We found 412 results that contain "instructors"
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Instructor/Academic Advisor Partnerships for Success and Thriving in College
This playlist includes videos and resources for both the advisor-facing and instructor facing versions of the Teaching Center workshop focused on partnerships between advisors and instructors to support student thriving.
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Posted on: #iteachmsu
A "Complete" Guide to Writing Syllabi: A Constant Cycle
The syllabus in a college class serves as the first impression between a course and its students. It often wears many hats acting as: a schedule, list of rules, summary of course policies, semi-grading rubric, and various other roles depending on its author. Due to the heavy lifting it provides to a course and its structure a plethora of research has been conducted on its value, and Universities often hold seminars each year on the process of creating and drafting syllabi for their staff. To understand how students and instructors view the role of syllabi in the classroom authors Gauthier, Banner, And Winer attempt introduce a framework in their piece: “What is the syllabus for? Revealing tensions through a scoping review of syllabus uses”
In it, they identify nine interconnected uses which are then categorized into three primary purposes or tools: an Administrative Tool, a Learning Tool, and a Teaching Tool. The goal of this project is to take their writing and configure the information into a writing guide to help instructors write/develop/improve their own syllabi for their own courses. While this may appear as though this is designed as a developmental tool (because in part, it is), it is my goal that this project truly captures the necessity of treating the creation of syllabus as a fluid, recursive and reflective process. As we develop as instructors, and the student bodies we teach change through the times, so must our syllabi change with it.
In it, they identify nine interconnected uses which are then categorized into three primary purposes or tools: an Administrative Tool, a Learning Tool, and a Teaching Tool. The goal of this project is to take their writing and configure the information into a writing guide to help instructors write/develop/improve their own syllabi for their own courses. While this may appear as though this is designed as a developmental tool (because in part, it is), it is my goal that this project truly captures the necessity of treating the creation of syllabus as a fluid, recursive and reflective process. As we develop as instructors, and the student bodies we teach change through the times, so must our syllabi change with it.
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: GenAI & Education
Using AI in Teaching & Learning
Resources for exploring the use of AI, and specifically large language models similar to ChatGPT, in teaching and learning. This is inclusive of its uses for instructors (e.g., lesson planning, rubric generation, etc.) and for students (e.g., writing assignments, comparison exercises, etc.)
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Semester Start Roadmap
This is a collection of resources aimed at supporting instructors as they prepare for the start of the semester. Each section of the playlist contains a short list of articles on discrete topics to support your semester preparation. Photo by "delfi de la Rua" on Unsplash.
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Posted on: GenAI & Education
Generative AI Syllabus Guide
A good portion of your students will likely use AI to some extent this semester, so plan accordingly. Many students are aware of generative AI, and at least some of them will use these tools for their course work. Critically considering your course design in the context of generative AI is an important educator practice.
The following MSU-specifics should be used to inform your decisions...
Overall guidance: We collectively share the responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. These are core principles that may be compromised by the misuse of GenAI tools, particularly when GenAI-generated content is presented as original, human-created work.
Permitted uses in Teaching & Learning: Instructors are expected to establish a course-specific guidance that defines the appropriate and inappropriate use of GenAI tools.
Students may only use GenAI tools to support their coursework in ways explicitly permitted by the instructor.
Non-permissible uses:
Do not Use GenAI to deliberately fabricate, falsify, impersonate, or mislead, unless explicitly approved for instruction or research in a controlled environment.
Do not Record or process sensitive, confidential, or regulated information with
non-MSU GenAI tools.
Do not Enter FERPA-protected student records, PII, PHI, financial, or HR data into unapproved tools; comply with MSU’s data policy and all regulations.
Do not Use export-controlled data or CUI with GenAI tools unless approved for MSU’s Regulated Research Enclave (RRE).
The following MSU-specifics should be used to inform your decisions...
Overall guidance: We collectively share the responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. These are core principles that may be compromised by the misuse of GenAI tools, particularly when GenAI-generated content is presented as original, human-created work.
Permitted uses in Teaching & Learning: Instructors are expected to establish a course-specific guidance that defines the appropriate and inappropriate use of GenAI tools.
Students may only use GenAI tools to support their coursework in ways explicitly permitted by the instructor.
Non-permissible uses:
Do not Use GenAI to deliberately fabricate, falsify, impersonate, or mislead, unless explicitly approved for instruction or research in a controlled environment.
Do not Record or process sensitive, confidential, or regulated information with
non-MSU GenAI tools.
Do not Enter FERPA-protected student records, PII, PHI, financial, or HR data into unapproved tools; comply with MSU’s data policy and all regulations.
Do not Use export-controlled data or CUI with GenAI tools unless approved for MSU’s Regulated Research Enclave (RRE).
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Instructor Jumpstart
The CTLI offered two Instructor Jumpstart workshop sessions for MSU’s New Faculty and Academic Staff Orientation in patnership with the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development. These hybrid workshops were led by Ellie Louson and Teaching Center director Jeremy Van Hof. Jumpstart is a two-part introduction to high-level topics related to quality, inclusive teaching at Michigan State University and was part of our Semester Start-Up programming for MSU educators. We covered topics such as:
Setting the Tone from the Start
Syllabus Considerations
Engaging Students in the Classroom
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Collaborating w/ GTAs and ULAs
Inclusive Teaching and Pedagogy
Building a (personal) Teaching & Learning Network
MSU’s Early Warning System for Students (EASE)
Available Campus Resources
The takeaways from these sessions were:
There are actions you can take to intentionally build a learning environment & culture in your class.
