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In this workshop, participants will learn inclusive teaching practices and use awareness activities, facilitated discussion, and self-reflection to increase awareness of the most common invisible factors that serve as barriers to success for students. Awareness is only useful when paired with action, so participants will use their awareness to develop and share teaching strategies to offset the impact of structural barriers. Participants will walk away with concrete examples of strategies they can use in their courses to create a positive classroom climate and increase student success. (This workshop is part of our Evidence-Based Teaching Institute and is open to all instructors for this semester.)

Lunch will be provided.

Registration Form:

In this workshop, participants will learn inclusive teaching practices and use awareness activities, facilitated discussion, and self-reflection to increase awareness of the most common invisible factors that serve as barriers to success for students. Awareness is only useful when paired with action, so participants will use their awareness to develop and share teaching strategies to offset the impact of structural barriers. Participants will walk away with concrete examples of strategies they can use in their courses to create a positive classroom climate and increase student success.

(Although this is the second of a 2-part series, participants will still gain useful strategies if unable to make the first. This workshop is part of our Evidence-Based Teaching Institute and is open to all instructors for this semester.)

Lunch will be provided.

Registration Form: 

Gen Z students—born between 1995 and 2010—now make up the majority of your classroom. They are emotionally aware, socially conscious, purpose-driven, and adaptive. They bring strong values and deep potential—but they’re also navigating rising anxiety, perfectionism, and a culture shaped by algorithms, distractions, and disruption. They care deeply. They want to succeed. But they often need clearer pathways into the work of learning. This session starts with that challenge—and moves toward opportunity. You’ll explore: 

Who Gen Z students are, and how their life experiences shape how they learn
Common instructional pain points, like disengagement or reluctance to read—and what’s actually behind them
Evidence-based strategies that support focus, motivation, and equity in your classroom
Concrete tools for making reading matter, structuring authentic assignments, and building student trust
We’ll focus on research-informed strategies that work, including:
Transparent assignment design that reduces ambiguity
Scaffolded, low-stakes assessments that build confidence
Personalization and choice to boost relevance and agency
Inclusive practices that foster belonging and respect
Active learning techniques adapted to Gen Z attention patterns

This workshop will offer practical insights and usable tools to better support—and connect with—the students in front of you now.

This workshop was offered in the Fall 2025 semester.
This is an IN-PERSON event only.  Light snacks and beverages will be provided.

Registration Form: 

This is Part 1 of a two-part series that provides an introduction to Backward Design. This learner-focused course design approach allows us to re-envision our classes, so that in-class or synchronous time is spent on collaborative learning activities and formative assessments that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and understanding of cognitively demanding material, while out-of-class or asynchronous time focuses on lower cognitive demand material in preparation for class or on further practice with higher cognitive demand concepts and skills after class. During the workshop, participants will first engage with the different steps of the process. Then, participants will apply the approach to a topic from a course with which students struggle. This first session will introduce the overall method, and the participants will develop learning goals (broad, vague, not easily assessed, e.g., know, learn, understand...) and outcomes (specific, concrete, easily measurable, e.g. predict, explain, contrast, defend...). (This workshop is part of our Evidence-Based Teaching Institute and is open to all instructors for this semester.)

Lunch will be provided.

Registration Form: 

This is Part 2 of a two-part series that provides an introduction to Backward Design. This learner-focused course design approach allows us to re-envision our classes, so that in-class or synchronous time is spent on collaborative learning activities and formative assessments that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and understanding of cognitively demanding material, while out-of-class or asynchronous time focuses on lower cognitive demand material in preparation for class or on further practice with higher cognitive demand concepts and skills after class. During the workshop, participants will first engage with the different steps of the process. Then, participants will apply the approach to a topic from a course with which students struggle. In this second session, participants will develop assessments and learning activities that align with participants' learning goals and outcomes developed in the first session. (Although this is the second of a 2-part series, participants will still gain useful strategies if unable to make the first. This workshop is part of our Evidence-Based Teaching Institute and is open to all instructors for this semester.)

Lunch will be provided.

Registration Form:

Info to come

Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration Form: 

Info to come

Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration Form:

In order for our students to develop mastery, they need to spend time and effort engaged with the specific concept or skill. This idea is called Deliberate Practice (Ericsson et al., 1993), where the one doing is the one learning. The two essential components of this learning theory are the effort, i.e., “practice”, expended on activities that are specifically designed, i.e., “deliberate”, to result in mastery of a desired skill or concept. Just as a student will not master a musical instrument by watching their teacher play it, neither will a student gain mastery over fundamental concepts in our disciplines or acquire critical thinking/problem-solving skills by watching us demonstrate them in class. This workshop will use deliberate practice to engage participants in activities that model teaching with data to foster acquisition of graphing reading and interpretation skills. 
(This workshop is part of our Evidence-Based Teaching Institute and is open to all instructors for this semester.)

Lunch will be provided.

Registration Form: 

Info to come

Light snacks and beverages will be provided.

Registration Form:

Information to follow.

Light snacks and beverages will be provided.

Registration Form: 

Join us for our end-of-semester event featuring a list of engaging reads—on pedagogy, teaching, and learning, alongside some popular fiction and nonfiction picks. Enjoy short book summaries, swap recommendations, and find your next great book for the beach, the lake, or a quiet afternoon in the backyard.

Light snacks and beverages will be provided.