CTL Happenings - Message #607

McGrath, O., Hoffman, C., & Dark, S. (2023). Future Prospects and Considerations for AR and VR in Higher Education Academic Technology. EDUCAUSE Review.

This article explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in higher education. The article provides examples of current applications, such as virtual tours and simulations, and discusses the challenges that need to be addressed. It also outlines potential scenarios for the future adoption of AR and VR in higher education.

Looking for more ideas and inspiration? Register for the Extended Reality Initiative (XRI) Faculty Showcase to learn about how IU faculty are using these technologies in their teaching!

As we get closer to midterm, are your students keeping up with your course? If you’re using Canvas to provide instructional materials, engage students in activities, or assess student learning you can use built-in dashboards to review your students’ interactions and send targeted messages of support. Learn how to access and use the dashboards to support student success. Tuesday, February 25, 11 - 11:45 a.m. Don’t miss this opportunity! Register now.

Interested in free customizable instructional materials? Join us to learn how how the Pressbooks online ebook platform can help you find Open Educational Resources, mix and match chapters from multiple books and resources, customize materials to reflect your class’s needs, or create your own content to share with students. Tuesday, March 4, 1 - 1:45 p.m. Register.

Faculty development badges are micro-credentials that verify skills, competencies, or accomplishments. UITS Learning Technologies now offers badges to document your professional development. To learn more or sign up, visit the Teaching.IU site.

To complete the first step toward earning the Active Learning with Video badge, register for the Teaching Gen Z webinar series focused on PlayPosit on February 21 or February 24.

The course is designed for those students who missed the in-person training session on August 22, 2024, did not complete the canvas course in Fall 2024, as well as new teaching assistants joining us in spring 2025. If you know of students who need to complete the TA Orientation for their teaching roles, please have them get started with their TA Orientation!

Wednesday, February 19 | 12 noon - 1:15 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Anusha S. Rao and Presenter: Carol Hostetter

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is an exciting avenue for faculty to ask questions about student learning, using the research methods they have honed in their own disciplines. Through systematic inquiry, faculty can understand differences in students and how to meaningfully enhance student success.  The interactive workshop will focus on finding a researchable problem, engaging with the literature, matching questions to methods, understanding ethical considerations, and publication opportunities.

This is the first workshop in a two-part series on SoTL. The second workshop “How to do SoTL: Formulating Research Questions and Finding Methods” will be held on March 5, 12 – 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register for the workshop.

Note: This webinar will be recorded. If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can access the link to the webinar recording and the resources/slides by registering once the webinar is over.

More about the presenter, Dr. Carol Hostetter:

Carol Hostetter is Professor Emerita from the School of Social Work at Indiana University, having joined the faculty in 2001.  She has won many teaching awards, including the top teaching award for all eight campuses of Indiana University. Dr. Hostetter has been a leader in Indiana University’s teaching academy, FACET (Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching) as well as in Indiana University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) program. Her SOTL grants, presentations and publications focus on social presence in online courses, high-impact practices and learning analytics.  

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Assessment Methods and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (A)

Thursday, February 20 | 1 - 2 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Randy Newbrough and Presenters: Corrin Clarkson and Terence Govender

In this session, participants will get a live walkthrough of setting up and using Gradescope in a Canvas course. Participants will explore two real-world examples and learn practical tips to streamline the grading process from faculty member Corrin Clarkson, Clinical Associate Professor, Mathematics at IU Bloomington. Whether you're new to Gradescope or looking to refine your workflow, this webinar is packed with insights to save you time while positively impacting your learners.

Thursday, February 20 | 3 - 4 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Eric Brinkman and Presenters: Eric Brinkman and Layli Miron

Transparency in teaching is a well-documented and highly effective approach to improving student learning outcomes. In this interactive workshop, participants will delve into the core principles and benefits of the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) assignment framework. Participants will also be given an introduction to generative AI and then a prompt that they can use to guide them through the process of making one of their assignments more transparent by using the TILT framework.

Participants who attend will be able to:

• Benefit from the research on and application of transparency and TILT.
• Explore how to use Generative AI as a tool to improve transparency.
• TILT an assignment using Generative AI.
• Implement research-based best practices.

Please bring an assignment you would like to work on during the workshop. We will use a generative AI prompt to provide immediate feedback and support your process of making the assignment more transparent.

This event fulfills the following Graduate Teaching Apprenticeship Program requirements: 

• Associate Requirement 2.1: Attend one event offered by CITL: Pedagogy Theories 
• Associate Requirement 2.4: Attend one event offered by CITL: In-Person, Hybrid, and/or Online Classroom Pedagogy Techniques 

Friday, February 21 | 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Kevin Rogers and Presenters: Kevin Rogers and Stephanie Gates (PlayPosit)

In this Teaching Gen Z deep dive, we’ll look at ways faculty can use interactive video to enhance engagement and support learning. Whether you're interested in hearing about real-world applications or eager to dive into the technical aspects of creating interactive videos, this webinar has something for everyone.

