Are you ready to engage in a professional development opportunity aligned with Promotion and Tenure?

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Penn State have announced the launch of the Provost Endorsement Program!  The endorsement program aligns with areas of the dossier for promotion and tenure.

The Teaching Online Program (TOP) is included in the Provost Endorsement program and is an excellent opportunity for you to discover ways to enhance overall teaching effectiveness.

The Teaching Online Program is an excellent resource, whether you teach online, face-to-face, hybrid, or remote synchronous!  Some of the topics included are:

• Features in Canvas to improve the student experience.
• Multimedia tools and integrations.
• Student engagement strategies.
• Course design, development, and effective teaching methods.

After enrolling, simply browse through the modules and complete them at your convenience.  There are no due dates, and no time-limit for completion!  You will always have access to the course content, which is a valuable resource to have at your fingertips!

Upon completion of any level, you will earn a badge and certificate of completion.

Learn more and enroll today by visiting the TOP Program Webpage.

Navigating Blended Learning

Dates: Tuesday, 1/16 or Wednesday, 1/17 from 1-2 pm

Participants are invited to Join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for an engaging one-hour session designed to equip higher education faculty and staff with a comprehensive understanding of blended learning methodologies. In this session, we will explore the concept of blended learning, its benefits, various models, key design principles, essential technology tools, and real-world examples.

Navigating Blended Learning Registration Form

Learning Tool Exploration: Canvas Integrations for Student Engagement

Dates: Tuesday, 1/23 or Wednesday, 1/24 from 1 – 2pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to preview a variety of Penn State approved learning tools that enhance student engagement. These tools, known as Learning Tool Integrations (LTIs), can be seamlessly integrated into Canvas courses. Attendees will participate in a series of small group breakout sessions where they will be given an overview of one of the tools by a TLT or ITLD representative and review classroom applications.

Learning Tool Exploration: Canvas Integrations for Student Engagement Registration Form

Engaging Students in Remote Synchronous Classrooms

Dates: Tuesday, 1/30 or Wednesday, 1/31 from 1 pm – 3 pm, Optional: Friday, 2/2 10 am – 12 noon Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to identify technologies that can enhance student engagement in remote synchronous (RS) classroom settings. Strategies, resources, and tools for enhancing communication, collaboration, and active learning in a remote synchronous setting will be discussed. Attendees will participate in hands-on demonstrations of whiteboards, video, chat, and student response systems. An optional “Sandbox Time” is offered as an opportunity to explore specific activities or tools that faculty would like to incorporate into their courses.

Engaging Students in Remote Synchronous Classrooms Registration Form

Learning Tool Exploration: AI Tools for Teaching and Learning

Dates: Tuesday, 2/6, 1 pm – 2 pm or Wednesday, 2/7 from 1 – 2pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to preview a variety of AI tools and see how faculty can use these tools to enhance creativity, productivity, and efficiency  within teaching and learning practices. Attendees will participate in a series of small group breakout sessions where they will be given an overview of AI tools by a TLT representative and review classroom applications. The categories of tools include Text, Imagery, Instructional AI, Video, and AI productivity.

Learning Tool Exploration: AI Tools for Teaching and Learning Registration Form

Engaging Students through Feedback Using Various Penn State Technologies

Dates: Tuesday, 2/20, 1 pm – 2 pm or Wednesday, 2/21 1 – 2pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to discuss Penn State recommended technology tools alongside 7 Characteristics of Better Learning Feedback that encourage student motivation and success.

Engaging Students through Feedback Using Various Penn State Technologies Registration Form

Learning Tool Exploration: DEIB Technologies

Dates: Monday, 2/26 or Thursday, 2/29, 1-2 pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to preview a variety of different Penn State approved tools available to instructors to assist with representation, name pronunciation, and more. Attendees will participate in a series of small group breakout sessions where they will be given an overview of one of the tools and review classroom applications.

Learning Tool Exploration: DEIB Technologies Registration Form

IMPACTful Learning: Bridging Technology, Empathy, and Education through Interactive Gameplay

Dates: Tuesday, 3/5 or Wednesday, 3/6, 1-2pm

Dive into our upcoming session, where we unpack IMPACT – an engaging, card-based exploratory game designed to stimulate thought-provoking conversations on how technology shapes society. From fostering empathy with diverse character cards to analyzing potential tech influences through action cards, IMPACT creates an immersive learning space for nuanced discussions. This interactive session will guide you on integrating this versatile tool into your classroom, serving as a dynamic icebreaker, a novel introduction to emerging technologies, or an enlightening DEIB activity. Spark curiosity, nurture critical thinking, and broaden horizons with IMPACT – where technology, empathy, and education intersect in thrilling gameplay. Be a part of this transformative educational journey; let’s make an IMPACT together! 

