CAE Back-to-School Workshops, January 7-9

The Center for Academic Excellence is pleased to announce our slate of Back-to-School Workshops for January 2020.  Most require registration so please sign up early - and if you have any questions, just email cae@fairfield.edu.  We look forward to seeing everyone as you prepare for the spring semester.


10  – 11:30 am, Library 107C

If you have some course content you need to deliver to your students but you want to make the process engaging and interactive, EdPuzzle is the tool for you.  It allows you to easily take any video - from a YouTube favorite to a narrated PowerPoint you make yourself - and embed your own analyses, questions, or quizzes right into the video playback.  EdPuzzle is a great way to enable your students to check their own knowledge of a topic, or to quiz them on the foundational material they need to move on to your next topic.  In addition, you can monitor who watched the video, see each student’s success at answering your questions, and prevent students from scanning ahead and skipping questions.  Whether you’re looking to flip your class or to deliver a new kind of quiz, EdPuzzle is the tech tool to explore.

NOW ALSO INCLUDING an overview of LucidChart, the visual analysis and planning tool that was demonstrated at FDEC Day.  Using LucidChart’s easy-to-master interface, your students can do literary analyses, plan complex projects, chart historical connections between events and themes, and much, much more.  This dynamic tool provides an entirely different, visual way for classes to make connections and grasp larger trends and influences.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020


10  – 2 pm, CAE Directors’ Offices, Library Lower Level

Drop in for a one-on-one consultation with a CAE Director about any aspect of your syllabus (learning outcomes, assessment strategies, active learning activities, etc.). And new this spring: Get some help from ITS/Academic Computing in understanding how well your syllabus meets ADA Accessibility standards - and what you can do to make it better!

1 – 3 pm Library 107c

Stop by the CAE to get a refresher on the tech tools you’ve used in the past, or a consultation on how a tool you’ve never used before might help solve a pedagogical problem or reach and engage your students in ways that can enhance their learning.  Staff from the CAE and ITS/Academic Computing will be on hand to assist with Blackboard, Quip, Adobe Spark, LucidChart, and many others.  If it runs on your laptop, your iPad, or even your phone, we can help!  Stop by and find out how.

10 am - 3 pm, Library 107C

Coffee/tea and lunch provided

Kick off the Spring semester "write"! Join the CAE and a community of colleagues for a day-long retreat on Thursday, January 9, 10 am - 3 pm, in Library 107C. 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.

Thursday, January 9, 2020


10 am - 1 pm, Frederickson Family Innovation Lab, Library Lobby

Do you have an existing course that you think meets the learning objectives for one or more of the Signature Elements of the Core? Come to a 2-hour clinic to get your submission in before classes begin.  The clinic will include an introductory discussion about the submission forms, sample syllabi from recently approved courses, and brainstorming sessions about class assignments tailored to the WAC/WID, SJ, and ID outcomes.  Faculty will have time to complete their work in a focused space in the library. Members of the Signature Element subcommittees and a representative from CAE will be available for individual consultations as well. Lunch will be available in the CAE space (Library 107c) for participants from 12-1.

Thursday, January 9, 2020


1:30 – 3:00 pm, Library 107C

Do winter’s storms and class cancellations leave you scrambling to catch up in your courses? Join ITS/Academic Computing and CAE staff for a session on weatherproofing your class. We will help you brainstorm ways to use tools such as Blackboard, Quip, Zoom, and iPad apps to develop specific strategies that will meet your learning objectives, develop a communication plan to connect with your students, and leave with a plan of action for not letting the snow and ice get the best of your teaching.