MAY FACULTYWORKSHOPS

The annual May Faculty Workshops, usually held the week after the end of the spring semester, include several half- day and one-day workshops that are designed to provide an opportunity to explore new pedagogical and scholarship opportunities with a little more time at hand than CFE’s usual programs.

Come join our May 2026 Faculty Workshops Click below to register

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WORKSHOP SESSIONS

2025 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2025 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 12 – 20, 2025. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

Presenters: Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL) & Mary Catherine Stoumbos (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

CTRL’s Course Design Institute (CDI) is a series of 4 workshops and additional materials to support faculty and staff in designing courses and learning environments optimized for equity, engagement, and deep learning.

Presenters: Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL) & Mary Catherine Stoumbos (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

Join us to learn about the components of a teaching portfolio and workshop your materials with CTRL support! The session will begin with approximately one hour of interactive presentation describing each teaching portfolio component and how they all fit together. We will then have approximately two hours of structured time for you to work on your teaching portfolio materials with the support of CTRL Teaching & Learning Specialists.

Forging Cross-Cultural and Global Connections With Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

Presenters: Angela Pashayan (Professorial Lecturer, SIS); Gorky Cruz (Director of the Center for Language Learning); Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL); Nick DeMayo (Senior Instructional Designer, OGPS)

COIL, or Collaborative Online International Learning, is a form of virtual exchange that pairs instructors and students with another course usually located in other countries to work together to complete a project. In this panel discussion, some of our COIL faculty will share their experiences and insights. We are excited to share the parameters and possibilities of COIL with AU’s faculty and invite them to envision incorporating COIL in their teaching.

The Value of Experiential Learning and Co-Curricular Activities: Research from the AU Core

Presenter: Kurt Braddock (Assistant Professor, SOC; AU Core Faculty Fellow)

This session will explore how experiential learning and co-curricular activities enhance student satisfaction, academic success, and retention—three key outcomes tied to AU’s educational mission. Dr. Braddock, a CTRL AU Core Faculty Fellow, will present recent research findings on the impact of these engaged learning experiences and discuss practical ways to integrate them into your teaching. A Q&A session will follow the presentation, offering participants the opportunity to reflect on how these approaches can improve student engagement and institutional goals. This session will be especially valuable for faculty seeking to strengthen student learning through innovative teaching methods.

Presenters: Boaz Atzili (SIS | Foreign Policy & Global Security and 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar in India), C. Anne Claus (CAS | Anthropology and 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar in Japan), Priya Doshi (Associate Dean for Faculty and Inclusive Excellence and AU Fulbright Scholar Liaison), Rebecca Hamilton (Washington College of Law and 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar in Malta) & Anna Olsson (Assistant Vice Provost, CTRL and AU Fulbright Scholar Liaison)

Are you thinking about doing research abroad? The application window for 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards is open, and although applications are not due until September 15, now is a good time to begin thinking about and planning for your application. Join us for a quick introduction to the program and application process, followed by presentations by three recent AU faculty Fulbright Scholar Alumni, telling their stories about their processes of preparing for and applying for their years abroad. The session will end with a networking reception.

Welcome to Taguette! (An open source platform)

Presenter: Tiffany Monique Quash, (Qualitative/Survey Research Methodologist, CTRL)

Learn how to you an open-source Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis program (CAQDAS) called Taguette. This program is a text tagging program that is available on desktops or through the server. Taguette is available on all operating systems, can offer real-time collaboration, and it’s easy to use.

Presenters: Chelsea Butkowski (SOC | Communication Studies), Megan Finn (SOC | Communication Studies), Anna Olsson (Assistant Vice Provost, CTRL) & Shari Watkins (Senior Research Fellow, CTRL)

Finding uninterrupted time to work on a writing project is often a challenge. Whether we are drafting a book proposal, an article, an op-ed, or a fellowship proposal, distractions tend to chip away at our best-laid writing plans. Make the beginning of summer an opportunity to focus on your writing project by joining colleagues for a 1.5-day “write-on-site.” The first half-day session includes a presentation by two faculty colleagues who launched a writing group two years ago, sharing their tips for how to do so successfully; a presentation on the benefits of writing with colleagues (especially in times like these); followed by brainstorming to discuss and collect your ideas for how CTRL and its partners can support you in your various writing endeavors.

On the second day we will provide lunch, drinks, snacks, and a place for quiet, individual work. You bring your writing projects and emerging ideas.

This workshop is part of a re-launch of CTRL’s Partners in Writing Program (co-sponsored by the University Library, the Faculty Senate Committee on Scholarship, and the Humanities Lab), which will include the launch of writing groups and weekly ad hoc writing spaces for faculty to work on individual writing projects, as well as workshops and presentations related to writing and networking spaces for faculty.

