Evidence-based Pedagogy

Applying learning research in the classroom

Advancing teaching and learning is a relentless pursuit at IU Bloomington made possible through the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL).

The CITL grounds its work in research on how students learn and promotes instructional approaches that have strong evidence for their impact on student learning, success, and retention.

Evidence-based pedagogy in action

Faculty at IU Bloomington are encouraged to think about evidence-based pedagogy in two ways:

First, working to find solutions to teaching and learning challenges that have strong grounding in theory and research. CITL assists in finding the research-proven methods to support teaching.
Second, continually assessing the impact of their own teaching innovations on student learning and success, gathering their own evidence of what works within their disciplinary and course contexts. And that they let that inquiry guide their continual growth and development as instructors.

CITL provides guides on commonly used evidence-based teaching approaches including but not limited to:

Two students and an instructor standing around a laptop and talking.

Transparency in Learning and Teaching

TILT is a framework for organizing assignments that gives pupils the specifics they need to be successful.

Learn more about the TILT framework

Two students working while sitting in grass outside.

Spaced practice

Spaced (or distributed) practice refers to learning that takes place over time with rest periods between practice sessions.

Learn more about spaced practice

Student wearing IU scrubs and working on a laptop with an instructor assisting.

Frequent and targeted feedback

Providing structured, timely and ongoing feedback on student performance can improve student learning.

Learn more about effective feedback

These approaches span subject contexts and class sizes with CITL maintaining an expanding list of teaching practices.

Browse more teaching approaches