TEACHx 2024: Full Schedule

12:30pm CDT

Wednesday Registration

Wednesday May 15, 2024 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Louis Lobby Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

1:00pm CDT

Essential for Some, Helpful for All

Accessibility is a foundational component of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an instructional design framework pioneered at CAST that seeks to remove barriers and optimize teaching and learning so that it works for everyone. Starting with a shared definition of what is meant by “accessible,” participants will explore five practices that have a significant impact on the learner experience, especially those who rely on assistive technology for their access to the curriculum. These practices, which are captured by the acronym SLIDE, are meant to provide an on-ramp so that even those new to digital accessibility can quickly start creating more accessible materials to support learning for everyone. Attendees are encouraged to bring any documents or slide decks they wish to revise and make more accessible (syllabus, handouts, etc.).

Speakers

Luis Pérez

Disability & Digital Inclusion Lead, CAST

As the Disability & Digital Inclusion Lead for CAST, Luis promotes the creation, delivery, and use of high-quality accessible educational materials and technologies to support equitable learning opportunities for all students. Luis is embedded with the Postsecondary and Workforce... Read More →

Wednesday May 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop, Featured

1:00pm CDT

Fostering Critical Thinking Using Online Discussions

Asynchronous online discussions can effectively foster student collaboration and engagement, but sometimes these conversations fall flat, with students merely agreeing with one another or making superficial conversation. In this workshop, we will discuss how to craft a successful discussion question prompt that encourages critical thinking, idea exchange, and meaningful conversation. We will review research and strategies for structuring successful online discussion that supports robust student engagement and active learning, including discussion roles, staggered due dates, faculty participation, and more. Participants will have the opportunity to review or revise their discussion questions with their peers and will walk away with a plan to augment or improve their existing online discussion practices.

Speakers

Maxine Frendel

Instructional Designer, University of Illinois Chicago

Maxine Frendel is an Instructional Designer at the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio at University of Illinois - Chicago, where she designs innovative and effective learning experiences. She is passionate about making classrooms inclusive and engaging environments where... Read More →

Handout Fostering Critical Thinking Using Online Discussions pdf

Slideshow Fostering Critical Thinking Using Online Discussions.pptx pdf

Wednesday May 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Louis South Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

1:00pm CDT

Play and Presence: An Improvisational Approach to Teaching

Join us for an interactive 90-minute workshop to experience the power of play through improvisational theatre games. Led by educators from the University of Illinois-Chicago whose professional presence courses engage students in active play-based learning. Learn about the history and context of improvisational pedagogy founded on the west side of Chicago at the Jane Addams Hull House exactly 100 years ago. At the forefront of this workshop is the recognition of the historical significance of Hull House as the birthplace of the transformational pedagogies of Neva Boyd and Viola Spolin. By weaving together historical context and active play-based learning, this workshop offers participants a holistic understanding of the enduring influence of Boyd and Spolin’s educational theories and practice. Reconnect to your presence, intuition, creativity, and join us for an inspiring exploration at the intersection of history, innovation, and educational practice.

Speakers

Stephanie Anderson

Lecturer, University of Illinois Chicago

Michael Brunlieb

Teaching Associate iLEAD Professional Development Program, University of Illinois Chicago

Diana Soriano

Lecturer, University of Illinois Chicago

Wednesday May 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Louis North Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

1:00pm CDT

The Medium Is Part of the Message: Using AI to Build a Learning Culture

As the technological landscape evolves, educators find themselves presented with unique opportunities to create and enhance learning cultures at their institutions. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools are innovations that can expand the possibilities for bringing lessons to life in a teaching environment. Yet, many colleagues remain fearful and skeptical of the value add that these tools can bring into their lessons. This presentation seeks to explore ways to incorporate GenAI into the curriculum. GenAI has the potential to revolutionize the way students engage with content, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Attendees will review practical strategies to seamlessly integrate GenAI into their classrooms, ultimately enriching the learning environment and preparing students for the future.

Speakers

Rafael Matos

Lecturer, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University

Wednesday May 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

2:45pm CDT

Creating Accessible Courses That Look Good

This will be a hands-on workshop. We will show a div concept and then provide time for participants to implement that concept in Canvas, while being able to ask questions to help the concepts stick. We'll also incorporate activities where we ask participants to identify what possible solutions for some designs to reinforce their new skills.