IMPACTful Learning: Bridging Technology, Empathy, and Education through Interactive Gameplay Registration Form 

Learning Tool Exploration: Digital Whiteboards

Dates: Tuesday, 4/2 or Wednesday, 4/3, 1 – 2pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a virtual session where participants will have the opportunity to preview a variety of different Penn State approved digital whiteboard tools available to instructors. Attendees will participate in a series of small group breakout sessions where they will be given an overview of one of the tools by a TLT representative and review classroom applications. Presenters will also share alternatives to Google Jamboard, which will be retired on October 1, 2024.

Learning Tool Exploration: Digital Whiteboards Registration

Enhancing Instructional Materials Using Generative AI Tools

Dates: Tuesday, 4/9 or Wednesday, 4/10, 1 – 2 pm

Participants are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for a session focusing on ways instructors can use generative AI tools to enhance and support instruction, such as creating content (i.e. quiz banks, lesson plans, assignment instructions, etc.), drafting comments, and answering frequently asked questions.

Enhancing Instructional Materials Using Generative AI Tools Registration Form

Penn State IT will perform its regular archiving of older Canvas courses on January 23, 2024.

*Courses started to be moved to long-term storage; however, you can still choose to delay particular courses from being archived by using the in-Canvas Course Archive Manager tool before January 23rd. Please refer to the Penn State Knowledge Base article on Canvas: Long-Term Archival Storage for more information. Full details, including instructions on how to opt a course out of archiving or request content from a course in long-term storage, are also available on the Penn State Canvas website.

Archiving on January 23 includes:

• All LionPATH courses taught prior to and including FA22 (LionPATH term 2228)
• All LionPATH courses that you may have previously opted out of archiving between SU22 (LionPATH term 2225) and before, inclusive.
• All non-LionPATH courses, regardless of creation date, including Master, Manually Created, Sandbox courses, and Prides will be archived.

Long-term Storage on November 28, 2023, includes:

• All LionPATH courses taught prior to and including FA20 (LionPATH term 2208).
• All non-LionPATH courses that have been archived for the previous two years will be moved to long-term storage.

***On November 27, 2023, FA18 (LionPATH term 2188) and any non-LionPATH courses in long-term storage for 2 years will be permanently deleted from long-term storage.

Join us for a half-day, virtual event focusing on strategies for fostering future readiness. Dr. Margo DelliCarpini, Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and Executive Chancellor, will provide opening remarks, followed by an instructor panel and a student panel. Topics of discussion for both panels will cover similar themes so you can hear both the faculty and student perspective.

The panel discussions will focus on future readiness including:

• Fostering creativity, collaboration, and communication
• Connecting real-world experiences to the classroom
• Exploring new technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality

Visit the Commonwealth Campus Teaching Support website for more details including the Zoom link.

We hope to see you there!

If you are implementing an AI-integrated learning activity for the first time this spring, we would like to invite you to participate in two, one-hour interviews as part of our research study entitled “Critical Moments: Re-framing Faculty Perceptions of Teaching and Learning with AI.” 

The goal of this study is to better understand how faculty perceptions of AI change before and after the implementation of an AI learning activity.   

We are looking for any Penn State instructor(s) who will be implementing an AI-integrated learning activity (can be a graded or ungraded assignment) for the first time into their credit-bearing course, during the Spring 2024 semester.  

If you are interested in participating, please fill out this short form. The form will ask if you’d like to be in the research study and also if you’d like an optional consultation with an ID. We thank you in advance for your consideration of this invitation. If you have any questions about this study, please feel free to contact anyone on the research team via the following contact information. 

• Shirley Campbell, uuc1@psu.edu, 724-334-6794
• Allain Daigle, akd6078@psu.edu, 724-430-4112
• Eileen Grodziak, emg15@psu.edu, 610-285-5112
• Liz Huck, eah47@psu.edu, 570-450-3095
• Dani McCauley, dbe5082@psu.edu, 814-898-6536 

The Teaching Online Program (TOP) is an asynchronous series of professional development courses focused on best practices for teaching online. There are three levels of the Teaching Online Program. Each consists of four modules: Canvas, Multimedia Tools and Techniques, Design and Development, and Best Practices in Teaching Online. Level 1 is considered the basic level and an introduction to online teaching. Level 2 moves into more advanced information. Level 3 builds upon levels 1 and 2 to promote further refinement of online teaching practices.

Each module within the course is an independent, self-paced learning experience that you can complete at any time or place. You may choose the topics that interest you and engage with that material in the order you prefer. Each module in the program includes at least one submitted activity that will be reviewed by a Instructional Designer at GV who will provide you with detailed feedback. Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital badge acknowledging mastery of the content and a certificate of completion. Earned badges can be displayed publicly and within your Penn State courses.

