)
- Introduction to Backward Design workshop, to be offered at CTL Fall Mini-Conference - *Low-investment
- OIT’s Canvas Fundamentals self-paced asynchronous Canvas course, offered on an ongoing basis - *Mid-investment
- OIT’s Best Practices for Teaching in Canvas self-paced asynchronous Canvas course, offered on an ongoing basis - *Mid-investment
Entry-level
- Course Design self-paced asynchronous Canvas micro-credential, to be offered Fall 2026 - *Mid-investment (Link forthcoming)
- 3-day Course Design Series, offered annually in May - *Mid-investment
- Universal Design for Learning self-paced asynchronous Canvas micro-credential, to be offered Fall 2026 - *Mid-investment (Link forthcoming)
Intermediate
- Complete a CTL consultation for a full course design review - *Low-investment
- Just and Equitable Teaching (JET) hybrid micro-credential, to be offered Fall 2026 - *High-investment
Advanced
- Complete a course or curriculum (re)design through the Faculty Fellows year-long program, offered annually (application deadline has passed for 2026-27) - *High-investment
- Complete a course or curriculum (re)design through the Students as Partners year-long program, offered annually (application deadline has passed for 2026-27) - *High-investment
Future directions (not required to complete pathway)
- Engage in critical self-reflection
- Gather student feedback on your courses and teaching methods
- Complete a CTL consultation, or coordinate a CTL training for your department or program
- Develop and implement a plan for assessing the impacts of your teaching on student learning
- Take on a teaching-related leadership role in your department or program
- Conduct a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) or Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) project
- Attend or present at a teaching and learning conference
- Collaborate with the CTL on a workshop, panel, or resource
- Complete the Learning by Design Group’s Online Teaching micro-credential, to be offered in February 2027

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this pathway, participants will be able to:
- Explain the purposes of various assessment types of student learning,
- Apply the core principles of equity-minded assessment to develop effective
- assessments that support the success of all students,
- Evaluate the alignment between learning outcomes, assessment methods,
- and instructional strategies,
- Gather and use feedback on your teaching and assessment methods using
- multiple sources (students, peers, self-reflection)
Programming options for completing this pathway:
Gateway (not required to complete pathway)
- Assessment workshops led by the CTL Lead Graduate Teaching Fellows, offered on a varying basis throughout the academic year (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Grading in Canvas workshop, to be offered at Fall Intensive 2026 - *Low-investment
- Grade for Student Success: Implementing Equity-minded Grading in Canvas workshop, to be offered at Fall Intensive 2026 - *Low-investment
- 3-day Course Design Workshop, offered annually in May - *Mid-investment
Entry-level
- Equity-minded Assessment Design workshop, to be offered Fall 2026 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Leveraging equitable assessment practices to Support Student Learning while Reducing Overuse of AI workshop, to be offered Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Assessment-focused book clubs, to be offered Fall 2026 and on an ongoing basis - *Mid-investment
- Classroom Observation with critical self-reflection - *Mid-investment
Intermediate
- Feedback workshop, to be offered Fall 2026 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Intro to Alternative Grading: Specifications Grading & Ungrading workshop, to be offered Spring 2027 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Preparing to Gather Midsemester Student Feedback, to be offered Fall 2026 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Using Student Feedback to Improve Teaching and Learning, to be offered Fall 2026 (see CTL events page) - *Low-investment
- Teaching Circles, offered every Fall and Spring semester (application deadline has passed for 2026-27) - *High-investment
Advanced
- Complete an assessment (re)design through the Faculty Fellows year-long program, offered annually (application deadline has passed for 2026-27) - *High-investment
- Complete an assessment (re)design through the Students as Partners year-long program, offered annually (application deadline has passed for 2026-27) - *High-investment
- Complete an assessment (re)design through the AI Summer Design Studio, offered annually in May - *Mid-investment
Future directions (not required to complete pathway)
- Engage in critical self-reflection
- Gather student feedback on your courses and teaching methods
- Complete a CTL consultation, or coordinate a CTL training for your department or program
- Develop and implement a plan for assessing the impacts of your teaching on student learning
- Take on an assessment-related leadership role in your department or program
- Conduct a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) or Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) project
- Attend or present at a teaching and learning conference
- Collaborate with the CTL on a workshop, panel, or resource