Faculty Institute on Artificial Intelligence in Teaching & Research (May 19, 2025)

Presenters: Nasaiah Algarin (Undergraduate Class of 2027, SOC & SOE), Katelyn Lewicky (Undergraduate Class of 2025, KSB), Gabriela Rupp (Undergraduate Class of 2026, SOE, SPA & CAS), Zo Wofford (Undergraduate Class of 2026, CAS) & Ayah Morsy (Masters Class of 2026, SIS)

Students’ experiences are central to how we address the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in our learning spaces. How do students use and think about generative AI? This session offers insights from students in a variety of disciplines as they reflect on the role of generative AI in their educational experiences – where it might be useful, where it might get in the way of their learning goals, the pressures of career-seeking in the age of AI, and the meaning of “responsible” use. What insights can faculty gain from these nuanced perspectives, and how might we revise or rethink our course materials accordingly?

Session 2: Understanding and Using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) AI for Teaching and Research

Presenter: Derrick Cogburn (CTRL AI in Teaching & Research Faculty Fellow and Professor, SIS | Environment, Development & Health and KSB | Information Technology & Analytics)

In this session, we will focus on leveraging a category of GenAI tools called Retrieval Augmented Generative (RAG-AI) which enables the user to build a target set of documents to use as trusted sources for your LLM-based prompts, reduce hallucinations, and customize your experience. We will introduce a range of these RAG-AI tools that enable you to harness a graphical user interface (GUI), including NotebookLM, AI Studio, and LearnLM. The session includes an interactive hands-on workshop to develop and practice effective strategies for getting the most out of these RAG-AI tools.

Session 3: “State of the Art Performance” – AI Use/Misuse and Insights for Teaching

Presenter: Alison Thomas (Assistant Dean of Academic Integrity)

The Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) has responded to a number of AI-related concerns. What kinds of AI-use violate the Academic Integrity Code, and what can we learn from the violations we’ve seen? This session will offer insights about how and why students use generative AI inappropriately, as a substitute for work expected to be their own. Participants will be encouraged to use these insights to discuss revising teaching materials to meet this moment, AI literacy, information literacy, and the teaching of research.

Session 4: Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Rethinking Assessment Strategies

Presenter: Krisztina Domjan (CTRL AI in Teaching & Research Faculty Fellow and Professorial Lecturer, CAS | Literature)

In this workshop, participants will explore the pedagogical benefits of AI tools in teaching, learning, and assessment via the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model and learn strategies for incorporating AI into lesson planning and innovative assessment methods aligned with the learning sciences. After learning these approaches, faculty will implement new practices for crafting and posting their Canvas assignments to better align with AI-informed pedagogy.

Presenter: Jennifer Steele (CTRL AI in Teaching & Research Faculty Fellow and Professor, School of Education)

In this interactive session, participants will discuss real-life dilemmas they’ve faced with AI in their classrooms, including questions of what is adaptive, useful, ethical, and permissible. They will discuss these dilemmas in small groups, identify common themes, and discuss strategies they’ve found useful so far. In the large group, participants will share themes and strategies for supporting students in this historical moment of technological change. Participants will leave the session with a set of strategies to apply in their classrooms that align with their own values and principles.

2024 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2024 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 13 – 17, 2024. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

Presenters: Mac Crite (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL) & Mary Catherine Stoumbos (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

CTRL’s Course Design Institute (CDI) is a series of workshops and supplemental materials to support faculty and staff as they design courses and learning environments optimized for equity, engagement, and deep learning. It is meant for anyone aiming to revamp an existing course, create a completely new course, or enhance their teaching practice, whether teaching in-person, online, or in a hybrid environment. The institute will introduce you to equitable, evidence-based practices in course design and teaching while incorporating ample opportunities for collaboration, reflection, and application. By the end of the institute, you will have developed a complete course plan and additional instructional materials and ideas to implement directly into your course(s).

Using Case Studies to Assess Learning: A Discussion with Ethical Reasoning Faculty

Presenter: Lauren Weis (Ethical Reasoning Committee Chair) & Diamond Brown (AU Core Assessment Analyst)

Join AU Core Ethical Reasoning committee members and instructors as they discuss results from piloting the use of case studies to assess student learning. As an assessment exercise, students across several Ethical Reasoning courses engaged in discussion about an ethical dilemma of a couple planning their wedding. Committee members will walk through their methodology and results from the pilot of this activity before opening the floor for group discussion. This session will aim to reflect on the efficacy of case studies as an assessment tool in Ethical Reasoning courses and beyond, and brainstorm effective implementation strategies for the future.

