CTL Happenings - Message #620

Boosting Student Success with Exam Wrappers

Exam wrappers, short post-exam self-assessments, encourage students to reflect on their learning strategies and test performance. These tools promote metacognition, the ability to think about and regulate one’s thinking, and have been shown to improve academic outcomes and support long-term student success.

A study published in the Journal of College Science Teaching by Linda Hodges and colleagues provides empirical evidence that regular use of exam wrappers can enhance learning outcomes in large STEM courses, without significantly increasing instructors’ grading workload. You can read the full article here.

Looking for ideas to design your own exam wrapper? Check out examples from Mellon College of Science courses or schedule a consultation with the CTL.

The way we share materials online is changing this spring with the new Title II accessibility rules. We've set up easy, drop-in office hours on Zoom to help answer your quick accessibility questions. Drop in to get quick tips on how to update your Canvas site, check your video captions, describe your images, and more! If you'd like in-depth accessibility assistance, email the CTL to schedule a longer consultation.

Drop into the Zoom room every Thursday afternoon between 2 and 4.

The Mental Health Center (MHC), operated by the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program in IU Indy’s School of Science, offers individual therapy and assessments related to a student’s attention, learning, and academic challenges.

MHC functions independently from Counseling and Psychological Services, commonly referred to as CAPS, but works in close partnership to support student well-being. As a training clinic, it is staffed by Clinical Psychology Ph.D. students under the supervision of Deanna Barthlow-Potkanowicz, Ph.D., HSPP.

Student clinicians are equipped to help with a variety of concerns, including anxiety, stress, low mood, grief and loss, self-esteem, imposter feelings, and more. Services are provided in a welcoming, judgment-free environment, with all appointments held in person at the Science Building (LD) Room 120.

Please note: MHC is not able to respond to urgent or crisis situations or walk-in appointments. Phones and email are not monitored when the office is closed.

If you are experiencing an emergency or crisis, please seek help right away through one of the following 24-hour resource providers or call the Indiana University Police Department at 911 or 317-274-7911.

Local Resources
Crisis & Suicide Hotline: 317-251-7575
Aspire Crisis Line: 800-560-4038

National Resources
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 (call or text)
National Hopeline Network: 1-800-422-HOPE (4673)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ+ support): 866-488-7386

Friday, October 24 | 3:30 - 5 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Teresa Sosa and Presenter: Teresa Sosa

Explore research-based practices to promote fairness and inclusivity throughout each stage of the search process. The training is designed to help committee members generate diverse candidate pools and conduct effective searches. View more workshops in this series.

Monday, October 27 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Learning Technologies Faculty Fellow Programs and Presenter: Justin Hodgson

Learn to use GenAI in your daily life! This webinar will explore practical, accessible uses for personal productivity and professional development. Discover how GenAI tools can support your creative projects, communication, and organization. Get inspired and learn to integrate GenAI into your personal and professional routines. More at the Digital Gardener Initiative.

Thursday, October 30 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon | Online - Teams
Register » Organizer: Hope Kaser and Presenter: Willie Miller

Prepare for the full implementation of Elements @ IU for faculty activity reporting. This workshop will help you navigate evaluation and review exercises, and show you how to update your profile to track research and professional activities—ensuring you’re ready for the January review cycle.

Wednesday, November 12 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Kevin Mickey and Presenters: Jay Colbert, The POLIS Center and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

Join us for a webinar introducing powerful desktop and online tools for mapping and spatial analysis—tools that help you create, visualize, and interpret geographic data to reveal patterns, relationships, and trends that support informed decision-making. Whether you're working in health, public safety, public policy, economics, informatics, or another field, these tools offer valuable insights to enhance your teaching and service activities.

Monday, November 17 | 12:45 - 1:45 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Learning Technologies Faculty Fellow Programs and Presenter: Sarah Herpst

In this session, we’ll explore how to make your course videos more accessible and inclusive for all learners—including students with disabilities, those learning on mobile devices, and learners in varied environments. Participants will leave with practical strategies and tools to create video content that supports diverse learning needs.

Join IU Indianapolis colleagues for Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) First Friday Faculty Forum (F5)—a monthly virtual gathering for faculty of all ranks and disciplines. Each F5 session offers informal conversation, practical teaching strategies, and answers to your questions about classroom management, pedagogy, promotion, and more. Registration is not required; just join us on Zoom from 9 to 10 a.m. on the dates listed below.

Fall 2025 Sessions
• November 7: Alternatives to a written final exam
• December 5: Designing high impact practices

Spring 2026 Sessions
• January 9: Promotion tips and tricks to help you stay on schedule
• February 6: Designing a service-learning component for your class
• March 6: Applying to become a member of FACET
• April 3: Using your time during the summer to be productive

Have insights to share? Contact Mike Polites, IU Indianapolis FACET co-associate director.

The Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) has extended application submissions for the 2025-26 Mack Center Fellowships. FACET is seeking applications for one individual Mack Fellow and one Mack Fellow team. The goal of the Mack Fellowship program is to promote and enhance the community of IU faculty engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Fellows must be full-time faculty (tenured, holding tenure-track appointments, lecturers, clinical, or librarians with faculty rank).

Learn more and apply.

IU Indianapolis will host Melanie Cooper, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Lappan-Phillips Professor of Science Education at Michigan State University, as this year’s Welcher Lecturer. While here, Cooper will also present a research talk about evidence-based approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment in STEM.

Below is more information about each session.

Departmental Seminar

Seminar: “Transforming STEM learning using theory and evidence”
When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 4:10 p.m.
Where: Science Building (LD) Room 010

This seminar will highlight evidence-based approaches to redesigning STEM curricula for improved student learning.

Learn more.

2025 Dr. Frank J. Welcher Lectureship

Lecture: “How can we use generative AI to support and engage students?”
When: Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 3:50 p.m.
Location: Lilly Auditorium, University Library (UL) Room 0130

This keynote lecture will explore how GenAI can be used to enhance student engagement and learning in STEM education. Learn more.

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend both events. Visit the Frank J. Welcher Lectureship webpage to learn more about the lecture series.