Think about your syllabus as a learning tool and an agreement within your classroom community.
Actively engaging learners with simple practices can improve course outcomes and help support the tone you’ve set.
MSU educators enjoy both rights and responsibilities in their teaching, research, and outreach/creative activities
Think of your work with GTAs/ULAs as a partnership, be aware of power dynamics, and use the Graduate School for GTA guidance and the CTLI for ULA guidance.
There are benefits to students and instructors when courses are designed inclusively, and educators have specific responsibilities to create accessible courses and resources for students.
We recommend that educators new to MSU connect with colleagues and build their personal teaching & learning network
EASE reports are an early-warning system to help colleges identify absent or disengaged students for potential interventions and support early in the semester.
MSU has lots of resources available to help support you and your students.
You can access the single slide deck for both sessions of Jumpstart here [requires a MSU login]. The slides include links to many MSU resources for course instructors. We also heard from participants that the CTLI's new Classroom Scenarios Sample Responses could be valuable in the classroom to help respond to and/or de-escalate distracting or disruptive classroom situations.Feel free to reach out to Ellie Louson or Jeremy Van Hof if you have any questions about New Instructor Jumpstart or the topics described above.Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
Setting the Tone from the Start
Syllabus Considerations
Engaging Students in the Classroom
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Collaborating w/ GTAs and ULAs
Inclusive Teaching and Pedagogy
Building a (personal) Teaching & Learning Network
MSU’s Early Warning System for Students (EASE)
Available Campus Resources
The takeaways from these sessions were:
There are actions you can take to intentionally build a learning environment & culture in your class.
Think about your syllabus as a learning tool and an agreement within your classroom community.
Actively engaging learners with simple practices can improve course outcomes and help support the tone you’ve set.
MSU educators enjoy both rights and responsibilities in their teaching, research, and outreach/creative activities
Think of your work with GTAs/ULAs as a partnership, be aware of power dynamics, and use the Graduate School for GTA guidance and the CTLI for ULA guidance.
There are benefits to students and instructors when courses are designed inclusively, and educators have specific responsibilities to create accessible courses and resources for students.
We recommend that educators new to MSU connect with colleagues and build their personal teaching & learning network
EASE reports are an early-warning system to help colleges identify absent or disengaged students for potential interventions and support early in the semester.
MSU has lots of resources available to help support you and your students.
You can access the single slide deck for both sessions of Jumpstart here [requires a MSU login]. The slides include links to many MSU resources for course instructors. We also heard from participants that the CTLI's new Classroom Scenarios Sample Responses could be valuable in the classroom to help respond to and/or de-escalate distracting or disruptive classroom situations.Feel free to reach out to Ellie Louson or Jeremy Van Hof if you have any questions about New Instructor Jumpstart or the topics described above.Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
Authored by: Ellie Louson
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Recruiting blended instructors
MSU's Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative (EDLI) has received a National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education grant to support research aiming to improve student learning outcomes and equity in blended online and in-person courses. As part of the study, we are seeking instructors interested in or already implementing blended undergraduate courses to participate for one or more semesters between Spring 2024 - Fall 2025.
What counts as “blended”?
Courses where the contact hours incorporate a mix of in-person and online (synchronous or asynchronous) instruction will likely qualify, including those where the course is offered fully in person but students are able to attend via Zoom. Fully online courses or in–person courses with online assignments (that are not part of the credit contact hours) will not qualify.
We ask that instructors:
Participate in professional development with other blended course instructors, including:
Kick-off meeting/workshop with one-on-one consultations
Online learning community throughout the semester
Facilitate data collection, including:
A course observation
A one-hour instructor interview
Dissemination of two student surveys and consent/recruitment materials
Tracking student attendance and the modality of student attendance
Instructors will receive:
Technical and pedagogical assistance through the professional development and learning community
$1000 overload stipend per semester (up to 4 semesters from Spring 2024 - Fall 2025)
Potential funding for undergraduate learning assistants
Priority given to STEM courses that feature in-person class sessions with synchronous Zoom sessions for online students
To learn more or participate:
Email Dr. Caitlin Kirby, kirbycai@msu.edu; or follow this link to our recruitment survey.
What counts as “blended”?
Courses where the contact hours incorporate a mix of in-person and online (synchronous or asynchronous) instruction will likely qualify, including those where the course is offered fully in person but students are able to attend via Zoom. Fully online courses or in–person courses with online assignments (that are not part of the credit contact hours) will not qualify.
We ask that instructors:
Participate in professional development with other blended course instructors, including:
Kick-off meeting/workshop with one-on-one consultations
Online learning community throughout the semester
Facilitate data collection, including:
A course observation
A one-hour instructor interview
Dissemination of two student surveys and consent/recruitment materials
Tracking student attendance and the modality of student attendance
Instructors will receive:
Technical and pedagogical assistance through the professional development and learning community
$1000 overload stipend per semester (up to 4 semesters from Spring 2024 - Fall 2025)
Potential funding for undergraduate learning assistants
Priority given to STEM courses that feature in-person class sessions with synchronous Zoom sessions for online students
To learn more or participate:
Email Dr. Caitlin Kirby, kirbycai@msu.edu; or follow this link to our recruitment survey.
