UC Irvine Division of Teaching Excellence & Innovation

Workshops and Professional Development

 

Upcoming Offerings

Various date in Fall 2025

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Various

AIRB 3020

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

DTEI Drop-In Hours

Join us for informal drop-in hours designed to support our instructional community! Whether you’re facing a specific challenge or just want to explore new ideas to enhance your instruction, our team is here to help. All faculty, lecturers, TAs, and instructional staff are welcome. No appointment necessary – simply stop by during the DTEI team member’s scheduled time to:
  • Get answers to your teaching and learning questions
  • Receive guidance on instructional tools and technologies
  • Discuss course design and pedagogical strategies
  • Access one-on-one support from our knowledgeable staff

DTEI Drop-Hours Schedule

  • Alex Bower – Grad & Postdoc Development: Mondays 1-2 PM
  • Bo Choi – Instructional Designer: Tuesdays 10-11 AM
  • Fanny Tsai – Instructional Designer: Tuesdays 1-2 PM
  • Josh Arimond – Learning Assistant Program: Tuesdays 12-1 PM
  • Theresa Duong – Pedagogical Wellness: Tuesdays 2-3 pm

Various date in Fall 2025

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10:00am – 11:30am

AIRB 1030

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

Fall 2025 Workshop Series: Hands-On with ZotGPT

Facilitators: Waverly Tseng (DTEI) and Dominic Slauson (OIT)

In partnership with the Office of Information Technology (OIT), the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is excited to announce Hands-On with ZotGPT: Practical Applications for the Classroom, a workshop series exploring practical applications of ZotGPT Chat and ZotGPT ClassChat to support student learning. Through these workshops, participants will engage with ZotGPT tools in a guided space and brainstorm diverse applications of ZotGPT tools for their classroom contexts.

The workshop series will consist of three sessions:

  • Workshop 1: Hands-On with ZotGPT Chat
    • October 15, 10:00-11:30am at AIRB 1030
    • RSVP HERE
  • Workshop 2: Hands-On with ZotGPT ClassChat
    • November 18, 10:00-11:30am at AIRB 1030
    • RSVP HERE
  • Workshop 3: Leveraging ZotGPT in the Classroom
    • December 4, 10:00-11:30am at AIRB 1030
    • RSVP HERE

 

Bo Choi
Bo Choi

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

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10:00am – 11:15am

Online, Zoom

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

Maximizing Canvas Grades for Effective Grading Practices (DTEI and EEE’s Collaborative workshop)

Facilitators: Cydney Palecek (EEE) & Bo Choi (DTEI)

Join us for a workshop on utilizing Canvas Grades (i.e. Gradebooks) to enhance your teaching and assessment practices. This session will explore various features of Canvas Grades and discuss how they can be effectively implemented in your courses.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

  • Improve your grading efficiency using Canvas Grades 
  • Provide clear and constructive feedback to students 
  • Use grade data to identify and support students who may need additional help 
  • Collaborate effectively with your teaching team on grading tasks

This workshop is suitable for all instructors of record with all levels of Canvas experience. Participants will gain practical strategies to increase grading transparency, encourage student self-assessment, and support overall student success.

We invite you to attend this session to expand your knowledge of Canvas Grades and explore ways to enhance your course’s assessment methods.

 

Register for this workshop here.

Bo Choi

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

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10:30am – 11:30am

Online, Zoom

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

Less Grading, More Learning: Alternative Assessment Strategies

Facilitators: Katelyn Sullivan (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) & Fanny Tsai (DTEI)

Struggling with grading workload? Looking to streamline student writing assessment with peer review? Join us for this practical 60-minute workshop where we’ll explore innovative assessment strategies that both reduce your grading time and enhance student learning outcomes.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Implement FeedbackFruits tools (e.g Peer Review…) to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and assessment.
  • Design alternative assessment strategies that reduce grading time while maintaining academic excellence.
  • Utilize Canvas SpeedGrader and Gradescope features to streamline the grading process.

This workshop is ideal for anyone teaching classes of any size who wants to implement more efficient and effective assessment practices.

See slides from the workshop here. If you would like to view recordings from the workshop, please see below.

