Two students sitting at a desk while a professor is walking around the classroom

Department of Teaching and Learning News

We are focused on educational research and the preparation of educators at all levels. In addition to our bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, our professional education programs focus on essential knowledge, established and current research findings, and sound professional practice.

Current Teaching and Learning News

Kenneth Varner in red shirt and arms crossed while standing outside
People |

Kenny Varner, the 2025 Faculty/Staff Community Outreach Award winner, tackles the state's critical teacher shortage through the Nevada Forward Initiative.

black and white photo of Herbert Derfelt
UNLV History |

UNLV’s origin story traces back to one vote by one man, Herb Derfelt. And his legacy continues through generations of family members who followed in his educator footsteps.

Pate Thomas holds a photo of his great-grandfather Herbert Derfelt
UNLV History |

Pate Thomas initially had no desire to add his name to the long list of family members who became Rebels and then educators. Now? He’s a proud alum, a difference-making educator, and the boss of a brand-new high school.

UNLV students walking on campus
Research |

The College of Education's National Institute for the Advancement of Education awarded four faculty research grants that will explore potential solutions for retaining Nevada's teachers.

close up of woman sitting on bench near railing
People |

When not dreaming of travel or watching baseball, this administrative assistant efficiently manages the Department of Teaching and Learning.

group posing in front of sign that reads Ice Age Fossils State Park
Campus News |

GeoPaths program leads to more student-centered and interactive Earth science classes.

Teaching and Learning In The News

TODOS Mathematics For All Podcast

What happens when three Asian American women math educators come together to reflect on their journeys, activism, and the role of mathematics in justice? In this powerful episode, Dr. Kari Kokka—math educator, social justice advocate, and former high school teacher—joins hosts Shari Kaku and Michelle Lo for an inspiring conversation about searching for our own stories, math identity, and community organizing.

Las Vegas Sun

A national teachers union leader came to UNLV this week to learn more about how the university is answering the call to get more educators in classrooms through less-traditional routes.

New India Abroad

Drowsy driving among college students and young drivers in America is a public health challenge that critically impacts road safety drives with the rising number of accidents involving the youth and new drivers, according to a new study published by the public health experts of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

KTNV-TV: ABC 13

Three months after a shooter opened fire on the UNLV campus — terrorizing students, staff and faculty members — the campus seemed normal Tuesday. The weather was picture perfect, birds were chirping and students moved about the campus walkways just outside the Student Union.

KLAS-TV: 8 News Now

It’s part of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Foundation and the nonprofit organization Andson.

KTNV-TV: ABC 13

With ongoing contract disputes between Clark County School District and Clark County Education Association, many question what the future of teachers will look like.

Teaching and Learning Experts

An expert in educational technology and self-regulated learning.
An expert on teacher preparation and diversity in classrooms.
An expert on STEM education.
An expert in mathematics and integrated STEM education.
An expert in language and literacy practices, critical race theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy.
An expert in educational equity and race theory in education.

Recent Teaching and Learning Accomplishments

Katrina Liu (Teaching & Learning) and Richard Miller (Music), together with UNLV alumna Lei Ping (Ph.D., 2025) and Christopher R. Crowley from Wayne State University recently published "Testing the Limits of the Practical: Using van Manen’s Framework to Support Prospective Teachers’ Critical Reflection for Transformative Learning" in the…
Danielle Mireles, Norma A. Marrun, and Christine Clark (all Teaching and Learning) co-authored a chapter titled, "Between hypervisibility and invisibility: Unpacking what it means to be an HSI on Indigenous lands through critical unearthing of local histories and epistemologies of Latinx communities," published in Contemporary issues in…
Norma A. Marrun, Danielle Mireles, Christine Clark (all Teaching and Learning) and Jori S. Beck from Old Dominion University published an article titled, "The (non) numeric truths behind college and career aspirations: a QuantCrit analysis of the precarious pathways for secondary students of color" in the journal of Race Ethnicity and Education.
A multidisciplinary team from UNLV's Computer Science and Teaching & Learning departments was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) grant under the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The team included: Edward Jorgensen (Computer Science), Marla Goins (Teaching &…
Kari Kokka (Teaching and Learning) was interviewed on the TODOS: Mathematics For All podcast.
Katrina Liu (Teaching and Learning) and Richard Miller (School of Music), together with their colleague Michael K. Thomas (Educational Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago), published a new book, Preparing White Teachers for Anti-Racist Education: Critical Reflection and Generativity for Transformative Praxis. This research-based guide from…