Authored by: Caitlin Kirby
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Instructor Systems & Resources
Instructors linked to a course will have access to:
Academic dishonesty report
Academic progress reports
Grade submission and changes
Grade upload feature
Class list information including “email the class” and “exam cover sheet” functionality
Textbook and course material entry
Even if you are not assigning any materials, please go into the system and indicate that there are no assigned materials.
To submit textbook information, go to the Instructor Systems menu on the Office of the Registrar website, and select ‘Textbook and Material Entry/Update.’ If you do not see your class(es) listed, please contact the department offering the course.
Other Resources are also available at the Registrar's Office:
Enrollment reports and other data
Academic Programs Catalog
Academic calendars and final exam schedules
University Curriculum and Catalog
Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash
Academic dishonesty report
Academic progress reports
Grade submission and changes
Grade upload feature
Class list information including “email the class” and “exam cover sheet” functionality
Textbook and course material entry
Even if you are not assigning any materials, please go into the system and indicate that there are no assigned materials.
To submit textbook information, go to the Instructor Systems menu on the Office of the Registrar website, and select ‘Textbook and Material Entry/Update.’ If you do not see your class(es) listed, please contact the department offering the course.
Other Resources are also available at the Registrar's Office:
Enrollment reports and other data
Academic Programs Catalog
Academic calendars and final exam schedules
University Curriculum and Catalog
Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash
Posted by: Makena Neal
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Educator Book Discussion: "What Inclusive Instructors Do"
The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation and educators discussed the title “What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching” By Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, Mallory SoRelle (published by Routledge in 2021) on 11/2/23. This title is available in print at the MSU Main Library (Call Number: LB2331 .A34 2021) or as an eBook (via ProQuest EBook Central).
If you missed the discussion or want to continue your reflection, in addition to the great reflection questions incorporated in each chapter of the book, here are the prompts we used for our discussion:
The book defines inclusive instructors as the “literal embodiment of inclusion. Inclusive instructors generate spaces through their scholarship, service, mentorship, teaching, activism, and their very selves. To be an inclusive instructor is to critique and challenge traditions, systems and structures that were constructed to exclude and marginalize”.Is this aspirational or achievable? How / what would you add or change in the definition of an inclusive instructor?
What are you currently doing to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments? How do you incorporate inclusivity in the beginning, middle, and end of the course? How do these things create and support educational equity and belonging?
The book talks about the importance of growth mindset in this work. That as humans we never "fully arrive". How do you (currently or aspire to) continue your learning and development journey in this area?
In your opinion, how can educators measure the effectiveness of their inclusive teaching practices? What indicators or assessment tools can help them gauge the impact of their efforts? The naming and framing of this work is important. How can/do you tell the story of your inclusive educator practices?
The group had a conversation rich with activities and resources. Here are a few of the items that came up:
Resources:
Microvalidations
Power Wheel
OFASD Learning Communities
Practices and ideas from the group:
smaller assessments give students feedback on a limited amount of knowledge and they’re less likely to forget everything after the midterm
removed all grades related to "participation" or attendance
1 min check outs (What rocked today? What sucked today?)
Break large exams into the smallest chunks for learning assessments… this allows educators to demonstrate flexibility in large courses
“made a mistake and I had total points of 105 - rather than correcting it, it gave students some room to miss deadlines on some of discussion forums”
small-group exams
“I have my quizzes open Monday and close Friday each week, and they can take as many times as they want while it is open - I still have students who don’t do them, so they will typically use the drops”
“I've been offering flexibility in assignment format. Granted, I teach small grad-level courses so this might not work for larger undergrad courses. But I give students the option to do a traditional academic paper, powerpoint presentation with recorded narrative, or if they have other ideas I ask them to meet with me to talk it through.”
If you’d like to nominate a title for a future CTLI book discussion and/or volunteer to co-facilitate a discussion, please reach out to Makena Neal at mneal@msu.eduCover-photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
If you missed the discussion or want to continue your reflection, in addition to the great reflection questions incorporated in each chapter of the book, here are the prompts we used for our discussion:
The book defines inclusive instructors as the “literal embodiment of inclusion. Inclusive instructors generate spaces through their scholarship, service, mentorship, teaching, activism, and their very selves. To be an inclusive instructor is to critique and challenge traditions, systems and structures that were constructed to exclude and marginalize”.Is this aspirational or achievable? How / what would you add or change in the definition of an inclusive instructor?
What are you currently doing to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments? How do you incorporate inclusivity in the beginning, middle, and end of the course? How do these things create and support educational equity and belonging?
The book talks about the importance of growth mindset in this work. That as humans we never "fully arrive". How do you (currently or aspire to) continue your learning and development journey in this area?
In your opinion, how can educators measure the effectiveness of their inclusive teaching practices? What indicators or assessment tools can help them gauge the impact of their efforts? The naming and framing of this work is important. How can/do you tell the story of your inclusive educator practices?
