University of Wisconsin–Madison

Include Engage Challenge

Collaborations for renewing undergraduate courses

  • Do you have ideas for enhancing learning? 
  • Are you interested in invigorating teaching?
  • Would you like to develop educational experiences that include, engage, and challenge UW-Madison students?

Include Engage Challenge (IEC) is a focused investment to support UW-Madison instructors and their departments as they engage in substantive and sustainable course renewal.

In IEC course renewal projects, individual instructors and instructional teams collaborate with educational professionals from the Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring (CTLM) and from across campus in order to design, teach, and assess courses. While instructors – in concert with their departments – will determine the focus of the development process, every course that moves through a multi-year IEC project will:

  • Design inclusive, transparent, and relevant learning environments that empower students for community, life, and work.
  • Test and adopt effective and purposeful learning and teaching practices.
  • Integrate feedback into courses in order to support and sustain continual improvement in teaching and student learning.
  • Realize departmental and disciplinary goals for improving student learning.

Launched in 2024, IEC is a CTLM initiative to partner with department teams on making big changes to the undergraduate courses to continually improve educational experiences that include, engage, and challenge every student.

Photo of Andrew Lokuta
“Change is scary. (In IEC) you’re not going to be thrown in the deep end all alone. You’ve got people right next to you, helping you, and you’re going to get there. It’s going to be wonderful.”
Andrew Lokuta, Anatomy & Physiology Director, Department of Kinesiology

IEC supports substantial, sustainable improvements

Each project moves through five phases over two years:

The 5 phases of an IEC project are: First phase is Explore, where you will collaborate with CTLM to explore potential goals and resources for a course transformation and decide whether now is the right time. Next phase is Envision, where you will develop a shared understanding of the course as it has previously existed and of what can be in a renewed course. Next phase is Design & Build, where you will plan and design a transformed course. Next phase is Teach & Refine, where you will teach, study, and refine the transformed course. Next phase is Sustain, where you will continue to teach the course, gather feedback on teaching and learning, share it with your department and beyond, and plan the next iteration.

Frequently asked questions

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101-funded undergraduate courses are eligible.

While no two IEC projects are the same, often departments pursue course renewals to:

  • Adopt new content, teaching strategies, and/or technology to change the learning experience in existing courses in substantive ways.
  • Combine courses into a single, new course that meets program needs.
  • Develop a new course that serves a critical role for one or more departments.
  • Redesign an existing course to align curriculum with student preparation and goals.
  • Provide a more unified delivery of a curriculum by instructors across multiple sections of a course.

IEC projects connect departments with the breadth of CTLM resources, including:

  • A team of experts comprised of a dedicated consultant and instructional designer, media designers, and others
  • Full or partial funding for teaching backfill and/or summer salary for instructors
  • A project assistant or teaching assistant
  • Supplies to support curriculum

By participating in IEC, a department can:

  • Gain access to funding and development resources.
  • Explore, implement, and assess research-informed teaching practices that have been shown to improve the success of all students.
  • Achieve department and course teaching and learning goals.
  • Engage departmental stakeholders with new opportunities and a deeper understanding of how teaching and learning is happening.
  • Study the student experience in an existing course through a review of institutional data, teaching observations, and student feedback.
  • Participate in a growing community of practice dedicated to transforming undergraduate teaching and learning across campus.

IEC course renewals have their roots in conversations between instructors and department leaders about opportunities to improve student learning.

  1. Instructors connect with a CTLM consultant to learn about the IEC development process and discuss potential timing.
  2. CTLM staff help instructors prepare a brief proposal and secure endorsement from their department chair.
  3. CTLM reviews the proposal and, once approved, team members advance into the Explore Phase. A CTLM consultant with expertise in curriculum design and inclusive teaching practices across disciplines meets with the team to preview the course renewal process and outline a renewal project.
  4. The Explore Phase results in a decision about timing and, if now is the time, a letter of intent that outlines project participants, goals, timeline, and resources. A letter of intent with department and school or college endorsement moves an IEC project into the Envision Phase.

Learn more about IEC

CTLM staff are available to explore ideas for a course renewal with you.

Contact us