Specifications grading is a grading strategy that prioritizes transparency and progress-oriented feedback, with the goals of increasing student motivation, fostering clear communication, and achieving educational equity. Despite getting traction, little attention has been paid to the forms of support faculty need to decide whether to embark on this path. In this session we allow for a brief overview on the strategy but focusses on how institutional culture, identity, and course/curricular contexts may pose or alleviate the challenge of adopting this grading practices.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3359

In this introductory workshop, we will provide an overview of instructional design, a systematic process for planning a course. You will begin to build a course design framework and walk away with tools and resources to customize your course plan. Please come prepared with a course or instructional topic to work on during the session.

As we discuss five key elements of course design, you will begin to:
*Identify situational factors impacting your course.
*Write your learning objectives.
*Plan your assessments.
*Plan your activities.
*Assess course alignment.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3376

Join us for an interactive one-hour session designed specifically for academic program leaders and faculty. This session provides a valuable opportunity to ask questions and gain insights about your program’s learning objectives, curricular maps, key performance indicators, and assessment plans. Whether you’re looking to refine your current strategies or seeking guidance on new ones, this session offers a collaborative environment to address your queries and share best practices. Our assessment fellows will be on hand to provide personalized feedback and practical advice to help you enhance your program’s assessment processes and drive student success. Don’t miss this chance to engage with your peers and elevate your program’s assessment activities.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3289

Online discussions are used to build dynamic learning communities, to synthesize key concepts, and to promote critical thinking skills. Join us as we discuss tips for writing engaging prompts and successfully facilitating asynchronous discussion forums. We will be sharing examples from a number of different disciplines.

By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:
* Discuss the benefits of using asynchronous discussion forums.
* Discuss strategies for writing engaging prompts.
* Identify examples of engaging discussion prompts across disciplines.
* Discuss tips for facilitating discussion forums.
* Discuss grading of online discussions.

Please note: The focus of this webinar is asynchronous online discussions.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3385

How should we engage students on the matter of generative AI and learning in our courses? Examples from Yee, Uttich, Main & Giltner’s AI Hacks for Educators will be shared, with an opportunity to practice with different generative AI tools. Session Two will go over activities to promote student critical thinking about the output of large language models, with opportunities for hands-on practice. This session is suitable for participants with minimal experience using generative AI but will be most useful if you know how to access either Microsoft CoPilot through your UConn Microsoft 365 login, or ChatGPT (both the free “mini” and paid versions will be demonstrated).

Detection of AI use will not be the focus of these sessions, but we may discuss AI-resistant activities and assignments.  You are encouraged to contribute your questions, ideas, and experiences.  

If you are interested in continuing to explore “AI fluencies,” consider registering for these upcoming sessions:

• February 11: Creating personas for in-class role play activities & prompting AI to play the role of a tutor

• February 18: Creating visual representations of data

• February 25: Overview, recap, review, and sharing by participants (‘open mic’)

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3343

How comfortable are you using AI? Are you familiar with the ways AI can benefit research and the classroom experiences of your graduate students? AI is here to stay, now what? This two-part Timely Topic mini-series will focus on AI use in higher education classrooms and research. Part 1 will provide a definition of what generative artificial intelligence is and the benefits and the challenges of integrating AI in teaching and research. We will discuss best practices in in how to present opportunities for AI use in teaching and learning and explore Babbidge Library’s AI resources for faculty and staff. Finally, the discussion will cover the importance of articulating our AI policy in courses syllabi/research expectations.

FACILITATORS:

• Erica Charis-Molling, Instructional Design and Learning Librarian, Homer Babbidge Library
• Kimberly Curry, Director of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Support, The Graduate School 

• Tina Huey, Associate Director for Faculty Development, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

See more about all Timely Topics offered by The Graduate School.

Please register to receive a Webex link for this event.

Getting Started with Flipped Instruction
February 6, 1:00-2:00pm
Online
Presenters: Zachary Goldberg and Betsy Guala, CETL-eCampus

Are you interested in learning about flipped classroom approaches? This webinar will introduce you to the topic of designing a flipped course. We will describe the reasons for wanting to flip a course, explain how this delivery approach will benefit you and your students, and identify specific pedagogical challenges. Also, we will highlight some of the tools and methods available for creating a flipped course.

By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:

* Describe the characteristics of a flipped class/course.
* Explain how flipping a course can benefit you and your students.
* Identify specific challenges to take into account as you flip a course.
* Plan a flipped lesson.
* Recognize the tools and resources available for flipping courses.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3375

Can students meet your course objectives without reading the texts? If so, what is the value of assigning reading in your course? What learning objectives does reading help students meet? These foundational questions will frame our discussion. Tools and approaches will be shared for:

• Creating reading guides and worksheets
• Choosing texts
• Annotation tools (Perusall, Voicethread)
• Activities such as games, remixes, and Generative AI
• Modeling engagement

Ideas will be shared for curating a reading list, including: alphabetic texts vs. audio and video; amount of reading assigned; and organizing access to course readings. This is an interactive session, and participants are encouraged to share their experiences and questions.

Register - https://fins.uconn.edu/secure_inst/workshops/workshop_view.php?ser=3332