The group had a conversation rich with activities and resources. Here are a few of the items that came up:
Resources:
Microvalidations
Power Wheel
OFASD Learning Communities
Practices and ideas from the group:
smaller assessments give students feedback on a limited amount of knowledge and they’re less likely to forget everything after the midterm
removed all grades related to "participation" or attendance
1 min check outs (What rocked today? What sucked today?)
Break large exams into the smallest chunks for learning assessments… this allows educators to demonstrate flexibility in large courses
“made a mistake and I had total points of 105 - rather than correcting it, it gave students some room to miss deadlines on some of discussion forums”
small-group exams
“I have my quizzes open Monday and close Friday each week, and they can take as many times as they want while it is open - I still have students who don’t do them, so they will typically use the drops”
“I've been offering flexibility in assignment format. Granted, I teach small grad-level courses so this might not work for larger undergrad courses. But I give students the option to do a traditional academic paper, powerpoint presentation with recorded narrative, or if they have other ideas I ask them to meet with me to talk it through.”
If you’d like to nominate a title for a future CTLI book discussion and/or volunteer to co-facilitate a discussion, please reach out to Makena Neal at mneal@msu.eduCover-photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Authored by: Makena Neal & Monaca Eaton
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Way #1: Examples for Establishing the Instructor’s Presence
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
In How to Build an Online Learning Community (In 2020) https://www.learnworlds.com/build-online-learning-community/ via @learnworlds
Way #1: Establishing the Instructor’s Presence
Convey a sense of enthusiasm about getting started the course.
Personalize and provide some touchstones about yourself and encourage learners to do the same.
Indicate your availability for questions and communications.
Don’t forget that your initial postings in the discussion forum, your first messages sent to all by email, or the greeting you post on your course home page will do much to set the tone and expectations for your course.
Putting this into practice
There are several ways that this can be accomplished in your course. Here are some examples:
Posting an Introduction post in the course via text or video. It's important to show your class that you are a real person. You can do this by including images of yourself and by sharing aspects of your background and particular interest in the subject that you are teaching. Your introduction post is also a great place to share your expectations about the course, important dates, setting expectations for feedback.
Video is a good tool creating an instructor pressence online. Creating an Introduction video segments, using video to introduce the course content for each week, and using weekly videos to questions arise or address patterns.
Tools
Kaltura Capture is a quick easy way to record and upload video into Kaltura MediaSpace. From there the videos can easily be embeded into your D2L course.
Creating Content in D2L
You can embed video and images into your Introductory posts on D2L. The following video will demonstrate how to embed additional media from the Insert Stuff icon.
As a result of the Kaltura MediaSpace intergration in D2L, you can access all of the videos that you have uploaded into Kaltura Media from the Insert Stuff icon. Just look for the My Media Link. Check out the screen shot below:
In How to Build an Online Learning Community (In 2020) https://www.learnworlds.com/build-online-learning-community/ via @learnworlds
Way #1: Establishing the Instructor’s Presence
Convey a sense of enthusiasm about getting started the course.
Personalize and provide some touchstones about yourself and encourage learners to do the same.
Indicate your availability for questions and communications.
Don’t forget that your initial postings in the discussion forum, your first messages sent to all by email, or the greeting you post on your course home page will do much to set the tone and expectations for your course.
Putting this into practice
There are several ways that this can be accomplished in your course. Here are some examples:
Posting an Introduction post in the course via text or video. It's important to show your class that you are a real person. You can do this by including images of yourself and by sharing aspects of your background and particular interest in the subject that you are teaching. Your introduction post is also a great place to share your expectations about the course, important dates, setting expectations for feedback.
Video is a good tool creating an instructor pressence online. Creating an Introduction video segments, using video to introduce the course content for each week, and using weekly videos to questions arise or address patterns.
Tools
Kaltura Capture is a quick easy way to record and upload video into Kaltura MediaSpace. From there the videos can easily be embeded into your D2L course.
Creating Content in D2L
You can embed video and images into your Introductory posts on D2L. The following video will demonstrate how to embed additional media from the Insert Stuff icon.
As a result of the Kaltura MediaSpace intergration in D2L, you can access all of the videos that you have uploaded into Kaltura Media from the Insert Stuff icon. Just look for the My Media Link. Check out the screen shot below:
Authored by: Rashad Muhammad
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Advisor/Instructor Partnerships Workshop (for mixed audience)
The CTLI offers a workshop about the potential benefits and suggested tactics for strengthening partnerships between academic advisors and course instructors, designed by educational developers Katie Peterson and Ellie Louson. This version is designed for a mixed audience of advisors and course instructors. Prior versions are available for specific audiences of advisors and instructors. A recording of the 1-hour workshop is below.Our goals for this workshop:
Understand how to develop stronger partnerships between course instructors and advisors.
Recognize key calendar milestones for impactful interactions between course instructors and advisors.
Learn how advisors and instructors can work together towards student success.
Identify actionable first steps for initiating collaboration.
Access our presentation slides by clicking here.Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Understand how to develop stronger partnerships between course instructors and advisors.
Recognize key calendar milestones for impactful interactions between course instructors and advisors.
Learn how advisors and instructors can work together towards student success.
Identify actionable first steps for initiating collaboration.
