WMUx Maker's Lab Series
Academic Job Market
Letter of Intent
Every academic job application requires a letter of intent. Walk through models of effective letters and begin drafting your own.
Session Materials
View session recording for Academic Job Market: Letter of Intent
WMUx Maker's Lab Series
Academic Job Market
Teaching Philosophy
What are the elements of an effective teaching philosophy? You'll answer key questions that will help you determine how to outline your own teaching philosophy in this hands-on session.
WMUx Maker's Lab Series
Academic Job Market
Interviewing Skills
Most first round interviews take place on Zoom, so we'll show you how to make a great impression and navigate this technology like a pro.
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Accessibility in the Digital Classroom
Introduction / Global Accessibility Awareness Day Workshop
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is an awareness day focusing on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people with disabilities and impairments. Learn more about how the WMU community and we can do our part as educators to create a digitally equitable learning experience for all students.
View session recording for Global Accessibility Awareness Day
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Accessibility in the Digital Classroom
Fundamentals
A comprehensive overview of WMU's digital accessibility initiatives and resources. We will discuss classroom accommodations, accessible course content, and textbook and app purchasing.
Session Materials
View session recording for Accessibility in the Digital Classroom - Fundamentals
WMUx Book Club Series
Summer Book Club
What's New in Teaching and Learning?
Book club participants will discuss 3 chapters from newly released texts on teaching and learning in the higher education context. The free texts will be made available through the WMU Library or as an electronic PDF and you will be contacted for your preference upon registration.
Session Materials
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Accessibility in the Digital Classroom
ALLY for Elearning
Learn via step-by-step instructions about Ally for Elearning and how accessible course content makes it easier for everyone to read and understand course materials, as well as improving the overall quality and usability of your resources.
Session Materials
View session recording for Accessibility - ALLY for Elearning
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Accessibility in the Digital Classroom
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
Discover best practices in accessibility as you create course content using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. You will practice and apply techniques to create and publish digitally accessible and higher quality course materials.
Session Materials
- Session slides for Accessibility - Word and PowerPoint
- PowerPoint Accessibility starter file
- Word Accessibility Practice Syllabus
View session recording for Accessibility - Word and PowerPoint
WMUx Media and Design Sessions
Design Basics
Creating Presentations Using WMU Branding
Need to develop a conference or class presentation? This session will focus on making professional slides that make an impact using WMU-branded templates.
Session Materials
- Session slides for Creating Presentations using WMU Brand
View session recording for Creating Presentations using WMU Brand
WMUx Media and Design Sessions
Developing Engaging Video Content
New to making video lessons? Want to keep your students engaged as they watch course content? Join WMU's video expert as he takes you through the dos and don'ts of effective video production. No experience necessary—we'll give you pointers you can use immediately.
Session Materials
View session recording for Developing Engaging Video Content
WMUx Media and Design Sessions
Creating Visually Interesting Posters and Infographics
Infographics and posters are a great way to convey complex information concisely. Learn how to turn a lecture, conference presentation, or class report into an infographic or poster using cutting-edge design principles.
Session Materials
View session recording for Creating Visually Interesting Posters and Infographics
WMUx Media and Design Sessions
Make Your Elearning Course Visually Appealing
The default for Elearning shells is very…basic. With a few easy steps, you can create a feeling of connection and community in your Elearning course shell. See examples of effective sites and plan out some changes for your next Elearning course.
View session recording for Visually Appealing Elearning Course
WMUx Approaches to Instruction Series
Approaches to Instruction
Cause and Effect
The Cause and Effect Model is designed to help students explore and make inferences about a specific action, situation, condition, or conflict through the development of causal models and examining patterns over time. The process helps students collectively and actively construct and deepen their understanding of the topic. Come to this interactive workshop to learn more and see how this technique can enhance your teaching!
Session Materials
WMUx Approaches to Instruction Series
Approaches to Instruction
Resolution of Conflict
In this interactive workshop we will test out the Resolution of Conflict Model. This model is specifically designed to help students construct deeper understanding of issues, think critically and analytically about a problem, and draw conclusions based on discussion and fact finding.
Session Materials
WMUx Approaches to Instruction Series
Approaches to Instruction
Jigsaw and Think-Pair-Share
In this interactive workshop, we will explore two cooperative learning strategies, Jigsaw and Think-Pair-Share. These strategies encourage independent thinking, collaboration, and sets the stage for deeper learning by asking students to become actively engaged in the learning process.
Session Materials
WMUx Deck the Halls Series
Pip Deck Tactics
Ditch Dull Presentations
Pip Decks provides users with dozens of strategies to make their presentations more engaging. Join us for a tour through some of the most popular Pip Deck strategies that you can use in your next conference or class presentation.
