The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) seeks to enhance excellence in STEM undergraduate education through development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices for diverse learners. CIRTL was founded in 2003 as a National Science Foundation Center for Learning and Teaching in higher education.

CIRTL uses graduate education as the leverage point to develop a national STEM faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of successful professional careers.

The goal of CIRTL is to improve the STEM learning of all students at every college and university, and thereby to increase the diversity in STEM fields and the STEM literacy of the nation.

INSTITUTIONS

Established in fall 2006, the initial CIRTL Network was comprised of Howard University, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt University. After substantial expansions in 2011 and 2016, the Network now includes 37 research universities in the United States and Canada.

GET INVOLVED

Through Drexel's CIRTL membership, graduate students, post-doctoral scholars and faculty may create a CIRTL Network Account online and take advantage of CIRTL programs, workshops, webinars and more. The CIRTL Network runs online events in Blackboard Collaborate for the cross-Network learning community throughout the academic year. In addition to the national network offerings, Drexel hosts programs built around CIRTL's core ideas.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWS

The Drexel University Center for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning Excellence (CASTLE), Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), and associated colleagues are currently working on developing an online learning community for recipients of the NSF graduate research fellowship (GRF) within the CIRTL network.

The project titled Increasing National Access: Preparing NSF Graduate Research Fellows in Teaching, supports the teaching development (TD) and networking opportunities of Graduate Research Fellows (GRFs) at CIRTL Institutions.

The objective of this project is to develop an online GRF Learning Community (GRFLC) populated with curriculum and programming on teaching and learning. These future educators will benefit from a network of GRF peers that establish a working relationship and pedagogical tools while still training as graduate students.

For more information please contact castle@drexel.edu.