Category: Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Accessible Learning Experiences

Written by tlc

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Accessible learning and course design removes avoidable barriers so all learners—across abilities, languages, technologies, and contexts—can engage, demonstrate competence, and progress. In the health sciences, accessibility is essential for professional formation, clinical safety, and patient care. It is also an anticipatory practice: designing for variability from the start (e.g., captions, structured documents, flexible assessments) reduces… Read More

Creating a Welcoming Learning Environment

Written by tlc

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Creating a welcoming classroom climate supports motivation, focus, and student participation. Research across higher education and the health sciences shows that students are more likely to engage and persist when the learning environment includes respectful relationships, clear expectations, and visible support structures. Faculty also report greater satisfaction and teaching effectiveness in environments where students are… Read More

English Language Learners

Written by dscott50

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Take it on the go! Listen to an AI-generated TLC‧To‧Go podcast episode summarizing this resource. Reviewed:September 16, 2025 First Published:January 24, 2025   As more students enter health professions programs with multiple language backgrounds, supporting the needs of English language learners (ELL) has become an important focus for educators. Strengthening support for these learners also… Read More

Attending to Student Well-Being

Written by Teaching and Learning Center

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Faculty have a unique opportunity to support student well-being in both classroom and clinical settings. This can include using clear and flexible teaching approaches, offering regular check-ins to help students reflect on their personal and academic experiences, and creating a welcoming learning environment. These strategies can help students stay engaged, especially when they are facing… Read More

Teaching in Tumultuous Times

Written by Tom Laughner

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

When local, community, or global events impact our classrooms, it can be challenging to maintain focus on teaching and learning. Teaching may feel mundane or even irrelevant in the face of tragedy, violence, or disaster. Faculty and students alike may be personally affected, especially when their identities or communities are targeted or harmed. Faculty should… Read More

Student Success

Written by Tom Laughner

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Take it on the go! Listen to an AI-generated TLC‧To‧Go podcast episode summarizing this resource. Last Reviewed:September 16, 2025 First Published:January 20, 2023   Planning, preparation, and sleep are vital to the success of students at UTHSC. This section includes advice and techniques that prepare students for academic success.   Use the comments section below… Read More

Getting to Know Your Students

Written by TLC

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Robust research suggests that students benefit immensely from student-faculty interaction, particularly when it comes to student well-being, intellectual commitment, and motivation (Morrison 2021). While getting to know students can be challenging in larger classes or within an online context, certain teaching strategies, such as mini-surveys or small-group meetings, can help faculty connect with students in… Read More

Faculty Well-Being

Written by Teaching and Learning Center

|
Create Welcoming Learning Environments

Faculty often face significant pressure to excel as educators, researchers, and professionals in their fields. These demands—combined with university service responsibilities and personal or external obligations—can take a toll on overall well-being. In some cases, faculty may also experience added strain from taking on additional responsibilities that fall outside their primary roles. To support their… Read More