The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Problem-Solving Course Design Institute

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Problem-Solving Course Design Institute

Problem solving is a skill you develop over time, but how do you teach it in a semester? The Problem-Solving Course Design Institute (PSCDI) is an opportunity for faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate student teams* to (re)design assignments that engage students in the problem-solving process.

Instructors will be able to apply evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning, reflect on their own problem-solving process, and how to effectively communicate those skills to students. PSCDI is a cohort-based model, so instructors will have an opportunity to share their insights with colleagues in a supportive environment and synthesize new ways to approach teaching the problem-solving process. 

PSCDI Application

*We strongly encourage faculty to invite members of their instructional team (i.e., a postdoc, graduate student, and/or undergraduate student) to participate. 

Faculty participants may choose to co-design their course with a graduate or undergraduate student, or an undergraduate problem-solving fellow.

Note: the information below regards the 2023 offering of this program.

  • Dec 7: Applications due
  • Jan 18-20: Intensive 2.5-day Institute
  • Spring-Fall: Participant course offered; formative feedback collected
  • May: Cohort recognized at University Award Ceremony
  • Participation in the Problem-Solving Course Design Institute: Jan 18-20, 2023 
  • Participation in individual consultations with Sheridan Center staff
  • Instruction of a course that features at least two (2) redesigned assignments during the Spring 2023 or Fall 2023 term
  • Collection of formative feedback from students
  • Participation in the assessment components of the program

Upon successful completion of the program requirements, faculty participants will receive $1,000, payable as a research award, to use for course development costs.

Please submit a complete application by December 7 (5 p.m. ET). Participants will be selected from a range of disciplines.

PSCDI is the instructor complement of UNIV 1110: Theory and Practice of Problem Solving. STEM undergraduate teaching assistants who take this course will become Problem-Solving Fellows who will have the skills necessary for effective problem-solving, engaging in diverse learning spaces, and reflective learning and teaching practices.

Problem-Solving Course Design Institute Faculty Participants

For more information, contact Sheridan_Center@Brown.edu.