Access our presentation slides by clicking here.Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Authored by: Ellie Louson
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Instructors Experiences Supporting Three-Dimensional Learning at MSU
Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Melanie Cooper, Cori Fata-Hartley
Abstract:
Over the last 7 years, the STEM Teaching and Learning Fellowship at MSU has provided 4 cohorts of faculty with exposure to Three-Dimensional Learning (3DL), a new framework for teaching and learning, along with regular meetings to develop assessments and instructional materials, discuss education research, and become part of a growing interdisciplinary community of faculty committed to improving STEM education. While these activities were intended to lay a foundation, instructors’ personal attitudes, priorities, and behaviors in the context of their classes clearly play an important role in determining their students’ potential to benefit from research-based instructional strategies. In this panel discussion, alumni from the Fellowship will share personal stories as they describe their work to efficiently build assessments and instruction around the three dimensions of 3DL: Scientific Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. Supports and barriers to implementing 3DL will be considered, along with implications for future cohorts and specific recommendations for successful course transformation.
Presented by: Melanie Cooper, Cori Fata-Hartley
Abstract:
Over the last 7 years, the STEM Teaching and Learning Fellowship at MSU has provided 4 cohorts of faculty with exposure to Three-Dimensional Learning (3DL), a new framework for teaching and learning, along with regular meetings to develop assessments and instructional materials, discuss education research, and become part of a growing interdisciplinary community of faculty committed to improving STEM education. While these activities were intended to lay a foundation, instructors’ personal attitudes, priorities, and behaviors in the context of their classes clearly play an important role in determining their students’ potential to benefit from research-based instructional strategies. In this panel discussion, alumni from the Fellowship will share personal stories as they describe their work to efficiently build assessments and instruction around the three dimensions of 3DL: Scientific Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. Supports and barriers to implementing 3DL will be considered, along with implications for future cohorts and specific recommendations for successful course transformation.
Authored by: Melanie Cooper, Cori Fata-Hartley
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
SOIREE on Student to Instructor interactions & engagement
Fostering Student to Instructor Engagement Online
In a traditional face-to-face environment, this can be pretty straight forward. You lecture. Students take notes. They ask questions. You answer them. They write papers. You grade them and give feedback. But how does this interaction happen best online?
Four Keys
Students desire consistency and clarity. "What is due when? Where do I go in the course navigation? I'm confused, how do I gain clarity? Where are my grades?" There are ways in the online environment you can help mitigate these for a smooth learning experience.
A Little Work That Go A Long Way
Provide your contact information in your syllabus - Clarify to the student what your response policies are and when they might expect a response. This may include your email, phone number, online office hours, etc. This helps the student feel a sense of connection and commitment from you to them.
Create one solitary discussion thread called, "Assignment and Course Questions". In your syllabus and in your "Getting Started" module, coach the students to put all questions there. This allows you to answer one question to all and mitigates you answering similar questions many times. You can then answer one question to many. Saves you time and provides an answer to the student with the question as well as all students.
Weekly Recap/Vision. Students appreciate a quick recap and vision for each week to know where the course is heading. Creating a quick email and sending it through D2L every week helps the students feel connected to the course and to you. It also helps coach them on whether they are on track or not. You can also triple-publish this as an email, announcement and in your "Assignment and Course Questions" discussion thread. That way you know your students will see it. Consider going a step further and using your phone or computer to record a quick video recap and post it there.
Timely and Accurate Feedback. Students want and need feedback. You know this in your face-to-face courses. The same is true online. One way to provide this efficiently is through the use of rubrics. This provides students with real time feedback and saves a lot of time on your end with extended feedback. We can assist with creating these rubrics for your course and offer ways you can get quality feedback to your students quickly.
Dig Deeper
If you would like to further explore this topic, here are some resources you could check out:
Difference Between Face-to-Face and Online Lectures
Guides for Productive Online Conversations [PDF]
8 Ways to Be More Inclusive in Your Zoom Teaching
SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick
In a traditional face-to-face environment, this can be pretty straight forward. You lecture. Students take notes. They ask questions. You answer them. They write papers. You grade them and give feedback. But how does this interaction happen best online?
Four Keys
Students desire consistency and clarity. "What is due when? Where do I go in the course navigation? I'm confused, how do I gain clarity? Where are my grades?" There are ways in the online environment you can help mitigate these for a smooth learning experience.
A Little Work That Go A Long Way
Provide your contact information in your syllabus - Clarify to the student what your response policies are and when they might expect a response. This may include your email, phone number, online office hours, etc. This helps the student feel a sense of connection and commitment from you to them.
Create one solitary discussion thread called, "Assignment and Course Questions". In your syllabus and in your "Getting Started" module, coach the students to put all questions there. This allows you to answer one question to all and mitigates you answering similar questions many times. You can then answer one question to many. Saves you time and provides an answer to the student with the question as well as all students.
Weekly Recap/Vision. Students appreciate a quick recap and vision for each week to know where the course is heading. Creating a quick email and sending it through D2L every week helps the students feel connected to the course and to you. It also helps coach them on whether they are on track or not. You can also triple-publish this as an email, announcement and in your "Assignment and Course Questions" discussion thread. That way you know your students will see it. Consider going a step further and using your phone or computer to record a quick video recap and post it there.
