Past Discussion Series

More and more educators are using mindfulness to promote focus, help students find value in learning, and build community. Ahaji Schreffler demonstrates how mindfulness techniques can increase student (and instructor!) wellbeing across courses and disciplines.

The traditional "brains-on-sticks" model of education neglects a key dimension of human learning: embodied cognition. Valerie Ifill offers examples of movement-based techniques to invigorate the classroom and deepen student learning.

Our first spring 2024 podcast session will focus on strategies for helping students get the most out of reading assignments. Featured experts: Nathan Pritts, Norman Eng, Maryellen Weimer.

Our second spring 2024 podcast session will focus on using AI tools to prepare teaching materials. Featured expert: Jeremy Kaplan.

Our final spring 2024 podcast session will focus on the concept of "ungrading," including ungrading research, myths, and strategies. Featured expert: Emily Dosmar.

Our first podcast session will focus on empowering your teaching with the use of AI. Featured experts include Jeremy Caplan, Flower Darby, and Liz Norell.

Our second podcast session will focus on increasing student motivation by aligning perceptions of rigor and promoting a growth mindset. Featured experts include Lolita Paff and Marie Norman.

Our last podcast session this quarter will focus on how to help students ace exams without cramming by incorporating evidence-based learning strategies into our classes and review sessions. Featured expert: Maryellen Weimer.

In this first discussion of the winter term, we will explore the results of a 2021 study, Identity Safety Cues Predict Instructor Impressions, Belonging, and Absences in the Psychology Classroom. This study found that small adjustments to teaching, through messaging to students, fostered a sense of belonging and motivation to attend the class for learners with diverse identities (Howansky, Maimon, Sanchez, 2021). Together, we will explore the strategies used in this intervention and ways they might be implemented in other disciplines and course modalities.

This discussion will focus on how an educator’s mindset can inadvertently create racial inequality in college classrooms. We will draw from two short articles. The first, by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, explores how fixed mindsets have historically had a negative impact on medical education. The second article by Jamie M. Carroll, associate project director for the National Mindset Innovation Network and David Yeager, psychology professor at the University of Texas, Austin discusses why a growth mindset is critical to reducing equity gaps. Together we will explore strategies for moving towards a growth mindset for both us and our students.

In our last discussion of the winter term, we will review a study examining correlations between a sense of belonging and undergraduate retention in STEM majors. Findings from the study indicate that students from underrepresented groups are less likely to feel that they belong. The study highlights structural and cultural features of universities, as well as STEM curricula and pedagogy as contributing factors. Together we will consider practical steps we can take in STEM classrooms, as well as other disciplines, that will promote an inclusive environment and help to cultivate a sense of belonging for all students.

Join the Teaching and Learning Center and Office of Equality and Diversity to discuss the first chapter in the book, What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching by Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, and Mallory SoRelle. Together we will explore the “what” and “why” of inclusive teaching, the relationship between inclusive teaching and anti-racist pedagogy, and ways these approaches to teaching are reflected in our teaching—both in theory and in practice.

In our second meeting of the fall, we will discuss “What Everyone Can Do to Promote Racial Equity,” from the book, The Conversation, How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations, by Robert Livingston. This chapter provides a number of practical anti-racism action strategies we can all take, such as counter stereotyping and interracial dialogue. Together we will discuss which of these strategies can be best adapted to teaching in higher education. We will also discuss both positive and potentially challenging results of promoting racial equity in our classrooms.

In this last discussion of the fall, we will shift gears to learn about a specific grant-funded project to create a free, online module on antiracism, that will be embedded broadly within health care education curriculum. Participants will read a short news article in preparation for our discussion with one of the project leads and Co-PIs, Dr. Leon McCrea. This is a great opportunity for faculty and staff to consider approaches to anti-racism in healthcare that can be transferred to other teaching and learning environments. Dr. McCrea will also field questions from faculty who may be interested in embedding anti-racism more intentionally within their curriculum.

In our first meeting of the series, we will discuss Design Thinking basics using Dam and Siang's article "What is Design Thinking and Why is it so Popular?". This work gives us a window into the foundational knowledge of this approach. We will use it to discuss a comprehensive introduction to design thinking approaches, and provide several recommendations for implementing these practices in the classroom.

In our second and final meeting of the series for the winter term, we will discuss three short prologues from "Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability" by Sonia Massari. This reading provides examples of the "interconnectivity of sustainability, food, and design, demonstrating the presence of food design in various food-related fields of study." Discussion will focus on how design thinking is used to address challenges in food design, however, participants will also have an opportunity to consider how to apply similar strategies to their own courses.