Welcome to the weekly UTLC Newsletter supporting teaching and learning at UNCG:
Week of April 8, 2025
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Teaching Tips: Creative Assessments |
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Have you been using papers, tests, and discussion forums for assessment and you're seeking new ideas? Are you looking for new ways to engage your students with content, but not sure where to start? Our students may have the answer! This week the UTLC spoke with students about meaningful assignments, and here is what we learned:
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Using blogs to demonstrate applied learning (Tips from DePaul). One student highlighted a blog creation assignment as fun and useful. Creating a blog allowed the student to connect what she was learning (language) to how she could use the knowledge in the future. In this assignment, the student was asked to explore and speak about a country's language, culture, food, music, etc., allowing her to see the language come to life.
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Creating study tools (Ideas from Utah State) with fellow students. One student noted that creating study tools (e.g., Quizlets, study guides, etc.) with fellow students was helpful in learning information from different perspectives. Creating space for students to develop these tools together can demonstrate best practice in exam prep and encourage study skill development, while assessing their mastery of content.
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Gamification in content-rich spaces (Tips from UChicago). One student found that using games (e.g., Jeopardy, Lingo) or response tools (e.g., Kahoot!, iClickers) created low-risk opportunities to practice knowledge. The student found that these approaches lowered anxiety and created confidence in their learning. Bonus, these activities also chunk content into manageable sections and make longer class meetings more exciting.
Trying a new assignment type can re-engage students and break up your routine, while creating a richer learning outcome. The University of Connecticut has suggestions for alternative research assignments, and Southern Connecticut State University has ideas for creative English assignments that could be adapted to any field. In addition, UTLC staff are always happy to review assignments and brainstorm creative solutions.
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I Wish I Had Known: Canvas Time-Savers
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Feeling frustrated with tedious tasks in Canvas? Join Shannon Barr from ITS Learning Technology to learn time-saving tools and settings. As a former First Year Experience instructor and current Instructional Technology Consultant, Shannon will share solutions to common issues and highlight helpful features for UNCG Canvas users.
This event will be held online from 2-3:30PM on Wednesday, April 10. More information can be found at the registration link.
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2025 AI Institute: Call for Participation
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The UTLC is happy to announce the 2025 AI Institute: Educate, Innovate, Iterate. The institute is free and open to all educators at UNCG regardless of rank, discipline, or prior experience using Generative AI tools. If you wish to know more about applications of Generative AI to support teaching and learning, you are welcome to attend. The Institute will be held 8:30 am to 4:00pm on Monday, May 12; more details may be found at this link. Lunch and snacks are provided. Space is limited so please register early! Registration for the conference may be found at the registration form.
If you have any questions, please contact us at utlc@uncg.edu.
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Are you teaching a 100/200 level course? A student’s first semester is critical to their academic success – courses that are “In the First!” inning of the academic career set up the whole game. This daylong institute on May 14 (8:30AM - 4PM) focuses on the unique teaching needs of 100/200 level courses. Participants will learn more about our incoming students, how to prepare for their unique needs, and the tools available to you for supporting them. Lunch and snacks are provided.
Space is limited so please register early!
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| Drop-In Adjunct Support Hour
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The UTLC will be offering a drop-in support hour for adjunct instructors every Tuesday from 12pm - 1pm (Teams link) through the beginning of May. This time is meant to be drop-in for questions or just connecting with the UTLC and other adjunct instructors.
This time may not fit in your schedule! Please don't forget that consultations are available to all UNCG faculty and staff with teaching responsibilities, and we're also available at utlc@uncg.edu.
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Sustained Dialogue Facilitation Training
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The Office of Intercultural Engagement invites participation in Sustained Dialogue Facilitation Training. This opportunity is open to all faculty and staff, including professional and graduate. Participants will learn more about the art of difficult conversation and have the opportunity to facilitate their own discussion groups. Training is May 15th & 16th.
To register, go to http://go.uncg.edu/sditraining25
If you have questions, please email Marisa Gonzalez at mggonzal@uncg.edu.