Session Materials
WMUx Deck the Halls Series
Creating a Card Deck for Your Class
Card decks integrate choice into your students' in-class or synchronous participation and help your students gain better understanding of your course goals. In addition to seeing examples, you can plan out some cards for your fall class.
Session Materials
WMUx Deck the Halls Series
Creating Individual Activity and Assignment Cards
Want to streamline how you provide instructions to students? Bring a traditional assignment sheet with you to this session, and we'll help you develop an activity or assignment card for use in your fall class.
Session Materials
WMUx Inclusive Teaching Series
Inclusive Representation
Syllabus and Content
Use the framework of "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) to assess and improve methods for representing diverse points of view.
Session Materials
WMUx Inclusive Teaching Series
Inclusive Action and Expression
Assignments, Rubrics
Use the framework of "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) to approach the design and evaluation of assignments that will enable all to learn.
Session Materials
WMUx Inclusive Teaching Series
Inclusive Engagement
Discussions and Other Methods
Use the framework of "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) to develop new techniques for deeper engagement during discussions.
Session Materials
WMUx Book Club Series
Summer Book Club
Common Read - Win or Learn
This year's Common Read book is Harlan Cohen's Win or Learn: The Naked Truth About Turning Every Rejection into Your Ultimate Success (2021). Written specifically for university graduate students and undergraduate students, Win or Learn helps you develop strategies to ask for help and to find unconventional ways to succeed. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion—copies of the book will be available in Waldo Library or for $6.26 in the University Bookstore.
Session Materials
LMS Fundamentals Series
LMS Fundamentals
Building Modules and Content
These mini-trainings are aimed at first time LMS users (or those that would like a refresher) and are designed to cover the basics of Elearning. Our goal is to assist instructors in connecting with students and to make teaching and learning more enjoyable by building a welcoming and functional online space to interact, share content, collect assignments, and offer feedback. These mini-trainings are applicable to all course modalities.
LMS Fundamentals Series
LMS Fundamentals
Creating Discussions and Dropboxes
These mini-trainings are aimed at first time LMS users (or those that would like a refresher) and are designed to cover the basics of Elearning. Our goal is to assist instructors in connecting with students and to make teaching and learning more enjoyable by building a welcoming and functional online space to interact, share content, collect assignments, and offer feedback. These mini-trainings are applicable to all course modalities.
LMS Fundamentals Series
LMS Fundamentals
Quizzes
In this 60 minute workshop, we will examine and walk through the the new and updated quizzing feature in Elearning. The switch to the new quiz feature will begin in fall and be permanent in Spring 2023.
WMUx Student Engagement Series
First Day of Class/Icebreakers
In this workshop, we will share tips on how to communicate course information clearly and facilitate icebreakers that are interactive and reinforce course content.
Session Materials
WMUx Student Engagement Series
In-person Class Discussion
Learn how to set the stage for effective discussions, as well as a variety of protocols and strategies that work best for a variety of situations.
Session Materials
WMUx Student Engagement Series
Exit Tickets and Course Recaps
Exit tickets and other forms of short assessment can help you figure out if students have picked up the important parts of a class session. In this workshop, we'll go over these techniques, as well as helpful ways to keep students engaged between class sessions.
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Elearning Document Accessibility: A Proactive Approach
In this 60-minute virtual presentation, we will discuss the basic principles and success criteria for creating accessible electronic course documents and approaches to examining and remediating your course content for compliance.
Session Materials
WMUx Article Club
Fall Article Club:
Video Pedagogy
Read the short article provided and think through the pre-session discussion questions. At the session, the group will share reactions and insights. At the end of the session, Dr. Tarbox will share an assignment card related to the discussion topic that you can use in your courses.
Session Materials
WMUx Assessment Series
Assessment
Curriculum Mapping Basics
Curriculum mapping is a strategic design process that describes a path for learning. In this session you will learn the basics about how to get started with this process, and how it can help you to create a road map for the learning you would like your students to achieve.
Session Materials
WMUx Pop Culture Series
Marvel Day Tie-in
Using Pop Culture to Engage Students
As part of community-wide programming surrounding the release of the Disney/Marvel film Wakanda Forever, Dr. Christopher "Mav" Maverick, a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, will join a panel of WMU faculty and community partners to offer insights into increasing student engagement via the use of popular culture examples and artifacts in your courses. You don't have to be a pop culture expert to benefit from this session – it is geared towards all instructors, regardless of their superpowers.
