Workshops to prep for fall semester; GenAI IQ check

The annual Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment fall semester kickoff focuses on existing and emerging contexts affecting higher education and university courses. This year the event offers both insight into summer working groups' response to legislative changes and practical strategies to improve course experience for ourselves and our students.

In addition, faculty who have completed Teaching@OHIO certifications will share their own Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research projects, implementation of experiential and AI-enhanced strategies. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with colleagues throughout the day.

Teaching through Transitions will take place Friday, Sept. 5, in Baker Center 240-242. The event officially begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m., but all are invited to coffee and an optional workshop on The Science of Learning at 10 a.m. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology and education, this workshop explores the cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of learning to develop effective teaching and learning strategies. 

Agenda

• 10 a.m.: Optional Learning Sciences Workshop
• 11 a.m.: Welcome
• 11:15 a.m.: Advance Ohio Higher Education Act Updates
• 12:15 a.m.: Teaching@OHIO Faculty Panel and Lunch
• 1:30 p.m.: Carnival of Workshops featuring mini-presentations on Fostering Engagement in Online Courses, Alternative Grading, Effective Use of Student Feedback, Assessment in Canvas, Promoting Critical Thinking, Designing Game-based Learning and more.
• 2:30 p.m.: Concluding Remarks and Conversation

Register for the Fall 2025 Kickoff: Teaching through Transitions.

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment will offer a number of activities and resources to assist faculty preparing for the fall semester. Workshops and sessions are offered via Teams to make it easy for faculty to attend. CTLA and partner events are regularly updated on the Upcoming Programs and Events web page.

FOR NEW (OR NEWER) FACULTY: Teaching@OHIO

9 to 11 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19

Join CTLA and Office of Instructional Design staff for a hands-on workshop and leave with concrete tools and a clear plan for a successful semester. In two hours, instructors will:

• Review important policies that apply to instructors at Ohio University.
• Articulate specific instructional strategies instructors can reinforce, refine or implement to support the academic success of their students.
• Align course activities, assignments and assessments with learning outcomes.

FOR ALL FACULTY: Ramp Up to Instruction

Ramp Up to Instruction offers OHIO instructors dedicated time to enhance their fall semester courses. Experts from CTLA and OID will provide an interactive teaching workshop delivered over three days. Participants will leave with a comprehensive plan to elevate course design and delivery. Ramp Up supports faculty to:

• Identify concrete strategies to increase student engagement.
• Design assignments and experiences to improve student learning outcomes.
• Ensure course activities, assignments, and assessments align with learning outcomes.
• Evaluate Canvas course sites to ensure they support student learning.

Ramp Up to Instruction will meet from 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20, through Friday, Aug. 22. Participants are welcome to register even if they are not available to attend all three days, and topics for each day will be previewed on day 1.

FOR ALL FACULTY: Documenting Teaching Excellence

9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 3

This learning session provides OHIO faculty with the tools and techniques to document teaching excellence. Teaching excellence at OHIO is described as well-designed, well-delivered, inclusive, learner-focused, reflective and evolving. Eight criteria -- preparation, engagement, inclusion, subject expertise, pedagogical competence, outcomes, improvement and adaptability/innovation – comprise the OHIO Teaching Excellence Framework.

According to the Ohio University Faculty Handbook (IV.A.8), faculty are expected to provide evidence of their teaching effectiveness using one or more of the teaching excellence criteria and multiple sources of evidence. This learning session supports instructors to:

• Recognize the six descriptors and eight criteria of Teaching Excellence at OHIO.
• Identify possible sources of evidence.
• Map potential sources of evidence to one or more of the eight criteria.
• Create an individual plan to systematically document and report evidence of teaching effectiveness.

Instructors preparing their courses for the fall semester may want to ask themselves if they feel prepared to encounter the most recent developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in their classrooms.

Generally, instructors may want to assess their GenAI I.Q. by answering the following questions:

• Did you know the CTLA has a dynamic and evolving position statement on GenAI and teaching and learning? If not, you may want to give it a quick (or preferably a full) review. Eight principles underscore a sophisticated framework for thinking about AI.
• Does your course policy on AI use reflect your teaching philosophy and the advent of the newest versions of AI? If not, check out some policies that may assist in sculpting your own.
• Have you considered how AI might support your own teaching efficiencies, serve to support personalization of student learning or enhance your instructional strategies? If not, you are invited to join the CTLA Asynchronous AI in Teaching and Learning Institute. The first 80 full-time faculty who complete the modules receive $250, and those who implement practices and share their assessment and evaluation as models/case studies receive another $250.
• Whom would you consult regarding AI and teaching and learning? The CTLA faculty fellows have been thinking deeply about this topic and presenting their research and implementation over the last 18 months. They will present workshops and sessions throughout the academic year, and you can read about their work in national news outlets. 

In this session participants will review the process for developing a classroom research project into a submission to a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) conference or journal. The session will be interactive and provide opportunities for individual and group work (via breakout rooms, etc.). Those who are new to classroom research, as well as more experienced SoTL practitioners, are welcome to participate in this learning experience. A “care package” of resources for developing SoTL projects will be included.

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define scholarly teaching and SoTL.
• Describe the steps in the SoTL process.
• Identify an area of interest for developing a SoTL submission.
• Describe criteria for publishable projects.
• Access resources for support.

Microsoft Education is replacing its Teams Meetings and Teams Classes integrations with a new Microsoft Education integration before the start of fall courses. To avoid any inactive Teams links in your course, please wait until after August 15 to set up Microsoft tools or enable Microsoft Sync in your courses. 

• After Aug. 15: The new Microsoft Education app will be available in your Canvas course menu.
• Aug. 22: The old Teams integrations will be removed from Canvas.
• Sept. 15: The old integrations will be officially retired by Microsoft.

OIT will post a notice in Canvas when the new integration is live and provide a link to updated help materials. For one-on-one help with the new setup, you can also schedule a consultation with an instructional technologist.

Join the Aug. 19 Teaching and Learning Advisory Community meeting to learn more. 

Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
View this email online.

Ohio University 101 McGuffey Hall, 39 University Terrace | Athens, OH 45701 US

This email was sent to .

Visit www.ohio.edu/equity-civil-rights for Ohio University's Title IX Coordinator contact information and Notice of Non-Discrimination. ©2025 Ohio University. All rights reserved.