Teaching & Learning Lab

RISD classroom view of student and teacher

Announcements

Do you hate grading? How do you know how your students are actually doing? This two-day institute explores a range of "ungrading" approaches that rethink how assignment and evaluation design can better reflect our goals for learning processes and outcomes. Apply here.

Faculty Institute Facilitators:

Susan Solomon, Lecturer, Literary Arts and Studies

Molly Vollanth Hall, Assistant Professor, Literary Arts and Studies

Tom Doran, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of English, University of Connecticut

Faculty Institute Leader:

Liz Maynard, Faculty Coordinator, Teaching & Learning Lab Lecturer, THAD

Where? When?
The Institute will be held on campus. Locations TBA.

Day 1. TH, Feb 11: 9 am to 3 pm.
Day 2. F, Feb 12 : 9 am to 3 pm.

Tea, coffee, water, and light snacks will be provided. Please let us know about any access requirements or anything else we should be aware of to accommodate your participation on the “Accommodations” section of this form.
How can I participate?

All RISD critical review track and part time faculty are welcome to apply by completing this form. Participants are expected to attend all sessions in person on both days of the Institute. Because the Institute is limited to 10 participants, priority will be given to first-time participants on a first come, first served basis.

Contact:

For any questions, please contact us at teach-learn-lab@risd.edu.

APPLY

Our Mission

The Teaching & Learning Lab (T&LL) is RISD’s hub for faculty conversation about and development of inclusive, asset-based, equity-focused pedagogies. We support faculty in the ongoing development of their pedagogical practice by promoting reflective and inclusive teaching techniques, fostering innovative approaches to curriculum development, and providing tools, reference materials, and resources faculty can use to address pressing issues in the classroom.

We offer interactive workshops and development opportunities, 1-on-1 mentoring and consultation sessions, and opportunities for cross-departmental dialogue on pedagogical topics. T&LL events can be proposed and led by any faculty member interested in sharing your practice or engaging in peer-to-peer conversation about teaching.

Book on a book shelf at the Teaching and Learning Lab

"Critical Thinking and Making with AI". Faculty Institute, Summer 2024. Photo Credit: Kristina Lamour Sansone

View of the offices at the Teaching and Learning, 301 Providence Washington Building

Who We Serve

Our programs and resources are available to all members of our community who are teaching and interested in further development in innovative and inclusive art and design pedagogies. We support and offer consultations to part-time and full time faculty as well as teaching graduate students. T&LL events are open to part-time or full-time faculty, librarians, archivists, or curators (including term appointments) or, when space is available, to RISD staff.

What We Offer

The T&LL offers:

workshops and events on inclusive and innovative art and design pedagogies
1:1 consultations and training sessions
guides, materials, and resources
a hub for reflection and conversation on teaching
support in digital pedagogy and instructional technologies

FIND Events FIND MATERIALS & RESOURCES

What's New

Vassar College Archives and Special Collections, "Student takeover of Main Building 1969"

Faculty Workshop | Oct 13

The First 3 Weeks: Building Historical Arcs for our Courses

Through readings, group discussion, and course re-design activities, participants will reflect upon the decisions they make in the first few weeks of a course, and the value of the texts, artworks, canonical debates, and theoretical frameworks they first introduce to students.

RSVP

Students form a circle in a classroom. Photo by Kaylee Pugliese

Update | Sep 28

Meet the 2026-2027 Faculty Fellows

Naimah Petigny, Schiller Family Assistant Professorship in Race in Art and Design Assistant Professor of Literary Arts and Studies, and Falaks Vasa, Critic, Digital + Media, join the Teaching & Learning Lab as Faculty Fellows in 2026-2027. Naimah and Falaks will be offering faculty consultations and programming on a range of topics, including feminist, queer, anti-racist, and decolonial pedagogies, embodied learning, writing pedagogies, first year student learning, collaboration, community-building, and joy in the classroom/studio.

Image credit: ‘Textiles and Tech’, Hanna Barak, Better Images of AI

Resource | Sep 1

Teacher's Toolkit: Fall 2026

The 'Teacher's Toolkit' is a resource intended to be used by faculty as they are getting started with a new term. It covers essentials but also includes materials on timely topics around inclusive teaching, student support, and learning technologies.

Dates

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Faculty, Staff and Students are invited to make nominations for the Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching through Thursday, January 7 at 4 pm. The award is presented each year to one full-time and one part-time faculty member in recognition of inspiring pedagogical practices that cultivate student learning and critical thinking.

*Please note that the deadline has been moved up this year, to facilitate an earlier announcement period.

The John R. Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching was established in 1968 by RISD alumni, friends, and family of the late John R. Frazier; a RISD Professor of Painting who also served as President of RISD from 1955-1962. All students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees are invited to take time to carefully consider a nomination for the Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Nomination Form

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Do you hate grading? How do you know how your students are actually doing? This two-day intensive explores a range of "ungrading" approaches that rethink how assignment and evaluation design can better reflect our goals for learning processes and outcomes.

Application form

Get in touch

Questions about teaching support? Send us an email at teach-learn-lab@risd.edu.

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