Faculty play a critical role in student support. In this session, the presenters will share several strategies to take advantage of their unique opportunities to interact their students, helping their students boost self-confidence and develop a positive sense of belonging.
In this session, Dr. Petko and Dr. Powless will share their experiences using flipped classroom techniques to promote active learning in their courses.
This session will highlight two projects designed to enhance student learning through real-world, workplace-applicable project-based instruction.
Student mental health is an increasing concern for college campuses to grapple with, especially post-COVID. Join this session to learn how two professors spearheaded the creation of a course called “Balancing Wellness.”
This session will explore the use of available communication channels to help students pinpoint the areas needed for improvement. It will discuss the use of rubrics and pre-crafted responses rather than typing these responses over and over.
This session will share our ideas and experiences with the integration of online and physical audiences in hybrid classes utilizing tools such as Zoom and Nearpod, and we will discuss the challenges and opportunities of the hybrid environment.
Allowing students to review each other’s work enhances student engagement in courses. They interact with each other and the content of the course. This session discusses two different techniques that were used for peer review.
Students may be hesitant to participate when topics feel controversial or sensitive to them. In this session, faculty members share how they have adopted adaptive strategies that encourage discussion by helping students feel comfortable and respected in the classroom.
In order to ensure that we are teaching all of our students and not just the ones who are like us, it is critical that we learn about and account for their diverse backgrounds. In this session, you will hear about ways to gather information about the demographics of your classes as well as methods for making your syllabus more inclusive.
Do you ever struggle with getting students to engage closely with readings, or talk specifically about a text? Gina and Lindsey will talk about their experience using Perusall, an online tool that turns readings into interactive discussions.
Joshua Parcha and Lori Reno discuss and share examples of successful implementation of creative assessments in their courses and its benefits to students achieving learning objectives.
This session will introduce collaborative group work that required students to get out of their seats and participate in problem-solving activities.
How often do you have a chance to talk with other instructors who teach similar topics and/or courses as yourself? Join your colleagues in discipline-specific breakout rooms for round-table informal discussions about teaching and learning.
A feedback loop consists of gathering, analyzing, and implementing changes based on feedback. Online instructors can embed opportunities for student voice in improving teaching effectiveness in courses using feedback loops. This presentation will share examples of feedback loops to enhance online teaching and student learning throughout the semester – including pre-semester survey, Q&A discussion board, […]
“Purposeful assessment drives instruction and affects learning.” This workshop addresses how to design different types of assessments in Canvas so students understand their purpose and integration into your course. In addition, this workshop includes tips on how to write rubrics so students understand what is expected for successful completion of the assignment and how to […]
Two of the most powerful tools for teaching online are Zoom and Kaltura. In this workshop, we’ll discuss how to identify their key features, basic functions, and how to best use the tools. By the end of the session, you’ll understand how to create and manage videos and where to locate support resources for further […]
There are a number of factors that might persuade a student to cheat. As the instructor, you have the ability to influence many of those factors in order to limit the opportunity and lessen the desire for students to cheat. In this workshop, we will discuss what causes students to commit academic integrity violations and […]
Join us for a half-day, virtual event focusing on strategies for teaching the whole student. This event will feature an instructor panel and a student panel, followed by an open discussion. Topics of discussion for both panels will cover similar themes so you can hear both the faculty and student perspective. The day ends with […]
Join us this semester for three badge programs from Information Technology Support and the Center for Instructional Design. We will be offering our new Media Production Badge and Course Design badge again for those that asked, as well as a new Accessibility badge. Participants who complete our badges will have them awarded through the Penn […]
In order to enhance student success in online courses, there are a variety of academic success tools that can be provided to students to guide their learning. In this session, we will discuss viewing guides, study guides, and post-exam reflections.
Join us to hear about virtual reality in a shared DLC course taught by Bill Cantor, Assistant Teaching Professor in Information Sciences and Technology. This spring Bill used Meta Quest 2 headsets with Horizon Workrooms to bring together students from York, Abington, and Harrisburg campuses.
Have you ever struggled with what feels like a disconnect between how some learners perform on assessments and what was taught in the classroom? There are some pedagogical strategies that can help all learners perform better on assessments, such as providing more opportunities for feedback and reflection and allowing learners to demonstrate their learning in varied ways.
This workshop will help participants to adapt current instructional processes, so that learners are more engaged with content and performance. It will also help participants to consider alternatives to their current assessment strategies, so learners can better demonstrate their understanding. Participants will have time to apply their new skills during the workshop.
Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see? The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners. During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.
We are offering drop-in sessions to ask questions, test the technology, or see short demos of the new Zoom features!
Join us for the plenary session in which 2 of the recipients will discuss their use of effective, active, and engaging pedagogy, their passion for teaching and students’ learning, and their approaches to teaching and learning activities.
On August 9th and 10th, join colleagues from the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses to energize for the upcoming semester.
In this session, we explore strategies that foster greater inclusion and belonging for students while enhancing learning through effective approaches to feedback.
In this session, faculty colleagues will discuss their use of 2 student response systems: Top Hat and Poll Everywhere. Dr. Yang will discuss her uses of Top Hat for class polling, student self-introductions, and group discussions. Dr. Taherian will discuss his use of Poll Everywhere for in-class quiz competitions in multiple courses to get students excited and engaged.
This session highlights the use of library resources! The first is an innovative and sustainable assignment using the ProQuest database, where students create a letter to the editor based on opinions found in a major newspaper column. This second will provide foundational citation information and related tips for works produced through artificial intelligence.
Using virtual reality (VR) in the classroom can be engaging and effective for student learning, and the preparation can be easier than expected! Join Stefani and Joie to learn about their experiences using VR in their classes and hear about the results they’ve seen with their students.
Group work can be both challenging and rewarding for students. In this session, three faculty members from the disciplines of sociology, engineering, and mathematics will discuss how they have successfully implemented student collaboration into their courses.
This session will incorporate the theme of discussing difficult but important questions based within undoing preconceived notions of race, social justice, and sexuality aspects. The faculty presenters will discuss assignments they use in their classes to take a deeper dive into conversations that many of our students experience every day.
This session will approach open pedagogy through projects or assignments which have the characteristics of engaging with students as creators of information rather than simply consumers of it, and inviting students to be part of the teaching process/participating in the co-creation of knowledge. Session Recording View the video with a full transcript →
Instructors are often isolated and left to meet the challenges of teaching alone. Teaching Shapes is a peer-to-peer, formative teaching observation program that encourages community building, idea sharing, and self-reflection. In this interactive session, the facilitators will share experiences from Penn State Scranton and Penn State Behrend, and provide you with a resource kit for establishing a Teaching Shapes program on your own campus.
Are you looking for new ways to create meaningful learning experiences? Join us to hear how experts from across the commonwealth campuses are using innovative real-world strategies to engage and assess learners.
Discover how faculty can leverage AI-powered tools and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to create engaging, effective course content and provide students with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of these tools in their own work.
Effective facilitation in education requires a focus on student engagement and finding diverse ways to enhance learning experiences. One such approach is leveraging peer support, where students collaborate on assignments and engage their peers.
Join this session to explore how two instructors address assignment design in light of artificial intelligence. Learn how one instructor is meeting ChatGPT head-on using a collaborative assignment. Another instructor will explain the best practices that promote academic integrity and effective assessments regardless of whether artificial intelligence is available for student use or not.
Case studies exploring complex challenges recently faced in the real world provided the opportunity for peer-to-peer teaching and the strengthening of problem-solving skills. In the communication and biology classrooms, students applied their learning to develop a range of solutions to real-world problems.
Meeting the needs of each student is essential for retention of students in courses and programs. Applying a student-centered perspective and approach can strengthen an instructor’s ability to meet the needs of all students.
This session will be focused on online teaching. The faculty presenters will share the teaching strategies they recommend for successfully teaching online. They will also recommend professional development opportunities they have participated in that have enhanced their teaching practices.
On August 9th and 10th, join colleagues from the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses to energize for the upcoming semester.
There are many ways to engage students with active learning. Join us as Lori and Hannah describe activities that have proven to be quite effective at getting students involved and producing deeper learning as a result, and active learning also moves the accountability for learning more explicitly into the students’ hands.
Integrating a global learning perspective into the curriculum expands students’ horizons and promotes inclusion and belonging. This approach creates avenues for students to delve into various worldviews, engage in cross-cultural communication, and address global challenges.
This session provides intriguing practical strategies and evidence-based approaches to foster a supportive learning environment and deeper student engagement
Immersive experiences provide great platforms for learning but implementing them in courses can sometimes be difficult. Virtual Reality technologies can help alleviate some of those issues and provide students with the ability to travel around the world and interact with places and objects in ways we only dreamed of as students.
