Designing Assignments in the Age of Generative AI 

Mon., Sept. 25th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, Gorecki 120 (CSB)

Facilitated by Laura M. Taylor, Center for Teaching and Learning, & Adam Konczewski, Instructional Technology Services 

Based on faculty feedback from the Student Academic Success Workshop in August, this session invites faculty and staff to further explore ideas, possibilities, and considerations for designing class assignments that incorporate generative AI tools.  Refreshments provided.

Working Across Institutions to Collectively Improve Teaching and Learning

Thursday, Sept. 28, 3-4 p.m.

This event is co-sponsored by the CTL and the Office of Research and Grants as part of the Faculty Forum and Talking Teaching Series.

Facilitated by Amanda Macht Jantzer, Kyhl Lyndgaard, Deborah Pembleton, Annette Raigoza, Jen Schaefer & Laura Taylor

 By collaborating across institutions of higher education, we can make more progress in alleviating the pressing diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and access (DEIJA) issues facing colleges and universities in the United States than any one institution may be able to accomplish alone. This is the central premise of the Inclusive Excellence 3 Initiative, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Together with over 100 other institutions, CSB/SJU is part of a learning community cluster, working closely with 15 other colleges and universities to address broad challenges in inclusive teaching and assessment. The work centers around three projects: 1) Evaluation of DEIJA Teaching and Learning, 2) Data-Informed Improvements of DEIJA Outcomes, and 3) Professional Development Programs for DEIJA Teaching and Learning. We will share our experience engaging with this broad network at a time when such efforts are under increasing attack nationally and faculty are reporting low morale. We will discuss how we can build upon past inclusion efforts and envision future opportunities for CSB/SJU faculty as we commence with this 6-year $505,000 grant initiative.

Maker Literacies
Thurs., Oct. 5, 12:00pm-1:00pm, Alcuin 378 (SJU)

Facilitated by Gretchen Trkay, Director of Libraries, & Adam Konczewski, Instructional Technology Services 

Maker literacies articulate the transferable skills we all acquire when engaged in high impact practices focused on creation. Adam and Gretchen will ideate with you about how to map maker literacies to disciplinary learning outcomes and develop related assignments, either big or small. They will also share customizable rubrics that can be used to assess student learning. Please feel free to bring your lunch. Beverages and desserts provided.  

The Power of Perusall
Mon., Oct. 16, 12:00-1:00pm, Gorecki 120 (CSB)

Facilitated by Emily Esch, Philosophy

Emily shares her experience of using the social annotating platform Perusall to encourage deeper engagement with difficult texts, to increase students’ basic understanding of the material, and to better prepare and motivate them for class discussion. Perusall was created by science professors and used by faculty in all types of disciplines and could be of use to any instructor struggling to get students to engage more deeply with class materials. Please feel free to bring your lunch. Beverages and desserts provided.  

Using Debate to Complicate Concepts in Social Science
Thurs., Nov. 2, 3-4 p.m., Alcuin 378 (SJU)

This event is co-sponsored by the CTL and the Office of Research and Grants as part of the Faculty Forum and Talking Teaching Series.

Facilitated by Christi Siver, Political Science

Most faculty acknowledge that the classroom changes with national and international events. As a professor of international relations, I long avoided the polarized classroom environment that my U.S. politics colleagues face. However, in the past few years, even my classroom has changed. Some students have extreme views that extend to foreign policy, while many would prefer to avoid discussing politics at all. For most of my career, I have used debates in my classroom to spur active learning and build important critical thinking and public speaking skills. In this new environment, I am researching whether debate can serve even more critical roles in improving their information literacy, building self-efficacy, and instilling the value of multiple perspectives. Refreshments provided.