The Purpose of TLPs

A course Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) is an essential document when designing any course. It is a critical means of communication between instructor and student and is often the first form of interaction. It can help set the tone, create an inclusive climate, and establish the conditions for learning in the course.

The TLP benefits both students and instructors. It has a few purposes:

• A TLP is a planning tool. Writing it guides the instructor’s development of the course. Through the development of a TLP, instructors can set course goals, develop student learning objectives, create and align assessment plans, as well as establish a schedule for the course.
• A TLP also works as a guide for students. By setting course goals and student learning outcomes, you are informing students about the materials they will engage. The schedule also tells students what they will be expected to do and provides a timeline of these expectations.
• Finally, a TLP also works as a reference for colleagues, administrators, and accreditation agencies. It allows others to see what you are doing in your course, and what is expected of your students. In some cases, others may refer to your TLP to determine what skills students should have after completing your course.

Components of a TLP

A TLP includes a variety of information about the course, the instructor, course materials, topics and schedule, and program or course policies. While TLPs have several required components, they also offer some flexibility and can vary among instructors in terms of length, format, content, and style. Instructors may determine the specific details for each section of a course to reflect their individual approaches to instruction in the TLP.

Different institutions have different requirements and standards that they expect all TLPs to contain. Expand the rows below to review the required information at Niagara College.

The Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) is an opportunity to share your excitement and passion about teaching and learning. It can also be used to offer answers to the usual questions that students will regularly ask. Expand the rows below for a list of some optional elements that can be added to TLPs.

Get the Tool!

Use the Teaching and Learning Plan Checklist to ensure your TLP includes all required information.

Example TLP

While a TLP is unique to each instructor, a mock example has been provided based on TLPs from the NC community. Select the link below to download and explore the example.

Teaching and Learning Plan Mock Example

Now that you know what a TLP is, let’s look at the steps to create one. Continue to the next section to learn how to develop a TLP.