1. Workshop Introduction
2. Dr. Katelyn Sulliven’s Experience & Demonstration
3. Tips & Tracks of FeedbackFruits – Renee Sharif
4. Instructional Designer’s Expectation & Takeaways
5. Q& A

Monday, September 22, 2025

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3:00pm – 5:00pm

AIRB 3020

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

DTEI Grand Opening

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is ready to welcome the campus community to its newly renovated home on the third floor of the Anteater Instruction and Research Building. The grand opening celebration will take place on Monday, September 22, from 3:00-5:00 pm at the main entrance (3020 AIRB).

The event offers an opportunity for faculty, graduate students, and staff to connect with colleagues, learn more about DTEI’s services, and prepare for the upcoming quarter in a relaxed atmosphere complete with refreshments.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP for the grand opening celebration. The event represents DTEI’s continued commitment to supporting UC Irvine’s mission of creating an inclusive learning environment across campus.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

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9:00am – Noon

AIRB 1030

Faculty, graduate students, and staff

Course Design-a-Thon

Facilitators: Matt Mahavongtrakul

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation is excited to offer a Course Design-a-Thon on September 16th, 2025 from 9am-noon in AIRB 1030.

Feel free to come at any time during this time block to chat with our team about anything related to your course! We’ll have folks who specialize in:

  • Classroom Technology (e.g. Poll Everywhere, Zoom, YuJa)
  • LARC (Learning & Academic Resource Center)
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Instructional Design and Canvas
  • Learning Assistants
  • Teaching Assistants
  • Pedagogical Wellness
  • Course Design
  • Pedagogy (e.g. active learning, collaborative learning, inclusive teaching practices, assessments).
  • Digital Accessibility with the Digital Accessibility Support and Help (DASH) team

There will be snacks!

Questions? Contact Matt Mahavongtrakul at mmahavon@uci.edu.

Please fill out this interest form if you plan to stop by.

Matthew Mahavongtrakul

Various during September, 2025

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10:00am – 11:30am

ALP 2500

Faculty, Grads, Post doc, Staff

Digital Accessibility Support and Help (DASH) Studio

The DASH Studio is a series of 90-minute hands-on sessions to guide faculty and grad students in working directly on their own Canvas courses, lecture slides, instructional videos, and electronic documents to make them accessible for all students before the Fall quarter begins.

  • Making your Syllabus Accessible
    Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 10:00 – 11:30 AM  in ALP 2500
    We will guide you through the process of creating or revising a course syllabus to meet accessibility guidelines.
  • Making your Lectures and Slides Accessible
    Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 10:00 – 11:30 AM  in ALP 2500
    You will learn to structure content, enhance readability, add video captions and transcripts while applying changes directly to improve your lecture slides and videos for accessibility.
  • Making your Canvas Course Accessible
    Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 10:00 – 11:30 AM  in ALP 2500
    We will walk you through reviewing your Canvas course and provide practical steps to revise content and materials, helping you create a well-organized, fully accessible course ready for the Fall quarter.

Register for the DASH Studio.

2024 - 2025 Offerings

Summer 2025

Maximizing Canvas Grades for Effective Grading Practices (DTEI and OIT’s EEE Support’s Collaborative Workshop)

Date, Time, and Location: June, 18, 10:00am – 11:30am, Online Zoom

Facilitators: Bo Choi

This session explored various features of Canvas Grades and discuss how they can be effectively implemented in your courses.

In this workshop, participants learned how to:

  • Improve your grading efficiency using Canvas Grades
  • Provide clear and constructive feedback to students
  • Use grade data to identify and support students who may need additional help
  • Collaborate effectively with your teaching team on grading tasks

This workshop is suitable for all instructors of record with all levels of Canvas experience. Participants gained practical strategies to increase grading transparency, encourage student self-assessment, and support overall student success.


Course Design Essentials Program

Date, Time, and Location: Various during Summer 2025, 10:00am – 4:00pm, ALP 1100

Facilitators: Matt Mahavongtrakul

The Course Design Essentials (CDE) Program is a series of three sessions that support graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty in designing courses using evidence-based practices. In this certificate program, participants will practice backward, integrated course design by establishing goals for student learning and aligning assignments and assessments with these goals. Participants who complete all program requirements and attend every session will earn a Certificate in Course Design.

Note that this is the same Certificate in Course Design that is offered in University Studies 390X and the Active Learning Institute.

