WMUx
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5230 USA
(269) 387-4200
Events Archive
AI @ WMU
Mentoring Graduate Student Writing in the Era of Generative AI
Generative AI provides many opportunities for researchers and writers, but it also poses challenges when it comes to mentoring graduate student instructors and writers. Join a panel of WMU experts from the Graduate College, the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Student Rights and Responsibilities as we consider how to navigate our roles as graduate mentors in this new AI-rich environment. There will be ample time for Q & A.
Session Materials
View session recording for Mentoring Graduate Student Writing in the Era of Generative AI
AI @ WMU
Advanced Uses of AI in Foundational Courses
Now that instructors have had time to experiment with Generative AI, some are exploring how chatbots might be used to give students individualized feedback on assignments and personalized answers to their specific questions. Join us to hear how Enas Aref, an experienced graduate instructor in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has experimented with AI to tailor instruction and guidance to individual students.
View session recording for Advanced Uses of AI in Foundational Courses
AI @ WMU
Teaching with AI: What Our Colleagues Learned from Fall 2023
Since the fall semester, a number of WMU faculty and colleagues from around the world have been meeting to discuss the AI innovations they are trying in their classroom. Join us for a discussion of practical applications and a Q&A session.
View session recording for Teaching with AI: What Our Colleagues Learned from Fall 2023
AI @ WMU
AI: Where Are We Now?
Generative AI developments are happening so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up. Join us for an update on what’s new with AI in higher education, including demonstrations with various chatbots.
AI @ WMU
Your Own Private GPT: Explore OpenAI’s New GPT Agents
On November 7, 2023, OpenAI released its newest innovation: GPTs—tools that allow users to “create custom versions of ChatGPT that combine instructions, extra knowledge, and any combination of skills.” Join Professor Dave Paul and members of the WMUx Teaching and Learning team, as we introduce you to potential uses of a GPT, take you on a tour of a GPT, and link you to resources if you would like to create one yourself. WMUx wants to be sure that we are up-to-date on new AI developments, so feel free to join us whether or not you plan to design a GPT.
View session recording for Your Own Private GPT: Explore OpenAI’s New GPT Agents
AI @ WMU
AI Prompting Showcase: A Speed Meeting Session on Prompting Strategies
Please join us for a series of 10-minute sessions with individuals enrolled in WMU's first AI prompting course, English 5970: AI Writing: Prompt + Response, and learn about their research into prompting strategies that work.
- AI Prompting Showcase: Student Research Questions
View session recording for AI Prompting Showcase: A Speed Meeting Session on Prompting Strategies
AI @ WMU
ChatGPT’s Distortion of the Professor-Student Relationship
New technologies are often seen as tools that can make existing practices more efficient or help us create new ways of doing things. However, it's important to be mindful of the many ways in which new technologies can completely change the way we do things. ChatGPT, and artificial intelligence in general, could potentially do this when it comes to how teachers and students interact with each other.
Join us as Dr. Matthew Noah Smith, associate professor of philosophy at Northeastern University, gives a talk that explores how ChatGPT has changed the way we approach teaching – moving the emphasis from teaching to monitoring – and raises some reasons why this might be worrisome. Dr. Smith will also examine how this connects to the idea of treating education like a tool and the relationship between teachers and students.
This talk is co-sponsored by the WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, the WMU Department of Philosophy, and WMUx.
View session recording for ChatGPT’s Distortion of the Professor-Student Relationship
AI @ WMU
Using AI Prompting to Create an Equitable Learning Environment
Learn two AI prompting techniques for helping students of varying abilities learn foundational concepts in your field: scaffolding concepts and tutoring. After seeing demonstrations, participants will try the techniques with their own subject areas.
Session Materials
View session recording for Using AI Prompting to Create an Equitable Learning Environment
AI @ WMU
Predictive AI Is Not Google: Using Claude 2 and GPT 4 for Lit Searches and Outlining
Join us as we demonstrate how Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Claude 2 and GPT 4 can help reduce the amount of time it takes to review, synthesize, and develop literature searches, and to develop outlines for scholarly articles. This session will also cover common misconceptions about how LLMs work so scholars can make ethical choices about how to use these tools.
Session Materials
AI @ WMU
Developing and Communicating Your AI Policies for Fall 2023
Learn the latest about the capabilities of generative AI such as GPT-4, find out about the reliability of GPT detectors, hear from Student Affairs professionals about handling academic honesty, and develop strategies for talking to your students about AI. This session will help you plan a strategy for teaching in an AI-saturated environment in Fall 2023.
