Workshops for Digital Learning Excellence

Bring the Growth Mindset of a Sports Coach to the Classroom: A Workshop on Teaching Critical Thinking

Presenter: Patrick Hong, Engineering

In this workshop, we will explore strategies for integrating critical thinking into your teaching practice, much like a sports coach incorporates it into their team’s training. By focusing on critical thinking skills and digital tools like ChatGPT, Poll Everywhere, Wordwall, etc., instructors can help students become more analytical and independent lifelong learners and increase engagement in their classrooms.

Embedding Digital Literacy Across Disciplines

Presenter: Brandon Golob, Criminology, Law & Society

Digital literacy is a crucial competency for our students. In this workshop, we will explore the foundations of digital literacy, why it matters for student learning, and how to embed it in assessments. Regardless of discipline-specific goals, promoting digital literacy is beneficial for our students, ourselves, and our society at large.

Introduction to Exam Digitization and Converting a Scantron-based Exam Online using Gradescope Bubble Sheets

Presenters: Megan Linos, Director of LX Design and Online Education, Constance Huang, Interim Director, Academic Testing Center, Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer, DTEI

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is hosting a workshop series on Exam Digitization and Grading using tools like Canvas and Gradescope to support the assessment delivery and grading process. In this workshop, we will introduce exam digitization and grading options, and demonstrate how a digitization process can alleviate common issues with paper assessments and grading. The representative of the Academic Testing Center (ATC) will also share an update about ATC services. Finally, the participants will learn how to digitize the traditional scantron exam efficiently using Gradescope Bubble Sheets.

Digital Tools for Student Engagement: Innovative Content Creation & Delivery

Presenter: Barry Goldenberg, Education

Tired of PowerPoint presentations? Want to explore another way to deliver your lecture content? Wish you had a presentation platform to “jump around” on instead of linear slides? In this workshop we will introduce the use of Prezi, a non-linear presentation platform that allows for the creation of dynamic, colorful, and engaging presentations that encourages student interaction with course content. This workshop will explore the unique features and uses of Prezi through real examples, followed by a walkthrough of how to get started in designing your own presentation on the platform. 

We encourage you to bring a laptop to get the most out of this hands-on workshop!

Setting up Take-Home Exams and Assignments for Online Submission

Presenters: Jennifer Wong-Ma, Information & Computer Sciences, Ana Garcia Vedrenne, Biological Sciences

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is hosting a workshop series on Exam Digitization and Grading using tools like Canvas and Gradescope to support the assessment delivery and grading process. In this workshop, we will explore different options to deliver take-home exams/assignments for students to submit their work online through Canvas Assignments or Gradescope Homework/Problem Set. Faculty guest speakers will also demonstrate how they save time and effort to deliver, grade, and manage student work using these online tools.

Fully Digitizing Exams using Online Quizzing Tools

Presenters: Brigitte Baldi, Statistics, Rachael Barry, Biological Sciences

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is hosting a workshop series on Exam Digitization and Grading using tools like Canvas and Gradescope to support the assessment delivery and grading process. In this workshop, we will discuss the benefits and compare the pros and cons of creating online assessments using Canvas Quizzes and Gradescope. Faculty guest speakers will share how they use these tools to deliver, grade, and manage exams online. The participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, engage in peer discussions, explore the latest trends, and learn the best practices to stay ahead of the curve.

Digital Grading of Paper-Based Assessments to Improve Teaching Efficiency

Presenters: Brigitte Baldi, Statistics, Natalia Chernyshoff, Social Sciences

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is hosting a workshop series on Exam Digitization and Grading using tools like Canvas and Gradescope to support the assessment delivery and grading process. In this workshop, we will examine how instructors can deliver a paper-based assessment in the classroom but grade them online efficiently. Faculty guest speakers will present how they currently use Gradescope Exams to upload student exams and use Gradescope’s rubrics to facilitate consistent grading and feedback.

Want Your Students to be More Engaged in Learning? Teach Like a Coach

Presenters: Patrick Hong, Engineering

Instead of thinking our jobs as instructors are to dissimulate knowledge and assess retention, what about considering our roles more like coaches in sports? We provide foundational knowledge as guidance in the huddle (lectures). During practice (most of the class time), we stand on the sidelines and cheer them on as they help each other and apply the knowledge through constructive failures. After repeated practice, we watch them able to make decisions on their own at game time when it counts (final assignments), adapting to new, never-seen-before conditions. All this is active learning! Come to the workshop to learn best practices from different instructors across different disciplines and class sizes on how active learning can be implemented with various digital technologies.

Building Class Community in Various Instructional Modalities

Presenter: Brandon Golob, Criminology, Law & Society

In this workshop, we will explore different practices and activities for helping students connect to course material and each other to cultivate class community regardless of instructional modality.

We encourage you to bring a laptop to get the most out of this active workshop!

Digital Tools for Student Engagement: Classroom Learning & Collaboration

Presenter: Barry Goldenberg, Education

Tired of the usual think-pair-share activity? This workshop will present two digital tools that engage students in collaborative ways and promote shared thinking and active interaction with course content. This workshop will cover the What, Why and How of Padlet & Mentimeter, including best practices and effective methods of implementation.

We encourage you to bring a laptop to get the most out of this hands-on workshop!

