CETLI Events Calendar

Lectures can be a useful method for communicating complex information but are most effective when students are engaged with and focused on the material. Drs. Igor Bargatin and Amish Patel will start this informal conversation by sharing their strategies for making lectures more interactive. We’ll consider ways to increase student attention and interaction to promote […]

Controversial issues are often central to what we want to teach. But many of us find such dialogues risky, as discussion can become so heated students don’t learn or, alternatively, students won’t talk at all out of fear of saying something wrong or insensitive. Murali Balaji of Annenberg and Amy Hillier of Social Policy and […]

This session will bring together faculty to share ideas about ways to include discussions of the climate emergency in their classes, whether the topic of the course addresses climate or not. Barri Gold of English and Farah Hussain of the Perelman School of Medicine will initiate the conversation by talking about how they incorporated climate […]

It sounds obvious, that we want students to develop their thinking during class time, but in practice many of our students do not understand what kinds of thinking we are asking of them. In this session, Katrin Hinrichs of Veterinary Medicine and James Petersson of Chemistry will talk about how they’ve been able to use […]

What can you do to prepare for disability accommodations before you even get them? This session will explore ways you can focus on what’s most important about your course and plan for flexibility in your course design so that students with accommodations (and others) feel supported as they learn.

Creating accessible course materials – from documents, to instructional videos, to Canvas sites – can ensure that students are able to fully engage with your course. In this session, you will learn how to efficiently create and remediate frequently-used course materials to be usable by all students, particularly those who receive disability-related accommodations.

Conversations about and across differences are crucial to learning in many classes, yet many instructors feel anxious about engaging topics that seem too controversial.  In this session, you’ll share ideas about strategies to create a trusting classroom where students can speak with and listen to each other in productive ways.

What we do on the first day of class matters for how the rest of the semester unfolds. It is an opportunity to introduce yourself and your course design, provide students with a glimpse of your teaching style, and communicate your expectations. This session will explore ways to make you and your students feel at […]

Live polling is a great way to make lectures more interactive. In this session, we’ll explore best practices in polling activity design and offer practical tips for running live polls and tracking student participation. We’ll consider the benefits and drawbacks of PollEverywhere in particular and answer questions about its integration capabilities with Canvas and presentation […]

In this quick session, we’ll explore some hidden, timesaving features in Canvas, including creating a reusable bank of comments for students, messaging students in bulk according to their submission status or grades, and having Canvas drop students’ lowest grades automatically. There will also be time to troubleshoot ways you want to make Canvas work better […]

Group work can be a great way for students to learn collaboratively but is most effective when instructors give careful consideration to its design. Drs. Paulo Arratia and Leann Dourte will start this informal conversation by sharing their experiences designing and facilitating group work in the classroom. We’ll consider practical strategies for incorporating elements of […]

Giving students support for regular practice with the skills and concepts of a course,  can help them feel more prepared for exams and midterms because students continue learning throughout the semester. To start this session, Tom Mallouk of Chemistry and Loretta Sernekos of Nursing will share concrete strategies for getting students engaged with course materials […]

Instructors have been concerned by the rise in student anxiety since the pandemic but are unsure how to address it. In this session, Dennis Flores from Nursing and Peter Struck from Classics will begin this conversation by explaining how they have worked to reduce student anxiety while maintaining high standards for student learning. 

In this session we’ll explore prompts and strategies to optimize the use of generative AI tools like Bing, Chat, and Bard to expand your pool of quiz and exam questions while still providing equally difficult versions of your assessments. We’ll also explore ways to deliver different versions of your exams including using tools like Gradescope […]

Case studies and thought experiments are common methods for getting students in professional schools to think in more nuanced ways about ethical questions. Brian Berkey from Wharton’s Legal Studies and Business Ethics department and Dominic Sisti from PSOM’s Medical Ethics and Health Policy department will start this interactive session with examples of what and how […]

Students at Penn are bright and capable but they come to class with a wide variety of different experiences and expectations. Masao Sako of Physics and Emma Hart of History will start this conversation by describing how they design courses to make sure students who come in with different strengths can all thrive. 

How can instructors create a classroom where students can investigate controversial topics in a way that is free and open? How do instructors make sure students can consider all sides of an argument and multiple perspectives? In this discussion, Sigal Ben-Porath from GSE and Ben Nathans from History will begin by talking about their experiences […]

Writing exams that are challenging but fair is arguably one of the most difficult tasks we face as instructors. Drs. Joseph Devietti and David Issadore will start this informal conversation by sharing their own experiences with exam writing. We’ll consider multiple approaches to creating exams that are rigorous, equitable, and aligned with course learning goals. […]

How can instructors use generative AI in ways that help students learn (rather than allow students to take shortcuts)? This conversation will start with Amanda Bettencourt of Nursing and Sonny Tambe of OID talking about how they have used generative AI to improve student learning and promote more interaction with course materials and skills. 

Instructors often assign students reading as a way to get students ready for class.  Students, however, sometimes are not sure what role the readings play in class. To begin this conversation, Michael Kane from Economics and Paul Saint-Amour from English will talk about how they motivate students to do the reading and help students understand […]

Faculty teaching co-listed undergraduate and graduate classes face the challenge of designing a class for students who have different preparation, different expertise and different motivations for taking the course.  This conversation will feature Mona Merling from Math and Donovan Schaefer from Religious Studies who will share how they create classes that support learning for both […]

The 2024 Course Design Institute is full. If you are interested, you can register for the waitlist. Whether you are designing a new course, looking to revise an old one, or generally curious about how to maximize student learning and engagement in your course, CETLI invites you to register for the annual Course Design Institute […]

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll begin building a Canvas site that engages and supports students throughout your course. You’ll learn how to effectively use tools for organizing content, keeping students on track, and focusing students’ attention on the most important information.

Learn how generative AI can help you to create effective assignments and exams for your students in less time. Bring a laptop to practice developing assessments in this interactive session.

Discussions across difference allow students to see multiple sides of an issue, reflect on their own positions, and develop the critical skills to be better thinkers and citizens. While the benefits are clear, instructors sometimes are anxious to start conversations that engage differences either because they fear students will refuse or because they fear the […]

Learn how generative AI can help you to create effective assignments and exams for your students in less time. Bring a laptop to practice developing assessments in this interactive session.    

This interactive workshop will focus on how to use course design elements like policies and assignments to provide flexibility and keep students on track.  Please register for Zoom link.

This workshop will focus on creating discussion board activities for in-person classes to deter use of generative AI. Participants will consider tools and prompts to help students engage and learn.  Please register for Zoom link.