Tuesday, May 15

Active Learning: Techniques to Spark Discussion

Presenter: Terra Gargano (SIS)

Meaningful discussions are central to learning. Privileging multiple perspectives, introducing ideas, and infusing sense-making into knowledge communities through active learning approaches create a student-centered and engaged class. In this workshop, we will practice various active learning techniques to sparking, sustaining, and organizing classroom discussions.

Curriculum Design with Creative Assignments

Presenters: Betsy Cohn (SIS) & Chuck Cox (CAS, LIT)

Traditional papers and policy memos are useful, but students can demonstrate knowledge and build expertise in other ways. We will share ideas about curriculum design using assignments that challenge and engage students’ creativity in the service of learning objectives. Attendees will also get to devise creative assignments of their own.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Ethical Reasoning

Presenter: Ellen Feder (CAS, PHIL)

Ethical Reasoning Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Self-Created Videos: Enhancing the Learning Experience

Presenter: Joan Hua (Library)

This session introduces you to the video tool Kaltura and will prepare you to use the Kaltura CaptureSpace software to record mini-lectures, video feedback, weekly summaries, presentations, and more. You will learn not only the technical aspects of the software, but also how to effectively integrate this technology into your class and how to use it as a teaching tool. Please bring your own laptop to this session.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry

Presenter: E. Andrew Taylor (CAS, PERF)

Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Wednesday, May 16

Complex Problems Faculty Fellows Spring Workshop – Morning Session

Presenters: Cindy Bair Van Dam (CAS, LIT; AU Core), Richard Duncan (University College), and and Rebecca Comfort (University College)

Join your Complex Problems (CP) colleagues for a series of practical conversations and workshops on the following topics: aligning assignments with CP learning outcomes, balancing course content with the learning outcomes, working with first-year students, teaching reading, and incorporating reflection.

CTRL Faculty Award Recognition Luncheon

Presenters: Joanne Allen (CAS, Art), John Sullivan (SOC), Erin Foreman-Murray (Performing Arts), Britta Peterson (CAS, Performing Arts) Krisztina Domjan (SPExS) and Julianna Martinez (CAS, WLC)

Join us in honoring the recipients of this year’s Milton and Sonia Greenberg Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award (Joanne Allen, CAS-Art, and John Sullivan, SOC), Ann Ferren Curriculum Design Award (Erin Foreman-Murray and Britta Peterson (both CAS-Performing Arts), and Jack Child Teaching with Technology Award (Krisztina Domjan, SPExS), and Julianna Martinez, CAS-WLC). Each awardee will share some of their contributions and accomplishments with the audience.

Complex Problems Faculty Fellows Spring Workshop – Afternoon Session

Presenters: Cindy Bair Van Dam (CAS, LIT; AU Core), Richard Duncan (University College), and and Rebecca Comfort (University College)

Follow up on the morning session by getting to work: Bring your laptops, reading lists, assignment ideas, and work with your CP colleagues to build your syllabus and incorporate programming ideas. Attendees can brainstorm and design with CP program staff and nearby.

Thursday, May 17

Curriculum Design with Creative Assignments

Presenter: Betsy Cohn (SIS) & Chuck Cox (CAS, LIT)

Traditional papers and policy memos are useful, but students can demonstrate knowledge and build expertise in other ways. We will share ideas about curriculum design using assignments that challenge and engage students’ creativity in the service of learning objectives. Attendees will also get to devise creative assignments of their own.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Cultural Inquiry

Presenter: Lindsey Green-Simms (CAS-LIT)

Cultural Inquiry Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Grading Strategies: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

Presenter: Alison Thomas (CAS-LIT)

This workshop will initiate discussion about grading as a pedagogical act. We’ll discuss the usefulness of classroom tools such as rubrics for maintaining fairness and consistency, and we’ll look at examples of rubrics for a variety of academic genres (group work, presentations, essays, and more). Based on some of my work in CAS, I hope I can also inspire everyone to think about how to create meaningful evaluations that incorporate lessons about integrity and ethical decision-making.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Ethical Reasoning

Presenter: Ellen Feder (PHIL)

Ethical Reasoning Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Natural-Scientific Inquiry

Presenter: Jessica Uscinski (CAS-PHYS)

Natural-Scientific Inquiry Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Gradebook: Maximizing Grading in Blackboard

Presenter: Joan Hua (Library)

The Grade Center in Blackboard is a comprehensive tool that can be customized to meet many grading scenarios. In this workshop we will explore the Grade Center in depth, including weighing grades and setting up grading schemas. Additionally, this workshop will explore how to create and grade with rubrics, how to setup assignments, and how to customize your Grade Center. This workshop will cover a lot of material and will be fast-paced. Please bring your laptop to the session.