Forging Cross-Cultural and Global Connections With Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

Presenters: Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Luis Alvarado (Director/Learning Design OGPS, Office of Digital Learning and Strategy) & Nicholas Demayo (Senior Instructional Designer OGPS, Office of Digital Learning and Strategy)

COIL, or Collaborative Online International Learning, is a form of virtual exchange that pairs instructors and students with another course usually located in other countries to work together to complete a project. In this panel discussion, our first COIL faculty will share their experiences and insights. We are excited to share the parameters and possibilities of COIL with AU’s faculty and invite them to envision incorporating COIL in their teaching.

Rethinking the Citation Machine: Practical Strategies and Conceptual Problem-areas for Acknowledging Generative AI

Presenter: Alison Thomas (Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity)

This session offers both practical information, strategy, and resources for citation when it comes to generative AI tools. Attention will be given both to articulating clear guidance for students, and also to advise for faculty researchers who may need to acknowledge the use of AI tools in their own work. Inevitably, the practical matters will bring us to bigger-picture conversations about how to teach citation as concept, how the practice of citation might change in light of generative AI tools and the variety of ways they’re used, and what this might mean for the future of research.

Presenters: Krisztina Domjan (AI Faculty Fellow, CTRL), Aref Zahed (Computer Science, CAS), Saagar Gupta (Center for Leadership and Community Engagement), Zhiping Zhang (Senior Instructional Designer at the Office of Digital Learning and Strategy), Caron Martinez (Senior Director, Kogod Center for Professionalism & Comms) & Jason D’Angelo (AUx Instructor & Advisor Office of Undergraduate Education and Academic Student Services)

This session focuses on (re)designing course syllabi to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with nonprofits and community organizations. Throughout the program, Faculty will learn how to synthesize a course’s learning outcomes to meaningful and equitable community engagement in the D.C. community. In addition, we will share the new infrastructure and transformative changes in the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, including the introduction of leadership frameworks, for Fall of 2024.
On the second day we will provide lunch, drinks, snacks, and a place for quiet, individual work. You bring your writing projects and emerging ideas.

This workshop is part of a re-launch of CTRL’s Partners in Writing Program (co-sponsored by the University Library, the Faculty Senate Committee on Scholarship, and the Humanities Lab), which will include the launch of writing groups and weekly ad hoc writing spaces for faculty to work on individual writing projects, as well as workshops and presentations related to writing and networking spaces for faculty.

Exploring the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Faculty Research, Insights, and Innovation

Moderator: Mac Crite (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

Panelists: Michele Lansigan (Department of Chemistry), Shirin Sabetghadam (Department of Public Administration and Policy) & Adam Tamashsky (Department of Literature)

Interested in engaging in research to better understand and improve your teaching methods? Join us for a panel discussion on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). SoTL describes research where instructors systematically assess and share their teaching practices. Four AU SoTL researchers will share overviews of their projects, best practices, and opportunities for institutional support. Whether you’re new to SoTL or a seasoned researcher, this panel promises insights and inspiration for enhancing teaching and learning in higher education!

Don’t Forget your Exit Ticket!: Designing Inclusive and Critical Student-Centered Pedagogy

Presenter: Mariam Durrani (CTRL Inclusive Pedagogy Fellow, School of International Service)

This workshop focuses on the “exit ticket” (ET) assignment as a student-centered pedagogical exercise that builds continuity between class meetings and provides essential feedback to the professor. The ET assignment is designed to let students know that you are invested in their learning because their feedback informs teaching decisions and builds a classroom culture of respect, trust, and inclusivity. Participants will learn about the ET assignment and how to incorporate it into their undergraduate and/or graduate courses. 

From Theory to Action: Infusing Community-Based Learning into Your Course

Presenters: Melanie Bullock (Director for the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement), Amanda Choutka (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies Program, Department of Literature; Faculty Fellow  for the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement) & Saagar Gupta (Associate Director for Community-Based Learning for the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement)

This session focuses on (re)designing course syllabi to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with nonprofits and community organizations. Throughout the program, Faculty will learn how to synthesize a course’s learning outcomes to meaningful and equitable community engagement in the D.C. community. In addition, we will share the new infrastructure and transformative changes in the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, including the introduction of leadership frameworks, for Fall of 2024.

Presenters: Luis Alvarado (Director of Learning Design, OGPS) & Rachel Hudish (Senior Instructional Designer, OGPS)

This session will focus on tools and technologies that help create dynamic learning experiences that cater to diverse learning needs and preferences. By utilizing integrated Canvas tools, such as Kaltura, YellowDig, and PlayPosit, and incorporating multimedia elements, we will present a systematic and effective approach to attain pedagogical excellence. Whether you’re an educator eager to revitalize your course materials or starting from scratch, this session will provide insights and practical strategies leveraging the resources and tools available at American University.

Advancing Your Research Through External Funding: A Conversation with NIH, NSF, and Fulbright

Presenters: Leslie J. Rissler (Directorate of Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation), Aria Crump (Director, Office of Diversity and Health Disparities, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health) & Keegan Scott (Outreach and Recruitment Officer, Fulbright Scholar Program)

In this workshop, you will learn about three distinct faculty development programs designed to advance research opportunities for early-and-mid career faculty. Following a brief overview, you will have the opportunity to participate in breakout rooms with the programs’ representatives in order to delve deeper into each program’s unique features, qualifications, and anticipated outcomes. Whether you are looking to jumpstart your research or find yourself wanting to revamp your scholarly pursuits, there are programs for you.

Taguette: An Open-Source Program for Qualitative Researchers

Presenter: Dr. Tiffany Monique Quash (Qualitative/Survey Research Methodologist, CTRL)

Have you ever wondered if there is a free and open-source program for qualitative analysis? The answer is YES! This session will introduce you to the basics of Taguette, a free and open-source program that can be used for organizing and coding qualitative data and working collaboratively with your research team.

Natural-Scientific Inquiry Faculty Survey Discussion

Presenters: Aaron Grocholski (Natural-Scientific Inquiry Committee Chair, Department of Physics), Rebecca Hazen (Natural-Scientific Inquiry Committee Member, Department of Biology) & Diamond Brown (AU Core Assessment Analyst)

Join Natural-Scientific Inquiry committee members and Core Assessment Analyst Diamond Brown as they share strategies for interpreting and implementing feedback from the end-of-semester student learning outcome survey.

Complex Problems Seminars: Proposals and Pedagogy

Presenters: Rebecca Comfort (Assistant Director, AU Core) & Complex Problems Faculty Director (TBD)

Join the AU Core Complex Problems (CP) team – including our new faculty director –  to refresh your knowledge of the CP learning outcomes and workshop ideas for a new CP proposal or updates to an existing course.

Presenter: Dr. Eric R. Schuler (Sr. Quantitative/Computational Research Methodologist, CTRL)

This workshop is all about how to use the new high-performance computer. We will talk about policies, connecting, and submitting jobs that use Stata, Matlab, Python, and R. 

2023 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2023 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 15 – 23, 2023. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

Putting People on the Map: Integrating Mixed Methods and GIS for Neighborhood Mapping

Presenter: Jessica Breen (Program Director, Geospatial Research Support, University Library)

This presentation showcases a mixed-methods approach to neighborhood research that centers on community perspectives and experiences. Attendees will learn how qualitative and quantitative methods were combined with GIS technology to map residents’ perceptions of their neighborhood. By prioritizing community voices, we gained a deeper understanding of the community spaces we studied. Participants will learn how to apply mapping and GIS to their own research, putting people on the map and centering voices too often left out of conversations about their communities.

Enhancing Your Qualitative Research with Digital Tools

Presenter: Ashley Roccamo (Instructional Designer, University Library)

Have you ever wondered how to creatively present your research other than in written form? In this workshop, we’ll talk about a term you might have heard before: Digital Scholarship. We’ll take a look at how using digital tools and methodologies can further the scholarly conversation in creative new ways. We’ll end with information about how the AU Library can support you in enhancing your qualitative research projects with new modes of inquiry, emerging technologies, and creative digital productions.

Building a Strong Teaching Portfolio: A Guided Workshop

Presenters: Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Gavin Frome (Graduate Assistant for Teaching & Learning, CTRL)

Are you working on building your teaching portfolio, or considering how to get started gathering and developing the appropriate materials? Join CTRL’s Teaching & Learning Team and colleagues from across campus to discuss the purpose and components of the teaching portfolio at AU, draft an outline of your teaching statement, and develop a plan to gather evidence of self, peer, and student assessment to complete your portfolio.

Presenters: Mac Crite (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL) & Mary Catherine Stoumbos (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

The CTRL Course Design Institute is a series of four workshops and supplemental materials designed to support both new and experienced educators aiming to revamp an existing course, design a completely new course, or enhance their teaching practice, whether teaching in-person, online, or in a hybrid environment. By the end of the institute, you will have developed a complete course plan and additional instructional materials and ideas to implement directly into your course(s). Registration for this program indicates a commitment to attend all four workshops in the series. Read more about the course design institute and its benefits here.