In this presentation, Hannah Mudrick and Michelle Kaschak will share inclusive practices and tools that they have successfully used to create genuine connections with their students from the first day of class and throughout the semester.
Join us to hear how we created WestLaw video tutorials using Kaltura Capture to record user-friendly guides, and Canva to design a research poster on peer support for Math word problems. Both Westlaw and Canva are little-known resources at Penn State that help student and faculty research.
Anthology Ally is now enabled in Canvas. Based on our experience in the Spring 2023 pilot, we will discuss the alternative format options available to all students, the accessibility guidance features for faculty, lessons learned, and tips for how to get started using the tool.
Session Recording View the video with a full transcript →
In the spring of 2023, a group of Penn State faculty and researchers conducted a study on Penn State faculty and student perceptions of AI and generative technologies. In this session, the research team will discuss the summary of their findings. Using those results, they make several recommendations for instructors.
Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see? The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners. During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.
We are offering drop-in sessions to ask questions, test the technology, or see short demos of the new Zoom features!
We are offering drop-in sessions to ask questions, test the technology, or see short demos of the new Zoom features!
Did you know that the majority of accommodation requests are for disabilities that are not considered apparent? To make matters worse, that number only includes those students who choose to identify as having a disability. Imagine what it is like to struggle with a disability, but be afraid to request help for fear of judgment.
Fortunately, many strategies for supporting non-apparent disabilities are common pedagogical strategies. This workshop will discuss strategies to make your course more supportive of all learners and provide an opportunity to make a plan for implementing these strategies in your course.
Did you know that the majority of accommodation requests are for disabilities that are not considered apparent? To make matters worse, that number only includes those students who choose to identify as having a disability. Imagine what it is like to struggle with a disability, but be afraid to request help for fear of judgment.
Fortunately, many strategies for supporting non-apparent disabilities are common pedagogical strategies. This workshop will discuss strategies to make your course more supportive of all learners and provide an opportunity to make a plan for implementing these strategies in your course.
Learn about the latest accessibility features to create an inclusive learning environment for all students.
Discover innovative ways to engage with your students using digital whiteboards in Microsoft or Zoom.
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement, & Action and Expression One of the key components of learner success is designing course content that learners can easily consume. By considering the design of course content in Canvas, faculty can significantly affect how successful learners are in a course. This workshop will provide participants with […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement, & Action and Expression One of the key components of learner success is designing course content that learners can easily consume. By considering the design of course content in Canvas, faculty can significantly affect how successful learners are in a course. This workshop will provide participants with […]
Are you interested in learning about 360º video, Virtual Reality, and/or Augmented Reality? Then please join us as we navigate what these technologies are, how they work, and how they can be effectively incorporated into an academic activity. We will discuss the differences and similarities of these technologies and how you can bring them into […]
In this session, you will explore how to integrate immersive technologies as an educational reality into your courses. You will go through the process of how to find and evaluate immersive experiences that fit with your course goals and explore how to create a lesson using immersive technology by using the Harvard Graduate School of […]
Tour Penn State’s Canvas Module on Artificial Intelligence. This student-focused material can be imported into any course.
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement & Action and Expression When we deliver in-person courses, we often consider what content we need to cover, how we will convey that information to learners, how we will assess learner understanding, and what strategies will help us manage it all. This workshop will provide opportunities to consider […]
Explore several Artificial Intelligence tools to consider how you might encourage or discourage student use.
