CTL Happenings - Message #605

Voegele, C. M. (2025, January 10). Four powerful practices to promote student success. Faculty Focus.

Instructors play a pivotal role in student success by providing support and encouragement through well-designed courses. In this article, you will explore four practices that, when implemented through collaborative learning communities, can significantly enhance student outcomes. These practices offer a humane and adaptable framework to help instructors create learning environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

How do you ask and answer questions about your students’ learning and what makes it better? Sign up for our three new online workshops on different aspects of SoTL - what it is and how you can engage it in it.

• February 5, 1 - 2 p.m. - High-Impact Practices and SoTL
• February 19, noon - 1:15 p.m. - Getting Started with SoTL (Part One of a Two-Part Series)
• March 5, noon - 1:30 p.m. - How to do SoTL: Formulating Research Questions and Finding Methods (Part Two of a Two-Part Series)

Tuesday, February 4 | 1 - 1:45 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Jeani Young and Presenter: Jeani Young

Are you looking for an easier way to manage your student handbook, reports, or other publicly shared documentation in an accessible format? Have you ever been frustrated with your textbook or lab manual options and thought “I could do better than this!”? Would you like your students to co-author a book on your course topics or create sharable review materials? 

Pressbooks is a customizable, collaborative online publishing tool that anyone at IU can use to author and share

• Textbooks,
• Lab manuals,
• Reports, 
• Student handbooks, and 
• Student work

Pressbooks is built on WordPress, a popular blogging tool, that allows you to not only write text, but embed images, videos, complex tables, mathematical notation, documents, and glossary terms. It was developed to be accessible for readers, avoiding many of the pitfalls of PDFs and Word documents. You can also control the visibility of everything in your book and the roles of any collaborators.

Join us for a demo of Pressbook features and learn about some of the ways your colleagues are using it here at IU!

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

Thursday, February 6 | 12 noon - 1 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Zach Carnagey and Presenters: Zachary Carnagey and Kevin Rogers

“Thus, generational change is not just about individual people changing; it’s about cultural norms shifting.”

- Jean Twenge, Generations (2023)

The first in our Teaching Gen Z series, this webinar will delve into the realities and misconceptions surrounding Gen Z students (born between 1997-2012). We'll explore effective strategies to navigate modern classroom dynamics and address common challenges. Gain valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your teaching approach and better connect with your Gen Z students. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your educational practices and support student success.

You are invited to bring your lunch, as this webinar is primarily presentational. Recordings will be available afterward.

Friday, February 7 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Debbie Oesch-Minor & Rachel Swinford and Presenter: ePortfolio Grant Recipients

Join us for an engaging webinar where recent ePortfolio Grant recipients share their real-world experiences of implementing ePortfolios into their courses. Faculty will discuss both the successes and challenges they encountered while integrating this high impact practice, offering valuable insights into the process. Learn practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, enhancing student engagement, and leveraging ePortfolios for deeper learning. This webinar provides an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives, ask questions, and gain inspiration for your own ePortfolio initiatives.

Thursday, February 13 | 12 noon - 1 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Marie Brown and Presenters: Marie Brown and Krista Longtin

Creating clear and thoughtful ground rules is needed to foster a positive and respectful classroom environment, one that ensures that all students feel valued and heard. It also enables instructors to manage classroom dynamics more effectively. This webinar will guide you through the process of collaboratively establishing ground rules to promote positive and respectful engagement in the classroom. You will explore best practices for co-creating guidelines with students that encourage open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and constructive disagreement. You will engage in a co-creation activity that you can take into your classroom and leave with practical strategies for setting clear expectations, managing classroom dynamics, and fostering an inclusive learning environment where all students feel valued and heard. 

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

Neurodiversity and UDL: A Friendship Worth Fostering

Register, Friday, January 24, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon (EST).

In this session, Dr. Sarah Silverman will discuss ways in which neurodiversity theory and activism may help to inform and shape the implementation of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support neurodivergent students, with a specific focus on how communication differences can be respected and honored using UDL.

Teaching Students and Not Just 'Subjects'

Register, Friday, February 14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon (EST).

In this session, Dr. Bryan Dewsbury will focus on what teaching humans entails, including the approaches, curriculum decisions, and strategies that cultivate intrinsic motivation. These strategies, if fully engaged in, allow us to bring out the best out of our diverse classrooms. Mechanisms for non-cognitive assessment will also be discussed.

Engage 2.0 is the IU’s university-standard e-reader. Join this webinar for a guided tour of the Engage interface, learn about its many features, and get resources to support your success with your IU eText. Multiple dates available!

Register for a session: 11 – 11:30 a.m., 2 – 2:30 p.m., or 7 – 7:30 p.m.

Call for proposals for the 2025 Midwest SoTL Conference are open! The conference will be held in person on April 11, 2025, in the beautiful city of South Bend, Indiana. The conference theme is Care, Kindness, and Creativity. Proposals are due by February 2, 2025. See the flyer or the conference website for details.

The application for Innovate Awards is now open through February 9, 2025. Anyone with responsibility of teaching an undergraduate or graduate class at an IU campus or FACET Fort Wayne, regardless of status or rank, is eligible to apply. Applicants are not restricted to FACET members. View the categories and apply.

Ball State University's Division of Online and Strategic Learning, Office of Inclusive Excellence, and Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs are pleased to host the 2025 Provost’s Summit on February 6 and 7. Registration for this free virtual summit is open. On Thursday, February 6 Tracie Addy will present Inclusivity from Students’ Perspectives: Insights and Common Pitfalls and on Friday, February 7 Sandra Miles will speak to You Can’t Teach What You Haven’t Learned: Inclusive Practices as the Foundation for New Knowledge. Learn more and register.

AES invites you to the second annual Disability Awareness Month (DAM) from March 10-26. Join AES for a tabling event and keynote luncheon on March 3, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in Campus Center 450C. This year's focus is on sharing stories of disabled students and their community connections. RSVP details coming soon!