Speakers

L Dahline

Learning Engineer, Northwestern University

James Stachowiak

Director of Assistive Technology, AccessibleNU, Northwestern University

Wednesday May 15, 2024 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

2:45pm CDT

Exploring "Ungrading" in Assessment and Learning

In this workshop, Susan D. Blum introduces some of the principles behind the growing umbrella of “ungrading” practices—calling into question the centrality of conventional grading practices, which practitioners of ungrading regard as both harmful and unnecessary— to place learning at the center of everything we do. Decentralizing standard grading practices allows us to build on students’ superpowers, which include curiosity and love of learning, and to avoid some of the harms of conventional schooling. Educators have found that these approaches and philosophies lead to greater learning, deeper engagement, and greater equity. Bring your concerns, and we'll workshop at least one assignment together.

Speakers

Susan D. Blum

Professor, University of Notre Dame

Susan D. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Her work has explored the fields of cultural, linguistic, and psychological anthropology in her quest to understand the nature of institutional education. She is the editor of the collection Ungrading... Read More →

Wednesday May 15, 2024 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

2:45pm CDT

Mind the Overlap: The Power of Open UDL

Join us in this interactive workshop for a hands-on exploration of Open UDL, a new pedagogical approach at the intersection of Open Educational Practices (OEP) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that we developed for one of our advanced faculty workshops. After a short introduction to the ways UDL and OEP complement each other, we will dive into interactive group activities to map the overlap of the principles of both approaches, review assessments from various disciplines through the Open UDL lens and develop next steps for your own Open UDL practice. There will be plenty of time for discussion, plus we will provide a digital swag bag of resources, hoping you will leave feeling inspired and equipped to explore Open UDL and apply it to your courses, programs, or instructional design practice. This workshop is designed to benefit instructors, course developers, program directors, and instructional designers.

Speakers

Antonia Levy

Associate Director, Instructional Technology and Faculty Development, CUNY School of Professional Studies

Kelly Hammond

OER Assistant, CUNY

Wednesday May 15, 2024 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Louis North Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

2:45pm CDT

Returning Civility to Civil Discourse: Exploring Dual Narratives

In the wake of the crisis in the Middle East, many college campuses have experienced a complete deterioration of civility and discourse. Verbal and physical violence have been normalized as the forum through which different "sides" express their respective positions. In the very environments society looks to as beacons for learning and building bridges across vast and mercurial divides, universities are now at the center (and perhaps inadvertently leading) of what may be the demise of civil discourse. In this session, we will explore the power and impact of using dialogue to promote understanding, specifically focusing on the "dual narrative." Beyond the legacy and somewhat bankrupt guidance to "see both sides of the story," the dual narrative opens the possibility of fully internalizing the experience of the other. In the case of war, the other is a perceived or real enemy. Becoming more skillful at exposing narratives in the classroom promotes dialogue, understanding, compassion, and a new future.

Speakers

Aleen Bayard

Owner, Aleen Bayard Transformative Consulting

Dr. Aleen Bayard has been an adjunct lecturer in the School of Professional Studies for more than 18 years. She earned her MS in Learning & Organizational Change in the MS_LOC program and her doctorate from Benedictine University’s Center for Values Driven Leadership. Dr. Bayard... Read More →

Wednesday May 15, 2024 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Louis South Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Workshop

4:15pm CDT

Wednesday Reception and Refreshments

Wednesday May 15, 2024 4:15pm - 5:00pm CDT
Wildcat Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

8:00am CDT

Breakfast

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Lobby Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

8:00am CDT

Thursday Registration

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:00am - 3:00pm CDT
Louis Lobby Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

8:30am CDT

A Close Look and the Long Gaze: Participatory Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines at the Block Museum of Art

The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University is an engine that drives questioning, experimentation, and collaboration across fields of study, with visual arts at the center. We do this by activating art’s power as a form of insight, research, and knowledge creation that makes human experience visible and material and, through this work, we create shared encounters with art and with each other to deepen understandings of the world and our place within it. In this interactive presentation, we will demonstrate how we use artworks from the Block’s collection in curricular and co-curricular contexts to foster active learning, stimulate dialogue, and engage in civil discourse, and how other units on campus can do the same.

Speakers

Erin Northington

Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement- Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University

Essi Ronkko

Associate Curator of Collections and Academic Programming- Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Amplifying Our Voices

Meet the creator of the Pedagogy Pulse podcast, Jaz Thomasian, and share your ideas for future episodes. Got a teaching project you want to share with the Northwestern community? Sign up for a future interview.