Session Materials
Student Support Series
Supporting Students
Supporting Students with Accommodations
Join us for a guided discussion about supporting students that require accommodations. Learn and ask questions about the roles and responsibilities of the Disability Student Services office, the students, and instructor throughout the accommodation process.
Session Materials
View session recording for Supporting Students: Supporting Students with Accommodations
Student Support Series
Supporting Students
Student Affairs Panel
Are you curious about the ways you can help improve your students’ well-being and academic success or about what to do if a student comes to you in crisis? In this session, we will hear from three student support professionals on the various support systems in place for students at the university. Time will also be provided for a question-and-answer session.
Session Materials
View session recording for Supporting Students: Student Affairs Panel
WMUx Accessible Teaching Series
Accessibility in the Digital Classroom
What to do with your course PDFs
Join us to learn about PDF accessibility, how to create accessible PDFs, and how to improve your existing PDF course files.
Session Materials
AI @ WMU Series
Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT 101: Exploring the Implications of Artificial Intelligence Text Generators for Teaching and Learning
ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) text generators produce human-like written responses to prompts. This technology is taking off at a pace that indicates it is here to stay and is likely to improve exponentially over time. What implications does it have for research, critical thinking, and writing? Join a panel of WMUx experts who will share the latest information on ChatGPT in higher education and offer insights into how AI has the potential to enhance teaching and learning across every discipline.
Measures of Success Series
Measures of Success
Opening Keynote with Dr. Anne Lundquist – Centering Equity in Assessment: Theories, Models and Practices
Keynote by Dr. Anne Lundquist, Director of the Hope Center at Temple University, based upon her newly released co-edited text, Reframing Assessment to Center Equity. Assessment data can be a valuable tool to explore inequities on campus and move to remedy them. But assessment itself is not apolitical or objective and the approaches we use and the mindfulness with which we conduct assessment can advance equity in higher education or perpetuate inequities and cause harm. In this session, Dr. Lundquist will highlight the critical role of cultivating individual awareness as assessors; discuss the context and scholarly history of equity-centered and equity-minded assessment; share frameworks for considering various approaches to centering equity in assessment; and provide some examples of practice and resources. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on how their current assessment practice centers equity and consider where they have influence to impact systemic change via more equitable and equity-centered assessment.
Session Materials
Measures of Success Series
Measures of Success
The Why and How of WMU Essential Studies Assessment
Dr. Jonathan Bush, Professor of English and Director of WMU Essential Studies, and Dr. Randy Ott, Senior Director of Academic Collaboration in Merze Tate College, share the why and how assessment within WMU Essential Studies courses is important, including how the rubrics can be used to measure student learning and future course optimization.
View session recording for The Why and How of WMU Essential Studies Assessment
AI @ WMU Series
Artificial Intelligence
Writing, Learning, and AI
The availability of AI, and Large-Language Models in particular, has rapidly become a disruptive force in higher education. What happened recently to make these models more powerful and more widely accessible? What are the capabilities of these models and how can they change teaching and learning? Dr. Hart-Davidson, a national expert on AI in higher education, offers some responses to these questions from his point of view as a researcher and maker of writing technologies, and as a teacher and administrator.
Measures of Success Series
Measures of Success
WMU Mini-Grant Winners
This roundtable highlights the accomplishments of a number of WMU instructors and staff who are this year’s recipients of the University Assessment Steering Committee’s Assessment Mini Grants. With subjects ranging from assessment in literacy studies, fashion merchandising, and physical therapy, the presenters offer up insights that you can use in your own projects and courses.
Measures of Success Series
Measures of Success
Closing Keynote: Dr. Kate McDowell: Data Storytelling Strategies
By understanding storytelling dynamics, anyone can learn how to bring data stories to life. Data stories can help persuade decision-makers, but we need accessible tools for breaking down the dynamic process of storytelling into achievable steps. Based on ongoing research, this talk presents tools anyone can use, including:
- Introduction to storytelling thinking
- Classic advocacy arguments
- Evidence and forms of data for those arguments
- Narrative strategies that draw from common story structures
- Tone and tactics for engaging storytelling with different audience attitudes
View session recording for Closing Keynote: Dr. Kate McDowell: Data Storytelling Strategies
Measures of Success Series
Measures of Success
New Approaches to Assessment: Single Point Rubrics
Single point rubrics are a tool that can be used to provide detailed feedback without having to create rigid, inflexible success criteria. In this session, we will provide instructions on creating this type of rubric and using it to provide feedback in any situation requiring assessment. Participants will be given a template that can be customized to fit their specific purposes.
View session recording for New Approaches to Assessment: Single Point Rubrics