This month’s TOPkit Digest is brought to you by Margeaux Johnson, Learning Tools Specialist, Learning Innovations & Technology (margeaux@ufl.edu); Leslie Mojeiko, Senior Instructional Designer (lmojeiko@ufl.edu); and Chris Sharp, Educational Technologist, Learning Innovations & Technology (sharp.c@ufl.edu). They are all from UFIT Center for Instructional Technology and Training, University of Florida. They discuss enhancing teaching and learning using UFIT TechBytes

In this UFIT Tech Bytes video, Tech Chefs provide tips from the kitchen for increasing impact of your teaching and learning strategies.

UFIT offers a series of Tech Bytes that provide bite-sized events covering technologies and strategies to enhance teaching and learning. Other resources include online certificates of completion, face-to-face workshops, and self-paced offerings, Here we offer our top tips for creating successful educational technology workshops for professional development needs on your campus.

#1: Interact. Make your faculty development workshops as interactive as possible. For large sessions where you can’t always have 1:1 learner-instructor interaction, we recommend using a live-streaming format from a studio. Including a co-host allows for engaging rapport and witty banter that elevates the training and makes participants feel like they are in the room. Providing live demos, encouraging hands-on engagement from the audience, and pausing for questions create a saleable shared experience.

#2: Keep it short. Design training in short, digestible segments. Set learning goals ahead of time and map these to an outline of 3-5 “big ideas” or concepts to cover in the training. Simplify introductory training for large audiences to focus on accessible concepts that can be grasped quickly.

#3: Share expertise. Invite innovative instructors to share their experiences. Build training events around what is working within classrooms and virtual learning environments on your campus. Having expert teachers collaborate with you to share their stories resonates with workshop participants. Seeking diverse voices and collaborators across campus can not only help increase representation, but it can also strengthen collaborations with other units. Our Tech Byte Planning Committee will often reach out to faculty and staff to serve as guest speakers. View archived events.

#4: Center teaching. Let teaching and pedagogy shine. Workshop participants are interested in new technologies, but also highlight how technology connects to teaching practices and student learning needs. This will lead to lasting, meaningful integrations.

#5 Follow up. Connect with your participants by sending a friendly message after the workshop. Include the recording, resources covered, hands-on exercises, and important links for future consultations. Using a warm, inviting tone will lead to additional collaborations!

#6 Have fun! Finally, make sure the atmosphere is fun and lighthearted. The presenters should seem lively and approachable.

These tips can help you create successful and engaging educational technology workshops that promote timely and actionable topics in a way that is easy to digest. You can expand your audience when you consider flexible formats, engaging co-hosts, and relevant topics, but more than anything, remember to have fun!

There are various faculty development models that may be appropriate for your institutional size, needs, and available support. Testing new approaches and seeking feedback will help you build a faculty development series that works well for both the facilitators and participants. Keep in mind that popularity isn’t always the best way to measure your success; offering flexible options in faculty development can help ensure you’re reaching a diverse group and providing equitable solutions.

Bren Bedford, MNM, SFC®, Web Project Analyst II, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida

Florence Williams, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida