Join the CAE for Back to School Workshops: August 19-27

Monday, August 19 - Blackboard Bonanza: Unleashing the Power of Ultra: In-Person, NHS 404

Blackboard Ultra 101: Introduction (9:00 am - 12:00 pm): Join us in this workshop to learn how to navigate 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.

Blackboard Ultra 201: Grading, Assessments, and Student Engagement (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm): In this workshop, we'll learn how to create tests (with or without Respondus Lockdown Browser), collect and grade student work, create individual and group assignments, and set up discussions to engage students. Then, we'll use the grade book to provide personalized feedback, track student progress, and send early alerts for at-risk students.

Tuesday, August 20 - Blackboard Bonanza: Unleashing the Power of Ultra: In-Person, NHS 404

Blackboard Ultra 101: Introduction (9:00 am - 12:00 pm): Join us in this workshop to learn how to navigate 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.

Blackboard Ultra 201: Grading, Assessments, and Student Engagement (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm): In this workshop, we'll learn how to create tests (with or without Respondus Lockdown Browser), collect and grade student work, create individual and group assignments, and set up discussions to engage students. Then, we'll use the grade book to provide personalized feedback, track student progress, and send early alerts for at-risk students.

Wednesday, August 21 - Ultra-Shift: Beyond the Blackboard Ultra Basics: In-Person, NHS 404

Blackboard Ultra 301: What’s New in Ultra? (10:00 am - 12:00 pm): Blackboard Ultra regularly releases updates, and in this workshop, we'll cover some of the more innovative features available to you. Explore the latest tools and functionalities that Blackboard Ultra Course View offers, empowering you to create engaging and effective learning experiences. This workshop will also include integrating AI Blackboard features into your courses.

Blackboard Ultra 302: Beyond the Blackboard Ultra Basics (1:00 pm - 3:00 pm): We'll go beyond the basics and learn how you can engage students and enhance your teaching and learning experiences using third-party tools with Blackboard.

Thursday, August 22 - AI Think, Therefore AI Am: Exploring Artificial Intelligence in Teaching, Research, and Administration: In-Person, Location TBD

AI & Me: It’s OK to Ask (AI) for Help (9:30 am - 10:45 am): Did you know that AI can serve as a valuable assistant to professors and administrators as they try to keep on top of all of their duties that don’t take place in the classroom? In this hands-on session, we’ll explore a variety of common administrative tasks that AI can help you accomplish in less time and with fewer hassles. We’ll discuss making your own class bots, getting help with recommendation letters and reports, and streamlining the literature review process to speed up your research activities, among other topics. The workshop will be facilitated by Jay Rozgonyi, Nick Kapoor, and Christine Rodriguez. Bring your laptop or iPad, bookmark your favorite AI tool, and join us for a session of AI exploration and discovery.

From Bots to Brilliance: Engaging Students with AI in the Classroom (with Lunch!) (11:00 am - 12:15 pm): Explore innovative ways to engage your students using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. This session will focus on the integration of AI with active learning strategies and in student assessments to enhance learning outcomes specific to your discipline. Participants will engage in building AI-driven activities that promote active learning. You will learn how to structure AI prompts and foster dynamic classroom interactions. We will discuss best practices for incorporating AI into your assessments and discuss practical solutions to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in your courses. This session concludes with a CAE-provided lunch beginning at 12:15 pm.

The AI Playground: A Time to Experiment, Collaborate, and Innovate with AI Tools (1:00 pm - 3:00 pm): Conclude your day of innovative learning with our Practice AI Lab Time, designed to provide you with hands-on exploration and collaboration opportunities. Dive into practical applications of AI in your teaching and research, using this time to plan assessments and classroom activities that incorporate AI effectively. Work alongside your colleagues to explore different AI applications, share insights, discuss challenges, and collaborate on innovative solutions. If you have questions, our team will be available to provide guidance and support as you experiment with AI tools and techniques. Registrants for this session do not need to attend the previous AI workshops on this day. If you are an “AI wiz” but still would like a space to talk freely with colleagues about AI, please join us; we’ll keep the Keurig on for you!

Friday, August 23 - The Author’s Day Out: A Writing Retreat & Syllabus and Tech Drop-In: In-Person, NHS 210/218

Writing Retreat (with Lunch!) (10:00 am - 3:00 pm): Kick off the Fall semester with a day dedicated to your writing. Join the CAE and a community of colleagues for a day-long retreat on Friday, August 23, 10 am - 3 pm, to plan, begin, revise, or complete writing projects (e.g., manuscripts, books, reports, portfolios/dossiers). Consult with peers or CAE staff about any stage of your writing process, or use the time for some solo writing. Bring your writing materials and tools. Lunch included.

Syllabus Drop-In (10:30 am - 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm): Drop in for a one-on-one consultation with the CAE about any aspect of your syllabus (learning outcomes, assessment strategies, active learning activities, inclusive course design, etc.). 