Lifecycle of Research at AU

Presenters: Natasha Abel (Associate Director of Communications and Media, Office of Communications), Rebecca Basu (Associate Director of Communications and Medi, Office of Communications), Susana Birdsong (Senior Grant and Contract Manager, Office Sponsored Programs), Kanako Harada (Manager of Grants & Contracts Accounting, Office of the Controller), Jennifer Maher (Director, Research Services & Communications, Office of the Provost), Bridget Mullan (Grant and Contract Manager, Office Sponsored Programs), Deominic Napoleon (Executive Director, Sponsored Research, Office of Sponsored Programs), Denitrices Trimble (Director, Grants and Contracts Accounting, Office of the Controller), Rachel Borchardt (Librarian, University Library) & Matt Zembrzuski (Senior Manager, Research Integrity, Office of Graduate and Professional Studies)

This session will share cross-disciplinary strategies for faculty to engage with the research infrastructure and university support for research at AU. Through 20-minute capsule presentations, we will cover five essential areas of support for our faculty’s research successes. Attendees will be provided with resources for scholarly communication, guidance on how to pursue foundation and corporate funding opportunities, and “in-the-know” support for research administration and integrity. Join this impactful session to prepare for new and continued research in the next academic year.

Repository Options for Your Research Data

Presenters: Tiffany M. Quash (Qualitative/Survey Research Methodologist, CTRL), Rachel Borchardt (Librarian, University Library), Stefan Kramer (Associate Librarian, University Library)

Government and funder mandates, publishers, and the ideals of “open science” increasingly require scholars to make the research data they produce publicly available for purposes of replication of findings and reuse of data to answer new research questions. In this workshop, you will learn about different repositories for your research data, both inside and outside AU; considerations for choosing among them for different academic disciplines and types of data (qualitative, quantitative, etc.); and related aspects of scholarly communication.

Introduction to Assessing Bias and Equity in Measurement Models Using R

Presenter: Eric R. Schuler (Senior Quantitative/Computational Research Methodologist, CTRL)

In this workshop we will discuss what bias is and looks like in measurement. We will talk through the different approaches that can be used, such as MIMIC models, measurement invariance, and differential item functioning. We will walk through the steps of conducting these analyses and the interpretations using the R statistical program. This workshop assumes some basic knowledge of R but is not required.

Are surveys dead?: Dealing with distraction, fatigue, and outright fraud in online surveys

Presenters: Jane Palmer (Associate Professor, Department of Justice, Law and Criminology), Joyce Wong, (Doctoral Graduate Student, Department of Psychology), Tiffany Monique Quash (as a moderator) (Qualitative/Survey Research Methodologist, CTRL), Ericka Menchen-Trevino (Asst. Professor, School of Communication)

Online survey research has had an increase in careless responding, fraudulent responses, and situations where self-report data and behavioral data barely correlate. In this session we will share our experiences with working with online survey data, what we found has worked, issues that we are still seeing, and think through new potential options to improve data quality.

Evidence Synthesis, Systematic Reviews, and You

Presenters: Clarissa Ihssen (Asst. Librarian, University Library) and Katie Hut (Asst. Librarian, University Library)

Systematic Reviews, long used in the health sciences and gaining popularity in other disciplines, are one of several methods of evidence synthesis. They allow researchers to comprehensively and systematically search across a large amount of research. While simple in theory, there is a lot of work and planning required before searching for research can commence. In this workshop, University Librarians Katie Hut and Clarissa Ihssen will prepare researchers for the rigor of this research method and describe where the library can support them during the research process.

It’s All Relative (Or Is It?): A Workshop On Outcomes, Assignments & Assessing Student Learning

Presenters: Brad Knight (Senior Director, AU CORE & University College, Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies), Martyn Oliver (Faculty Chair, AU Core, Department of Critical RGC Studies), Diamond Brown (AU Core Assessment Analyst, Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies), Sarah Froonjian (Program Coordinator, Core Curriculum, Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies)

On paper, course mapping makes sense: assignments align neatly to outcomes, and provided students complete their work, there will have been opportunities to practice and achieve the learning we desire. But, if we’re honest, many of us would probably admit to a fuzzier sense of student progress in our courses and so assessment seems hard to get our arms around. Content acquisition is one thing, but inquiry-based habits of metacognition seem harder to confirm. In this session, we’ll model one professor’s attempts to take on this challenge before turning the tables and getting participants involved in strategizing how they can methodically investigate what students have learned.

Designing Authentic Assessments

Presenters: Adam Tamashasky (Complex Problems Faculty Chair and Hurst Senior Prof Lecturer, Department of Literature) and Rebecca Comfort (Manager, Complex Programs Seminar Program, Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies)

Authentic assessment challenges us as faculty to get creative, thinking beyond traditional essays and exams to consider the “real-world” scenarios where students will implement a course’s lessons and techniques. In this workshop aimed at current and future Complex Problems Faculty Fellows, we’ll collectively brainstorm on authentic assessment possibilities for each of the Complex Problems learning outcomes.