In addition, we require that registrants have a specific class in mind to work on during this program.

The Summer 2025 schedule:

  • June 30, 2025 – Backward design, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), student-centered learning objectives, formative and summative assessments, and Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)
  • July 1, 2025 – Active learning techniques and classroom engagement
  • July 2, 2025 – Showcase and further enhancements in course design

Active Learning Institute (ALI)

Date, Time, and Location: Various during July 2025, 10:00am – 4:00pm, ALP 1030

Facilitators: Matt Mahavongtrakul

The ALI is a program for faculty who want to learn more about effective active learning strategies and implementation. It is designed for faculty with little or no experience with active learning, or for faculty who are looking to learn more and meet other faculty who share their interest in active learning.

Successful completion of the ALI is the first step towards earning a Certificate of Engaged Instruction, which gives faculty priority scheduling in active learning classrooms.


Digital Accessibility Support and Help (DASH) Open House

Date, Time, and Location: June 6 and June 10, 12:00pm – 2:00pm, ALP 1030

Facilitators: Megan Linos, DASH Team

In partnership with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD), the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) is excited to announce the launch of the Digital Accessibility Support and Help (DASH)  team — a new initiative to promote and enhance digital accessibility across the UCI campus.

The Open House included workshop on how DASH student consultants can help you make your Canvas courses, electronic documents, and websites more accessible. The DASH members also shared practical tips and tools you can start using right away to enhance accessible teaching!

Spring 2025

DTEI Happy Hours

Date, Time, and Location: Various during Winter and Spring 2025, AIRB 1030

Facilitators: Various

The focus of each happy hour along with logistics can be found on the DTEI’s Happy Hour page. If you have questions, please reach out to dtei@uci.edu

  • Friday, January 31, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030
    • Topic: Inclusive and Equitable STEM Teaching
    • Michael Dennin, Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning
    • Bob Pelayo, Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Mathematics
    • Kim Edwards, Professor of Teaching, Department of Chemistry
    • Renee Link, Professor of Teaching, Department of Chemistry
  • Friday, February 14, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030.
    • Topic: Teaching Innovation: Compass Research Data Presentation
    • Valerie Jones, Director, Data & Information Management, OIT
    • Astrud Reed, Community of Practice Manager, OIT
    • Ray Vadnais, Senior User Experience Architect, OIT
    • Bernadette Theologidy, Manager, Student Analytics, OIT
  • Friday, February 28, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030. 
    • Topic: Generative AI and Student Learning
    • Waverly Tseng, Education
    • Mark Warschauer, Distinguished Professor, Education
    • Ian Straughn, Associate Teaching Professor, Anthropology
  • Friday, March 14, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030.
    • Topic: Pedagogical Innovation & Student Success
    • Larisa Castillo, Associate Professor of Teaching, Humanities Core
    • Tom Yeh, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Computer Science
    • Ana Garcia-Vedrenne, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
  • Friday, March 21, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, AIRB 1030
    • Topic: AI and the Scholarly Values
    • Duncan Pritchard, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy
    • Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor, ODIT
    • Michael Dennin, Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning
  • Friday, April 4, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030.
    • Topic: Innovating Education: AI in Academic Administration 
    • Presenters: a select group of faculty will have the opportunity to share their ideas on how AI can be leveraged by faculty and departments to make teaching more efficient and effective. This speed round-style pitch competition will require these faculty to convince the audience in five minutes or less of the potential of their proposals.
  • Friday, May 2, from 3:30 – 5:00pm, AIRB 1030.
    • Topic: Pedagogical Innovation & Student Success
    • Alessandra Pantano (Math), Bob Pelayo (Math), and Rossella Santagata (Education) will present their NSF-funded work on “teacher noticing” to improve student success in Math 13.
    • Vidyanand Choudhary (Business) will discuss how the Merage School of Business has been leveraging generative AI to enhance both faculty productivity and student success.
    • Adrienne Williams (Biological Sciences) will share her efforts to expand the learning assistant program within the School of Biological Sciences and how the school is taking steps to manage the program on its own.

Faculty Learning Communities on AI in Teaching

Date, Time, and Location: various during May and June, 2025, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, AIRB 3193

Following the enthusiastic response to our recent DTEI Happy Hours, we launched two new Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) this quarter focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning. These FLCs provided a space for faculty to explore, discuss, and collaborate on integrating AI thoughtfully into their courses.