Session Materials
View session recording for Developing and Communicating Your AI Policies
AI @ WMU
Ethical Approaches to Using AI's Information Synthesizing Abilities in Your Teaching and Research
David Paul, Chair of the WMU Department of Philosophy, demonstrates how Large Language Machines (LLMs) such as Bing, Claude2, and GPT-4 synthesize information contained in PDFs and other files to aid in research and teaching. He focuses on how to evaluate the LLMs’ responses and how to convert those responses into learning opportunities for our students and ourselves. Paul also shows how our roles as content experts can help us to use LLMs ethically.
Session Materials
AI @ WMU
Navigating GPT-4 Powered Tools: Curating and Ensuring Data Privacy in Education
As GPT-4 becomes increasingly prevalent in the world of education, it's essential to explore the wide array of tools available to teachers and students. In this session, we will demonstrate how to evaluate and select GPT-4 powered tools while prioritizing data privacy and security. Join us to learn strategies for adopting these technologies in a responsible and effective manner.
Session Materials
AI @ WMU
GPT-4 Prompt Generation Strategies 2
The way a GPT-4 user develops and deploys prompts determines the quality of the responses that the AI generates. In this interactive workshop, you will create prompts, test them, and regenerate them until you are satisfied with the responses. Note: While this is a repeat session type from earlier in the summer, the prompts attendees bring will vary, so feel encouraged to attend again to see new prompts and engage in further discussion.
View session recording for GPT-4 Prompt Generation Strategies 2
AI @ WMU
Using AI in Course Planning and Design
Join us as we explore how we might use content generation tools in course planning and design. Learn how this technology can help you to ideate and think outside the box to hone in on your learning goals and create meaningful, engaging learning experiences for your students.
Session Materials
View session recording for Using AI in Course Planning and Design
AI @ WMU
“AI, Ethics, and Bias – What You Need to Know”
with Pierrette Renée Dagg, Expert on AI and Education
Pierrette Renée Dagg, Director of Technology Impact Research at Merit Network, has authored a study that advocates for an ethical framework for AI in Education that capitalizes on the advantages of the technology’s use while mitigating harms and inequities to students, educators, and society. She will provide us with an understanding of how Michigan’s educational institutions are responding to AI bias/ethics challenges, and she will answer your questions on this important subject.
Session Readings
- Mollick, Ethan.“Setting Time on Fire and the Temptation of the Button.” oneusefulthing.substack.org, 3 June 2023.
- D’Agostino, Susan.“How AI Tooks Both Help and Hinder Equity.” Inside Higher Ed, 5 June 2023.
View session recording for AI, Ethics, and Bias – What You Need to Know
AI @ WMU
GPT-4 Prompt Generation Strategies
The way a GPT-4 user develops and deploys prompts determines the quality of the responses that the AI generates. In this interactive workshop, you will create prompts, test them, and regenerate them until you are satisfied with the responses.
View session recording for GPT-4 Prompt Generation Strategies
AI @ WMU
Incorporating ChatGPT into your Course
After reviewing a number of GPT-4 assignments and grading strategies, participants will brainstorm with the WMUx instructional development and design team how to use the tool in their course. Every discipline is welcome. By the end of the session, you will have examples of assignments that you can share in your summer or spring courses.
View session recording for Incorporating ChatGPT into your Course
AI @ WMU
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.
AI @ WMU
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.
Career Focus
Moving Your Manuscript from Dissertation to Book
Join Dr. Lauren Foley, Assistant Professor, Political Science, to discuss how to move your dissertation manuscript into a published book. The session will discuss book proposal drafting and submission, editorial and reviewer process, manuscript revision, and publication timeline. Foley is the author of On the Basis of Race (NYU Press 2023).
Session Materials
View session recording for Moving Your Manuscript from Dissertation to Book
Career Focus
Gear Up for a Productive Year: Set Your Research and Writing Goals
Setting goals at the beginning of the academic year does not have to be a lonely process. Join us to learn more about the many goal-setting and productivity tools available as part of your free membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. This session is open to all faculty, staff, part-time instructors, and graduate students. We’ll be touring the NCFDD website, talking about the October 2-week NCFDD writing challenge, and highlighting many of the DEIB offerings on the NCFDD calendar this year.
Session Materials
Career Focus
Make the Most Out of Your Graduate Student NCFDD Membership
Whether you are in your first year of graduate school or you are beginning your thesis or dissertation, NCFDD can help support your professional development. Dr. Ángela Pérez-Villa, an assistant professor in History, will discuss her grad school experience with NCFDD and help you make the most of your membership.
