CTL Happenings - Message #500

The Haps is the CTL’s primary way to communicate news about upcoming events and other teaching-related information to you. We began publishing it in 2010, primarily to reduce the flurry of emails that we sent announcing events by consolidating our news into a weekly newsletter. 

More about this newsletter:

• The Haps is now sent bi-weekly instead of weekly.
• New and major CTL events that we want to highlight are in the Announcements section.
• Workshop and webinar descriptions in the email version are short (400 characters), but if you click on an item, you will go to a more detailed description on the web version.
• Teaching-related news and events happening outside of CTL are in the Partner Opportunities section.
• Every issue includes a recommended reading at the end of the newsletter and often an instructional technology tip in the Announcements sections.
• The CTL Happenings Archive with issues dating back to 2012 and the Recommended Readings Archive which goes back to 2016 are available in the CTL website Resources section.
• The Haps has gone through a variety of looks through the years, most recently when we began sending it using Salesforce. With Salesforce we can use analytics to finetune the Haps based on your clicks.
• Subscribe to the Haps

We are constantly trying to update and improve the CTL Happenings. If you have ideas about how we could make it better, please let us know by sending your feedback to thectl@iupui.edu.

Join us for the 2020 Virtual Advancing Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium via Zoom! The focus this year is on virtual and distanced teaching and learning - including service and international learning in the current context. Our Keynote features Dr. Kelly Hogan and Dr. Viji Sathy of the University of North Carolina who will be leading an interactive session on creating equitable and inclusive online classrooms both on Zoom and asynchronously online. For more information, see the ATLT website

The IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning seeks proposals from faculty teaching at higher education institutions across Indiana for the 2021 E.C. Moore Symposium on Excellence in Teaching. We would especially welcome proposals that address topics such as: efforts to improve student learning and engagement, inclusive excellence, integrative learning, novel general education courses or curricula, creative use of instructional technology, and initiatives that promote excellence in teaching. Proposals should clearly demonstrate relevance to a broad range of disciplines. The 2021 E.C. Moore Symposium will be held on Friday, March 5th on Zoom. 

Are you a graduate student interested in a faculty career? Do you strive to improve the learning experiences of your students? We invite you to apply for the Emerging Scholars of College Instruction Program (ESCIP) to develop and document your teaching skills. By the end of the program, you will create a teaching portfolio, including sample course materials, teaching observation reports, student feedback, and a teaching philosophy. Learn more and apply to the program by November, 30, 2020.

Hybrid attendance feature in Top Hat: Assist IU with contact tracing
The Top Hat attendance tool now features a simple new tool that can help with contact tracing. When students enter their attendance code in Top Hat, they are also asked if they are attending in person or not. This information is visible to instructors in the Top Hat gradebook, but more importantly, it can be provided to contact tracers at IU in the event that someone tests positive for COVID-19 and was present in a classroom. This feature is now available on the iOS and Android apps. Students will need to update to the latest version of the Top Hat app to record their attendance method. To enable this feature in your Top Hat course, see Take attendance in hybrid courses with Top Hat at IU.

Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor available on Chromebooks at IU
IU is participating in a beta version of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor that supports Chromebooks. Students will need to install a Chrome extension in order to access and use the beta version, which has been successfully tested by UITS. Note that to enable Chromebook support, instructors must edit the settings for each individual test. For more information, see Administer tests and quizzes using Respondus Monitor with LockDown Browser.

The spring 2021 term will be as out-of-the-ordinary as our previous summer term and current fall term.  As you plan for the spring, think about the learning materials you normally require for your class, and consider, in particular…

• We will be starting with 3 weeks of distance teaching/learning.
• Even after that, many students will not be on campus.
• Students might not have the ability to visit a campus bookstore before the start of the term.
• Finances might be tight, and other priorities might need to take precedence (so, buying required materials will get delayed).
• In Zoom, sharing your screen view of a page is easier than holding a book up to your webcam.

