Teaching and Learning Excellence Series
Teaching and Learning Excellence Series (TALES) produces digital materials that inspire instructors and support student success by showcasing excellent teaching and learning at UCSB. TALES is focused on highlighting educational strategies that promote equity, access, inclusion and student-centered learning. From 2017-2019, TALES ran as a video podcast, live presentations from instructors, and a Graduate Student Teaching Symposium. TALES was put on hold from 2020-2022, but was re-instituted in 2023.
As from Fall 2023, TALES began partnering with a number of UCSB student support entities to produce social media content for students and resources for instructors that demystify the “hidden curriculum”, which is the implicit, unspoken, unexplained norms, rules, processes, and expectations of the university. Many students and new instructors come to UCSB with little understanding of the university’s processes, where or how to get help, what they are responsible for doing, and how to navigate the culture of a public higher education research institution. TALES helps make the "hidden curriculum" more apparent to students and provides resources for UCSB instructors to use as they support all of their students.
Hidden Curriculum Themes
- Office Hours (January-February 2024)
- Academic Reading Skills (February-March 2024)
- The Magic of Mistakes (April-May 2024)
TALES Resources and Materials
TALES offers a wealth of information and resources available in a variety of different mediums, including...
Videos featuring faculty and graduate students who have received teaching awards.
Videos of students discussing their learning and university experiences.
Weekly social media posts for students explaining elements of the hidden curriculum.
Media with teaching tips for TAs and instructors.
Newsletters to instructors and graduate teaching assistants.
Live events, such as symposia, workshops, and invited presentations from instructors.