Tuesday, May 22

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Socio-Historical Inquiry

Presenter: Mary Frances Giandrea (CAS, HIST)

Socio-Historical Inquiry Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Grading Strategies: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

Presenter: Alison Thomas (CAS, LIT)

This workshop will initiate discussion about grading as a pedagogical act. We’ll discuss the usefulness of classroom tools such as rubrics for maintaining fairness and consistency, and we’ll look at examples of rubrics for a variety of academic genres (group work, presentations, essays, and more). Based on some of my work in CAS, I hope I can also inspire everyone to think about how to create meaningful evaluations that incorporate lessons about integrity and ethical decision-making.

Habits of Mind “Office Hours”: Socio-Historical Inquiry

Presenter: Mary Frances Giandrea (CAS-HIST)

Socio-Historical Inquiry Habit of Mind committee members are holding “office hours” to meet with faculty who have been asked to revise their HoM proposals. Please join us to discuss ideas and strategies for revising your proposal so that you’re ready to resubmit at the beginning of next semester.

Creating Active Classrooms: Tools to Encourage Participation

Presenter: Kayden Kassof (Library)

We often put a lot of focus on virtual learning spaces, but much of your interactive time with students is in a physical space: the classroom. Throughout the past few years, AU has modernized most of the classrooms so the installed technology can enable different pedagogical strategies. This workshop will explore what is available in classrooms around campus, offer ideas for different learning activities that take advantage of the installed technology, and look at options that you can bring into your classroom to facilitate active learning.

Wednesday, May 23

Community-Based Learning Faculty Institute

Presenters: Marcy Campos (Center for Community Engagement & Service) & Harry Gilliard (Center for Community Engagement & Service)

Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR) is a teaching pedagogy that incorporates meaningful community service into a course with the goal to enhance students’ learning. In this Institute faculty will: (1) Understand key characteristics of high impact CBLR; (2) Re-envision and revise a course design and syllabus; (3) Develop new tools and tips for incorporating reflection; (4) Connect course content with the service provided; (5) Hear directly from community partners and faculty practitioners about the best practices for collaboration; and (6) Share challenges and strategies. This Institute, now in its fifth year, is relevant both for those who have experience with CBL but want to refine an existing course and those who are exploring this approach for a forthcoming class.

Challenges and Best Practices to Team-Teaching

Come join us for an enriching panel discussion related to challenges and lessons learned from faculty across disciplines who have experience team-teaching in the Honors Program. This session is both for faculty who have team-taught, and for faculty who are interested in team-teaching.

Bringing Surveys into the Classroom with Qualtrics

Presenter: Bill Harder (CTRL)

Qualtrics is a powerful and customizable survey platform that every member of the AU community has access to. This session introduces the basics of survey design and distribution via Qualtrics. Then, several ways to use Qualtrics in the classroom will be explored, including using Qualtrics to: gather original data to analyze with your students, demonstrate how to construct randomized experiments, collect student feedback throughout your course, and collect data for your own research.

Thursday, May 24

Metacognition and Reflection

Presenter: Gwendolyn Reece (Library)

Aristotle taught that Contemplation is the highest form of the intellectual virtues but its preconditions are increasingly difficult to meet in our contemporary circumstances. Join us as we consider ways to incorporate reflection, and especially metacognitive reflection, into our pedagogy.

Student Reflection Through Blogs, Wikis, and Other Tools

Presenter: Scott Vanek (Library)

Online learning tools offer excellent options for supporting student reflection and communication. In this workshop, we will discuss ways to facilitate continuous learning beyond the face-to-face time in the classroom. We will introduce a suite of tools available in Blackboard, such as the Discussion Board, Blogs, Journals, and Wikis, that help students communicate, collaborate, and exercise reflective thinking.