Graduate Instructors, what kinds of technology and teaching programming would you like to see more of? Share your thoughts to help us build support for the Northwestern graduate instructor community.

Speakers

Jaz Thomasian

PhD Candidate, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Augmenting Creativity

"Everything is a Remix" is a video by Kirby Ferguson used in IDS 401 to frame student's understanding about creativity and ownership from a historical, legal, and ethical perspective. This session aims to remix the concepts presented in that video to create a shared classroom mindset of how to use generative tools to supplement learning, teaching, and creative knowledge sharing. Generative AI offers an opportunity for access to multimodal expression, and augmented creativity can create more opportunities for the creative display and communication of information. As educators, how can we effectively frame a student mindset of ethical, creative augmentation when utilizing generative AI for learning and exploration of new concepts and ideas?

Speakers

Lauren Liss

Coordinator of Interaction Design, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Conversing with Collections: Exploring Library Data with Generative AI

Join specialists from the Northwestern University Libraries as we delve into the recent integration of generative AI with our expansive digital collections. Discover how a search technique called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is being used to provide accurate and context-rich library data to state-of-the-art generative AI models. This innovation enables a new way of interacting with library collections though conversational language, while ensuring that the generative AI model is provided accurate and up-to-date information with each question. Through interacting with the new search experience, participants will explore the growing importance of data science literacy in navigating AI tools through lens of interacting with library materials. This endeavor is not just about technological innovation, but also about enabling ways to explore library materials using tools that reduce complexities often associated with large-scale digital libraries and could potentially alleviate some of the "library anxiety" that students often report when conducting research. Our digital poster will offer participants temporary pre-release access to the new AI-backed digital collections search feature throughout the session. Attendees will be able to directly interact with the innovative tool to get a practical introduction to the technology discussed during the presentation.

Speakers

Carolyn Caizzi

Department Head, Library, Repository & Digital Curation, Northwestern University

Kelsey Rydland

Data Services Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries

David Schober

Team Lead and Products Manager, Digital Products and Data Curation, Northwestern University Libraries

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Expectations Regarding AI Use and Integration into the Classroom

This session aims to guide educators in recognizing the profound importance of transitioning from mere AI awareness to effectively integrating this transformative technology into the educational experience. Educator's will play a vital role in preparing students for a world inundated with AI; thus, we should be shifting the focus from "catching students" to embracing AI as an integral part of the classroom. This session will emphasize the importance of setting expectations with students and engaging them in these critical discussions. Collaboratively setting expectations will enable educators to align AI-use with different assignment types while fostering responsible AI utilization. Furthermore, we invite participants to share their successes in using AI in course activities.

Speakers

Jon Oelke

Director of Faculty Engagement and Development, National Louis University

I love learning. Also, I love teaching. Also, also, I love teaching teachers to teach. Teaching is about connecting with others. I connect to others through humor, play, and empathy. This central tenet of play therapy has always stuck with me: Take an interest in their interests... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Recap of an NU Library Workshop

This presentation will summarize content from a Library workshop offered to students in Fall through Spring quarters this year. The intent is to share talking points and takeaways instructors can also share with their students about generative AI in the research process. Information included will be the workshop learning objectives, GAI definitions, types of AI tools or LLMs, positives, negatives, risks, harms, limits of and best practices for use of GAI. In addition, approaches to evaluating and cross-checking the accuracy of AI-generated information and some very general student usage statistics will be shared.

Speakers

Tracy Coyne

Distance Learning and Professional Studies Librarian, Northwestern University

Distance Learning; Academic Integrity

Jeannette Moss

Instruction and Curriculum Support Librarian, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Inclusive Unit Conversion Activity for STEM Courses

Physics and other STEM fields often require students to apply unit conversions to properly solve problems, perform experiments, and judge whether a solution makes sense. Using recipes while cooking often requires unit conversion, so I created a recipe unit conversion activity to increase engagement and allow students to incorporate their identities. Students choose a recipe of their favorite dish or dessert and convert the units appropriate for prescribed measurement tools. I will describe the learning objectives, considerations, format, examples, and areas for improvement. Finally, I look forward to discussing and brainstorming how you can take core skills in your STEM field and convert them into inclusive teaching activities.

