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How do I earn the Foundations of Teaching Badge?
are stand-alone workshops that introduce foundational concepts and skills for student-centered interactions as an IA or course instructor.
At the Foundations Badge level, instructors will be ready to use foundational skills to interact with students and guide student learning. The badge is earned by participating in at least five of the Foundations of Teaching workshops (specifically from those listed on the Foundations of Teaching registration form or in the Foundations of Teaching Canvas site) or equivalent training through a departmental pedagogy course (as approved by Engaged Teaching) AND submitting a reflection through the Foundations of Teaching Canvas site.
The workshop topics include (covering the associated learning outcomes):
Cultivating Community in the Classroom
Balancing Relationships and Responsibilities in Teaching
Exploring How People Learn and Communicating Learning Outcomes
Make Learning Stick with Active Learning & Formative Assessments
Fostering Growth Mindsets Through Feedback and Assessments
Meaningful Engagement and Facilitation
These workshops can be completed in any order, at your own pace, and can be done through a mixture of synchronous (in-person or zoom) and asynchronous (video + assignment on Canvas) sessions.
Completion of this badge will earn you a Foundations of Teaching digital badge, which you can share on your CV or website. When you are ready to prepare your own course, this also fulfills the prerequisites for the Advanced College Teaching pedagogy course.
Who should aim for this level?
Graduate Students, Postdocs, or Undergraduate IAs wanting to explore new teaching strategies.
Graduate Students or Postdocs looking to hone existing skills and develop a shared language of student-centered teaching (either on its own or as prerequisite for Advanced College Teaching).
Timing for Graduate Students: If possible, this is great to start with in your first few years-- that way it both benefits your Instructional Assistant experience and also paves the way for taking part in Advanced College Teaching toward the end of your grad career!
Ideal for those who prefer to complete training in a more flexible or self-paced format.
Quick Links:
Quick Links:
Register for synchronous Foundations of Teaching workshops: https://tinyurl.com/register-FoT
(in 2025-2026, approximately two workshops offered synchronously each quarter)
To access asynchronous workshops, exit tickets for synchronous sessions that you recently completed, and the final reflection:
1) Enroll in the Foundations of Teaching canvas site: https://canvas.ucsd.edu/enroll/DE4P48
2) Once enrolled, you can directly access the course here: https://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/66560
Should I complete the Foundations of Teaching Badge or Introduction to College Teaching course?
Should I complete the Foundations of Teaching Badge or Introduction to College Teaching course?
The Introduction to College Teaching course directly covers the content from the Foundations of Teaching workshops in the earlier weeks of the course. Both options will introduce you to evidence-based practices for guiding student learning and creating an equitable learning experience, both will fulfill the prerequisites for Advanced College Teaching, and both are recognized with a digital badge or certificate upon completion.
Which you choose depends on what type of experience you are seeking, your engagement needs/preferences, and what you want out of it. The main differences are in structure, pacing, content depth, and community. To clarify:
Introduction to College Teaching involves...
Synchronous, quarter-long commitment: You commit to regularly attending and engaging with the course during the quarter you participate - this includes 10 weekly sessions of 2 hours, out-of-class assignments along the way (~0.5-1 hour each week), and submission of a final lesson plan and reflection. The classes are synchronous, with a choice of either in-person or Zoom, both of which are highly interactive.
Community: You get to spend 2 hours each week as part of an ongoing community of fellow grad students and postdocs who care about teaching.
Increased depth and exploration: With the additional time for both content and community development, you get more depth of learning, can explore conversations around navigating teaching decisions, and can get peer feedback on your ideas.
Recognition: You earn the Practitioner in the Expertise in Student-Centered College Teaching certificate of recognition.
Foundations of Teaching workshops involve...
Choice of synchronous or asynchronous modalities: You can opt for engaging in synchronous workshops (when offered) and/or asynchronous workshops through Canvas. You complete at least five workshops, with four core topics and one where you can choose the topic that you most resonate with.
Self-paced completion: You complete these at your own pace - you can complete multiple in a week, or spread them out over a quarter, a year, or more. Completion is tracked on Canvas either through exit tickets of synchronous workshops or assignment completion for asynchronous workshops. Submission of a final reflection comes after all workshops are completed.
Self-driven application and exploration: Since there is not an ongoing cohort (in the current structure) or outside-of-class assignments, you will need to be self-driven when it comes to applying the learning to creating a lesson plan or other materials, and would need to seek out peer feedback from other colleagues. Given that there are fewer sessions and time involved in the sessions themselves, compared to Introduction to College Teaching, the content is specific to the topics presented. Deeper exploration is driven by your seeking it out within the workshops, asynchronous assignments, or in conversations with colleagues.
Recognition: You earn the Foundations of Teaching badge.
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