View session recording for Make the Most Out of Your Graduate Student NCFDD Membership
Career Focus
Preparing for the Academic Job Market
Most academic job applications require a CV, a letter of intent, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a diversity statement. Walk through models of effective letters and begin drafting your own.
Session Materials
- Academic Job Market Letter of Intent Extended Discussion 2023
- Academic Job Market Teaching Philosophy Extended Discussion 2023
- WMUx Job Market Materials 2023
- WMUx Teaching and Learning Job Market May 2023
View session recording for Preparing for the Academic Job Market
Interactive Learning
Reimagine Presentations with Sway
Are you interested in learning about a tool that takes presentations a step beyond PowerPoint, or just want to try something new with your presentations or presentation assignments? Join us to learn about this versatile presentation tool that offers a contemporary way to create sleek, interactive reports, presentations, and more—driving collaboration, creativity, and accessibility. Sway is fully supported through our university's Microsoft license, making it freely available to all faculty and students.
View session recording for the Mediasite upload associated with A Sway About Sway.
Interactive Learning
Engaging Students with Slido
Active learning and student engagement are critical for effective teaching and learning. However, eliciting participation can sometimes be challenging. Slido, which is fully supported by our university as part of the Webex suite of tools, provides an easy way to engage all your students by integrating Q&A, polls, and quizzes seamlessly into your teaching.
Join us for this hands-on workshop to learn how Slido can enhance student participation and liven up any lecture.
We'll cover:
- The benefits of using Slido for active learning and student engagement
- How easy it is to create interactive Q&A, polls, quizzes and discussions
- Ways to integrate Slido seamlessly into your existing lectures
- Using Slido analytics to gather feedback and implement in future classes
Whether you're teaching a small seminar or a large lecture course, Slido facilitates active learning and provides insight into what your students know and think. Attend this session to pick up tips for effectively using this free tool to engage and energize your classroom.
View session recording for the Slido Quiz Tool discussion session.
Interactive Learning
Makers Lab: Collaborating with Digital Whiteboards
Join us as we explore the use of an online whiteboard and collaboration tool to facilitate brainstorming, mind mapping, planning, and other collaborative work. Join us in this interactive session to learn more and play around with this technology tool.
Session Materials
View session recording for Collaborating with Digital Whiteboards
Interactive Learning
Makers Lab: Student/Faculty Partnership Agreement Workshop
Join WMUx/Merze Tate College Faculty Fellow Dr. Adrienne Redding in a workshop style Makers Lab on Partnership Agreements – documents that position students and faculty as co-workers in each student’s classroom success. Participants will redesign a syllabus for a course of their choice to include a partnership agreement that helps students learn the rationale for each class activity to use their own voices to contribute to the learning experience. Attendees will leave the session with documents that they can use this fall.
View session recording for Makers Lab: Student/Faculty Partnership Agreement Workshop
Interactive Learning
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
Interactive Learning
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
Interactive Learning
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
Interactive Learning
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
Interactive Learning
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
Interactive Learning
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
Elearning Fundamentals
Elearning Fundamentals Series: Quizzes
In this 60 minute workshop, we will examine and walk through 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.
Elearning Fundamentals
Elearning Fundamentals Series: Creating Discussions and Dropboxes
These mini-trainings are aimed at first time Elearning 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.
Elearning Fundamentals
Elearning Fundamentals Series: Building Modules and Content
These mini-trainings are aimed at first time Elearning 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.
Measures of Success
The Possibility of Cognitive Kindness
Join Dr. Karen Yu from The University of the South (Sewanee) for a talk on cognitive kindness.
Abstract:
Empowering everyone’s very best thinking has perhaps never mattered more. And yet for all the value that colleges and universities place on learning and thinking, we often work in ways that are forcefully counter to this goal. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can be more cognitively kind. Across various levels and aspects of higher education, we’ll explore some ways to intentionally apply what science tells us about how our minds work to design interactions, processes, and spaces that better empower and liberate each person’s full cognitive potential. Along the way, we’ll also see how cognitive kindness can contribute meaningfully toward greater inclusivity and cognitive justice. Speaker
Bio:
Karen Yu is professor and chair of psychology at The University of the South (Sewanee), having earned a B.S. in Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University. Her current scholarship focuses on judgment and decision making— particularly the possibilities inherent in option generation and the influence of framing and narratives on our choices. She is a passionate advocate—and earnest and imperfect practitioner—of cognitive kindness.