Speakers

Eduardo Alejandro

Graduate Student, Northwestern University

ealejandroSlides TEACHx2024 pdf

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Maximizing Canvas Features to Engage Students

This digital poster will showcase the Canvas site used at the intermediate level for French language instruction. This course was awarded Most Innovative Course Site for the Canvas Hall of Fame 2023. The audience will learn about a variety of features which renders the course more appealing, easier to navigate, quick to update, accessible, and where users can find everything in one place and be fully engaged. We will also share the rationale for our choices as well as student feedback.

Speakers

Aude Raymond

Professor of Instruction, Department of French & Italian, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (IL)

Patricia Scarampi

Professor of Instruction, French and Italian, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster, Hall of Fame Winner

8:30am CDT

Sharing the Burden of Burnout: Shifting the Focus from Individual to Institutional Wellness

Educators have seen increasing numbers of career shifts, many citing burnout as a root cause. However, many workplace remedies continue to focus on steps to improve individual wellness without acknowledging or addressing the conditions that contribute to these outcomes, further exacerbating the burnout and pushing individuals to leave. How can individuals share the burden of overcoming and preventing future burnout with their institutions? Identify possible harmful factors and discuss action steps to bolster healthier work environments.

Speakers

L Dahline

Learning Engineer, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

The Sound of Learning

While analytical tools have been available for some time to measure student participation in online courses, they primarily represent data visually. Learning designers have few other tools to show faculty developers how design changes impact student engagement. New approaches to enhancing course analysis are needed if learning designers and faculty are to leverage data to assist in course design. As a learning designer and faculty member at Northwestern, I work with faculty to create and revise online courses. The goal is to increase student engagement and ultimately have students retain knowledge and demonstrate essential skills. In exploring ways to analyze and redesign courses to cover this range of needs, I have called upon a set of tools that allow us to hear data through a sonic online learning event (SOLE) rather than the more common visual lens. Data points on an XY graph are converted to an interpretive musical score, where the meter sets the duration of weekly modules along the X axis, and harmonic values (major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords) represent directionality in the online engagement on the Y axis. By converting course data into an interpretive representation of online course engagement and participation using sound, we can reveal the voices of online learners as they engage and disengage in their courses. In this session, I will demonstrate the process of creating SOLEs and how courses sound before and after designer and faculty revisions. The more student engagement and participation, the richer the sound of the course becomes.

Speakers

David S. Noffs

Lecturer and Senior Learning Designer, Northwestern University

David Noffs has spent most of his life designing innovative learning environments. From his early work with hi-tech mobile classrooms in Australia’s rural communities to researching new educational strategies at Northwestern University, designing and teaching in transformative learning... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Undergraduate Students' Experiences and Preferences with Course Modalities

Little research has explored the modality preferences of students in large general education courses. We wanted to explore which modalities are preferred by students in our large enrollment general education disability studies course and why, with the goal to utilize these insights to co-design a future course modality with students. Student centered course design is a key component of the Universal Design for Learning framework. The team of this study consisted of the course instructor and two undergraduate students who took the class in prior semesters. Eleven students participated in three one-hour online focus group interviews. Thematic analysis of the transcripts demonstrated that students want to experience course modalities that foster their learning, that encourage opportunities to build relationships with peers, teaching assistants and faculty, and that provide optimal access. Students’ modality preferences are also influenced by the realities of their individual needs and preferences, commutes, schedules, and types of classes. Overall, students were most interested in flexible hybrid and distributed course modality options to accommodate diverse student needs and preferences. The involvement of undergraduate students as research team members positively impacted the study as their contributions increased the relevance of focus group questions and enriched the data analysis.

Speakers

Rose Flanigan

Research Assistant, Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago

Lieke van Heumen

Clinical Associate Professor, Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago

TEACHx presentation pptx

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Use of Templates and Guides to Help Bridge the Gap between Novice and Expert

By the time we are experts in our discipline, the way we approach topics and skills has become second-nature, and it is easy to forget how we learned key skills in our discipline. How do you teach students to approach a topic like an expert in the field in an engaging and active way? Here I share an iterative approach I took to develop students’ scientific literacy skills in an upper-level Biology course. Over a series of semesters, I used established concepts from the C.R.E.A.T.E method and other literature to develop stepwise reading guides for scientific articles that I used in lessons, worksheets, and guided article discussion activities, targeted at developing students’ scientific literacy as part of a quality improvement exercise. Students’ perceived gains in scientific literacy from the beginning to the end of the semester improved after implementing the guides and activities. Here I will share the guides and activities used to facilitate student expertise in reading scientific articles, the retrospective pre-post survey given to students on their perceived gains in scientific literacy, the supporting literature I used to develop my materials, and discuss application to disciplines beyond biology.

