The art and science of teaching at Cornell

Steve Jackson, Cornell’s vice provost for academic innovation, has a big job. Steve oversees Cornell’s Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) and its Active Learning Initiative (ALI). The ALI works with faculty in different departments to ‘active-ate’ their classrooms, based on what the research tells us about how people learn.

Most of us are not good at sitting and passively listening to long lectures. We need to stop, reflect on the material, respond to a question, move around, problem solve, discuss, hear other perspectives, and give ourselves the time and space to process the material.

In active learning, students interact with the material, with each other, and with their teacher to learn from one another. This is a relational system in which everyone benefits and learns. Cornell has been integrating active learning into the curriculum across disciplines for the past decade.

Steve's job is to ensure that teaching in university classrooms, labs, studios, and field sites is aligned with what the latest research tells us about how people learn best. And, that teaching at Cornell carries forward the core values of the institution, while keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies like generative AI (artificial intelligence), AR (augmented reality), and VR (virtual reality).

“Piece of cake, right?” Steve says.

Learn how Steve and his CTI team are advancing the art and science of teaching at Cornell.