Tech Tune-Up: Get Help with Blackboard, iPads & More! (10:30 am - 12:00 pm): Have a question about your iPad, Blackboard Ultra, or another tech tool you'll be using in your classes this Fall? Drop in and meet with a member of the Academic Computing team to have your questions answered. If you're not able to stop by during these scheduled times, contact us anytime by emailing academiccomputing@fairfield.edu. 

Monday, August 26 - Empowering Education: Exploring Technology, Alternative Grading, and Inclusive Pedagogy: In-Person, NHS 210/218

Tech Tune-Up: Get Help with Blackboard, iPads & More! (9:30 am - 10:45 am): Have a question about your iPad, Blackboard Ultra, or another tech tool you'll be using in your classes this Fall? Drop in and meet with a member of the Academic Computing team to have your questions answered. If you're not able to stop by during these scheduled times, contact us anytime by emailing academiccomputing@fairfield.edu. 

Valuing Every Student: Inclusive Strategies for a Welcoming Classroom (11:00 am - 12:15 pm): Discover practical strategies and innovative approaches to enhancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) in our classrooms. We will explore how to integrate diverse voices and inclusive practices into course content, discussions, and assessments, fostering an environment where every student feels valued and heard. Our goal is to facilitate open dialogue and exchange ideas while providing actionable solutions to make our courses more welcoming and equitable for all members of our community.

Digital Toolbox: Strategies and Tools for Engaging Students In and Out of the Classroom (1:00 pm - 2:15 pm): Whether you’re teaching a face-to-face course, an asynchronous online course, or something that falls in between, engaging your students with your learning materials and with each other is the surest path to learning success. In this session, we will look at a number of different strategies that instructors can employ to keep their students returning to your content and involved with each other. Participants will have the opportunity to think through scenarios particular to their own teaching experiences and try out a few technologies that can bring their students together to interact and create their own unique co-learning experiences—all of which are flexible enough to apply to any teaching modality and course level. Please bring your laptop or iPad so you can participate in the hands-on exercises.

Student-Centered Grading that Matters: Creating a Growth Mindset with Alternative Grading (2:30 pm - 3:45 pm): *Infomercial Music* Narrator: Have you ever handed back an exam and a student threw it in the garbage on the way out? Black and white picture of a student throwing out an exam and shrugging straight to the camera. Ever spent hours grading with detailed feedback, only to feel like a ghost read your comments? Cut to the teacher sighing at a mountain of papers. Do you dream of a world where grades actually reflect student learning and growth? Cue bright, hopeful music and a montage of happy students and teachers. Introducing... insert drumroll music Alternative Grading! Based on research, faculty experiences, and practical applications, this workshop will transform your grading nightmares into teaching triumphs. Say goodbye to the stress of traditional grading and hello to a new era where feedback is meaningful, students are motivated, and learning is celebrated. Cut to students eagerly reviewing feedback and teachers smiling. Join us as we dive into the principles of Alternative Grading and the need for a positive feedback loop of performance, feedback, revision, and new performance. You'll leave equipped with the tools to foster a supportive, engaging, and growth-oriented learning environment. Shipping and Handling $39.99 while supplies last.

Blackboard Ultra 101: Introduction on Zoom(5:30 pm - 7:00 pm): Join us in this workshop to learn how to navigate 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.

Tuesday, August 27 - Accessibility, Engagement, and Participation: Strengthening Three Pillars of Student Learning: In-Person, NHS 210/218

Student Participation and Engagement: Elevating Student Involvement from Passive to Active (9:30 am - 10:45 am): Class participation is a central means of learning and engagement in our classrooms. However, more and more students are electing not to speak up, for a variety of reasons. Join this session to explore strategies aimed at preparing and supporting students to engage in classroom discourse, including discussion protocols, inclusive and accessible discussion practices, and innovative discussion techniques.

Introduction to Glean: Empowering Accessibility with A New Model of Notetaking in the Classroom (11:00 am - 12:15 pm): Notetaking assistance is provided as an accommodation for students whose documented disabilities interfere with their abilities to take notes. Notetaking assistance is determined on a course-by-course basis and is dependent upon the nature of each course and the method of instruction as it relates to the student's documented disability. Notetaking assistance is provided as an academic accommodation; however, it is not considered a substitute for a student’s full participation in class. Notes and/or recordings provided are for students’ personal study use only and are not to be shared with other individuals.

Notetaking assistance may include: technology-based assistance including the use of a personal laptop/tablet, Livescribe Smart Pen, Microsoft OneNote, Glean, and others; permission to record classes (many of the technology-based options have a recording component as a built-in feature); receipt of instructor outlines and/or notes; receipt of notes from a peer notetaker.

Based on course design and the availability of several technology-based notetaking options, a peer notetaker may not be the most effective accommodation for a course. The Office of Accessibility will engage in the interactive process with instructors and students to discuss the nature and content of the course to determine the most appropriate notetaking accommodation.