Speakers

Jasmine Hopkins

Graduate Student in Dubreuil Lab Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

Using Canvas Ungraded Quizzes to Help Students Learn Class Material

My course leverages the capabilities of Canvas quizzes to help students work through difficult statutory readings and get immediate feedback on their understanding. This frees up class time for more interactive group problems that test the students’ understanding.

Speakers

Emily Kadens

Edna B. and Ednyfed H. Williams Memorial Professor of Law Vice Dean, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster, Hall of Fame Winner

8:30am CDT

Well-Being in Health Professions Education: How to Support Students

Healthcare provider well-being is a growing area of professional concern due to its impact on both the clinician’s health and patient outcomes. Research suggests that well-being concerns, like burnout, begin in health professions education programs, during which students undergo rigorous academic and clinical training for future careers as clinicians. Drawing from a recent multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary study of health professions students, this presentation will discuss issues of well-being in health professions education, including its prevalence, common interventions, and the students’ perceptions and experiences with well-being and stress. The presentation will emphasize how program culture, academic coursework, and clinical experiences impact student stress and well-being, and discuss how faculty and administrators can authentically support their students during the program.

Speakers

Kate Schultz

Heath Professions Educator

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Digital Poster

8:30am CDT

AR/VR Reality Room

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of cutting-edge technology at the Reality Room! This drop-in event is your chance to experiment with the latest in augmented and virtual reality, photogrammetry, motion capture, and creative generative AI. You'll be able to try on augmented reality headsets, explore virtual reality simulators, create stunning 3D models with photogrammetry software, capture your every move with motion capture devices, and learn how to use AR/VR tools for prototyping. With inspiring guest speakers from various fields, you'll learn how these technologies can transform education, entertainment, and design. Come and experience a new reality that will leave you spellbound and ready to take your own projects to the next level.

Speakers

Kat Caribeaux

Doctoral Student, Northwestern University

Zoran Ilic

Senior Academic Systems Engineer, Northwestern IT Media & Technology Innovation

Vince LaGrassa

Developer, Northwestern University

Ken Panko

Director of Media & Technology Innovation, Northwestern University

Natalie Roman

Senior UX/UI Designer, Northwestern University

I'm a senior UX/UI designer on Northwestern IT's Media and Technology Innovation team. I'm interested in the different ways that artificial intelligence impacts user-interface design and the user experience of digital products, including generative UI and outcome-oriented design... Read More →

Craig Stevens

PhD Candidate, Archaeology, Northwestern University

Orzu Tursnova

Full-Stack Software Developer, Northwestern University

Rodolfo Vieira

Developer Lead, Northwestern IT Media & Technology Innovation

Thursday May 16, 2024 8:30am - 3:30pm CDT
Armadillo Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Hands-on Lab, Featured

9:30am CDT

Authentic, Joyful, Meaningful Learning in College: Is It Possible?

Humans are characterized by tremendous abilities to learn. They are deeply curious and also gloriously varied. And yet in conventional schooling, both faculty and students often complain about the lack of authentic learning, lack of engagement, and various undesirable “side effects.” In this talk Susan D. Blum introduces a variety of intertwined practices that move students from alienation to authentic learning, building on their innate superpowers, which include curiosity and love of learning.

Speakers

Susan D. Blum

Professor, University of Notre Dame

Thursday May 16, 2024 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Louis South Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Keynote, Featured

10:45am CDT

Celebrating Pedagogical and Curricular Innovation: Insights from a Multi-Disciplinary Panel of Award-Winning Teachers

Join us for an insightful and multi-disciplinary panel discussion featuring winners of Northwestern’s University Teaching Awards, who demonstrate excellence in undergraduate classroom teaching and bold curricular leadership. Following the keynote, we will reflect on Blum’s call for more authentic and joyful learning. Panelists will describe their commitment to fostering student belonging in alignment with Northwestern’s Principles of Inclusive Teaching. We will consider the challenges of navigating the continually shifting higher education landscape with an emphasis on the innovative teaching methods and curricular enhancements that result from pedagogical risk-taking. We will close the conversation with resilience strategies for avoiding faculty burnout and questions from the audience. Hosted by the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and moderated by Senior Director, Jennifer Keys.