Each cohort met every other week for a total of three sessions, with each meeting dedicated to a key theme:

  • AI in Course Design and Classroom Facilitation
  • AI in Grading and Feedback
  • AI in Assessment
There were two cohorts that meet from 12:00pm-1:30pm in AIRB 3193:
  • Tuesday Cohort: May 6th and 20th, June 3rd
  • Friday Cohort: May 9th and 23rd, June 6th

Attendance in all three sessions for a given cohort is expected. We welcome faculty from all disciplines, regardless of prior experience with AI.


GenAI State-of-the-Art, Humanities Edition

Date, Time, Location: Wednesday, May 21, 2:00pm – 3:00pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitators: Danny Mann, Waverly Tseng

Generative AI poses several opportunities as well as challenges for faculty, especially in the context of the humanities and writing instruction. In this panel event, faculty will share their varied approaches to incorporating or moderating AI in humanities courses, including the strategies employed and perspectives on the potential role of AI in students’ writing development. Through the discussion, participants may consider different approaches to integrating generative AI in their own contexts. Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

This event was held on Wednesday, May 21st from 2:00-3:00 pm in AIRB 1030. We heard from five faculty from the School of Humanities:

  • Dean Tyrus Miller, who piloted ClassChat in a graduate-level art history seminar.
  • Dr. Julio Torres, who coordinated the use of PapyrusAI in a Spanish writing course designed for heritage speakers.
  • Dr. Ian Coller, who used ChatGPT in a world history course as a foil for students to critique conventional ideas about key topics.
  • Dr. Amalia Herrmann, who will discuss the role of humanities courses in helping students develop critical AI literacies to make informed choices about their use of technology in their learning.
  • Dr. Jonathan Alexander, who will reflect on the need to resist calls for “efficiency” in academic work through the use of generative AI.

Moderated by Waverly Tseng (DTEI) and Danny Mann (DTEI).

See a recording of this session here.

Winter 2025

Feedback Fruit Workshop Series

Date, Time, and Location: Every Wednesday, February 12 – February 26, 2025, 10:00am – 11:00am, Online

Facilitators: Megan Linos, Director of Digital and Online Teaching, DTEI, and Samuele Ceppi, Implementation Manager, Feedback Fruits

Workshop 1: Improving group work with FeedbackFruits

In this session, we introduced Group Formation, Group Member Evaluation, and Team-Based Learning available in FeedbackFruits to help instructors create a fair, structured, and engaging group work assignment.

Workshop 2: Increasing feedback touchpoints with FeedbackFruits

In this session, we showcased how Peer Review and Automated Feedback features in FeedbackFruits can streamline assessment, improving feedback quality and supporting student growth without adding to your workload.

Workshop 3: Designing learning assets with FeedbackFruits to enhance student engagement

In this session, we demonstrated how to turn course material into an interactive learning experience by using FeedbackFruits’ Interactive Document, Video, Audio, and Comprehension features to encourage active reading and improve comprehension.

Fall 2024

Mobile Drop-In Hours

Date, Time, and Location: Various 1030

Facilitators: Matt Mahavongtrakul, Megan Linos, Fanny Tsai, Alex Bower, Bo Choi, Theresa Duong
Several folks from DTEI will be traveling around campus for informal drop-in hours! Come and bring your questions or ideas, say hello or hang out for a bit.


Pedagogical Workshop: Pedagogy of Kindness

Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, December 5th, from 10:30-12:00pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitators: Cate Denial

Cate Denial is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History at Knox College. Her innovative, student-centered pedagogy and classroom engagement was recognized by the American Historical Association with the 2018 Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching award. Her new book, A Pedagogy of Kindness, argues that academia needs to get relentlessly kind, a practice that has nothing to do with simply “being nice.” Kindness requires a commitment to justice be front and center in our teaching in order for us to co-create learning opportunities with our students.

Please join Cate for a workshop on strategies for justice and equity in teaching rooted in a pedagogy of kindness.