Ordering via IU eTexts would be one of the simplest ways to ensure every student in your class is primed for academic success before the first day of class.  When you order your required learning materials via IU eTexts, we link digital textbooks and courseware in the Canvas class site, before the first day of class.  We add the charge to the student’s Bursar account and the fees are covered by all forms of financial aid. 

Courseware titles are the exact same thing you can order from the bookstore, but without the bookstore markup, and at a discount unavailable anywhere else, and no access codes are required.

For more details about IU eTexts, including video tutorials of the Engage features, and detailed ordering instructions/deadlines, please visit our Canvas resource site: IU eTexts: A Faculty and Staff Introduction.

Good assessment practices include checking students’ learning on a regular basis during the learning experience. They provide faculty with feedback on what, how much, and how well their students are learning. Instructors can use this feedback to modify their teaching to improve student learning. It helps students reflect on their learning and identify gaps in their knowledge. In this webinar, participants will learn the difference between formative and summative assessment as well as how to implement formative assessment techniques in different teaching contexts and disciplines. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Interested in a way to build your Canvas course without starting from scratch? The IU Course Template for Canvas is now available to use in all Spring 2021 courses. During this webinar, offered by eLearning Design and Services in collaboration with the IU campus teaching and learning centers, you will learn more about what the template offers you, how to apply the template to your course, and receive answers to your questions about how to individualize the template to your personal teaching style and class format.

The Spring 2021 template provides structure and guidance for well-designed Modules, Syllabus, Homepage, and other frequently-used Canvas tools. The template even allows you to give previous Canvas course content a make-over. 

Continue to build your Canvas expertise; register for a follow-up webinar to learn more about Streamlining your Canvas Course with Modules. 

Join colleagues for Digital Coffee Hours on the Fourth Monday Series sponsored by LEAP Indiana and hosted by colleagues from around the state. This session will feature Elizabeth Osika and Mona Kheiry from Marian University.

Searching for a way to ensure your students can easily locate necessary course information and assignments? Modules can be your answer. Well-organized Canvas Modules effectively communicate course requirements and your expectations. Especially in times of high stress, clear communication and easy-to-find information are critical. This webinar, offered by the IU campus teaching and learning centers in collaboration with eLearning Design and Services, will provide a basic understanding of how to streamline your course navigation and organize your assignments, discussions, files, recordings, and more.

Looking for ways to make your Canvas course site more welcoming and easier to navigate? Register for a follow-up webinar to learn about Teaching with the Spring 2021 Canvas Course Template. This webinar will be repeated on November 10, and November 13, 2020.

Collaborative learning is associated with higher academic achievement and student engagement, in both in-person and online learning environments, and has been found to have a positive impact on a wide variety of students.  In this webinar, participants will examine challenges faced by students and faculty in using collaborative techniques, learn about best practices to overcome these challenges, and discuss examples for implementing and assessing collaborative learning techniques for the online and in-person learning contexts. 

As IUPUI continues the process of reviewing general education courses, course coordinators or faculty responsible for preparing course dossiers for review may have questions about the information and materials that need to go into the dossiers. This webinar will provide an overview of the course review process, course dossier requirements, and the rubric that will be used to review the course dossiers. It will also address the option for preparing a simplified course dossier based on using a Mile Marker assignment. Examples from existing course dossiers will be incorporated into the webinar. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Join CIRTL at IUPUI to Build Your Resume and More... 

Presenters from across the country share their expertise on teaching and learning topics to prepare graduate students and postdocs for future faculty careers. Sign up for a free CIRTL network account to participate in CIRTL cross-network Fall 2020 workshops, courses, and events. CIRTL events and programs provide you the opportunity to network and build connections with graduate students, postdocs, and faculty across the CIRTL network, which currently has over 41 member institutions from the US and Canada, including IUPUI.

IUPUI’s CIRTLCast series on High-Impact Practices: Register now!

As a CIRTL member, IUPUI is offering a four-part webinar series on engaging students through high-impact practices. This CIRTLCast series will showcase several ways in which future faculty in all disciplines, levels and roles can embed and assess high-impact educational practices into curricular experiences. Participants will explore the features and benefits of a high-impact practice curricular experience, including global learning and engagement, undergraduate research, and ePortfolios. Learn more and register.