Session Materials
View session recording for Keynote: The Possibility of Cognitive Kindness
Measures of Success
Involving Students and Student Voice in Meaningful Assessment
Join Dr. Natasha Jankowski, co-editor of "Reframing Assessment to Center Equity" to explore why and how to involve students and student voice in the process of assessing student learning to improve teaching and learning, build community, and collaboratively problem-solve with students within the co-curriculum, general education courses, and course-based assessment. Advocating for more engagement in student-sourced solutions to assessment challenges, this presentation will share literature on the impact of student involvement and engagement in assessment on learning and the college experience, examples of student voice and partnership from the field, tips and tricks, and resources for involving students. Participants will be invited to share additional examples, consider how to engage in community with students and explore how they might engage with students as solution providers.
Session Materials
View session recording for Involving Students and Student Voice in Meaningful Assessment
Measures of Success
Closing the Loop: Data-Informed Decisions for Program Success
Join Megan Slayter, professor and associate director from the School of Theatre and Dance, as she shares about the multi-year process that she and her colleagues used to develop one example learning outcome to assess the Bachelor of Arts in Dance program, “students are able to articulate and apply a personal aesthetic related to their career goals.” Along the way, she will discuss the tools used for this process, and show how dance faculty integrated assessment data with understanding of the changing landscape of the field of dance to make data-informed decisions to prepare students for success in a wide variety of career interests.
Session Materials
View session recording for Closing the Loop: Data-Informed Decisions for Program Success
Measures of Success
Course Data, Assessment, & Empathetic Design
Join Dave Paul, faculty specialist in philosophy, and colleagues from Institutional Research and the WMUx Teaching and Learning Team as they discuss how data from previous courses might be used to support program and course design and inform continuous improvement.
Session Materials
View session recording for Course Data, Assessment, & Empathetic Design
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
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
One of the most critical things we can do to support institutions of higher education in challenging times is to be prepared, formally and in casual conversation, to tell a memorable data story about why they matter. In this talk, Dr. Kate McDowell, a nationally-recognized expert in data storytelling, guides you through the problems and practical possibilities of data storytelling.
View session recording for Closing Keynote: Dr. Kate McDowell: Data Storytelling Strategies
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
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
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
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
A Holistic Approach to Addressing Challenging Topics in University Courses
Developing an effective community of inquiry in our classes involves considering a number of interrelated questions:
- How can we work with students to establish community norms for having discussions, including those focused on challenging topics?
- What actionable strategies can we apply to our courses to prepare ourselves and students to respond to potentially challenging ideas - whether we have planned the conversation, or not?
- What well-being and counseling resources can instructors recommend should students ask for support after encountering difficult concepts during class and how do you negotiate your role in well-being discussions with your students should students ask for support?
WMUx’s Teaching and Learning Team, in collaboration with Student Affairs, is offering a workshop that addresses all of these issues. Join us as we share evidence-based advice that can be of use as you plan your courses for Summer or Fall 2024.
Session Materials
Meeting Students Where They Are
Thinking about UDL in the Classroom
In this interactive session, we will discuss practical strategies based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create more inclusive and engaging learning environments for diverse students. Join Meagan Walsh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies, to explore the key principles of UDL—multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement—and use live polls, Q&A, and discussion to help you think about ways to easily implement UDL into your teaching.
View session recording for Thinking about UDL in the Classroom
Meeting Students Where They Are
Challenging, but Necessary Conversations
In education, challenging but necessary conversations are unavoidable. And whether within our departments or classrooms, with colleagues or students, these conversations require skilled interpersonal communication. In this presentation, Dr. Leah Omilion-Hodges and Dr. Annette Hamel from the School of Communication will discuss research-based practices for establishing credibility, recognizing situations necessitating dialogue, mindfully preparing, and practically engaging others with empathy. Together these practices can support our ability to manage challenging interactions while reducing defensiveness and maintaining relationships.
View session recording for Challenging, but Necessary Conversations
Meeting Students Where They Are
Functional Design: Approaches to Designing or Redesigning Your Course
Whether designing a course for the first time or redesigning an existing course of your own or someone else’s design, the process can be daunting without a plan. Instructional designers will walk you through a few key questions to ask as you design with learners and goals in mind and share some helpful templates for course planning.
Session Materials
Meeting Students Where They Are
Creating a Learner-Centered Syllabus
A learner-centered syllabus signals a commitment to learner-centered teaching. In this session, instructional designers will highlight several universal design principles and quick tips to help you better center your syllabus on your students.