Student Perspectives on Equitable and Inclusive Teaching at AU

Presenters: Gavin Frome (Graduate Assistant for Teaching & Learning, CTRL), Reba Mathews (Undergraduate Partner for Teaching & Learning, CTRL), Kimiya Parker-Hill (Undergraduate Partner for Teaching & Learning, CTRL), Alli Sattler (Undergraduate Partner for Teaching & Learning, CTRL) Nathaniel Smith, Undergraduate Partner for Teaching & Learning, CTRL), Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL)

In this session, undergraduate students will share their perspectives on how instructors at AU can make their teaching more impactful, equitable, and inclusive. These students have been working with CTRL as undergraduate assistants in teaching and learning throughout the spring semester and are excited to share insights from their focus projects with the larger AU community. Their presentations will draw on personal experience, interactions with other students, and ideas from coursework, and include topics related to accessibility, student participation, power and privilege, and the educator-student dynamic.

Presenters: Marcy Campos (Director, Center for Community Engagement & Service), Saagar Gupta (Program Coordinator, Community-Based Learning, Center for Community Engagement and Service) & Amanda Choutka (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Department of Literature and Faculty Fellow, Center for Community Engagement & Service)

This session focuses on (re)designing a course syllabus to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with a nonprofit or school in the DC area. This “high impact practice” advances AU’s Strategic Plan and helps students better understand issues that impact local residents and organizations. Participants will discuss best practices and challenges for collaboration with community partners, compare direct service, project-based work, and community-based research, and explore ways to incorporate critical thinking and reflection.

2022 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2022 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 9 – 13, 2022. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

Moving Past Silos: Antiracism, Equity, and Communities of Practice

Presenters: Shari Watkins (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning), Meg Bentley (CAS-Biology), Kathryn Walters-Conte (College of Arts and Sciences), Krisztina Domjan (CAS-World Languages and Cultures), Amaarah DeCuir (School of Education)

This session intends to explore the ways participation in Communities of Practice (COPs) can critically impact AU faculty’s sustained efforts around antiracism and equity. AU faculty that have participated in Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), a type of COP, will share learned insights and expertise acquired, as well as challenges that they have grappled. Through this interactive session, we will collectively discuss how participation in COPs can significantly impact the ways AU faculty center antiracism and equity in their teaching, research, and service and how these lessons learned can apply more broadly

Ditching SPSS/SAS/Stata for R in the Classroom and in Research

Presenter: Eric Schuler (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning)

This workshop will provide a starting point to faculty who are interested in moving from commercial statistical software to R in either teaching or research. We will cover: the benefits of R, how to get started, locating discipline specific resources, recommendations for using R in the classroom and in research.

Presenters: Hannah Jardine (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning), Gavin Frome (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning), Ashley Roccamo (E-Learning Services)

The CTRL Course Design Institute is a series of four workshops and supplemental materials designed to support both new and experienced educators aiming to revamp an existing course, design a completely new course, or enhance their teaching practice, whether teaching in-person, online, or in a hybrid environment. By the end of the institute, you will have developed a complete course plan and additional instructional materials and ideas to implement directly into your course(s). Registration for this program indicates a commitment to attend all four workshops in the series. Read more about the course design institute and its benefits here.

DEI Pedagogy in Math and Science

Please join your colleagues teaching Q2 and Natural-Scientific Inquiry HoM courses in an interactive discussion of DEI and inclusive pedagogy in our science courses. In short, 5-minute presentations, faculty currently teaching in these two Core areas will share strategies and examples of in-class exercises and resources they use as part of their curriculum. In addition, this 75-minute workshop will provide space and time for faculty to reflect on how their own training and lived experiences influence what they value in the classroom, how those influence the creation of a classroom environment, and how their students and mentees may respond to these pedagogical decisions.

Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR) Faculty Institute: Being a Part of DC, not Apart from DC

Presenters: Marcy Campos (Center for Community Engagement & Service), Arianna Lopez (Center for Community Engagement & Service)

This session focuses on (re)designing a course syllabus to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with a nonprofit or school in the DC area. This “high impact practice” advances AU’s Strategic Plan and helps students better understand issues that impact local residents and organizations. Participants will discuss best practices and challenges for collaboration with community partners, compare direct service, project-based work, and community-based research, and explore ways to incorporate critical thinking and reflection.

Setting up your Fall 2022 Research Project for Success

Presenters: Gwendolyn Reece (University Library), Tiffany Quash (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning), Eric Schuler (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning)

Preparing for your fall research can be a tedious process. This conversation will provide resources and recommendations to streamline your efforts so you can be well prepared to start your upcoming research project. Bring your questions related to methodology/analysis, timelines, and important things to consider with the IRB.

Getting Started Building a Strong Teaching Portfolio – A Guided Workshop

Presenter: Hannah Jardine (Center for Teaching, Research & Learning)

Are you working on building your teaching portfolio, or considering how to get started gathering and developing the appropriate materials? Join CTRL’s Teaching & Learning Team and colleagues from across campus to discuss the purpose and components of the teaching portfolio at AU, draft an outline of your teaching statement, and develop a plan to gather evidence of self, peer, and student assessment.