Sign Up for Writing Groups is Now Open

Each semester, the Faculty Forum offers writing groups that provide encouragement, accountability, and a sense of community for faculty and staff. This fall, there are three ways to participate: 

Hybrid Writing Group  Participants will meet in person or on Zoom for two hours each week. In the first 30 minutes of the meeting, participants will discuss a writing-related topic. In the remaining 90 minutes, they will sit quietly and write. 

Online Writing Group Participants will meet on Zoom for two hours each week.  In the first 30 minutes of the meeting, participants will discuss a writing - related topic.  In the remaining 90 minutes, they will sit quietly and write.

At Your Pace  Participants in the at-your-pace writing groups will record their time spend writing in an online spreadsheet that is shared with the other writers. In addition, participants will receive a weekly email sharing a concise reading on a writerly topic. 

The online writing group session began Tuesday, September 29 and the hybrid group session began on Friday, October 2. Membership is open to IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne faculty and staff of all ranks, appointments, and disciplines. For more information and registration: https://facultycrossing.iupui.edu/WritingGroups, or contact faccross@iupui.edu. 

Join the Forum Fellows at the Crossing for a Virtual Happy Hour 
Please join Forum Fellows Aimee Zoeller and Darrell Nickolson on Friday, October 23 from 3:00 - 4:00 for a Virtual Happy Hour. Escape from day - to- day obligations and connect with your colleagues with the beverage of your choice and from the comfort of your home. We will chat all things non-work; our favorite activities for staying well mentally, physically, and socially, during the pandemic and challenges, too. Please reserve your spot and receive the Zoom link by emailing: faccross@iupui.edu.

Why Do We Need Creativity? 
October 21, 2020; 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 
Register

Gurkan Mihci, Herron School of Art and Design faculty will explore the concept of Creativity. His central questions with this inquiry are "How can we improve the creative skills? and How can we use a video game to teach creativity with solving complex problems and abstract thinking?." This research will address these questions: What is creativity, and why do we need it? Can creativity be taught or is it an inherent trait? Why do we need art and design skills? and, What are relationships between Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Creativity?

As we head into the election season, a number of resources are available to promote voter registration and voting across the campus. These include a Canvas module, a voting guide and the opportunity to have Civic Engagement Assistants present to your class. Read more about these resources here. 

Marion County Evictions May Reach 34,000 or More in 2020

Indiana lost 436,000 jobs between February and April, driving the unemployment rate from 3.1% to 17.5%. While the state gained back 217,000 jobs by June, unemployment remained extremely high at 11.2%. Additional unemployment insurance payments and moratoriums on evictions have softened the impact of this economic crisis, but those supports and protections have since expired. An increase in unemployment claims could drive the eviction rate from seven percent in 2016 to 20 percent in 2020, and informal evictions may be twice that. Learn more

Upcoming SAVI Data Literacy Skills Training: SAVI data literacy training empowers you to find, use, and understand data. Classes are as follows:

• Create and Use Survey Data | Oct. 15, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon  Register
• Create and Use Focus Group Data | Oct. 28, 10:00 a.m.- 12 noon Register

(1) Engaging Students to Participate in Zoom: Yes, It Can Be Done!
Kevin J. Jones, Ed.D., IUPUC, School of Business
October 23, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. - Register in Advance 

The dynamics of teaching online are obviously different than working in an on-campus session.  It is sometimes difficult to engage students to participate in the classroom dialogues. In this webinar, we will review ideas and approaches to create the opportunities for students to speak and dialogue.  We will dialogue about practices used that have been successful in fostering interaction.

(2) Leveraging Zoom and Google Docs for Synchronous Collaborative Exercises in the Sciences
Harold Olivey, Department of Biology, IUN
November 13, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. - Register in Advance

During this webinar, strategies will be shared for adapting collaborative work in synchronous discussion sections using Zoom for class meetings and Google Docs for content delivery.  The webinar will start with the origins of using collaborative work in a molecular biology course and a description of how breakout rooms have been used to gather students into small groups and Google Docs to track student progress in real-time during the discussion sessions.  Examples of how strengths-based educational techniques were used to compose student groups will also be shared.