Session Materials
Meeting Students Where They Are
Empowered Teaching Toolkit: Beginning to Prepare for ‘Difficult’ or ‘Controversial’ Conversations
Participants viewed the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Webinar titled “Empower Teaching Toolkit: Beginning to Prepare for ‘Difficult’ or ‘Controversial’ Conversations” (by Chavella Pittman, PhD) prior to attending this session and discussed the issues raised within the context of their own experiences at WMU. This session was not recorded, but a short summary of the key issues discussed are included below. You can learn how to sign up for your free NCFDD membership here.
Session Materials
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
Inclusive Teaching: Discussions and Other Methods
Use the framework of "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) to develop new techniques for deeper engagement during discussions.
Session Materials
Meeting Students Where They Are
Inclusive Teaching: 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
Meeting Students Where They Are
Inclusive Teaching: 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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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.
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
Meeting Students Where They Are
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
WMU Community Conversations
Pop Culture Pedagogy: Exploring the use of Cultural Capital to Support Student Learning
Students arrive at college with “cultural capital” – knowledge that they have developed around popular media. Join Katie Marshall, Faculty Specialist of Business Information Systems, and Brian Holland, instructor in the Department of Accountancy, to learn ways to engage students with your subject matter by including popular culture referents and activities. You don’t need to be a Marvel Universe/Project Runway expert to make a significant difference in how students view your subject area.
Session Materials
WMU Community Conversations
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
WMU Community Conversations
NCFDD Orientation Session for Graduate Students and Graduate Directors
WMU has joined over 500 institutions of higher education as a member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. NCFDD is an independent development center dedicated to supporting faculty, graduate students, and part-time instructors in every aspect of professional development. We invite all graduate students and graduate directors to attend a Webex informational session where they can learn from past participants the value of NCFDD’s teaching, professional development, and dissertation success programming.
View session recording for NCFDD Orientation Session for Graduate Students and Graduate Directors
WMU Community Conversations
NCFDD Orientation Session for Faculty, Staff, and Part-time Instructors
WMU has joined over 500 institutions of higher education as a member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. NCFDD is an independent development center dedicated to supporting faculty, graduate students, and part-time instructors in every aspect of professional development. At this informational session, WMU faculty who have experience with NCFDD will share their advice on how you can make the best use of this new professional development opportunity.
View session recording for NCFDD Orientation Session for Faculty, Staff, and Part-time Instructors
WMU Community Conversations
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
WMU Community Conversations
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
Ally for Elearning: Accessibility, Access, and Alternative Downloads
Learn more about Ally for Elearning and how accessible course content makes it easier for everyone to read and access your course materials, it improves the overall quality and usability of the documents. In addition to providing insight to your content accessibility through course reports and instructor feedback, ALLY automatically creates alternative versions of your files. Learn how to use the features in ALLY to improve content accessibility with Ally's step-by-step instructions while creating an inclusive learning environment.
Objectives:
- Understand and engage with the accessibility features provided inside of Elearning, why we use them, and how to get the most out of them.
- Locate and identify accessibility issues in your course using the accessibility checker and ALLY for Elearning.
- Experiment using Ally and the HTML Accessibility Checker.
- Analyze your course documents for accessibility and quality.
- Validate created and modified content through using accessibility auditing tools.
Session Materials
View session recording for Ally for Elearning: Accessibility, Access, and Alternative Downloads
WMUx Accessible Teaching
Course Design that Supports Neurodivergent Learners
Designing for neurodivergent learning means we create learning environments and opportunities that are tailored to the diverse ways that individuals process information and interact with the world around them. This session will focus on designing learning experiences with the diversity of the human brain in mind and will include advice for developing educational experiences that meet the needs of all learners, regardless of their neurological profile.
Session Materials
- Tips and Strategics Summary
- Summer Series 2023 Course Design Supporting Neurodivergent Learners PowerPoint
View session recording for Course Design that Supports Neurodivergent Learners
WMUx Accessible Teaching
ALLY for Elearning in Action
Join us for Global Accessibility Awareness Day! Learn how to use the ALLY accessibility tool in your Elearning course to create more inclusive content. In this workshop, we will walk through the ALLY accessibility features to help you become more familiar with and comfortable using them.
Session Materials
WMUx Accessible Teaching
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
WMUx Accessible Teaching
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 Accessible Teaching
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 Accessible Teaching
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
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 Accessible Teaching
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
Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Join us for a guided discussion about supporting deaf and hard of hearing students. Learn why not all deaf and hard of hearing individuals have the same needs. Learn and ask questions about the different accommodations like assistive listening devices, live captioning, and working with an interpreter.
View session recording for Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students