Canvas Course Design Workshop

Presenter: Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer, DTEI

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) hosts a Canvas Bootcamp Workshop to assist faculty in designing Canvas courses in preparation for teaching in Winter 2023. This workshop will discuss best practices in course structure and design, do’s and don’ts and accessibility considerations. Participants will have the opportunity to work with DTEI instructional designers to get started in transforming a Canvas course space to enhance the student learning experience.

Please join one of the two following Canvas course design workshops:

• Thursday, December 08, 2022 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM on Zoom
• Friday, December 09, 2022, from 10 AM to 11:30 AM on Zoom

They’re Not Just Guest Speakers: Integrating the Best of the UC System and Beyond

Presenters: Janet DiVincenzo, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Paul Piff, Associate Professor, Psychological Science

In this workshop, participants will learn some best practices for integrating  contributions from faculty across the UC system and beyond to create a vibrant and highly engaging multi-disciplinary online course. The discussion will touch on topics such as visual branding, the project management of multiple contributors, and the role of the lead instructor.

Encouraging Ownership and Agency in Flipped and Online Classrooms

Presenters: Janet DiVincenzo, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Emily Brauer Rogers, Lecturer, Composition Program

Step Forward to Inclusive Teaching

Presenters: Bo Choi, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Anita C. Bradford, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Chicano/Latino Studies; Pavan Kadandale, Associate Professor of Teaching, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

In this session, we will start with questions, what is inclusive teaching and why it should be important to you? What things can be done to make the teaching and learning environment more inclusive? We have invited UCI faculty who will share the importance and awareness of Inclusive teaching and the impact it has on our students to thrive to success. Rethinking about how to measure student’s learning and fostering a growth mindset into their teaching to promote inclusion.

Using Canvas Assignments and Calendar to Enhance Learning Collaboration

Presenters: Shu Fen (Fannie) Tsai, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Zachary Zahringer, Instructional Technologist, OIT; Cydney Palecek, Technology Support Specialist, OIT

Designing an Engaging and Visually Appealing Canvas Course Space

Presenter: Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer, DTEI

Whether teaching an in-person, online, or hybrid course, an easily navigable, appealing, and learner-friendly Canvas course space is essential to support student learning and keep your students engaged. The DTEI instructional designers have developed a faculty-friendly and easily adopted Canvas template, and they offer a training workshop every academic quarter to facilitate faculty integrating this template into their Canvas your course space online. This DTEI Canvas template, including various Canvas layouts and page designs, will be introduced. Participants will learn how to customize the Canvas template and use the built-in design toolkit, such as banners, icons, and images, to develop a student-centered course space online. We will also discuss the best practices, examples, and accessibility considerations in this session. Participants will be guided to get started in transforming a Canvas course space to enhance student learning experience.

Designing Creative and Engaging Digital Assignments

Presenters: Kailey Baez, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Christine King, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Samueli School of Engineering; Joab Corey, Associate Professor of Teaching, Economics, UC Riverside

This workshop will introduce ways in which you can integrate a variety of digital engagement, productivity, and design tools into your teaching. Ways to create more engaging, reflective, collaborative, and meaningful assignments to enhance students’ learning experience will also be highlighted. In this session, UC faculty across multiple disciplines will showcase innovative teaching ideas that actively engage students in various modes of learning. We will share best practices and strategies on how you can rethink and implement engaging assignments without completely redesigning them. Participants will walk away from this workshop with new ideas and a repository of digital tools in-hand to start enhancing and creating exciting and engaging digital assignments.

Designing an Engaging and Visually Appealing Canvas Course Space

Presenter: Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer, DTEI

Whether you’re teaching in-person, online or hybrid, an appealing, easily navigable and user-friendly Canvas course space will help support student learning and keep your students engaged. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to a Canvas course template which will include a variety of home page, content page and layout designs. Participants will be shown how to use the built-in Canvas design toolkit which will contain matching banners, icons and images that can be used to further customize the look and feel of the course space. Finally best practices, use cases for different layouts, and accessibility considerations will be discussed. By the end of this workshop participants will have the tools they need to start transforming their courses and create a course space that is user-friendly, organized and fun to navigate!

Who Are Our Students? Understanding The Diversity of UCI and Taking The First Step in Inclusive Excellence

Presenters: Bo Choi, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Joseph Morales, Assistant Director, Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE); Karen Andrews, Director, Disability Services Center (DSC)

To keep moving forward with creating a more inclusive teaching and learning environment at UCI, it’s essential to know “why” and “who” are the recipients/beneficiaries to this shift or change. In this session, Dr. Joseph Morales, assistant director of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, will share the diversity of our student population at UCI; specifically, UCI’s status as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Karen Andrews, director of UCI’s Disability Services Center, will then share about different types of disabilities, bring awareness to our current students who are registered at the DSC and also students who are not registered but are still in much need, and the impact that a more inclusive teaching and learning environment will bring to all students.

Being Mindful of Teaching Accessibility when using Classroom Technologies to Engage Students

Presenters: Shu Fen (Fannie) Tsai, Instructional Designer, DTEI; Kelsey Layos, Classroom Technology Liaison and Application Support Specialist, Office of Instructional Technology; Natalie Hadland, Video Producer, UCI Media

Preparing Learning Content and Instructional Videos for Bite Size Online Delivery

Presenters: Natalie Hadland, Video Producer, UCI Media; Megan Linos, Director of Learning Experience Design and Online Education, (DTEI)