We encourage you to review more about TOP by visiting: https://sites.psu.edu/commonwealthfacultydevelopment/faculty-development/teaching-online-program/

The following website has modules that are intended to provide critical information to students regarding the appropriate use of generative artificial intelligence in their classes. These modules are available for all instructors, and may be imported directly into Canvas via the Canvas Commons, to be used as an orientation to students on these topics.

https://aiai.psu.edu/ailiteracy/

The Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses (OVPCC), in conjunction with local instructional designers, are pleased to announce upcoming Fall workshops in the Top 5 Universal Design for Learning Strategy series.  Also, in support of the new Anthology Ally tool in Canvas, we will offer quick start sessions to support faculty in learning about the tool in their courses.

Information about each opportunity with links to register are provided below.

Designing Your Syllabus to Support Learner Success 

The first workshop in the series, Designing Your Syllabus to Support Learner Success, will be offered again in August, before the Fall semester begins.  If you have already completed this workshop, please feel free to share the information with colleagues that you feel would benefit from the content.

• Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 from 10 to 11 A.M. via Zoom
• Friday, August 11th, 2023 from 12 to 1 P.M. via Zoom

Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation

Did you know that the majority of disabled learners in your classroom have invisible disabilities that you can not see?  The recommended strategies to reach these disabled learners actually benefit ALL learners in your classroom.  This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies that you can use to make your course more universally designed for all learners.  During the workshop, you will be able to apply your new skills to your course syllabus.

Please register in advance to attend this event, space is limited:  Registration: Designing Your Syllabus to Support Learner Success

Anthology Ally Quick Start Sessions

• Monday, August 14^th, 2023 from 11 A.M. to 12 P.M. via Zoom
• Tuesday, August 15th, 2023 from 1 to 2 P.M. via Zoom
• Thursday, August 24^th, 2023 from 10 to 11 A.M. via Zoom
• Wednesday, August 30^th, 2023 from 10 to 11 A.M. via Zoom
• Thursday, August 31^st, 2023 from 1 to 2 P.M. via Zoom
• Wednesday, September 20^th, 2023 from 11 A.M. to 12 P.M. via Zoom
• Tuesday, September 26^th, 2023 from 2 to 3 P.M. via Zoom

In Fall 2023, the University will be turning on a Canvas feature called Anthology Ally.  Ally supports Penn State’s mission to create inclusive learning environments.  Ally integrates into Canvas and provides students with the ability to tailor their learning experience to their needs and preferences.  The tool also provides faculty with a tool to spot accessibility barriers for students and provides guidance on how to improve the usability of course content.

You do not need to register in advance to attend this event. Ally Drop-in Session Zoom Link

You may also paste the following link into your browser: https://psu.zoom.us/j/96064698896?pwd=N0lUcEVJNmtMeUVmN1YxQ1diYzBIZz09)

Instructional Strategies to Support Invisible Disabilities

The newest workshop in the series, Instructional Strategies to Support Invisible Disabilities, will focus on instructional strategies that you can employ to make your course more universally designed for all learners.

• Monday, September 11, 2023 from 10 to 11 A.M. via Zoom
• Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 2 to 3 P.M. via Zoom

Universal Design Guideline: Multiple Means of Representation, Action/Expression, and Engagement

Did you know that the majority of accommodation requests are for disabilities that are not considered apparent?  To make matters worse, that number only includes those students who choose to identify as having a disability. Imagine what it is like to struggle with a disability, but be afraid to request help for fear of judgment.

What can you do as a faculty member? These disabilities can be unfamiliar, and the scope of supporting them can seem nebulous. Fortunately, many strategies for supporting invisible disabilities are common pedagogical strategies. Implementing them will make your course more universally designed, supportive of all learners, and more proactive than reactive to accommodations.

This workshop will discuss:

• Potential characteristics of individuals with invisible disabilities
• Common pedagogical strategies that support all learners in your classroom, including those with invisible disabilities
• Specific strategies you can employ to support specific disabilities, when you are aware of them

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss these strategies during the workshop and make a plan for implementing them in their course.

Please register in advance to attend this event, space is limited:  Registration: Instructional Strategies for Invisible Disabilities 

On August 9^th and 10^th, please join your colleagues from across the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses to share ideas and discussions related to teaching and learning at Commonwealth Connections: Instructor Days.

The event includes 23 sessions featuring 47 faculty presenters who will explore topics related to student engagement, inclusive teaching, artificial intelligence, assessment, and student support. Be sure to bring your questions and any stories of success you care to share. We will begin Wednesday with an opening session featuring two of our Commonwealth Campus Atherton Teaching Award winners. The closing session on Thursday will be a presentation of PSU research on faculty and student perceptions of AI.

When:

August 9th: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
August 10th: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST

Where: Zoom

The full schedule with session descriptions and links to the Zoom Rooms can be found at the Commonwealth Teaching Support website. All sessions will be recorded.

Thank you!