By: Alexander Mahmou-Werndli, WIC GTA
The WIC team is happy to report on a successful Spring event series throughout our ongoing remote modality. Each of this term’s four events is summarized below, along with a bonus announcement for an upcoming event this fall.
Additionally, you can view recordings and download materials from each event listed below on WIC’s website.
April 9 – The art of asking questions: How to prime stronger student engagement
In this workshop, Jessica Al-Faqih, Erin Vieira, and Alexander Mahmou-Werndli (WIC Interns and GTA) explored how the way questions are phrased can inspire more engaged responses, clarify instructor expectations, and influence student learning. After exploring several examples, participants were asked to identify common questions in their instruction and academic support work, then to consider how those questions could be revised to better prompt the types of meaningful responses that participants hoped to elicit.
April 20 – 3 quick hacks to build cognizance, agency, and logical flow in a STEM WIC class
Lauren Dalton (Biochemistry and Biophysics) shared advice from her experience teaching BB 317 (Scientific Theory and Practice), distilled into three quick “hacks”: Learn the importance of clear communication, Build agency through writing, and Teach transitions via analogy. A discussion about common challenges and how to apply these principles in practice followed, and participants left with some concrete suggestions to try out in their classrooms.
May 5 – Whose language? Inclusive teaching of academic communication across disciplines
Adam Schwartz (OSU), Sergio Loza (UO), and Devin Grammon (UO) led this discussion on inclusive language practices and perspectives. They began by establishing guiding assumptions about language, including the existence of privilege and the importance of language to identity. They explored these further via the introduction of sociolinguistic concepts, and frequently prompted participants to analyze their own experiences with language through reflective questions. Finally, the discussion turned to the often problematic ways in which multilingualism and bilingualism are evaluated in the academy.
June 9 – Using learning outcomes to create clear assignments
This workshop, led by Sarah Tinker Perrault (WIC Director), demonstrated how course learning outcomes and WIC learning outcomes can be operationalized in writing assignments. Sarah began by exploring how course outcomes could be divided into categories of factual, conceptual, procedural, and self knowledge that students must develop and demonstrate to meet learning outcomes. Participants spent most of their time using graphic organizers to explicate these types of knowledge in the contexts of their own course outcomes and discussing differences between disciplines. These graphic organizers are available along with the recordings on the WIC website.
RESCHEDULED – How to design accessible and engaging course material
September 20th, 12:00-12:50 |Milam 215 and via Zoom
Due to factors beyond their control, the presenters have asked to postpone this workshop until fall. It will be held on Monday, September 20th, in order to allow participants to make adjustments to materials before classes start on the 22nd. COVID restrictions permitting, this event will be held in person, and pizza and beverages will be provided for in-person attendees. This workshop will also be accessible via Zoom regardless of in-person status.
Description: Do you struggle to make syllabi, assignments, and other course materials look inviting? Do you worry that they are hard to read, hinder understanding, or that they’re inaccessible to students with visual impairments or reading difficulties? Learn easy-to-apply design principles at the “How to design accessible and engaging course material” workshop on September 20th. (You’ll also learn what not to do!) In this 50 minute interactive workshop, design faculty members Christine Gallagher, Deann Garcia, and Andrea Marks will offer a range of practical tips and lead you through how to apply them to your own course materials.
Whether you’d prefer to attend in person or online, you can register via this link.
