Category: Teaching Tip

Quick and short tips on teaching practices.

Different Methods to Engage Students

Posted on | celt-comm
Students studying at the ISU Library

The Spring 2022 semester is quickly approaching. Last week, Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert provided guidance for Spring 2022 instruction following the University’s announcements of Spring procedures and health measures.

These ideas for engaging students may be helpful for encouraging participation in different modalities and scenarios:

  • Engagement with Instructor: Maintain a daily presence in your course by providing introductory videos or using video/audio feedback with these feedback tips
  • Student-to-Student Engagement: Incorporate and facilitate meaningful group work with this helpful guide
  • Engagement with Course Content: Improve your course accessibility and ensure that your course content is accessible to all

More information and suggestions can be found on the CELT website.

We wish you a happy and healthy start to the New Year and look forward to having a great Spring 2022 semester with you!

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (January 12, 2022 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for January 12, 2022 (PDF).

Preparing for Final Exams & End of Semester (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | celt-comm
Students studying in the Student Innovation Center at Iowa State University
As we wrap up the Fall semester and prepare for final exams, here are a few resources and key pieces of information to keep in mind:
  • Grades are due December 21. All grades must be submitted by 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21. The End-of-Semester Checklist provides resources to help you submit grades through Canvas. The CELT Instructional Design Team will also hold Open Labs specifically focused on grade submission on December 20 and December 21 from 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m. in 3015 Morrill and online via Webex. Stop by at your convenience.
  • Course conclusion in Canvas. The anticipated date for Canvas course conclusion for Fall term courses is January 3, 2022. All faculty with Fall courses on Canvas are encouraged to review the Course Conclusion in Canvas CELT webpage, which provides tips to help you navigate the course conclusion process.
  • Winter Break hours. CELT will operate on a modified schedule over the winter term in an effort to conserve energy with fewer activities on campus. The CELT office will be closed the week of December 27-31. Beginning January 3, CELT will be open with modified hours of 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. We will resume normal business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) when the Spring semester begins on Tuesday, January 18.
  • Canvas Support, 24/7. We would like to remind you that Canvas support is available 24/7 if you are in need of assistance while our offices are closed or on a modified schedule. Follow the “? Help” icon in your left navigation bar in Canvas for all of the support options available to you.
If you need any further assistance, you can always email celt-help@iastate.edu. This will create a ticket and one of our team members will be assigned to help you as soon as they’re able. We wish you the best as we enter the final weeks of the semester!

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (December 2, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for December 2, 2021 (PDF).

Winter Course Design Institute 2022 (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
Four people using laptops

Registration is open for the 2022 Winter Course Design Institute (CDI). The CDI is open to 40 faculty or staff with teaching responsibilities. All disciplines are encouraged to participate.

The CDI provides a space for faculty to build community, review effective assessment, active learning techniques, and overall course design. Attendees will have the opportunity to design or substantially revise their online or hybrid courses. The presenters for the 90-minute sessions 2022 CDI are Drs. Lesya Hassall (CELT), TJ Stewart (School of Education), Cristina Bonaccorsi (Department of Chemistry), and Monica Lamm (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering). Topics include course design elements, building community, effective assessment, and active learning techniques.

This year, the CDI will be offered January 4-7. Each day will feature a 90-minute session discussing different components of online or hybrid learning environments. The sessions will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. each of those days and will conclude with an optional 30-minute guided discussion and individual, scheduled consultations.

Registration will be accepted until November 30 through this Qualtrics survey. Those who fully engage in the four-day CDI and complete a self-evaluation of your course (materials provided by CELT), will receive a $500 professional development stipend from the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (November 11, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for November 11, 2021 (PDF).

Tips to Make Your Course More Accessible (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
Students work together during Disability Awareness Week

This week, Iowa State University has been observing Disability Awareness Week, a week devoted to educating the Cyclone community about the experience of individuals with disabilities. As an instructor, you have a direct impact on a student’s experience and ability to grow and thrive at ISU. Consider these tips to increase accessibility and improve all student learning experiences.

  • Present information in multiple formats: A disability may impact a student’s ability to access specific forms of communication. Provide course content in a variety of modalities to eliminate this barrier, and allow all students the ability to access materials through the platform most beneficial to their learning. Create captions and transcripts for videos and audio recordings, include audio descriptions of images, diagrams, or maps, or include a simulation or hands-on experience.
  • Consider how students will engage with course materials and each other: Can you identify any barriers to or within the meeting location(s) or learning environment? Have you selected learning technologies accessible to students with disabilities? Support students by being flexible and providing alternative options for engaging with course materials and each other. Allow students to participate in person or virtually. Give them the opportunity to voice questions and comments, type them within a chat, or provide anonymous feedback via Qualtrics. Encourage students to work together using alternative formats including virtual rooms, team chats, discussion boards, or online interactive apps.
  • Use assessment for learning ownership: Identify alternative mechanisms students may utilize to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge and skills indicated in your learning objectives. Provide a variety of options for students to demonstrate their skills that allow for various strengths, preferences, abilities, and student disabilities.

Contact Lori Mickle (ldmickle@iastate.edu, 515-294-5299) for more information about course accessibility or email celt-help@iastate.edu with any questions.

Above photo courtesy of Alexandra Kelly/Iowa State Daily

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (October 28, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for October 28, 2021 (PDF).

Time to apply for the CELT Miller Faculty Fellowship Program (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
A yellow lab sits as a service animal.
The Miller Faculty Fellowship, in existence at Iowa State University since 1996, is a competitive grant program that supports faculty members to “enhance their scholarly work in the university’s undergraduate academic programs and develop innovative approaches to enhance student learning.”  
 