Timely and Accurate Feedback. Students want and need feedback. You know this in your face-to-face courses. The same is true online. One way to provide this efficiently is through the use of rubrics. This provides students with real time feedback and saves a lot of time on your end with extended feedback. We can assist with creating these rubrics for your course and offer ways you can get quality feedback to your students quickly.
Dig Deeper
If you would like to further explore this topic, here are some resources you could check out:
Difference Between Face-to-Face and Online Lectures
Guides for Productive Online Conversations [PDF]
8 Ways to Be More Inclusive in Your Zoom Teaching
SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick
Authored by: SOIREE Team
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Applications are now open for the AT&T Excellence in Teaching with Technology Awards, which recognize effective uses of instructional technology to support student success in credit-bearing courses at MSU. Faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants can submit applications starting Sept. 1 through Oct. 28.
More info: https://attawards.msu.edu/
More info: https://attawards.msu.edu/
Posted by: Alicia Jenner
Posted on: #iteachmsu
The Office of the University Ombudsperson is hosting workshops on academic integrity for instructors in February!
“As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor in ownership is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.”
“As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor in ownership is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.”
Posted by: Makena Neal
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Final exam info for courses offering an exam
You may offer a final exam in your course during the semester's exam period, which is held following the last week of classes. Final exams are typically scheduled for the same day, time period, and room as the scheduled course, if possible. According to the MSU Code of Teaching Responsibility, course instructors must include the date and location of any final examination in the syllabus.
You can locate your course's final exam details on the MSU Office of the Registrar website https://reg.msu.edu, either under "Final Exams" within the Instructor Systems menu of the Faculty & Staff section or in the Schedule of Classes entry under the Enrollment & Registration section. Once logged in to Instructor Systems, you can select the semester and course to see your final exam details, as well as a link to correct any errors.
The Instructor Systems will also show you the names of any students with an exam conflict and/or who have three or more exams on the same day. You can encourage students in either situation to contact the Academic Student Affairs Office in their college for help managing conflicts or arranging for an alternate time; the MSU exam policy states that a student can't be required to take more than two exams in one day.
The full MSU final exam policy can be found here, with further details for scheduling exams in classes with different modalities, requesting a different room, the expectation that instructors will be accessible to students via office hours, and other aspects of exam week.
https://reg.msu.edu/roinfo/calendar/finalexam.aspx
You may offer a final exam in your course during the semester's exam period, which is held following the last week of classes. Final exams are typically scheduled for the same day, time period, and room as the scheduled course, if possible. According to the MSU Code of Teaching Responsibility, course instructors must include the date and location of any final examination in the syllabus.
You can locate your course's final exam details on the MSU Office of the Registrar website https://reg.msu.edu, either under "Final Exams" within the Instructor Systems menu of the Faculty & Staff section or in the Schedule of Classes entry under the Enrollment & Registration section. Once logged in to Instructor Systems, you can select the semester and course to see your final exam details, as well as a link to correct any errors.
The Instructor Systems will also show you the names of any students with an exam conflict and/or who have three or more exams on the same day. You can encourage students in either situation to contact the Academic Student Affairs Office in their college for help managing conflicts or arranging for an alternate time; the MSU exam policy states that a student can't be required to take more than two exams in one day.
The full MSU final exam policy can be found here, with further details for scheduling exams in classes with different modalities, requesting a different room, the expectation that instructors will be accessible to students via office hours, and other aspects of exam week.
https://reg.msu.edu/roinfo/calendar/finalexam.aspx
Posted by: Ellie Louson
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Here is a downloadable file of the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI) mid-semester feedback survey sample questions. You can also access the Google Doc here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bvWBucqNfRfc938QekLlealPf4XbIbBCg1Bz5UgwUjY/edit?usp=sharing
Please note that there are colleges and units across MSU's campus that are already offering support to their instructors in collecting formative feedback. This effort is to complement these services and make them accessible to the broader MSU instructor community. Feel free to use these questions verbatim, or tailor to best suit your course(s).
Please note that there are colleges and units across MSU's campus that are already offering support to their instructors in collecting formative feedback. This effort is to complement these services and make them accessible to the broader MSU instructor community. Feel free to use these questions verbatim, or tailor to best suit your course(s).
Posted by: Makena Neal
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Religious Observance at MSU
All members of the MSU community, including educators and students, are eligible to observe their religious beliefs. Designing your course schedule to avoid conflicts with major days of religious observance will reduce the need to resolve individual conflicts and will better reflect and serve MSU's diverse and multicultural community.
The Office of the Provost website maintains a religious observance calendar and FAQ page (https://provost.msu.edu/academic-resources/religious-observance-calendar with dates through 2026) for educators and students. Educators are encouraged to consult this calendar before scheduling exams, tests, and major assignments.
The full policy on religious observance, including instructors' responsibilities to accommodate students' religious observance as well as students' responsibility to inform instructors about potential conflicts, can be found https://reg.msu.edu/roinfo/notices/religiouspolicy.aspx here.
All members of the MSU community, including educators and students, are eligible to observe their religious beliefs. Designing your course schedule to avoid conflicts with major days of religious observance will reduce the need to resolve individual conflicts and will better reflect and serve MSU's diverse and multicultural community.
