CTL Faculty Liaison's Monthly - Message #51

The 2023 Plater Institute on the Future of Learning will be held on Thursday, April 6 in University Library at 10 a.m. This year’s theme is High-Impact Teaching and Learning and seeks to elevate the great work that is happening at IUPUI, in Greater Indianapolis, and across Indiana University. Learn more and register for the institute.

The Faculty Crossing presents Teach Talks with Herron School of Art + Design associate instructor, Sarah Jones. Sarah is this semester’s Teaching Resident at the Faculty Crossing.

April 6: Teach Talk - Process is Progress: A No Mistakes Approach to Drawing (in-person hands-on workshop) 12 noon to 1 p.m.

This hands-on Teach Talk includes a series of approachable and fun drawing exercises to create a layered image. No drawing experience required.

IUPUI University Library is excited to provide faculty, staff, and students with a research and development space for virtual reality technologies and applications. The VR lab is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Reserve now!   

Available hardware, software, and support:

• Meta Quest 2 headsets (available for check out or use in the space)
• Wired windows VR systems
• Two desktop PCs loaded with Unity and Unreal 
• A VR Lab Tech is available during the sessions to guide and aid your experience. 

*For a full list of resources visit the website. We look forward to servicing your XR needs!

Wednesday, April 5 | 3 - 3:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Kimmaree Murday and Presenter: Kimmaree Murday

Dive deeper into the Canvas Quizzes tool and learn how to take advantage of question groups and question banks. Save time by reusing questions you’ve used before by creating and organizing your question banks, and vary the items each student gets when they take an assessment by using question groups.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Instructional Technology (IT)

Thursday, April 6 | 12 noon - 1 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Anusha S Rao and Presenters: Douglas Jerolimov and Anusha S Rao

Evidence-based teaching practices are research-supported methods of teaching that foster high levels of student learning and retention. These active learning strategies are rooted in principles of how people learn and may be successfully adapted to different disciplines. This webinar will provide an introduction to various evidence-base teaching practices and particularly focus on two such evidence-based teaching practices, Peer Instruction and Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Using examples drawn from different disciplines, participants will be equipped to implement a Peer Instruction or PBL strategy for an assignment in a course of their own, and discuss techniques to assess student learning gains.

This webinar is part of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s online mini-workshop series focused on foundational teaching skills, Teaching Foundations (previously known as Teaching@IUPUI). Designed for new faculty, adjunct faculty, graduate students, and those looking for a refresher on good teaching practices, the webinars are short, with brief presentation interspersed with opportunities for interaction and questions. Grounded in current research, the webinars address various teaching topics and provide participants with strategies and resources to make instruction more effective, efficient, and enjoyable. Sessions are scheduled with the time of semester in mind, to keep topics relevant for faculty needs at that time. Recordings of past Teaching@IUPUI webinars are available on the Center for Teaching and Learning website for you to access anytime.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Curriculum and Course Design (C)

Monday, April 10 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Randy Newbrough and Presenter: Adam Maksl

In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about generative AI technologies such as image generators like Dall-E and text generators like ChatGPT. Through hands-on exercises, they will engage with these tools and explore their potential applications.

During the workshop, participants will have the chance to use both technologies. Through discussions and presentations, we will also consider the implications of these technologies.

Please note that to participate in the hands-on parts of the workshop, participants will need an OpenAI account for access to Dall-E and ChatGPT. If you don't already have an account, we encourage you to go to ChatGPT’s site and sign up beforehand to ensure a smoother experience during the workshop. For those unable to or prefer not to create an account, we will have alternate means by which you can participate.

Tuesday, April 18 | 11 - 11:45 a.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Jeani Young and Presenters: Emily Oakes and Jeani Young

When you use Canvas to provide instructional materials, engage students in activities, or assess student understanding, Canvas gathers data about it. Using built-in dashboards, you can easily access a variety of data and see how students are engaging with your Canvas course site. This kind of data is a good starting place to identify indicators of success or challenges in your courses. Combined with other sources of student feedback, data can become information you can actively use to support student success.

In this webinar you will learn how to access various types of Canvas data, what they do and don’t mean, and how to supplement that data to paint a fuller picture of your course. We will also discuss ethical considerations, thoughts on revising materials and interactions to provide more usable data, and recommendations for promoting student agency and trust.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Instructional Technology (IT)

Friday, April 21 | 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. | Zoom
Register » Organizer: IT Training and Presenters: Michele Kelmer, April Law, Jen Oakes, and Yvonne Wittmann

Speed Dating with Learning Technologies is exactly what it sounds like—a matchmaking event that encourages participants to "date" a range of potential tools and services, gaining exposure to a lot of resources within a short period of time.

Tuesday, April 25 | 12 noon - 1 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Jessica Alexander and Presenters: Jessica Alexander and Anusha S Rao

Diversity and inclusion play an important role in promoting student learning. Today’s college students are increasingly diverse compared to prior generations.  Traditional teaching strategies have also been shown to lead to lower academic achievement for underserved students compared to majority students even when differences in GPA and other factors are controlled for. By considering the diversity of the classroom and implementing equitable teaching strategies, instructors can increase student learning and sense of belonging for all students, not just those who are underserved. In this webinar, participants will learn how to leverage student diversity and incorporate inclusive teaching strategies in their classrooms. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

This webinar is part of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s online mini-workshop series focused on foundational teaching skills, Teaching Foundations. Designed for new faculty, adjunct faculty, graduate students, and those looking for a refresher on good teaching practices, the webinars are short, with a brief presentation interspersed with opportunities for interaction and questions. Grounded in current research, the workshops address various teaching topics and provide participants with strategies and resources to make instruction more effective, efficient, and enjoyable. Sessions are scheduled with the time of semester in mind, to keep topics relevant for faculty needs at that time.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Instructional Strategies (IS), Inclusive Teaching (I)

Wednesday, April 26 | 11 - 11:45 a.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Kimmaree Murday and Presenter: Sarah Herpst

Looking for a way to make your course content more accessible? This webinar, offered by the IU campus Teaching and Learning Centers in collaboration with the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Center, will introduce a new tool that is intended to help you create accessible content for your students. Join us as we discuss Anthology Ally and walk you through how it can be leveraged in your Canvas course.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Instructional Technology (IT)

Wednesday, April 26 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Jessica Alexander and Presenters: Jessica Alexander and Valli Sanghami Shankar Kumar

Diversity statements are increasingly becoming a required component of job applications in order for employers to discern potential employees’ contributions to equity and inclusion. In this workshop, the purpose of and best practices for writing a diversity statement will be reviewed. Participants will also begin to craft the core components of their diversity statements by reflecting on how their teaching, research, service, and other activities have contributed to equity and inclusion.

This workshop is co-sponsored by the IUPUI Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals program.