Speakers

Pam Daniels

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Clinical Professor Clinical Associate Professor, Northwestern University

Jennifer Keys

Senior Director of the Searle Center, Northwestern University

Stephan Moore

Senior Lecturer, Northwestern University

Aaron Peterson

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction- Mathematics, Northwestern University

Reuel Rogers

Associate Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University

Shirin Vossoughi

Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Wildcat Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Panel

10:45am CDT

Co-owning Inquiry, Learning Outcomes, and Student Choice in Higher Education

In this presentation, our university team shares findings from a recently completed SOTL study concerning attempts to make our classrooms more welcoming and inclusive. We sought to respond to a need to help our students develop a sense of belonging. We explored two questions: (1) what happens in a classroom when faculty pursue the creation of systems of belonging that maintain a productive tension between the authority of expertise and democratic pedagogical principles, and (2) how does this process support democratic co-ownership of the curriculum? We found that choice (alternative assignments, for example) emerged as of primary importance; students identified building personal connections, informing their sense of belonging. Additionally, students noted recognition of instructors' attempts to model vulnerability. In this presentation, we will discuss these terms, themes, and findings and how we enacted student-centered, inclusive grading and teaching practices in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses. This presentation intends to encourage engaging conversation about the TEACHx themes of fostering a sense of belonging through inclusive teaching methods and innovative, co-created grading and assessment strategies.

Speakers

Molly Buren

Assistant Professor Middle Grades Education National College of Education, National Louis University

Martin Caver

Assistant Professor and Department Chair, Humanities, National Louis University

Todd Price

Director of Curriculum, Advocacy and Policy-Teaching & Learning Doctoral Program, National Louis University

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Arch Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

10:45am CDT

From Canvas to Campus-wide Conversations: FGLI, Faculty, and Fellowships

The Fellowships Resources Canvas does not rely upon enrollment. Rather it exists on Canvas Commons to support all faculty in working with students on skills relevant to fellowship application success and allows all Northwestern NetIDs holders access with a weblink. This technology enables Northwestern to take best practices typically reserved for a subset of students and their mentors to all campus constituents.

Speakers

Bea Jimenez

Learning Engineer, Northwestern University

Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe

Director, Office of Fellowships, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Big 10 Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Presentation

10:45am CDT

I'm Altering the Deal: Contract Grading for Tricky Curricula

Grading: we hate it, our students hate it, and it's not clear whether it does any good. But even when we want to try something else, traditional grading sometimes feels inescapable: course content, university guidelines, and class sizes may seem to prevent easy application of alternative assessment. We won't let that stop us! In this presentation, we'll consider strategies for implementing contract grading, ungrading and other tools in curricula and classrooms where restrictions apply. We'll first consider pedagogy enforced "from above:" ways to use alternative assessment when some aspects of course design are enacted department wide. Several case studies will show different levels of contract-style grading, from traditionally graded assignments with heavy emphasis on a step-by-step process to fully "ungraded" work fit into larger structures. We'll also consider how to grade by contract in larger lecture settings, when class sizes and time restrictions may subvert the typical grade contract. Our case study here will be an 80-person arts and communications course, which used a mixed structure: contracts where it could, and traditional grading when instructors felt they couldn't enforce a fair deal any other way.

Speakers

Robert Peck

Lecturer, University of Iowa

Robert Peck

Lecturer, University of Iowa

Peck TeachX Slides Altering the Deal Contract Grading Alternative Assessment May 16 2024 pptx

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

10:45am CDT

Learning Through Arguments with Generative AI

Students use generative AI to get answers to everything from better understanding class material to homework help (and often solutions). But what about when generative AI gives wrong answers? All its explanations are plausible, and it takes a high level of mastery to see the errors. In my class, I embrace this notion. For my exams, I already give various options to promote multiple means of expression. This year, I have added another, which is to find a misunderstanding that a generative AI model has regarding a class concept. Students engage the AI in conversation, and must elicit an incorrect response, and, more importantly, identify that it is in fact wrong.