The Office of the Provost website maintains a religious observance calendar and FAQ page (https://provost.msu.edu/academic-resources/religious-observance-calendar with dates through 2026) for educators and students. Educators are encouraged to consult this calendar before scheduling exams, tests, and major assignments.
The full policy on religious observance, including instructors' responsibilities to accommodate students' religious observance as well as students' responsibility to inform instructors about potential conflicts, can be found https://reg.msu.edu/roinfo/notices/religiouspolicy.aspx here.
Posted by: Ellie Louson
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
"In the Eye of the Storm: Students’ Perceptions of Helpful Faculty Actions Following a Collective Tragedy"
by Therese A. Huston (Seattle University) & Michele DiPietro (Carnegie Mellon University) looks at the ways instructors respond following a tragedy, as well as student reactions to the variety of most common actions.
Abstract
On occasion, our campus communities are shaken by national tragedies such as hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or by local tragedies such as the murder of a faculty member or student. Because these are unusual circumstances, faculty are often initially confused about how to respond, and later have little or no sense of how effective their actions have been (DiPietro, 2003). This paper investigates the most common instructor responses following a tragedy and which of those responses students find most helpful. Implications for faculty and faculty developers are discussed.
by Therese A. Huston (Seattle University) & Michele DiPietro (Carnegie Mellon University) looks at the ways instructors respond following a tragedy, as well as student reactions to the variety of most common actions.
Abstract
On occasion, our campus communities are shaken by national tragedies such as hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or by local tragedies such as the murder of a faculty member or student. Because these are unusual circumstances, faculty are often initially confused about how to respond, and later have little or no sense of how effective their actions have been (DiPietro, 2003). This paper investigates the most common instructor responses following a tragedy and which of those responses students find most helpful. Implications for faculty and faculty developers are discussed.
Posted by: Makena Neal
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Hello and welcome all!
The 2024 Educator Developers Network (EDN) is shaking and baking, moving and quaking!
This is a collaborative space for anyone passionate about improving teaching through effective design, pedagogy, and technology, and anyone who provides training, consultation, instructional/learning experience design, or other learning and development support to instructors on campus. Here, anybody with an interest in enhancing education can come together, share their experiences, and mutually learn from one another. Our synchronous meetings are the 1st Tuesday of every month, were people share their department’s work, ask for advice, or celebrate success. We also communicate asynchronously in our Educator Developers Network channel.
The goals of the network are to provide a dedicated location for people to share ideas and ask questions around instructor support, learning and development, promoting useful practices and ideas to campus at large, foster community through regular meetings that highlight accomplishments and central services, and archiving and externalizing conversations. Our asynchronous discussions occur in Microsoft Teams, where we have an initial structure of channels for members to explore MSU’s Learning Management System (D2L - Brightspace), discuss course design, or seek out technology recommendations and tips. Ultimately, EDN is a place to source answers to your questions or ask for help, participate in the community, and share what you know with others!
Come share your work and ideas! Be part of a learning community with other professional in learning development, training, design, pedagogy, technology, and anyone who provides consultations and instructional/learning experience design. Come join the network!
Join the Educator Developers Network
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3ae51cb2ed28a14bee8346fa507cff42ad%40thread.skype/conversations?groupId=13506591-8eca-4a14-a674-69a08dfd6020&tenantId=22177130-642f-41d9-9211-74237ad5687d
The 2024 Educator Developers Network (EDN) is shaking and baking, moving and quaking!
This is a collaborative space for anyone passionate about improving teaching through effective design, pedagogy, and technology, and anyone who provides training, consultation, instructional/learning experience design, or other learning and development support to instructors on campus. Here, anybody with an interest in enhancing education can come together, share their experiences, and mutually learn from one another. Our synchronous meetings are the 1st Tuesday of every month, were people share their department’s work, ask for advice, or celebrate success. We also communicate asynchronously in our Educator Developers Network channel.
The goals of the network are to provide a dedicated location for people to share ideas and ask questions around instructor support, learning and development, promoting useful practices and ideas to campus at large, foster community through regular meetings that highlight accomplishments and central services, and archiving and externalizing conversations. Our asynchronous discussions occur in Microsoft Teams, where we have an initial structure of channels for members to explore MSU’s Learning Management System (D2L - Brightspace), discuss course design, or seek out technology recommendations and tips. Ultimately, EDN is a place to source answers to your questions or ask for help, participate in the community, and share what you know with others!
Come share your work and ideas! Be part of a learning community with other professional in learning development, training, design, pedagogy, technology, and anyone who provides consultations and instructional/learning experience design. Come join the network!
Join the Educator Developers Network
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3ae51cb2ed28a14bee8346fa507cff42ad%40thread.skype/conversations?groupId=13506591-8eca-4a14-a674-69a08dfd6020&tenantId=22177130-642f-41d9-9211-74237ad5687d
Posted by: KJ Downer Shojgreen
Posted on: GenAI & Education
AI Commons Bulletin 2/17/2025
📰 Chronicle of Higher Ed Launches AI Chatbot
The Chronicle of Higher Education has rolled out an AI-powered chatbot to help users navigate its vast archives and answer common higher ed questions. While details on its training data and accuracy are limited, this marks another step in AI’s growing role in academic media.
