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Pedagogy Workshops Library

Pedagogy Workshops

Technology Workshops

Pedagogy Workshops

Teaching Large Classes

  • Description: Large classes have the same challenges as smaller classes but are amplified. Navigate simple ways to make large classrooms active, engaging, and manageable. Learn where to focus energy to avoid instructor burnout and focus on core concepts. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Unpack the specific challenges of teaching large classes
    • Discover how to optimize group work to boost engagement and how to manage the grading workload
    • Determine types of communication and feedback that should and should not be automated

Teaching 21st Century Skills

  • Description: More employers are seeking students who have developed 21st-Century Skills and universities are hiring instructors who know how to teach them. These skills include critical thinking, communication skills, creativity, and collaboration, to name a few. This workshop will explore ways to help students develop these skills while learning content. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Identify 21st-Century Skills
    • Recognize opportunities to develop 21st-Century Skills within the course content
    • Communicate the value of 21st-Century Skills to students (in rubrics) and employers

Cultural Wealth and Intersectional Pedagogy (Collaboration)

  • Description: Everyone has something to offer in a classroom setting. What can you do as an instructor to value diverse skills, backgrounds, and perspectives all while supporting the learning experience? In this workshop, we dive into what makes people unique and how to elevate the learning experience through intentional planning.   
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Describe the role of intersectional theory and cultural wealth in a classroom
    • Discuss how to amplify social justice in a classroom 

Flipping a Classroom

  • Description: One way to boost active learning and spend more quality time with students is to flip a class. Discover what it means to flip, why flipping matters, identify content that is appropriate to flip, and understand the small steps needed to plan a flip. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Identify the elements of a flipped class and the steps needed to flip
    • Explain the benefits and workload of flipping a classroom
    • Determine what types of activities can be implemented in a flipped class model

Team Teaching (Working with Co-Instructors, TAs, LAs, etc.)

  • Description: More universities are exploring the benefits of team teaching. Team teaching is twice or three times the work, but increases the level of interaction, engagement, and has evidence of improving pass rates. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Differentiate the types of team teaching
    • List strategies for effectively managing a team-teaching workload

Writing Across the Disciplines 

  • Description: Writing is an incredible tool to boost creativity and comprehension regardless of the content. Discover how to incorporate more writing into your courses in this workshop. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes: 
    • Redefine what it means to write in class
    • Explore types of writing assignments and how they can contribute to learning

Improv to Improve Teaching

  • Description: As much as instructors plan, there are many times when it is important to think on the fly. Strengthen your improvisation skills with a few easy-to-learn games and tricks. 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Discuss the role of interpersonal skills in the classroom. 
    • Play games to improve improvisation skills.
    • Reflect on the impact of improvisation skills in the classroom and in academia
       

Establishing Instructor Presence

  • Description: In the early part of a teaching career, it is important to command attention and appreciation from your students. In this reflective workshop, we will discuss techniques to navigate the social aspects of teaching and prepare for the deliberate choices you must make in class to further your teaching goals.
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Recognize instructor roles, assets, and relationships. 
    • List ways to establish instructor presence in your classroom. 
    • Share and listen to the successes achieved and challenges faced by fellow instructors. 

Technology Workshops

Leveraging Student Engagement with New Analytics  

  • Description: Learn tips and best practices to view student performance data with New Analytics. 
  • Time: 1 hour 
  • Learning Outcomes:  
    • Examine average course grade  
    • Analyze average weekly online participation analytics 
    • Explore course grade and participation analytics 
    • Examine course grade and participation analytics for an individual student 
    • Explore "message students who..." 

Harness Advanced Zoom features to Create Inclusive and Active Learning in Virtual Spaces  

  • Description: Engaging students via virtual spaces, such as Zoom video conferencing to facilitate inclusive and active learning. This workshop explores 1) advanced Zoom features and 2) active learning strategies to engage students.  
  • Time: 1 hour 
  • Learning Outcomes:  
    • Explore advanced UC Merced supported tools (Screen Share, Polling, Share Video, and Accessibility)  
    • Explore and Apply active learning strategies: Polling, Think-Pair-Share, Minute Paper, Small Group Discussion, Short Student Presentations 

Leveraging Classroom Technologies

  • Description: In this workshop, we will discuss some of the low- and high-tech solutions and strategies that can be aligned with learning objectives and course content.  
  • Time: 1 hour  
  • Learning Outcomes:  
    • Explore Document Cameras and Lecture Capture 
    • Explore engagement via TEAL room set-up 
    • Explore best practices to engage students for better learning experiences  

Ready, Set (Course Accessibility Review), Go!    

  • Description: This workshop will introduce strategies for creating accessible course content. Whether it is a document, video, graphic, and CatCourse accessibility checker. Let’s explore it together! 
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Learning Outcomes:  
    • Develop an understanding and distinction between accessibility and accommodation 
    • Analyze accessibility features that can be proactively built into the course design  
    • Run the CatCourse Accessibility Checker and translate its results to determine CatCourse page accessibility 
    • Of the tips listed, how many can you apply to your course (whether it is a Word Doc, PDF, or CatCourse) 

Consultation with Senior Instructional Designer  

  • Description: This one-on-one consultation with Dr. Jolly, Senior Instructional Designer can be personalized to your specific needs. Some of the many ways are listed as examples below:  
    • Talk about career paths: understand the growing field of Instructional Design explore the roles in instructional design and technology including positions in education and businesses 
    • Portfolio development: discuss an opportunity to collaborate with an Instructional Designer to create your teaching with a technology portfolio  
    • CatCourses module development: discuss and develop CatCourses modules specifically for your course  
    • Explore tools and technology: Explore specific UC Merced supported tools and technologies that you can set up in your courses for example Discussion Board forums, Groups, etc.