Workshop Schedule

All WSU courses are associated with a Blackboard course space for instructors to use as needed. For each of these training, we suggest you bring your own device to follow along.

You can attend any session in Spark 102 (Pullman campus) or virtually.

Basics January 4, 16

For those new to Bb Learn. We will show you how to create, upload and edit content, including a review of the feature-rich content editor. We’ll also suggest valuable ideas, shortcuts, and tips designed to save you time and energy managing your online class.

Register for Blackboard Learn Basics

Blackboard Grade Center January 4, 15, April 18

We’ll explain different setup options, show how to grade and comment on student work, and demonstrate how to use the electronic rubric.

Register for Blackboard Grade Center

Blackboard Learn Rubrics & Assignments January 8

Electronic rubrics reduce grading fatigue and ensure more consistent judging criteria. In this session we will cover rubrics, assignments, and SafeAssign.

Register for Blackboard Learn Rubrics & Assignments

Blackboard Learn Tests & Quizzes January 9

A review of Blackboard’s full array of powerful question formats and setting options that allow you to precisely control and manage delivery of online assessments.

Register for Blackboard Learn Tests & Quizzes

With a focus on face-to-face classes, these sessions will cover how to address specific teaching and learning goals as well as ensuring your class progresses smoothly and uninterrupted using WSU classroom technologies.

General University Classrooms (GUCs) January 3, 4

Learn about the technology options you can expect in all GUCs.

Register for General University Classrooms

Videoconference (VC) January 3, February 13

The synchronous distance learning technology allows students throughout the state – and beyond – to take part in WSU’s educational experience. Learn the basics of videoconferencing and how to use it in your classroom.

Register for Videoconference

These training sessions will explore WSU’s educational technology available to you. Technology tools can enhance the learning experience by providing opportunities for student engagement, content review, tutorials, and reinforcement of reading.

You can attend any session in Spark 102 (Pullman campus) or virtually.

Cougar Capture: Panopto January 17, February 11

Learn how to use this flexible recording and uploading tool. Create video lessons, in-video quizzing and schedule recordings. What is Panopto?

Register for Cougar Capture: Panopto

Cougar Capture: VoiceThread January 18, March 5

Engage students in meaningful conversations with their peers through interactive media. Create, comment, collaborate, and share information with this tool that centers conversations around media (instructor created, student created, or already existing). What is VoiceThread?

Register for Cougar Capture: VoiceThread

Webconference: Collaborate Ultra January 30

This web conferencing tool allows users to communicate through webcam/microphones, chat, and screen sharing. Learn about how this tool can be used to conduct real time class sessions, meetings, office hours, host remote presenters, and other events. What is Collaborate Ultra?

Register for Webconference: Collaborate Ultra

Perusall: Ensure Your Students are Reading January 24, April 3

This tool engages students in reading, annotating, and text discussions. Annotations are automatically graded. In a quick scalable way identify students’ questions and misconceptions. This tool is also a strong candidate for a flipped classroom. What is Perusall?

Register for Perusall

Learn more about active learning strategies designed to increase student success in your courses. All sessions are designed to promote participant engagement and model a variety of active learning methods that can be tailored to a variety of class types.

All of these sessions are offered in Pullman as well as via a virtual or video conference option. 

Strategies for Enhancing Student Success January 23, February 27, March 27, April 17

This series will explore active learning methods shown to result in greater learning achievement while also reducing drop, withdrawal, and failure rates. Participants will experience strategies that can be tailored to a variety of courses and learning outcomes. Each session will focus on different approaches, ranging from getting student buy-in to creating a course specific activity. Sessions are open to all instructors. You are welcome to attend one, a few, or all of the sessions available in the semester series.

Session 1: Defining active learning and techniques for getting student buy-in.

Session 2: Pre-class activities to prepare students for active learning.

Session 3: Proven techniques for engaging students in active learning.

Session 4: Creating activities tailored to your class.

Attend all four sessions to receive an AOI Teaching Series Certificate! For more info, visit AOI Certificates.

Videoconference available in Spokane, Pullman, Everett, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver.

