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Workshops

Spring 2024

Best Practices for Mentorship in Teaching

When we think about teaching, images of formal instructor-student classroom interactions might often come to mind. However, opportunities also exist to make a meaningful impact on students' learning experiences beyond the classroom through mentoring. This workshop will focus on the role of mentorship in teaching and will provide participants with strategies for building and maintaining mentoring connections with students in learning environments. 

  • Date/Time: Tuesday, March 26, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  • Facilitators: Tiffany Shoop, CETL; Chris Smith, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
  • Location: Online Only via Zoom

Global Learning in the Classroom: Strategies and Support

Join the Global Education Office and the Center for Excellence for Teaching and Learning to learn more about developing undergraduate students’ awareness of and engagement with global topics as well as fostering intercultural understanding in your classroom. Workshop facilitators and faculty panelists will share strategies and examples of course modifications, ranging from minor to comprehensive. Participants will also hear about resources and support, including Global Learning Grant and the Pathway to Study Abroad Grant programs, for incorporating global learning into your courses. 

  • Date/Time: Thursday, February 1, 9:30-11:30 a.m. 
  • Facilitators: Tiffany Shoop, CETL; Theresa Johansson, GEO; Rachel Fitzgerald, GEO 
  • Location: Graduate Life Center, Room C

Introduction to Problem-Based Learning: Encouraging Our Students to be Self-Directed Learners 

Problem-based learning is a student-centered teaching method in which complex, real-world problems are used as the vehicle to promote student learning of concepts and principles. Historically based in clinical preparation and professional schools including medicine and business, problem-based learning has since been infused in many other fields of study with positive learning outcomes for students at all levels.  Participants will explore the essential considerations for integrating this method in your course(s), discuss relevant learning outcomes specific to course content and additional skills that support student success in future academic and professional goals, and design a draft problem for their course.  

  • Date/Time: Wednesday, February 21, 2:00-4:30 p.m. 
  • Facilitator: Hannah Harris 
  • Location: Graduate Life Center, Meeting Room C

Why Bother with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning?  

This workshop explores why the scholarship of teaching and learning matters, the difference between the scholarship of teaching and learning and scholarly teaching, and how to generate ideas to research. 

  • Date/Time: Tuesday, February 27, 2:00-4:00p.m.
  • Facilitator: Michael Enz
  • Location: Graduate Life Center, Meeting Room C

Teaching 101: Strategies for Class Preparation, Organization, and Management

Providing a meaningful learning experience for students involves an intentional process, including course design, facilitating class time, and assessing student learning. In this Teaching 101 workshop, facilitators will focus on using class time to maximize student learning and will share a variety of strategies for preparation, organization, and management of class time. Ultimately, the purpose of this workshop is to provide participants strategies for using and managing class time that will be immediately useful in their teaching. 

  • Date/Time: Wednesday, February 28, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  • Facilitators: Tiffany Shoop, CETL; Sasha Marine, Department of Biochemistry 
  • Location: Online Only via Zoom

Help Students Become Self-Regulated Learners 

Students often enter a first large assessments thinking they know much more than they do and are very disappointed with their results. Participants will learn how they can help their students gain metacognitive skills through an understanding of Bloom’s Taxonomy, learning how to prepare for a class, and how to conduct study sessions. 

  • Date/Time: Wednesday, March 13, 2:00-4:00pm
  • Facilitator: Michael Enz
  • Location: Graduate Life Center, Meeting Room C

Building Community in the Classroom: Tools for Facilitating a Positive Learning Environment 

Fostering a sense of community in the classroom can have positive impacts on student engagement and performance. Research shows that when students feel they belong to their academic community, they can engage in dialogue and reflection more actively and take ownership and responsibility of their own learning. This workshop will explore the ideas and strategies for deliberately building a learning community in your classroom throughout the various stages of course design and implementation.  

  • Date/Time: Wednesday, March 20, 2:00–4:00 p.m. 
  • Facilitator: Hannah Harris 
  • Location: Graduate Life Center, Meeting Room C

Distilling Your Message: Brief and Compelling Interactions with the People You Need to Talk to

Effective teaching begins with effective communication. Public outreach requires shaping one’s message for new audiences. Effective collaboration occurs only when collaborators can find a common language. In this interactive and experiential learning-based workshop facilitated by faculty from Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science, participants will build their communication skills through engaging in exercises to help them move from “information overload” to engaging, clear, and simple communication. We will introduce the 5 w’s of clear communication and learn how to overcome the curse of knowledge. Participants will translate their research findings or other complex information into messages that inspire curiosity and engagement. For this interactive Zoom workshop, please plan to have your cameras on and to be in a location where you feel comfortable speaking and moving.

Date/Time: Thursday, March 21, 12:30-2:20 p.m.
Facilitators: Carrie Kroehler & Sarah Yorke, Center for Communicating Science
Location: Online Only via Zoom