Events, Workshops, and Communities
WMUx hosts a variety of events and communities throughout the academic year. These opportunities are geared toward instructors, graduate assistants, and any others involved in creating learning experiences at Western Michigan University. Can't make it to an event? No problem! Check out our past event archive, which includes materials shared during the session and/or a session recording.
Do you not see what you are looking for here, or would you like a training or event more specific to your needs?
Our team is available to come to a department or group meeting to facilitate specific or targeted teaching and learning training. Reach out and let us know what challenges you are hoping to solve for instructors, learners, or both and we can support you by connecting you with resources and facilitating conversations around curriculum, course design, or instructional best practices. These can be single meetings or extended workshops depending on your goals.
Contact the WMUx Teaching and Learning Team to discuss your needs.
Upcoming Events
Jan 29
12 p.m.
AI @ WMU
How to Create an AI Intelligent Agent for Your Course
Date: Wednesday, January 29 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
Join WMUx AI Graduate Fellow Enas Aref as she takes you through the step-by-step process to create an intelligent agent for your course and gives you the chance to try out an intelligent agent she has developed. After the session, participants can sign up for office hours with Enas to work on their own intelligent agents.
Feb 5
12 p.m.
Course Design and Development
Rubric Design
Date: Wednesday, February 5 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
New to rubric design or looking for a fresh approach? Join WMUx Instructional Design Team for a 30-minute Ask Me Anything (AMA) session where they will discuss strategies for designing rubrics that are aligned with learning goals, clarify expectations, and provide actionable feedback. Note: A recording will not be available online due to the format and focus of this session.
Feb 7
2 p.m.
Ask Me Anything: Student Elearning, Teams, Mediasite, Webex
Date: Friday, February 7 Time: 2 p.m. Location: Online
This session is intended to be a interactive Q & A where students can have any and all Elearning, Teams, Mediasite and Webex questions answered.
Join us to ask questions in a safe non-judgmental space. No question isn't worth asking! We want all WMU students to be successful and feel confident using these educational technology tools!
Feb 20
12 p.m.
AI @ WMU
How AI is Reshaping the University with Dr. Lesley Gourlay
Date: Thursday, February 20 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
A professor in the Institute of Education on Culture, Communication & Media at University College, London, UK, Dr. Gourlay focuses on the ways in which digital data and algorithms are changing the face of higher education. She will examine their impact at both the macro scale of universities and systems worldwide, but also at the more subtle level of effects on academics and students, focusing on the day-to-day life of the university, examining how the digital is changing the way that we communicate, learn, and create new knowledge. In particular, she will explore the role of 'big data' and learning analytics, in addition to focusing on areas of academic life not normally considered to be part of datafication, such as the physical structures of surveillance on campus and the ways in which systems of 'quality' in research can morph into regimes of surveillance and algorithmic discipline.
In early February 2025, Dr. Gourlay’s open access book, The University and the Algorithmic Gaze will be released by Bloomsbury Academic.
Feb 21
2 p.m.
How to Record Using Mediasite as a Student
Date: Friday, February 21 Time: 2 p.m. Location: Online
Join the ITC to learn how to use Mediasite (a video recording and storage software provided by WMU) to record, edit and share video recordings. This training is intended for students.
Mar 11
12 p.m.
Course Design and Development
Designing Inclusive Courses
Date: Tuesday, March 11 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
Join the WMUx Instructional Design Team for a 30-minute Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on inclusive course design considerations. Topics will include setting classroom expectations, selecting accessible course content, and implementing inclusive design strategies. Bring your questions and let us help you make your classroom a welcoming space for all students. Note: A recording will not be available online due to the format and focus of this session.
Apr 7
12 p.m.
AI @ WMU
Decoding our Humanity in the AI Revolution
Date: Monday, April 7 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
Join us for a talk entitled "Minds, Mirrors and Gods: Decoding Our Humanity in the AI Revolution," given by Dr. Shannon Vallor, Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) at the University of Edinburgh, where she is Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures in EFI and co-Director of the BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) Programme. Her new book, The AI Mirror (2024), has been heralded as "a fresh and fascinating take on the perils and promises of a much-debated technology" by Publishers Weekly.
This session is co-sponsored by the WMUx Office of Faculty Development, the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, and the Department of Philosophy.
Apr 16
12 p.m.
Course Design and Development
Preparing for Fall Now - Using Course Data to Inform Redesign
Date: Wednesday, April 16 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Online
Join WMUx Instructional Design for a 30-minute Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session about using data from previous courses to support iterative course design. In this brief session, IDs will highlight some easy ways to collect actionable data to support improved teaching and learning experiences. Note: A recording will not be available online due to the format and focus of this session.