Learn More: https://www.chronicle.com/chron-faq
📕 New Book on AI and HE explores The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The good: AI is here to stay, so let’s make it work for students.
The bad: Convenience comes at the cost of deeper intellectual labor.
The ugly: AI risks shaping a culture of compliance—where decisions are guided by systems without consciousness or accountability.
Learn More: Pulk, K., & Koris, R. (Eds.). (2025). Generative AI in Higher Education. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
❓ If You Teach AI Literacy, Don’t Forget to Assess the RAG as Well as the LLM
When LLMs use retrieval augmented generation (RAG), they can give more trustworthy responses. What does that mean? Ni and colleagues (2025) evaluate rages, using NIST’s list of essentials:
Reliability
Privacy
Explainability
Fairness
Accountability
Safety
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035326020
🤖 On the Horizon: More and More Automated Instruction, Less Faculty?
We should think critically before it’s too late. A study found students using an AI course tutor performed as well and were as satisfied as those in instructor-led courses. As publishers integrate AI tutors, instructors may rely on them more, reducing direct teaching.
Learn More: Chun et al (2025). A Comparative Analysis of On-Device AI-Driven, Self-Regulated Learning and Traditional Pedagogy in University Health Sciences Education. Applied Sciences, 15(4), Article 4.
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
📰 Chronicle of Higher Ed Launches AI Chatbot
The Chronicle of Higher Education has rolled out an AI-powered chatbot to help users navigate its vast archives and answer common higher ed questions. While details on its training data and accuracy are limited, this marks another step in AI’s growing role in academic media.
Learn More: https://www.chronicle.com/chron-faq
📕 New Book on AI and HE explores The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The good: AI is here to stay, so let’s make it work for students.
The bad: Convenience comes at the cost of deeper intellectual labor.
The ugly: AI risks shaping a culture of compliance—where decisions are guided by systems without consciousness or accountability.
Learn More: Pulk, K., & Koris, R. (Eds.). (2025). Generative AI in Higher Education. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
❓ If You Teach AI Literacy, Don’t Forget to Assess the RAG as Well as the LLM
When LLMs use retrieval augmented generation (RAG), they can give more trustworthy responses. What does that mean? Ni and colleagues (2025) evaluate rages, using NIST’s list of essentials:
Reliability
Privacy
Explainability
Fairness
Accountability
Safety
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035326020
🤖 On the Horizon: More and More Automated Instruction, Less Faculty?
We should think critically before it’s too late. A study found students using an AI course tutor performed as well and were as satisfied as those in instructor-led courses. As publishers integrate AI tutors, instructors may rely on them more, reducing direct teaching.
Learn More: Chun et al (2025). A Comparative Analysis of On-Device AI-Driven, Self-Regulated Learning and Traditional Pedagogy in University Health Sciences Education. Applied Sciences, 15(4), Article 4.
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Posted by: Sarah Freye
Host: CTLI
Setting the Tone from the Start
The way a course begins is crucial for educators to establish an environment that fosters engagement, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. Join us for a one-hour hybrid workshop where Educator Developers with MSU's Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation will share actionable strategies that lay the groundwork for an engaging and inclusive course experience from day one including items related to syllabi, expectation setting and pedagogical transparency, checking in on learner needs throughout the term, and way to build a sense of classroom community.
In this workshop, we'll delve into practical techniques and approaches educators can employ to create a welcoming and motivating atmosphere that resonates with learners. The content in this workshop will be primarily targeted to classroom instructors and settings, but tools and strategies are relevant for adaptation and use by any educator in any context. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just embarking on your teaching journey this academic year, "Setting the Tone from the Start" is designed to equip you with actionable insights that will make a difference in your classroom.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
learn how to craft an engaging and purposeful course introduction that communicates the course's relevance, objectives, and expectations
discover techniques for fostering an inclusive and supportive learning community, understanding how to encourage peer connections and embrace diverse viewpoints
be equipped with a range of interactive strategies, including icebreakers and technology tools, to effectively engage students and cultivate an active learning environment that persists throughout the course duration.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207. For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page..
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
Instructor Jumpstart: Part 2
Join the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI)- in partnership with the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development (OFASD)- for a two part introduction to high-level topics related to quality, inclusive teaching at Michigan State University. Each session in “Instructor Jumpstart” is a one-hour, hybrid, presentation, co-facilitated by Drs. Makena Neal and Ellie Louson.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
participants will be able to identify key principles of quality and inclusive teaching practices at MSU
participants will recognize core strategies for creating an engaging and equitable learning environment
participants will describe foundational concepts related to effective instructional design and inclusive pedagogy.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207. For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
Instructor Jumpstart: Part 1
Join the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI)- in partnership with the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development (OFASD)- for a two part introduction to high-level topics related to quality, inclusive teaching at Michigan State University. Each session in “Instructor Jumpstart” is a one-hour, hybrid, presentation, co-facilitated by Drs. Makena Neal and Ellie Louson.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
participants will be able to identify key principles of quality and inclusive teaching practices at MSU
participants will recognize core strategies for creating an engaging and equitable learning environment
participants will describe foundational concepts related to effective instructional design and inclusive pedagogy.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207. For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED