In an internet landscape where YouTube videos and TED Talks are abundant, Dr. Martin Carlisle doesn’t focus on preparing lectures. He believes his efforts are best spent creating a classroom environment that supports student success.
“I focus on creating a positive, supportive learning community, and designing assignments to help students succeed by giving them the opportunity to do the things they are learning,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle, associate department head and professor of practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is one of the 2024-2025 recipients of the Provost Academic Professional Track (APT) Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. This award recognizes recipients’ commitment to outstanding, student-centered teaching. Recipients keep this title for life and receive a $5,000 stipend to support their teaching initiatives.
“Texas A&M is a big place with a lot of great faculty. It’s very gratifying to have my efforts recognized with a university-level award,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle knew he wanted to become a computer scientist as a second grader when his sister brought a computer home from high school. By fourth grade, he had convinced his parents to buy him a computer — before personal computers were common — so he could learn to program. Carlisle ultimately earned a doctoral degree in computer science and says he went to grad school to teach it.
My ideal is to teach classes where the students work hard, have reason to be proud of what they accomplished, and would want to take a course with me again.
“I love teaching,” Carlisle said. “I’m very much an extrovert and love working with people and helping them learn.”
Carlisle begins building a supportive community of learners by emphasizing that student success is important to him.
“We’re going to do hard things, but at the end of the day, I’m not trying to weed them out,” Carlisle said. “Instead, I’m trying to help them get to the top of the mountain.”
To indicate his support to his students, Carlisle does several things. First, he calls students by name, even though enrollment for his classes is often up to 100. Second, he thanks students for asking questions. Third, he offers students lots of chances to meet with him by holding daily office hours and offering informal opportunities for them to meet with him on campus.
To encourage students to come prepared and to participate during class, Carlisle creates short videos to introduce new topics. Over his career, he has found that getting students to read ahead of class is challenging, but they are willing to watch videos. The videos on Carlisle’s YouTube channel now have over one million views.
To further the spirit of community, Carlisle reserves class time for students to solve problems in small groups. During this time, he answers questions and takes note of places where students get stuck. Carlisle also makes sure to include low-stakes homework and quizzes so students can get feedback before exams.
“I am convinced that, in general, one’s teaching is best measured by how much the students learn, and how much they enjoy the process of learning,” Carlisle said. “My ideal is to teach classes where the students work hard, have reason to be proud of what they accomplished, and would want to take a course with me again.”