2019 August Faculty Workshops Session Descriptions Archive

Wednesday, August 14

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM – Session One

101: Strategies to Maximize (International) Student Participation

As we welcome more international students into our classrooms, we will need to continue to be mindful of the unique experiences all students bring. We will discuss strategies to inclusively assess participation of all students.

102: Leveraging Surveys with Qualtrics for Teaching, Research, and Learning

This session introduces the basics of survey design and distribution via Qualtrics. We will then consider ways that Qualtrics and survey research, more broadly, can be used to enhance your teaching and research.

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM – Session Two

201: The First-Year Writer as Witness Book: How The Sixth Extinction Might Come Up in Your Class

Join a discussion on the book our incoming first-year students are reading this summer: Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction. Hear how faculty across disciplines have used the book in their courses and brainstorm ways to use it in your own.

202: Alternatives to EndNote

EndNote desktop support is being phased out. This session will prepare existing EndNote users and introduce 3 alternative tools to both veterans and beginners. Please bring a laptop for small group workshops with these tools.

203: Introduction to Blackboard

This workshop is designed for faculty and staff who have little or no experience with Blackboard and would like to become more proficient in its use.

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Lunch

Do I Belong Here? Faculty and Students of Color Navigating the College Classroom

Meet CTRL’s new Associate Director of Inclusive Pedagogy. At this luncheon, we will discuss issues and challenges that faculty and students of color face in the classroom. Implications for individuals committed to improving these realities will be offered. 

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM – Session Three

301: Student Team Projects – AGHHHHHH!!!!

Employers want graduates who can work in teams, yet universities consistently fail in delivering this capability. We will explore what works/fails in designing & implementing team projects and what we can do to strengthen this process. 

302: Self-Created Videos: Enhancing the Learning Experience with Kaltura

This session introduces Kaltura and Kaltura Capture, teaches you how to use this video creation and streaming software, and showcases how it can enhance your class. 

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Session Four

401: Let’s Talk: The Faculty Development Leadership Cohort (FDLC) on Diversity and Inclusion

Faculty from the FDLC on Diversity and Inclusion share their experience of becoming facilitators of conversations around race and inclusion for AU faculty. We also seek your input on new ways to engage faculty in these questions. 

402: Using WordPress in the Classroom

In this workshop, we will look at exciting examples of successful WordPress sites, discuss how to use blogs in the classroom, and provide tools to get started. 

Thursday, August 15

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM – Session One

501: First Day and Beyond: Creating an Inclusive Classroom

This workshop will explore how you can engage all students in your course and what language you can use on your syllabus and in class to be more inclusive. Bring your ideas and questions as this will be an interactive workshop. 

502: Integrating Mixed Methods Approaches into Your Teaching and Research with NVivo

NVivo is a mixed-methods analysis software platform available to all AU faculty, staff, and students. This session introduces the use of NVivo for multimethod projects and considers applications for both teaching and research. 

503: Grading With Blackboard

This session will explore the Grade Center in Blackboard. We will examine the tool, best practices when using it, and tools that interact with it. 

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM – Session Two

601: Getting to Work: How to Incorporate Anti-Racist Writing Pedagogy in Your Classroom

Building on strategies introduced at Asao Inoue’s workshops in February 2019, this interactive session supports participants as they revise course materials to include anti-racist writing assessment practices. 

602: Mentoring Undergraduate Research

This roundtable will discuss the role of faculty mentors in undergraduate research. Research mentorship will be considered across multiple formats, including class projects, theses, and collaboration on faculty research projects. 

603: Dare to Know: The Evolution of AU Honors

Come hear about the exciting changes coming to AU Honors in the coming months. Learn about new ways for faculty to get involved in facilitating the intellectual development of these outstanding students. 

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Lunch

Who are the AU Undergraduate Students? Implications for Teaching and Learning

This luncheon will provide insights into the AU undergraduate students, most of whom are Gen Z students. The panel will discuss trends in student development and implications for teaching and learning. 

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM – Session Three

701: Grading Strategies for Writing Assignments

Writing assignments are a great way to assess students’ learning, but grading can be tedious and time consuming. We will discuss research-based strategies for effectively and efficiently grading your students’ writing assignments. 

702: Applications of Classroom Technology for Active Learning

This workshop will offer ideas for different learning activities that take advantage of the technology installed in classrooms around campus and look at options that you can bring into your own classroom to facilitate active learning. 

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Session Four

801: Student Team Projects – AGHHHHHH!!!!!

Employers want graduates who can work in teams, yet universities consistently fail in delivering this capability. We will explore what works/fails in designing & implementing team projects and what we can do to strengthen this process. 

802: IRB and SoTL: Ethics Related to Researching Your Teaching

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, or SoTL, describes the process of systematically researching your teaching practice. Join us to discuss types of SoTL research and protocols for securing approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). 

Wednesday, August 21

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM – Session One

901: 10 Strategies for Adding Metacognition and Reflection into Your Course

Research and experience tell us that reflecting on what and how we’ve learned deepens the experience of learning itself. This session will offer practical strategies for students to reflect on their learning processes in your course. 

902: Bringing Data Into the Classroom

This panel will discuss different ways that are being currently used to bring data into the classroom. This panel will discuss different strategies/approaches that have been successful, as well as potential challenges. 

903: Applications of Classroom Technology for Active Learning

This workshop will offer ideas for different learning activities that take advantage of the technology installed in classrooms around campus and look at options that you can bring into your own classroom to facilitate active learning. 

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM – Session Two

1001: Science Isn’t Scary!

Do you ever get the “Why do I need to know this? I’m not a science major” question? In this workshop we will discuss ways to actively engage students in their AU Core courses that are outside of their major. 

1002: Critical Information Literacy: A Primer and Discussion

This workshop will introduce faculty to the concept of Critical Information Literacy (CIL), consider how power structures impact the creation and dissemination of information, and align this information with critical pedagogical practices. 

1003: Introduction to Blackboard

This workshop is designed for faculty and staff who have little or no experience with Blackboard and would like to become more proficient in its use. 

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Lunch

Meet the Center for Teaching, Research & Learning Staff!

Come meet the staff of the Center for Teaching, Research & Learning to hear about our current and upcoming events. 

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM – Session Three

1101: Teaching with Social Media and Social Media Analytics

This session explores ways to integrate Twitter and other social media platforms into your courses as both tools to further student engagement and sources of data for you and your students to analyze. 

1102: Showcase Your Research Through An Online Exhibit

Learn about three different platforms (EdSpace, WordPress, ESRI, StoryMaps and Omeka S) supported by the university that allow you to present your research to the world through online exhibits. 

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Session Four

1201: Fostering a Collaborative Learning Environment

This session has been cancelled.

1202: Data Visualization in the Classroom and Research

This workshop will provide recommendation for best practices on visualizing data. Visualization code (both in R and STATA) will be overviewed to go from basic plots to clear visuals that are publication ready.