Join the CAE for After School Week: May 20 - 24

Date: 05-20-2024

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: NHS 210 & Zoom

Please join the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) for our 2^nd Annual “After School Week” taking place May 20 – 24. This week will give faculty an opportunity to jump start their summer pedagogical work and provide a space to reflect on the past academic year. Please utilize the sign-up links per workshop below. Workshop registrations will close at 5 pm on Wednesday, May 8. (This introduction was written without the assistance of AI.)

We hope you will also join us for a CAE-sponsored workshop on Ignatian pedagogy with Dr. Aaron Van Dyke on Wednesday, May 15^th!

Exploring Ignatian Pedagogy with Dr. Aaron Van Dyke: May 15 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm – In-Person

Ignatian pedagogy is a human-centered approach that invites both the instructor and students to explore their lived experiences before, during, and after learning. By prospecting over these experiences, gaps in learning can be illuminated, triumphs can be savored, and uncertainties can be held in productive tension. This workshop will introduce the steps of Ignatian pedagogy in a format accessible to all academic fields. Attendees will be given independent time and support to integrate an aspect of Ignatian pedagogy into an assignment from their course portfolio. No Ignatian/Jesuit background knowledge is required; come with curiosity. This workshop will take place in NHS 210 and lunch will be provided to participants.

Monday, May 20 & Thursday, May 23

Course Design Institute – In-Person

The Center for Academic Excellence is pleased to offer our in-person course design institute (CDI) to assist faculty in developing and revising their courses. The CDI will run in person from 10 am to 3 pm on Monday and Thursday in NHS 210, with lunch provided. The CDI is designed so that participants attend both in-person days, with independent work on Tuesday and Wednesday. The CDI engages participants in a collaborative and hands-on process for rethinking or designing their courses from their objectives to their assessments. During the institute, participants will have the opportunity to explore and apply a range of innovative practices in their course development. These include considerations for anti-racist and inclusive pedagogy, as well as strategies for active learning, authentic assessment, and effective technology integration. On the afternoon of May 23, we will have representatives from the Magis Core Signature Element Committees (SJ, WAC/WID, ID) to assist participants to envision how their courses can gain signature element designation and become part of the Magis Core.

Tuesday, May 21 - All Workshops are on Zoom

9:15 am - 10:30 am - Blackboard Ultra 101: Navigating Ultra Course View

Join us in this workshop to learn the basics of navigating an Ultra Course. We'll discuss new ways to copy or build content, leveraging the Ultra toolset for student engagement and success, and practical strategies for transitioning existing courses from Original Course View to Ultra.

10:45 am - 12:15 pm - Blackboard Ultra 201: Assessments and Grading

Leverage Blackboard Ultra for collecting and grading student work. In this workshop, we'll learn how to create tests (with or without Respondus Lockdown Browser), individual and group assignments, and set up discussions to engage students. Then use the gradebook to provide personalized feedback, track student progress, and send early alerts for at-risk students.

12:45 pm - 2:00 pm - Inclusive Research Reimagined: A Journey Through Bias and Beyond with the DiMenna-Nyselius Library

Led by the teaching Librarians at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, this workshop is designed to unravel the complex nature of biases within research and scholarly publication processes. It aims to arm faculty with innovative strategies to mentor students towards more intentional research practices, incorporating inclusive language, engaging with critical questioning, and adopting a nuanced critique of research methodologies. A pivotal part of this workshop is critically examining the scholarly publishing ecosystem and the potential exclusion of diverse voices, which urges faculty to ponder their own identities and the influence they wield over the research guidance provided to students. Testimonials and case studies highlighting students' responses to these methodologies will underscore the significant, positive impact of adopting such a critical and inclusive approach to research. Furthermore, the workshop will offer practical advice on how faculty can work with their partnered librarian to tailor this educational experience to enrich their curriculum and foster a more inclusive and critically engaged academic environment.

2:15 pm - 3:45 pm - Looking Ahead: Planning for Fall 2024 with Universal Design Principles, Accessibility and Accommodations with the Office of Accessibility

This workshop is offered in continued collaboration between the Office of Accessibility and the Center for Academic Excellence. Continue to learn best practices in creating the most inclusive classrooms by embracing universal design principles and removing the need for accommodations from the onset when building out your academic courses. Come learn all the exciting new changes that are occurring in the Office of Accessibility in terms of upgraded accommodation software system, rolling out a new Flex Plan module to handle the complex flexibility accommodations as well as best practices in accessible technology to ensure equal access to your courses.

