CTL Happenings - Message #506

The CHAT Room is a virtual, informal space where faculty can gather to discuss timely topics related to teaching. There will be a different topic each month, offered two days/times to make it possible for more faculty to participate. Each one-hour CHAT Room discussion will have a faculty facilitator and a CTL host. At the beginning of the session, the facilitator will talk briefly about the topic and facilitate open discussion for the remainder of the hour. Following the facilitated discussion, a CTL host will direct the participants to resources pertaining to the topic. The discussions are scheduled for the first week of each month on Tuesdays, 10:30 -11:30 a.m. and Wednesdays, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Spring 2021 Dates and Topics:

January 6:  Is it really just busywork? David Sabol (English), Facilitator; Lisa Contino, CTL Host, Register for Jan 6
February 2, 3:  How do students experience my course?  Darrell Nickolson (Engineering), Facilitator; Terri Tarr, CTL Host, Register for Feb 2 or Register for Feb 3
March 2, 3: Rigor, flexibility – why not both? Carrie Hagan (Law), Facilitator; Andi Strackeljahn, CTL Host, Register for Mar 2 or Register for Mar 3
April 6, 7:  How do my blind spots impact my teaching? Jessica Alexander, CTL Host, Register for Apr 6 or Register for Apr 7

The Early Career Teaching Academy (ECTA) invites applications from full-time faculty members in the first, second, or third year of their appointments at IUPUI, IUPU Columbus, or Indiana University Fort Wayne. Faculty will develop their philosophy and connect it to evidence-based teaching practices, laying a foundation for a career of effective teaching. The program helps faculty transform themselves into powerful teachers who are rooted in a desire for student success through reflective and evidence-based teaching approaches. Applications are due January 11, 2021. For more information and to apply.

Three new Small Teaching Online Faculty Learning Communities (5 sessions each) will begin the last week of January, 2021. The goals are to strengthen community among teaching colleagues, increase confidence and skill in applying online and general teaching strategies, and provide an opportunity to document professional development in teaching. Flower Darby’s book, Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes will serve as a guide to generate reflection and discussion. Each FLC will be capped at 10 participants.

Faculty may register for one of the following  FLCs:

1. Begins Tuesday, January 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Meets weekly for 5 consecutive weeks on Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9, Feb 16, and Feb 23. Facilitated by Aimee Zoeller. Register
2. Begins Wednesday, January 27, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Meets bi-weekly on Jan 27, Feb 10, Feb 24, Mar 10, and Mar 24. Facilitated by Lisa Contino. Register
3. Begins Friday, January 29, 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Meets weekly for 5 consecutive weeks on Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 12, Feb 19, and Feb 26. Facilitated by Darrell Nickolson. Register

The 2021 Curriculum Enhancement Grant (CEG) Request for Proposals is now open. The CEG provides faculty with technical and instructional support, time, and funds to implement projects designed to improve student learning and success at IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne. This year we especially seek proposals focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom. The deadline for submitting proposals is January 29, 2021. Click here for more information and to submit a proposal. 

Are you getting ready to plan your winter and spring courses? CTL’s Just-in-Time Course Design online Canvas course is now available as a web resource for all instructors! This web resource is organized into five categories:

• Structuring and Organizing Modules
• Creating a Welcoming and Supportive Learning Environment
• Engaging Your Students Online, On Zoom, and in the Physically-Distanced Classroom
• Developing and Adapting Assessments for Multiple Course Formats
• Developing and Adapting Content for Multiple Course Formats

Each category features recorded webinars, online resources, readings, and hands-on instructional guides for creating course materials in the online, in-person with physical distancing, or a mix of online and in-person teaching modes. For more information, go to: Access the Just-in-Time Course Design website.

New active learning in Zoom resource
Just in time for the post-Thanksgiving-break-fully-online planning part of the year, the new active learning in Zoom ebook, Zoom to the Next Level: Active Learning in the Virtual Classroom, is now available. The book currently has 20+ activities with instructions and links to related technical documentation. 

Virtual Access to STC Computer Labs 

Faculty can let their students know that while they are away from campus, they continue to have access to the specialized software and high-powered computing of Student Technology Center (STC) computer labs using IUanyWare. 

STC virtual labs provide remote desktop virtualization through a personal device connected to the Internet. IUanyWare is compatible with PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks, as well as iPads, iPhones, and Android phones. For more information, see Access IU STC labs during COVID-19.

Do you feel like you’re in a Zoom slump? Class sessions on Zoom can be engaging and even invigorating, but it doesn’t “just happen” on its own - it needs you. Experience active learning in Zoom first-hand and leave with engagement activities you can immediately implement in your class in this mash-up of Zoom features and IU’s technology smorgasbord. Engage in Zoom alchemy - turning Zoom plumbum into active learning aurum.If you are unfamiliar with the basic features of Zoom meetings, please review the following resources prior to this webinar:

• UITS Knowledgebase article on Using Zoom
• Zoom: The Basics screencast
• Keep Teaching: Zoom for Instructors webinar recording

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.

Assessing student learning during the pandemic has motivated many instructors to consider flexible, equitable, and creative alternatives to traditional assessments such as exams. In this webinar, you will discuss strategies to design alternative assessments that are aligned to course learning outcomes. You will also consider the benefits and challenges of alternative assessments in your teaching context and review examples of alternate assessments in various disciplines.

This webinar is part of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s online mini-workshop series focused on foundational teaching skills, 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 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.

Sign Up for Spring 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 spring, 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. 

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.

Online Writing Group Participants will started on Tuesday, January 5, and the hybrid group session will start on Friday, January 8.  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.

The Polis Center at IUPUI presented findings from its fall 2020 Community Trends report: Health and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Neighborhoods during its fall SAVI Talks and Data & Drafts events. If you missed these presentations, you may download presentation slides here and explore the map. Related information is available here. 

Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2020). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79.

Writing your syllabus using an equity and inclusion-centered lens can invite students into a welcoming learning space from day one. This article provides a comprehensive and useful guide for developing a syllabus that assists with the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion to communicate your philosophy, expectations, requirements, and other course information.