Digital Learning Workshop: Designing Effective Peer Review Assignments: Leveraging Digital Tools to Enhance Feedback, Collaboration, and Engagement

Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, November 21st, from 12:30-1:50pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitators: Jennifer Hite (Business), Debbie Letourneau (Business), Megan Linos (DTEI) and Reina Mizrahi (DTEI)

Peer review assignments foster collaboration and deeper learning, but implementing them can come with challenges. In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the impact of peer review on student learning and explore how digital tools like Feedbackfruits, Canvas, Perusall, and Gradescope can help create and grade peer review assignments. Through reflecting on your own teaching experiences, reviewing existing research, discussing best practices, and examining common challenges, you’ll gain insights into creating meaningful peer review activities. Whether you’re new to creating a peer review assignment or looking to enhance your approach, this session will equip you with practical tools and strategies to design and implement effective peer review assignments. Lunch and beverages will be provided.


Pedagogical Workshop: Building a Supportive Learning Community in Your Classroom

Date, Time, and Location: Monday, November 18th, from 11:00 am-12:30pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitators: Brandon Golob (Social Ecology), Matt Mahavongtrakul (Biological Sciences), Bo Choi (DTEI)

How can fostering a supportive learning community transform your classroom environment and enhance student success? Join us for an engaging discussion where we will identify the key elements and impacts of creating a supportive learning community. We will also discuss how to engage students with their peers, learning support teams (Learning Assistants and Teaching Assistants, etc.), and instructors to foster both academic and social success. Participants will also receive help planning an activity that cultivates a sense of community and belonging among students. Come prepared to explore innovative strategies and exchange ideas with fellow faculty members on building a classroom community that thrives! Lunch and beverages will be provided.


Digital Learning Workshop: Generative AI in Education: Friend or Foe?

Date, Time, and Location:Thursday, November 7th, from 12:00pm-1:00pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitator: Beth Harnick-Shapiro (Engineering), Dominic Slauson (OIT), and Fanny Tsai (DTEI)

Join us for a discussion exploring the role of Generative AI in higher education. You’ll hear from faculty and instructional designers about how Generative AI tools are being used in courses and the challenges they bring. We will also discuss whether Generative AI is a “friend or foe” and talk about related ethical matters for teaching and learning. Guest speakers will share their strategies for integrating Generative AI in teaching responsively. Templates and tools like ZotGPT and PapyrusAI will also be demonstrated. Bring your laptop or smart device to engage with the content, and enjoy the refreshments provided during the event!


Pedagogical Workshop: Why Aren’t Students Coming? Student Voices on Barriers to Office Hours Engagement and Solutions to Overcome Them

Date, Time, and Location:Monday, October 14th, from 12:00pm-2:00pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitator: Rachael Barry (Biological Sciences), Eduardo Gonzalez (Biology, UCSB), Vanessa Woods (UCSB), Jeremy Hsu (Chapman U), and the DTEI Digital and Online Teaching Team

Join us for this workshop where faculty across campus will explore the real reasons students may hesitate to attend office hours and discover actionable strategies to increase engagement. Using insights gathered directly from student feedback and data, we will reflect on the common barriers students face—whether it’s discomfort, scheduling conflicts, or unclear expectations—and work together to identify solutions. Participants will leave with practical ideas for making office hours more accessible, welcoming, and effective, ensuring that students get the support they need outside of class. Join us in creating a more inclusive learning environment where office hours become a valuable resource for all students. Lunch and beverages will be provided


Active Learning Institute

Date, Time, and Location:Wednesdays during Fall ’24, from 12:00pm-1:20pm, AIRB 1030

Facilitator: Matt Mahavongtrakul (mmahavon@uci.edu), Program Director of Educational Development

The Active Learning Institute (ALI) is a series of 8 sessions that support faculty in integrating active learning strategies into their courses. The ALI covers course goals, active learning activities and assignments, use of technology, and more. These interactive sessions give faculty the opportunity to practice techniques and design strategies that work best in their own courses. It is also an opportunity to discuss teaching and gain insights from faculty across the disciplines. Please note that the ALI is currently open to faculty only.

Successful completion of the ALI earns faculty the Certificate in Course Design. Passing the optional COPUS observations earns faculty the Certificate of Engaged Instruction as well as placement on the preferential scheduling list for reserving Active Learning Classrooms.

Looking for more offerings? Visit our Archived Offerings page to view a comprehensive list.

If you would like to keep in touch and receive email opportunities and additional resources, please fill out this form.