(3) Setting the Stage for High-Impact Practice Public Displays of Learning in an Online Environment
December 4, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. - Register in advance 

In this webinar, program leaders from IUPUI high-impact practice (HIP) programs - capstone, internships, service learning, and ePortfolio - come together to discuss how Engaged Learning Week was brought successfully into the online environment during Spring 2020. 

Engaged Learning Week, hosted by the Institute for Engaged Learning, is a week-long celebration of engaged learning and HIPs on campus including public in-person showcases of student work in undergraduate research, internship programs, capstone projects, ePortfolios, service learning and community engaged learning, first-year seminars, Jag Start, and the Honors College. 

Though most commonly designed for traditional face-to-face environments, implementation of HIPs can be successful online when thoughtful consideration is given to the essential elements that support student learning. Each program director will discuss their approach to designing their online showcase environment, including considerations of synchronous vs. asynchronous format, mode of public presentation, mode of interaction with audience, and feedback to students.

** After registering for any of these webinars, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

(1) The 2020 FALCON  will be hosted online on October 24. The 25^th annual conference will feature sessions that address how student success is impacted by our ability as faculty to establish an understanding of campus culture, develop corresponding curriculum and establish a strong sense of community (belonging). Further information on registration and schedule will be announced soon. 

(2) The Mack Center Fellowship Application deadline for completed proposals is November 30. This year, we are particularly interested in proposals focused on teaching in virtual environments, including the full range of synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid virtual/ face-to-face formats. Projects investigating traditional classes will also be considered. More information to become a fellow.  

(3) The deadline for FACET/Mack Center SoTL Travel Grants for travel to present SoTL research in the Spring 2021 is December 1. Grants are for allowable costs as delineated by IU Travel Management up to $750, faculty are encouraged to combine this funding with other sources. Due to COVID-19, funds can be used towards virtual event registration. More information and application.

Program Review and Assessment Committee is now accepting proposals for PRAC Grants. Projects which address the IUPUI's Profiles of Learning for Undergraduate Success or investigate teaching, learning, assessment and/or adaptations associated with the COVID19 learning environment are of special interests. All proposals should be submitted to Linda Houser  (lhouser@iupui.edu) and Stephen Hundley (shundley@iupui.edu) by the fall 2020 deadline of Monday, October 26, at 5:00 p.m. or by the spring 2021 deadline of Monday February 15 at 5:00 p.m. To learn more information on the proposal details and examples of past funded grants.

The Community Associates Program (CEA) funds student support for courses, projects, or programs that meet CEA funding criteria. As we approach the Spring semester, faculty and staff are invited to think about community engaged projects for the Spring 2021 (in any form they may take; even if they are hybrid or virtual) and consider applying for this round of applications. The deadline for these applications is Monday, October 26th at 11:59 p.m. You may access the application  here.  You may also learn more about CEA at: https://csl.iupui.edu/resources-support/grants/faculty-staff/cea-program.

The SEA Change Institute will be hosting it's fifth, short online learning events with the authors of Talking about Leaving Revisited. Each event will focus on specific implications of TALR, and the authors of will provide an overview of their findings and answer questions from participants. Registration for the TALR events is open to all who are interested – SEA Change Membership is not required to participate in this SEA Change Institute offering.
Please follow the link below for to register for this event.  

Webinar 5: Dimensions of STEM persistence
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m. EST

How do we change undergraduate STEM education to meet the needs of students, science, and society in 2040 and beyond?  Join a diverse group of innovators on November 12, 13, and 19, 2020 at the Symposium on Imagining the Future of Undergraduate STEM Education, hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and funded by the National Science Foundation. For more information and to register. 

Zimmerman, J. (2020, August 31). Lessons from the 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions – for teaching online. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved September 1, 2020. 

Lessons about online teaching and learning can be gleaned from the speeches of the online Democratic and Republican conventions of 2020. Jonathan Zimmerman describes how the virtual conventions revealed what to do, and what not to do, in your online course.