Speakers

Ilya Mikhelson

Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation, Hall of Fame Winner

10:45am CDT

Peak Performance, Resilience, and Repair

Instructor and student burnout is often approached from the neck up. This session will provide a comprehensive whole body understanding of burnout and concrete strategies for how to repair and prevent burnout. Heather Aranyi works with elite student athletes in the ICON incubator, the founding researcher of Northwestern’s Music, Trauma and the Breath global project, and is the United States Speaker in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Education. Part of her entrepreneurship and innovation expertise is in helping people repair, re-set, and thrive with high performing people in the U.S. and around the world.

Speakers

Heather Aranyi

Director, NU Athletics's ICON incubator, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Rock Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

11:45am CDT

History, Hype, and Hope: Reflecting on AI, Equity, and Public Education

As problems of educational inequity endure, powerful individuals and companies are seeking technological answers, often advocating for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve these issues. In a Fall 2023 undergraduate course in the School of Education and Social Policy titled AI, Equity, and Public Education, students explored the past and present of technological solutions to persistent equity challenges in education, focusing on the perils and possibilities of AI. Attendees of this dynamic panel discussion featuring four undergraduate students and facilitated by the course teaching assistant will gain insights into what the students learned about AI and its impacts on education as well as other dimensions like the environment, labor, and democracy; how creative activities and authentic assessments supported students’ agency and learning; and ways to implement elements of the course in their own teaching contexts.

Speakers

Noelle Robinson

Undergraduate Student, Learning Sciences and Psychology, Northwestern University

Charles Logan

Doctoral Candidate in Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

Joey McGarry

Undergraduate Student Researcher, The TREE Lab, Northwestern University

Zachary Lewis

Undergraduate Student, Learning and Organizational Change (LOC), Northwestern University

Second-year student majoring in Learning and Organizational Change (LOC) at the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) at Northwestern University. Minoring in entrepreneurship and exploring learning science opportunities while working with Northwestern's TREE Lab: https://t... Read More →

Yasmeen Mohammed Rafee

Undergraduate Student, Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 11:45am - 12:30pm CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Panel

11:45am CDT

Voices of Experience: Alternative Assessment Across Disciplines

This panel will draw upon the multi-year experiences of six faculty from Weinberg and McCormick who have implemented alternative assessment methods in a variety of contexts, including lab-based STEM classes, writing seminars, computer programming courses, and hands-on engineering design classes. Our moderator-led discussion will focus on what we've learned, beginning with the following questions: What goals do we aim to achieve through alternative assessment? How do we know our assessment systems are achieving those goals? How have various stakeholders (e.g., students, colleagues, administrators) reacted to our assessment methods? Where do we encounter resistance? Where do we find support? Why do we keep doing it? Faculty with some experience in alternative assessment, from those just getting started to those with years of practice will benefit most from this session. Participants will have opportunities for reflection and will be welcome to ask questions throughout the session. Participants can also submit questions in advance here. Panelists have taken deep dives into alternative assessment research and course design and will also offer a digital resource packet of sample assessment documents and resources for further reading from a variety of fields.

Digital Resource Packet

Speakers

Katie Gesmundo

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Co-Director of General Chemistry Laboratory, Northwestern University

Lisa Del Torto

Associate Professor of Instruction, Cook Family Writing Program, Northwestern University

Meaghan Fritz

Assistant Professor of Instruction, The Cook Family Writing Program, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Meaghan Fritz received her PhD in English in 2018 from Northwestern University, where she specialized in nineteenth-century American women’s literature. She teaches College Seminars, First-Year Writing Seminars, Practical Rhetoric, and Writing and Speaking in Business in the Weinberg... Read More →

Christopher Riesbeck

Associate Professor of Computer Science, Northwestern University

Kiki Zissimopoulos

Associate Professor of Instruction, McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering McCormick Adviser, Northwestern University

Ordel Brown

Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Veronica Berns

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Chemistry, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 11:45am - 12:30pm CDT
Wildcat Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Panel

11:45am CDT

Gender Bias Free and Inclusive Language Curriculum through Gen AI Tools

Gender equality stands as a prominent objective within the UN's sustainable development goals. Gender discrimination and stereotypes, persist across political, economic, cultural, and social arenas. This stark disparity is evident in education, extending to the materials we use for teaching. World Language textbooks have been found to harbor strong gender biases and stereotypes. These biases manifest through visual and verbal presentations within teaching materials. As a transformative force in language education, artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced innovative solutions to enhance language learning and teaching. The researcher explores opportunities for innovation at the intersection of Generative AI and language learning. This presentation seeks to delve into the role of Generative AI tools in promoting gender equity within language curricula and will include examples from Arabic and Portuguese languages, illustrating the application of these AI tools in addressing gender-related challenges in language education.