2021 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2021 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 13 – 18, 2021. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

AU Core: Developing a Complex Problems Seminar

Are you curious about proposing a Complex Problems Seminar? Have you had a CP proposal approved and want some ideas for how to turn it into a full course? Have you been teaching a CP Seminar and want to jazz it up? In this workshop, CP Program faculty and staff will help participants with any of these interests. Regardless of which stage applies, participants should bring drafts of the appropriate materials, and they’ll leave ready to tackle the next steps.

AU Core: University College Faculty Cohort Collaboration

In this session, faculty teaching in the Fall 2021 University College living-learning community will work with their themed cohorts to solidify plans that impact course preparation and syllabus creation. Cohorts will also make cohort-based co-curricular plans and identify information that can potentially be shared with incoming students following UC confirmations.

AU Core: Demystifying the DIV: Unpacking and Implementing the Diversity and Equity Learning Outcomes of the AU Core

This workshop will help participants who are (a) wondering how they could align their courses with Diversity and Equity learning outcomes or (b) seeking examples of what they can do in their DIV classes. Facilitators and participants will share examples of content and assignments from different disciplines that highlight DIV elements. They will also discuss how courses that are not typically seen as DIV candidates could be infused with those elements. Participants will practice creating a DIV course proposal using their own syllabi or a provided sample.

AU Core: The Goldilocks Approach: Responding to Student Writing Enough and Not Too Much

This workshop will present approaches to responding to student writing in ways that foster transfer and self-sufficiency. Participants will be invited to talk about their own (discipline-specific, perhaps) approaches to giving feedback. Time will be given for discussion of commenting on mechanics and formatting. The workshop will be grounded in Writing Studies theories and in the importance of transfer. This workshop is open to all faculty, whether or not they teach W2 courses.

Being a Part of DC, Not Apart from DC: A Community-Based Learning Faculty Workshop (Part 1)

This session focuses on (re)designing a course syllabus to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with a nonprofit or school in the DC area. This “high impact practice” advances AU’s Strategic Plan and helps students better understand issues that impact local residents and organizations. Participants will discuss best practices and challenges for collaboration with community partners, compare direct service, project-based work, and community-based research, and explore ways to incorporate critical thinking and reflection.

MIS_ING DAT_: Ways to Identify Types of Missingness and Strategies to Handle Them in R

Try as hard as we might, missing data happens…In this session, we will talk about the types of missingness, ways to inspect missingness, and both traditional and modern approaches to handle missing data (as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each). Then we will move over to R and go over code and ways to assess and handle missingness.

Student Engagement in Synchronous Class Sessions

Ample research cites the importance of engaging students to optimize learning. This workshop will discuss and implement instructional strategies that you can use to keep your students engaged in a synchronous session.

By attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

a) Define engagement and describe strategies to evaluate engagement in the synchronous class environment

b) Select tools best suited for your course learning outcomes that offer maximum student engagement

Canvas Overview

This workshop is designed to introduce Canvas to those who have never used it before. This 1-hour workshop will provide a high-level overview of basic functionality within Canvas. It will cover Global Navigation, profile settings, Inbox communication, Course set up, Help/Resources, and the overall Canvas Interface.

By attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

a) Navigate Canvas

b) Create your first assignments, quizzes, pages, and publish your course

c) Effectively communicate with students in Canvas

Kaltura Within Canvas

This session introduces you to the video creation and streaming software Kaltura and Kaltura Capture and will prepare you to record mini-lectures, video feedback, weekly summaries, presentations, and more. You will learn the technical aspects of the software and how to effectively integrate this technology into your class and how to use it as a teaching tool.

By attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

a) Add media into Kaltura

b) Embed and display videos in your Canvas course

c) Use Video Quizzes and effectively incorporate mixed media in your course.

Zoom Within Canvas

Zoom in Canvas allows you to virtually collaborate with your students in class sessions, office hours, meetings, and group projects. There are several ways to integrate Zoom into your Canvas course to make facilitating meetings seamless. In this workshop, we will go over the different settings when creating a zoom meeting, how to create breakout rooms and Zoom best practices.

By attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

a) Set up a reoccurring Zoom session in Canvas

b) Create Breakout rooms for Zoom

c) Create Virtual Office Hours using Zoom

Teaching Portfolio Part 1 of N: Writing a Teaching Philosophy

With the recent changes made by the Faculty Senate regarding the assessment of teaching at American University, there are now many ways to demonstrate your teaching excellence, including through a teaching portfolio. A critical component of the portfolio is the teaching philosophy. A teaching philosophy provides you with an opportunity to convey your teaching values and express how those values inform your instructional practices. In this workshop, we will introduce the basic components of a teaching philosophy statement and guide you through the process of conceptualizing and articulating your priorities and goals as an instructor.