Wednesday, May 22 - All Workshops are on Zoom

9:30 am - 10:15 am - Assignment Design from the Low Floor to the High Ceiling for 1000 and 2000-level courses with Dr. Kim Barba

In our quest for educational excellence, it's essential that every student finds a bridge to learning that not only challenges them but is also within their reach. This workshop delves into the art and science of designing tasks that welcome all students into the fold of learning—tasks that are crafted with a low floor and a high ceiling. Such tasks invite learners into engaging, cognitively demanding activities from multiple entry points, ensuring no one is left behind or feels out of their depth. However, creating these tasks is only half the battle. The challenge of task infidelity, where the actual implementation of a task doesn't align with its intended design, can inadvertently narrow the access points for students, diminishing both inclusivity and rigor. Our workshop will equip instructors with the tools and insights necessary for designing and executing tasks that remain true to their objectives. We will explore strategies to maintain the integrity of tasks, ensuring they are accessible, inclusive, and relevant to all students while still pushing the boundaries of their intellectual growth.

10:30 - 11:30 am - Artificial Intelligence 101: Getting Oriented to AI and Its Use in Your Classroom

Fairfield faculty have begun experimenting with tools like ChaptGPT, Claude.ai, DALL-E, and Stable Diffiusion in their classrooms. In this interactive session, we’ll orient faculty to what tools are out there for your use (and your students’ use), test out some basic strategies for getting meaningful output from them, explore syllabus language, how you can add AI assignments to your classes, and set the foundation for our deeper dive into AI and Assessments.

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm - Artificial Intelligence 201: Using AI in the Classroom

The introduction of artificial intelligence in education is reshaping the way we teach. In this in-depth session, we will explore ways to incorporate AI into your classroom. The session will lead participants through applications and practices to explore what works for them in their discipline. Learn how to build engaging activities and assessments that leverage AI responsibly. Refine your skills in structuring AI prompts and fostering dynamic conversations for optimal results, as well as how to guide students through this process. Bring your unique challenges, and leave with practical solutions ready to try in your courses. Artificial Intelligence 101 is not a strict prerequisite to this workshop, however, a working knowledge of AI’s current capabilities and some playing around with AI before this workshop is strongly encouraged.

2:15 - 4:15 pm - Asynchronous Course Design

Online teaching can and should be so much more than just launching a Zoom session and talking to students in small video boxes. At Fairfield, we’ve developed a unique approach to online teaching—an approach that focuses on creating connection and community in asynchronous courses, and one that allows each and every faculty member to create their own course in their own way, with support for their personal creativity. In this session we’ll examine the elements that go into creating and integrating asynchronous learning experience for online students from content curation to the use of interactive videos, virtual bulletin boards, and chat-like communications. Participants will also have the chance to test out a few of these tech tools that can help to engage online students, with the support of CAE and Academic Computing staff members.

Friday, May 24 – In-Person

Writing Retreat and Academic Computing Blackboard Ultra Drop-In

Sign Up for Writing Retreat: https://form.123formbuilder.com/6649355/2024046-writing-retreat-academic-computing-blackboard-ultra-drop-i

Join the CAE and a community of colleagues for a day-long in-person writing retreat from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in NHS 210. Plan, begin, revise, or complete writing projects (e.g., manuscripts, books, syllabi, reports, portfolios/dossiers). Share and report on your writing goals, consult with peers or CAE staff about any stage of your writing process or use the time for some solo writing. Lunch will be served for writing retreat participants.

Academic Computing will also be available for drop-in conversations around Blackboard Ultra from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm in NHS 218 & 218A.

We look forward to seeing you at many of these workshops and wish all faculty a smooth end to your semesters.

Your CAE Team,

Nicholas Kapoor

Christine Rodriguez

Jay Rozgonyi

Emily Smith

Debbie Whalley

Related Web Site : bit.ly/caeresources

For more information, contact Nick Kapoor / 2035214734 / cae@fairfield.edu