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CIRTL @ Northwestern Certificate Program

A three-tiered certificate for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, from all disciplines focused on reflective, evidence-informed, and inclusive teaching, informed by the Center for the Integration of Research on Learning and Teaching (CIRTL) Network.

Updates about Fall programming coming soon!

Overview

Through CIRTL @ Northwestern, the Searle Center engages graduate students and postdoctoral scholars across the University in structured programs and communities of practice that deepen their ability to design effective, relationship-rich, inclusive learning environments responsive to the students they teach.

CIRTL @ Northwestern is grounded in the belief that investing in the development of graduate student and postdoctoral educators enhances the quality of undergraduate learning while strengthening the future of teaching and learning in higher education. The program aligns with the CIRTL Network’s mission to develop educators committed to “implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices,” while embodying Searle’s commitment to reflective practice, disciplinary context, and sustained engagement with teaching as intellectual work.

A Developmental Pathway

CIRTL @ Northwestern is structured as a flexible developmental pathway through which CIRTL Certificate seekers explore, reflect, and contribute to learning and teaching in increasingly sustained and meaningful ways. As certificate seekers move through the three tiers, they build their knowledge, deepen their practice, and contribute to broader conversations about teaching and learning.

The pathway is grounded in the CIRTL Network’s three core ideas which are integrated throughout program offerings and experiences.

  • Learning-through-diversity
  • Teaching-as-Research
  • Learning communities

Across the pathway, participants engage in workshops, learning communities, discussions, teaching observations, and other professional learning experiences. Rather than functioning as isolated events, these experiences are intentionally connected to support ongoing inquiry, reflection, and practice.

Associate Level

Exploring Learning and Teaching in Context

At the Associate level, CIRTL Certificate seekers encounter a breadth of engagement opportunities and innovative approaches to learning and teaching. As CIRTL Associates, participants connect new ideas to their own disciplines and teaching philosophies.Aligning with CIRTL’s emphasis on evidence-based teaching practices, CIRTL Certificate seekers will:

  • Consider how student and instructor experiences shape learning, reflecting CIRTL’s emphasis on learning-through-diversity
  • Develop familiarity with evidence-based teaching practices and understand their role in improving undergraduate learning
  • Discover the possibilities of responsive teaching and examples of excellence in teaching innovation across disciplines.

To build this broad foundation, CIRTL Certificate seekers complete facilitated learning experiences and independent learning experiences.

Complete one of each of the following facilitated learning experiences:

  • 1 CIRTL online network workshop or event (synchronous)
  • 1 session in the Pedagogical Innovations Series (offered quarterly)
  • 1 session in the Student Belonging and Success Reading Circle Series (offered quarterly)

Complete one of each of the following independent learning experiences:

  • Read 1 Searle Center Learning & Teaching Guide
  • Schedule and engage in 1 Informational Interview with an educator in your discipline (consider reaching out to someone who teaches in your discipline at a different institution).

Practitioner Level

Designing and Reflecting in Community 

At the Practitioner level, CIRTL Certificate seekers move from exploration to active design in learning communities that position teaching as a shared site of inquiry. CIRTL Practitioners critically reflect on their teaching and make informed pedagogical decisions that align with their goals and the needs of their students.  

Aligning with CIRTL’s emphasis on evidence-based teaching practices and the core idea that learning happens within intentional, collaborative communities, CIRTL Certificate seekers will: 

  • Reflect on, articulate and justify pedagogical choices 
  • Design and teaching strategies responsive to diverse learners,  
  • Engage in ongoing reflection, scholarship, and peer exchange. 

To deepen and apply their teaching practice, CIRTL Certificate seekers complete one of the following experiences: 

Scholar Level

Investigating and Contributing to Learning and Teaching

At the Scholar level, CIRTL Certificate seekers move from reflectors and designers toward teaching as a site of systematic inquiry and iteration. Drawing on questions that emerge from their disciplinary teaching contexts and broader conversations about learning, CIRTL Scholars investigate effective pedagogical approaches and contribute their insights to other educators. Aligning with CIRTL's emphasis on evidence-based teaching practices and the core idea of Teaching-as-Research, CIRTL Certificate seekers will:

  • Synthesize educational research into opportunities to promote and practice pedagogical approaches that support student learning.
  • Translate evidence-based and inclusive teaching practices into practical insights for teaching, informed by peer-reviewed research, data about student experiences, and authentic classroom experiences.

To investigate and contribute to teaching and learning, CIRTL Certificate seekers complete one option of the Searle Teaching-as-Research (STAR) projects:

  • Option 1: Investigate disciplinary teaching-as-research (TAR) project alongside a Disciplinary Expert Faculty Mentor by proposing an educational research question, piloting an intervention, collecting data about student learning, and analyzing results to reflect on innovative teaching as an on-going, intentional, reflective practice.
  • Option 2: Co-author a discipline-based case study with an Educational Developer for one of Searle’s Learning and Teaching guides to expand teaching innovation and community impact.

Recognition and Progression

CIRTL Certificate seekers document their learning as they move through the program, developing short reflective writings and curated artifacts that demonstrate their growth and engagement.

This process emphasizes:

  • Articulation of pedagogical thinking
  • Integration of theory and practice
  • Evidence of reflective development over time

To earn the credentials at each level, CIRTL Certificate seekers should complete the CIRTL Recognition Form. CIRTL Certificate seekers will be asked to submit:

  • 1-2 page reflection(s) demonstrating engagement with the learning outcomes and experience attending workshops, programming, and independent learning experiences.
  • Accompanying program artifacts (e.g., notes, teaching philosophy statement, pedagogical case study, etc.) further demonstrating achievement of learning outcomes.

Recognition at each level signals a developing capacity to support meaningful student learning at Northwestern and beyond.

Connection to the CIRTL Network

As part of the CIRTL Network, Northwestern community members have access to a broader community of educators across more than 40 research universities. This includes workshops, courses, and collaborative learning opportunities that extend beyond Northwestern. Since becoming a member institution in 2012, the Searle Center has both engaged in and contributed to CIRTL’s cross-network offerings, sharing expertise while learning alongside peers across institutions.

Through this participation, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become part of a network that values collaboration, inquiry, and continuous improvement in teaching and learning, contributing to the CIRTL mission to “to enrich undergraduate education that is accessible to all learners.”

CIRTL programs and events fill up fast! We recommend the following to stay up to date: view the CIRTL events calendar and subscribe to the CIRTL Network Newsletter.

Getting Started

CIRTL @ Northwestern welcomes graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from all disciplines who are interested in strengthening their approach to teaching and learning.

To learn more or begin your participation, contact:

Daisy Haas, Assistant Director of STEM Education
daisy.haas@northwestern.edu