Monday, February 24 | 12:45 - 1:45 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Learning Technologies Faculty Fellows Programs and Presenters: Justin Hodgson and Miranda Rodak

This workshop will guide IU participants through a range of approaches for integrating AI/Generative AI into the classroom. It will build on insights from the previous webinar and focus on scaffolding AI/Generative AI into the curriculum as part of a unit or multi-unit plan. Learn more at the Digital Gardener Initiative.

Tuesday, March 4 | 11 a.m. - 12 noon | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Lesli Amaya and Presenters: Lesli Amaya, Zachary Carnagey, and Gina Londino-Smolar

**This webinar fulfills the instructional requirement for the Teaching with Classroom Response Systems faculty development badge.**

Transform your lectures into dynamic, interactive experiences that engage today’s learners and improve learning. In this webinar, discover how Top Hat can help you create active learning environments that promote deeper understanding. This webinar features:

Faculty Insights and Student Impact: Learn from a faculty member who has enhanced their teaching with Top Hat. Our speaker will share their implementation journey, highlighting their most effective activities, observed impact on student engagement, and key lessons learned. You'll gain practical examples you can adapt to your own teaching.

Hands-On with Top Hat: Learn to integrate polls, discussion questions, and knowledge checks into your lectures. Perfect for both newcomers and experienced users, bring your own materials or work with our examples to create engaging content.

Participants are welcome to attend either or both segments based on their needs. Join us to discover practical strategies for creating more dynamic classroom experiences that connect with your Gen Z learners!

Note: We will remain available after the session for those who would like additional hands-on time to reinforce their learning. 

Wednesday, March 5 | 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Anusha S. Rao and Presenter: Carol Hostetter

In the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), problems are the first step to formulating meaningful inquiry that can lead to useful answers. This workshop is an opportunity for hands-on work to discover what methods match the burning questions we want answered about our students’ learning. We will engage with SoTL literature to explore pathways for productive research.

This is the second workshop in a two-part series on SoTL. The first workshop “Getting Started with SoTL” will be held on February 19, 12 – 1:15 p.m. on Zoom. Register for the workshop. 

Note: This webinar will be recorded. If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can access the link to the webinar recording and the resources/slides by registering once the webinar is over.

More about the presenter, Dr. Carol Hostetter:

Carol Hostetter is Professor Emerita from the School of Social Work at Indiana University, having joined the faculty in 2001.  She has won many teaching awards, including the top teaching award for all eight campuses of Indiana University. Dr. Hostetter has been a leader in Indiana University’s teaching academy, FACET (Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching) as well as in Indiana University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) program. Her SOTL grants, presentations and publications focus on social presence in online courses, high-impact practices and learning analytics.  

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Assessment Methods and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (A)

This free event makes visible Teaching Practice and SoTL works that focus on improving and transforming student learning, academic success, and teaching in higher education. Wednesday, February 19, 9:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. (CST) Register

Questions? Please contact Amy Chan Hilton at cetl@usi.edu at USI's Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL).

AES invites you to IU Indianapolis’s Disability Awareness Month’s kick-off celebration on March 3, 2025. The day includes a resource fair featuring internal and external community partners from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a luncheon, starting at noon. Luncheon capacity is limited and will be capped. Register

This FREE event is curated with YOU in mind! This symposium promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the interstices and intersections that shape our understanding of social justice. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading voices in the field and consider new perspectives on inclusion and equity. Starting March 6, register today!

Mentor applications are now open for the Community Engagement Internship program. Faculty seeking a student intern to assist with community-engaged teaching, research or projects are encourage to apply by March 14.

A faculty learning community (FLC) for those seeking to develop or improve Project-Based Learning undergraduate courses during fall semester, 2025. Ten applicants will be selected to participate. Please complete the application before 5 p.m. Friday, March 14, to receive full consideration. For more details on Project-Based Learning, the structure of the Institute and FLC, eligibility for participation, and to apply, visit the application page.

You are invited for a night of inspiration and community! This year's theme, "The Persistence of the Dreamer/La Persistencia del Soñador" invites our guests to honor the steadfastness of our Latino community and celebrate the legacy of Cesar Chavez that we uphold. Join us on Saturday, March 29 at 6 p.m. at the Madam Walker Legacy Center Ballroom (617 Indiana Avenue). Buy your tickets today.

Please contact Cecilia Gomez for additional information.

Do you know an instructor using Open Educational Resources (OER) in the classroom? Nominate them (or yourself) for the IU Indianapolis Open Education Award by March 30th. This award celebrates instructors enhancing affordability and accessibility in education, with the winner receiving $1,500, a plaque, and recognition on the University Library website.

You are invited to the 2025 Midwest SoTL Conference on Friday, April 11, 2025 in person at Indiana University South Bend. Attendees will be treated to the keynote, concurrent podium sessions, panels, posters, and famous Quick Hits sharing tips and hacks for creating a caring campus. Registration is now open until March 31.