Being a Part of DC, Not Apart from DC: A Community-Based Learning Faculty Workshop (Part 2)

This session focuses on (re)designing a course syllabus to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with a nonprofit or school in the DC area. This “high impact practice” advances AU’s Strategic Plan and helps students better understand issues that impact local residents and organizations. Participants will discuss best practices and challenges for collaboration with community partners, compare direct services, project-based work, and community-based research, and explore ways to incorporate critical thinking and reflection

Now more than ever it is imperative for faculty to engage in critical conversations that will lead to equitable, inclusive or expansive, antiracist actionable outcomes in our research, teaching, and service. This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to learn more about CTRL’s Inclusive Pedagogy (IP) Faculty Fellows Program and gather insights into the ways that the current IP fellows foreground equity, inclusion, and antiracism in their work. In this session, attendees will have space to reflect on their teaching praxis while strengthening their commitments to student success and belonging.
Antiracist Curriculum Development: Lessons from the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences –– With Video

Antiracist Curriculum Development: Lessons from the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty and deans from CAS and SOE describe their experiences with fostering antiracist pedagogy and course content. While antiracist curriculum development serves the goals of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it goes beyond a diversity paradigm to challenge structures of systemic racism, antiblackness, and white supremacy in society and in our academic disciplines. Antiracist curriculum and pedagogy also affirm the lived experiences and cultures of Black and Brown students and elevate voices of BIPOC scholarship. We will discuss useful concepts and approaches, how antiracist teaching and curriculum development work in different disciplines, and forms of support for faculty engaging in this practice. We will also address the inherent challenges and tensions that may arise doing this work and ways to work through them.

2020 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2020 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 12 – 14, 2020. Some sessions were video-recorded as linked in the program below.

Being a Part of DC, Not Apart from DC: A Community-Based Learning Faculty Workshop

This workshop focuses on (re)designing a course syllabus to incorporate Community-Based Learning & Research (CBLR), a pedagogy that deepens student learning through collaboration with a nonprofit or school in the DC area. This “high impact practice” advances AU’s Strategic Plan and helps students understand better issues that impact local residents and organizations. Participants will discuss best practices & challenges for collaboration with community partners, compare direct service, project-based work, and community-based research, and explore ways to incorporate critical thinking and reflection.

Teaching in the Core: Strategies for Creating Course Consistency

How can we create consistency across multiple sections of a course without forfeiting the unique strengths that each faculty member brings to their teaching? This session will feature a panel of faculty who have led various efforts in their units to foster course consistency.

In this session, faculty teaching in the Fall 2020 University College living-learning community will work with their themed cohorts to solidify plans that impact course preparation and syllabus creation. Cohorts will also make cohort-based co-curricular plans and identify information that can potentially be shared with incoming students following UC confirmations.

Teaching with Open Educational Resources

Students have a lot of expenses as part of higher education. In this workshop, we will discuss various options when it comes to teaching with freely available, open access materials. This includes the use and creation of open educational resources such as textbooks and open source statistical software.

2019 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2019 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 13 – 17, 2019. 

Presenters: Erin Horan (Instructional Designer, CTRL) & Kim Westemeier (Instructional Designer, CTRL)

In this workshop, we will discuss active learning strategies that are informed by constructivist theory, which promotes a pedagogical approach that encourages students to be active contributors to their learning. Strategies and technological tools will be discussed, and there will be time to incorporate them into your Fall 2019 courses.

Presenters: Marcy Campos (Director, Center for Community Engagement & Service) & Harry Gilliard (Coordinator, 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 annual 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 student engagement provided; (5) Hear directly from community partners and faculty practitioners about the best practices for collaboration; and (6) Share challenges and promising practices.

This one-day workshop is a follow-up to Asao Inoue’s February 1 event “Grading Ain’t Just Grading: Rethinking Writing Assessment Ecologies Towards Antiracist Ends,” and the primary goal of this workshop is for participants to take what they learned on February 1 to their own teaching, their own writing assessments, and their own syllabi. We will begin the day with a brief introduction and refresher of the key ideas Asao Inoue presented, followed by a discussion of what each of the participants took away. The rest of the day will be devoted to in-depth work, individually and in groups, on rethinking our own writing assessments.

Presenters: Bill Harder (CTRL), Stefan Kramer (Library), Eric R. Schuler (CTRL)

This interactive workshop explores the data lifecycle from initial collection to post-publication deposit in a repository and beyond. Data management plans are increasingly required by funders and publishers. These plans can improve productivity and research workflow management. Participants will be introduced to campus resources like AU’s research repository.

2018 May Faculty Workshops – Program

The 2018 May Faculty Workshops were held on May 15 – 24, 2018.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

UPCOMING
WORKSHOPS