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Are you teaching a Civics and Community Class in Fall 2025? Are you teaching a MAC class in one of the other 10 competencies and want to share ideas and explore ways to enhance your class? Join us on May 19th for a day of MAC training and discussion. Sign up to attend the workshop on May 19th at this form: https://forms.office.com/r/eyBdii7XW7
From 9:00-12:00PM we will focus on the new Civics and Community competency. Hear from fellow faculty that have experience teaching the Foundations of American Democracy documents and work collaboratively with colleagues to finalize your plans for fall.
From 1:00-3:00PM you can join facilitated breakout groups discussing different competencies in MAC and providing a space for discussion and community development.
Feel free to attend part or all of the day!
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Course Accessibility Checklists and Support
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Updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that all campus digital content (public facing websites, digital course materials, digital campus resources – including campus trainings) meet the WCAG 2.1 (level A and level AA) standards for accessibility by spring 2026.
UNCG has several campus resources that you can utilize now to make the transition easier, with more tools and resources on the way.
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FACULTY ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
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Upcoming Events, Trainings, and Workshops
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Workshop: Teaching Effectiveness: Beyond Teaching Evaluations
This Workshop focuses on alternative inputs for evaluating teaching effectiveness (e.g., student work products, course reviews, mid-semester student feedback, etc.). Using national models created by decades-long, multi-institutional studies on the evaluation of teaching and learning, this workshop will assist in the development of unit-level processes as part of the UNCG Teaching Effectiveness Policy (pending final approval by the UNC System) and was developed by an institutional work group. RSVP at the link above!
In the Faculty Center
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Spring 2025 UTLC Biergarten
The UTLC holds Biergartens at the end of each semester to celebrate instructors’ dedication to teaching, learning, and student success. This is an opportunity to gather with colleagues and relax with hors d’oeuvres and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Weatherspoon Art Museum
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2025 AI Conference: Educate, Innovate, Iterate
UNCG’s second AI event will be held in-person on May 12, 2025 and offers the campus community an opportunity to come together to engage in critical dialogues, learn from one another, and explore emerging concepts for AI literacy. Register at the link above!
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MAY
14
8:30AM AM - 4:00 PM
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In the First Institute
Are you teaching a 100/200 level course? A student’s first semester is critical to their academic success – courses that are “In the First!” inning of the academic career set up the whole game. This daylong Institute focuses on the unique teaching needs of 100/200 level courses. Participants will learn more about our incoming students, how to prepare for their unique needs, and the tools available to you for supporting them. Register at the link above!
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MAC Institute
Are you teaching a Civics and Community Class in Fall 2025? Are you teaching a MAC class in one of the other 10 competencies and want to share ideas and explore ways to enhance your class? Join us on May 19th for a day of MAC training and discussion. Sign up to attend the workshop on May 19th at this form: https://forms.office.com/r/eyBdii7XW7
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Accessibility Incubator Day 1
The UTLC and campus partners will offer a Course Retrofit Incubator May 22 -23, 2025. As a one-stop option for instructors, this event will provide guidance and support as you retrofit your current courses to meet accessibility guidelines. Bring your course and we will bring the technical support (and snacks!!). Register at the link above! Location and precise times TBD.
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Accessibility Incubator Day 2
The UTLC and campus partners will offer a Course Retrofit Incubator May 22 -23, 2025. As a one-stop option for instructors, this event will provide guidance and support as you retrofit your current courses to meet accessibility guidelines. Bring your course and we will bring the technical support (and snacks!!). Register at the link above! Location and precise times TBD.
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TEACHING EVALUATION PILOT
UNCG is administering a pilot of a new teaching evaluation system. The pilot and the current system (Class Climate) will run in parallel for two years; when the Class Climate contract expires, administration will make a decision about which or neither system to keep.
Anthology uses research validated common questions, along with offering units the chance to add custom questions. It’s mobile friendly, which may increase response rates. You can see more information here: Evaluation of Teaching Pilot Project.pptx
If you are interested in participating in the Summer or Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 Cohorts, please click the button below to fill out the interest form.
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