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement & Action and Expression When we deliver in-person courses, we often consider what content we need to cover, how we will convey that information to learners, how we will assess learner understanding, and what strategies will help us manage it all. This workshop will provide opportunities to consider […]
Join Commonwealth Campus Instructional Designers for an introductory demonstration and conversation around the generative AI tool, Microsoft Copilot. Register for one of the two sessions! Session 1: Thursday, April 18th (12:15-1:15, Zoom) Session 2: Friday, April 19th (12:15-1:15, Zoom) Sessions contain the same content, just offered on different days! We'll discuss... Information around Microsoft Copilot for […]
The University unveiled an accessibility tool in Canvas called Anthology Ally. Many of you have already spent considerable effort using the tool to create accessible course materials in your Canvas courses! In an effort to recognize, celebrate, and reward your accomplishments in moving the dial towards more accessible courses, we are offering a competition for […]
Join us for a 2-part series designed to guide your preparations to teach a DLC course to students at multiple campuses. These 1-hour sessions will cover the essentials from logistical processes to pedagogical approaches, and everything in between. Part 2: Designing for Engagement In the second workshop, we will explore strategies to enhance interaction, […]
Join us for a 2-part series designed to guide your preparations to teach a DLC course to students at multiple campuses. These 1-hour sessions will cover the essentials from logistical processes to pedagogical approaches, and everything in between. Part 1: Setting up for Success The first workshop will focus on essential considerations for teaching […]
Join us for a 2-part series designed to guide your preparations to teach a DLC course to students at multiple campuses. These 1-hour sessions will cover the essentials from logistical processes to pedagogical approaches, and everything in between. Part 2: Designing for Engagement In the second workshop, we will explore strategies to enhance interaction, […]
IT Learning Design (ITLD) is offering a Canvas Training for new Commonwealth Campus instructors on Zoom on: Tuesday, August 13 from 10-12 Wednesday, August 21 from 6-8 Participants will be able to: Identify key features and tools of Canvas and their basic functions Identify possible use cases for Canvas Identify benefits of using Canvas Locate […]
Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see? The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners. During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.
Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see? The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners. During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.
IT Learning Design (ITLD) is offering a Canvas Training for new Commonwealth Campus instructors on Zoom on: Tuesday, August 13 from 10-12 Wednesday, August 21 from 6-8 Participants will be able to: Identify key features and tools of Canvas and their basic functions Identify possible use cases for Canvas Identify benefits of using Canvas Locate […]
A key component of learner success is course content that learners can easily navigate. By considering the design of course content in Canvas, faculty can significantly affect how successful learners are in a course. This workshop will provide participants with best practices related to course navigation, module structure, and the Canvas content editor. These strategies will help you reduce barriers for learners.
Focusing on writing can be challenging when there are multiple demands on your time. Participation in the Writing Accountability Group provides an opportunity for you to schedule time on your calendar to focus on writing and moving projects forward on your agenda. This time can be for any type of writing, including research papers, grants, […]
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What if a learner can not see that picture? How do they understand the idea? What if the visual is a complex graphic or map? How do learners know what they should be thinking about when they interpret the visual? This workshop will help participants to view visuals as one component in the bigger puzzle of providing content to learners. Strategies for helping blind and sighted learners navigate the visuals in your course will be presented, along with opportunities to apply those skills to your own course content during the workshop session.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What if a learner can not see that picture? How do they understand the idea? What if the visual is a complex graphic or map? How do learners know what they should be thinking about when they interpret the visual? This workshop will help participants to view visuals as one component in the bigger puzzle of providing content to learners. Strategies for helping blind and sighted learners navigate the visuals in your course will be presented, along with opportunities to apply those skills to your own course content during the workshop session.
This session focuses on how faculty can use the Generative AI Acceptable Use Guide for students. This session will explore strategies that faculty can use to foster transparency and set clear expectations for students around AI usage in assignments. Join this session to discuss how to navigate the spectrum of AI acceptance among faculty and […]
This session focuses on how faculty can use the Generative AI Acceptable Use Guide for students. This session will explore strategies that faculty can use to foster transparency and set clear expectations for students around AI usage in assignments. Join this session to discuss how to navigate the spectrum of AI acceptance among faculty and […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement & Action and Expression When we deliver in-person courses, we often consider what content we need to cover, how we will convey that information to learners, how we will assess learner understanding, and what strategies will help us manage it all. This workshop will provide opportunities to consider […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Engagement & Action and Expression When we deliver in-person courses, we often consider what content we need to cover, how we will convey that information to learners, how we will assess learner understanding, and what strategies will help us manage it all. This workshop will provide opportunities to consider […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Engagement and Action & Expression Have you ever struggled with what feels like a disconnect between how some learners perform on assessments and what was taught in the classroom? There are some pedagogical strategies that can help all learners perform better on assessments, such as providing more opportunities for […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Engagement and Action & Expression Have you ever struggled with what feels like a disconnect between how some learners perform on assessments and what was taught in the classroom? There are some pedagogical strategies that can help all learners perform better on assessments, such as providing more opportunities for […]
Join us for a 2-part series designed to guide your preparations to teach a DLC course to students at multiple campuses. These 1-hour sessions will cover the essentials from logistical processes to pedagogical approaches, and everything in between. Part 1: Setting up for Success The first workshop will focus on essential considerations for teaching […]
Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see? The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners. During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.
Join us for a 2-part series designed to guide your preparations to teach a DLC course to students at multiple campuses. These 1-hour sessions will cover the essentials from logistical processes to pedagogical approaches, and everything in between. Part 2: Designing for Engagement In the second workshop, we will explore strategies to enhance interaction, […]
Save the Date! Join us for a half-day, virtual event focusing on teaching, learning, and technology which will include a student panel, followed by an instructor panel. More information will be provided soon.
IT Learning Design (ITLD) is offering a Canvas Training for new Commonwealth Campus instructors on Zoom on: January 9th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Participants will be able to: Identify key features and tools of Canvas and their basic functions Identify possible use cases for Canvas Identify benefits of using Canvas Locate support resources for using Canvas […]
Are your students frequently asking about their grades or expressing confusion about how they’re calculated? Learn how to make your Canvas gradebook work for you and your students. In this workshop, we’ll discuss automating common grading policies like dropping the lowest test or homework scores, weighting assignments, and more. Bring your Spring 2025 syllabus and […]
A key component of learner success is course content that learners can easily navigate. By considering the design of course content in Canvas, faculty can significantly affect how successful learners are in a course. This workshop will provide participants with best practices related to course navigation, module structure, and the Canvas content editor. These strategies will help you reduce barriers for learners.
This session explores the changes that can you make to your assessments to take advantage of the affordances of the online environment while keeping integrity in mind. Topics include setting expectations for online assessments, determining the most effective delivery method in your teaching context, adapting assessments from in-person to online formats, and leveraging technology to […]
This session explores the changes that can you make to your assessments to take advantage of the affordances of the online environment while keeping integrity in mind. Topics include setting expectations for online assessments, determining the most effective delivery method in your teaching context, adapting assessments from in-person to online formats, and leveraging technology to […]
Using instructional video can increase learner engagement with course material. Video can provide alternatives for representing ideas to students, add relevance and value, and provide options to learners. This workshop will help participants to develop new instructional video that is universally designed and consider the many ways in which learners will consume video content in […]
Using instructional video can increase learner engagement with course material. Video can provide alternatives for representing ideas to students, add relevance and value, and provide options to learners. This workshop will help participants to develop new instructional video that is universally designed and consider the many ways in which learners will consume video content in […]
This session focuses on how faculty can use the Generative AI Acceptable Use Guide for students.
This session focuses on how faculty can use the Generative AI Acceptable Use Guide for students.
Did you know that the majority of accommodation requests are for disabilities that are not considered apparent? To make matters worse, that number only includes those students who choose to identify as having a disability. Imagine what it is like to struggle with a disability, but be afraid to request help for fear of judgment. […]
Did you know that the majority of accommodation requests are for disabilities that are not considered apparent? To make matters worse, that number only includes those students who choose to identify as having a disability. Imagine what it is like to struggle with a disability, but be afraid to request help for fear of judgment. […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Engagement Humanities and social science course content present a variety of challenges when it comes to universal design. Depending on the course, content can be very specialized and intricate. This is exacerbated when learners potentially have visual, hearing, or cognitive barriers to consuming the content. […]
Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Engagement STEM content can be especially difficult for learners to comprehend. This includes content such as math and science equations, complex images, and tables. That difficulty increases when learners have a disability like ADHD or a cognitive processing disorder. This workshop will provide participants […]
A key component of learner success is course content that learners can easily consume. By considering the design of course content in Canvas, faculty can significantly affect how successful learners are in a course. This workshop is a second installment in designing course content in Canvas. It will provide participants with best practices related to developing the Canvas syllabus, assignments and page design, and supporting learners with Canvas tools. These strategies will help you reduce barriers for learners.
Do you have PDF documents in your course that are articles from publishers? Have you ever scanned pages from a book to make sure students did not need to buy the entire book? Do you create content in a specialized software program and convert it into a PDF to post in your course? Have you […]
Curious about the best ways to share and back up your Canvas course materials? Join our workshop to explore practical tips for 1) saving your course content in a personal archive, and 2) sharing content with colleagues.
Curious about the best ways to share and back up your Canvas course materials? Join our workshop to explore practical tips for 1) saving your course content in a personal archive, and 2) sharing content with colleagues.