Register for Enhancing Student Success

Community of Practice February 6, March 6, April 10

Community of Practice meetings provide faculty an opportunity to share and discuss their teaching experiences and ideas with their peers.

• All Faculty: For all disciplines and course environments. (February 6, April 10)
• Large Enrollment: For all disciplines and course environments. Will focus on large enrollment courses. (March 6)

Virtual option offered.

Join the conversation and be a part of a teaching community that values innovation and collaboration!  Meet colleagues from different disciplines to share ideas, techniques, tips, tricks, etc. Lunch or snacks will be provided for Pullman attendees.

All sessions are available via videoconference at all WSU sites.

LIFT Panel January 22

LIFT and Academic Outreach and Innovation are hosting a panel and you are invited to participate! A facilitated set of questions will be provided to all panelists in advance for contemplation and will be asked during the session. There will also be time to interact with the audience answering their questions and discussing your experience of implementations in the classroom. The purpose of the panel is multifaceted: to highlight your learning and achievements regarding the implementation of LIFT approaches (lessons learned, tips), to recruit new LIFT fellows, and to advance the momentum of innovative teaching approaches at the university, expanding your circle of influence and collaboration. Find out more at Lift Faculty Fellowship.

Register for LIFT Panel

Keeping Your Students On Track to Successful Course Completion January 24

In this workshop faculty will discuss different techniques they have successfully used to keep students on track in their courses.

Register for Keeping Your Students On Track

Spring Teaching Innovation Forum February 18

Event 1
Making Teaching Matter: Creating persuasive and evidence-based documents that support promotion—a workshop for both candidates and reviewers.
Sponsored by CVM Teaching Academy and WSU Teaching Academy

Many WSU faculty are deeply engaged in teaching, advising/mentoring, and educational leadership. Yet we struggle with how to showcase those activities and demonstrate outcomes when it comes time to prepare promotion packets—and most departments do a poor job of review.

Come hear about work of a consortium from five universities to develop an evidence-based model. You will leave this workshop with a better understanding of the dilemmas, a templated framework you can adapt for your own packet or department, and the first pages of a personal portfolio.

Event 2
Teaching Today’s Students

Today’s classroom includes a mix of students from varying backgrounds and levels of preparation, from Gen Z to adult learners, a growing number of international students, students with special needs and mental health concerns. How do we meet the challenge of engaging all of these students in the same classroom at the same time? Your students’ worldviews can impact and provide direction for your teaching. In this session, panelists will identify 3-5 key components unique to each population and will conclude with a question and discussion period. Come and gain insight into how to engage today’s students!

Learn more and register for the 2019 Teaching Innovation Forum

Transitioning Your Course to Use Open Educational Resources (OER) March 5

In this workshop faculty and students will discuss the use of open educational resources (OER) in classes at WSU and the resulting learning outcomes.

Register for Transitioning Your Course

Navigating the OER Environment March 6

This workshop will provide a general overview of the OER landscape. You will learn about Creative Commons licensing, tips for finding resources and support that is available on campus to help you search for and construct a variety of course resources including OER textbooks.

Register for Navigating the OER Environment

How to Use Sorting Tasks to Engage Students and Support Learning April 2

Sorting tasks are activities that require students to sort a set of stimuli (often presented on cards) into piles. Sorting tasks can be used flexibly by instructors:

1. to reveal, diagnose, and provide feedback on students’ developing ideas,
2. as a rapid assessment of student learning, and
3. to scaffold development of deep conceptual understanding.

A brief introduction to key design principles for developing sorting tasks will be presented followed by opportunities for participants to apply these principles in designing their own sorting tasks. Participants are encouraged to come with a topic or concept for which they have been wanting to improve student engagement and/or learning and to bring a pen/pencil/tablet.

Register for Sorting Tasks

Attend four sessions to receive an AOI Teaching Series Certificate! For more info, visit AOI Certificates.

The TTK gives you hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies that you can utilize in your learning space (classroom, videoconference or online). In this session we will cover the 3-D scanner, 3-D printer, laser cutter and other tools available to you and your students.