CELT is now accepting proposals for 2022-2023 Miller Faculty Fellowships with the deadline of Monday, December 13, 2021. 
 
Funding for 2022-2023 will include three categories of grants: 
  • Requests up to $5000 
  • Requests up to $15,000 
  • Requests up to $25,000. 
 
For 25 years, the Miller Fellowship Program has funded over $3 million dollars worth of projects to over 250 faculty within each university’s colleges. Previous Miller Faculty Fellows note that the funding improved their undergraduate teaching and furthered their professional development with proof of concept seed funding for external grants and opportunities to present and publish their work. 
 
One former Miller Faculty Fellowship recipient shared:
“Since the Miller Funding, I have written three articles and am currently composing a book. I have also written and obtained a grant from an external agency. This work all stemmed from the initial Miller grant funding.” 
 
For full details, please see the Miller Faculty Fellowship Program page.
 
With a joy for teaching,
 
Sara Marcketti
Director, CELT
 
Pictured above: A puppy calmly sits while training to be a service dog during the Miller Faculty Fellowship (2018-19) poster presentation, “Practical experience on service dog behavior and training science” from by Mariana Rossoni Serao, Animal Science (CALS); and Jodi Sterle, Animal Science (CALS).

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (October 14, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for October 14, 2021 (PDF).

CyThx Teaching Spotlight: Eulanda Sanders

Posted on | isucelt
Eulanda Sanders headshot

Dr. Eulanda Sanders was featured in #CyThx 2020 with this message: 

Dr. Sanders has supported me in every way when it comes to my research interests. As a first generation student, at times this degree can seem out of reach but Dr. Sanders has helped me deal with my imposters syndrome, showing me it’s attainable, while holding me accountable during the process. I’m completely online but I do not feel like I’m missing out with the way she stays connected with me.

Dr. Sanders shared this teaching advice:

Education is a partnership between student and teacher, in which the aim is to enhance life within our environments. My goal as an educator is to challenge students to strive beyond their expectations, thus empowering them with confidence in their abilities to thrive in our multi-faceted society. Education provides a foundation for students to develop a sense of humanity, sensitivity, and accountability towards individuals and the environment in which they live. Involving students in community and engagement activities that relate directly to their field of study is integral to fostering ethical and humanistic practices in disciplines and industries. Create dynamic curriculum to meet the current needs of the discipline, industry, and the students in the classroom. I suggest to not just teach a subject matter — to mentor and guide student through the curriculum to ultimately, graduate and have a wonderful life.

Midterm Preparations: Reminders and Guides (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
Student using a laptop for a meeting
As we wrap up September, we would like to remind you of the upcoming Midterm grade deadline and provide you with guides to assist you in the grade submission process.
 
Midterm grade submissions for Fall 2021 are due on Friday, Oct. 15, by 2:15 p.m. CELT’s guide to quizzes and exams provides information on assessment types, available tools and resources, and best practices surrounding the use of remote proctoring options. Then, review the key concepts for grading in Canvas before using ISU AdminTools to submit grades. This tool will walk you through a few self-guided checks of your gradebook, then automatically transfer your identified midterms to the Office of the Registrar.
 
If you have any questions about the grade submission process or have any problems, email celt-help@iastate.edu to create a ServiceNow ticket, and one of our team members will work to assist you.
 
With a joy for teaching,
 
Sara Marcketti
Director, CELT

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Midterm Preparations: Reminders and Guides (September 28, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for September 28, 2021 (PDF).

Studying Smarter: An Introduction to the Study Cycle (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
Students studying in the windows at the library.
Do your students wait until the last minute to study for exams? Do they spend lots of time studying, but end up with less than promising results? Join the Academic Success Center’s (ASC Leif Olson and CELT’s Monica Lamm) for an 80-minute session on “The Study Cycle,” a guide to helping students build effective studying into their everyday lives. Participants will have time to incorporate components of the study cycle into their courses as well as identify ASC resources page.
 
This workshop is open to all instructors and teaching assistants.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti

Director, CELT

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (September 16, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for September 16, 2021 (PDF).

Using Resources to Create Sense of Belonging (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | isucelt
ISU Campanile and central campus

The pandemic (and other stressors) continue to play havoc with our lives. Creating a sense of belonging (the focus of AY 21-22 Inclusive Classroom Training) is essential to our students. A simple check-in with your students: a “rate your mood today” with a reminder of all of the wonderful ISU campus resources to support students can show them that you care and that they belong at ISU. For more ideas, check out CELT’s Teaching Talks series on September 15 with Dr. TJ Stewart from the School of Education sharing ideas to develop care and community in the classroom.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti

Director, CELT

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (September 2, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for September 2, 2021 (PDF).

Resources for Success (Teaching Tip)

Posted on | CELT
Students and an instructor in a lecture hall using Top Hat

We’re preparing to welcome everyone back to campus. This fall semester brings many back to the Iowa State University campus. There is a lot to prepare for as we all get ready for an academic year in-person and we’re here to help.

These CELT resources can help your semester start off smoothly:

  • Start of Semester Checklist: The how-to with pictures of preparing your Canvas course: The Start of Semester Checklist
  • Quick Start Guide – Updated: This updated guide contains strategies to help you prioritize and communicate with your students this fall: Quick Start Guide 
  • AY 2021-22 Recommended Statements: Three new statements have been added to the list of recommended statements of inclusion for syllabi. Review CELT’s Required and Recommended ISU Syllabus Statements page and the message from the provost’s office for more information.
  • Prepare for CELT Programming: Make sure you have the time blocked off for all of the CELT programming you’re interested in. August and September events are listed below but you can check out our website for more information.

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (August 19, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for August 19, 2021 (PDF).

Loading...