Speakers

Rana Raddawi

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Arabic, Northwestern University

Dr. Rana Raddawi holds a Ph.D. in Translation Studies Arabic/English/French from Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience in the West and the Middle East at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She has supervised a number of Master... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 11:45am - 12:30pm CDT
Arch Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

11:45am CDT

Teaching Social Justice and Perspective Taking in a Dialogue Seminar

This session will provide an overview of the University of Illinois Chicago's first-year dialogue seminar and how we teach students to develop the communication skills to engage effectively and thoughtfully across differences. We will provide an overview of the course curriculum and the theory that guides the course and invite participants to engage in some dialogic activities that can be adapted to a range of course settings.

Speakers

Jessica Joslin

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Diversity Initiatives Office of Diversity, University of Illinois Chicago

Diana Soriano

Lecturer, University of Illinois Chicago

Thursday May 16, 2024 11:45am - 12:30pm CDT
Big 10 Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Presentation

11:45am CDT

Using AI to Help You Teach How You've Always Wanted

The broad availability of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has brought both disruption and transformation to countless areas of life and professional fields, including education. This interactive presentation will show participants how to access and utilize freely available AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) to enhance (1) student-centered teaching and (2) instructional design in ways that are outcome-aligned and grounded in existing best practices. Participants will have the opportunity to hear the presenters share their experiences on how these tools have helped them enhance their productivity while streamlining the overall process and ensuring the quality of their work, as well as how they have made conscious efforts to retain human agency along the way. This session is appropriate for college faculty, academic leaders, and instructional designers with any level of prior experience with large language models.

Speakers

Yasmín Angelie Cordero Sánchez

Lecturer and Course Designer, Oakton College & National Louis University

Yasmín is an adjunct professor passionate about teaching sociology and criminal justice. She brings a unique perspective to her courses, having designed and developed engaging classes on the sociology of deviance, the sociology of violence, and various criminal justice topics. Currently... Read More →

Phuong Thai-Garcia

Director of Undergraduate Faculty Development and Professional Studies Curriculum Leadership, National Louis University

Using AI to Teach How You’ve Always Wanted TEACHx2024 pptx

Thursday May 16, 2024 11:45am - 12:30pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

12:30pm CDT

Lunch

Thursday May 16, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Louis South Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

1:30pm CDT

Modeling Norms from the Field: The Playful Approach to Early Mathematics

Much of the literature on play as a learning approach is based on the early years, particularly kindergarten, where it is an accepted pedagogical mode. However, this does not have to be the case. A playful pedagogy of mathematics can be codified and made real, rigorous, and authentic even in early mathematics methods course. In this study, "play" is used as a vehicle to move mathematics instruction and learning beyond rote memorization to a more expansive understanding of mathematics. Both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted to examine the pre-service teachers' conceptions of early mathematics and play.

Speakers

Bilge Cerezci

Assistant Professor Early Childhood Education National College of Education, National Louis University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

1:30pm CDT

Reading the Past and the Present in Chinese Language

This study delved into the ways an open educational resource platform can help Chinese language students bridge the gap between the topics covered in their language textbooks and their life experiences. Our observation revealed that the current Chinese textbooks we utilize struggle to keep pace with the rapidly changing society. Students often found the topics to be outdated, making it challenging for them to relate to their present lives. To address this issue, we developed a supplementary reading textbook using a grant from NU's open educational resources program. This supplementary material includes students' essays on contemporary life experiences, such as dating, hobbies, and campus life, strategically integrated into various sections of the textbooks we employ. The inclusion of this supplementary reading material empowers students to engage in active discussions on textbook topics with their classmates, fostering meaningful communication. Simultaneously, the OER reading book enables us to incorporate up-to-date authentic content and juxtapose it with relevant classical works in Chinese literature. By incorporating students' work and authentic current topics through open resource technology, we successfully bridge the past and present, enriching the learning experience.

Speakers

Jili Sun

Associate Professor of Instruction in Asian Languages and Cultures, Northwestern University

Yan Zhou

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

1:30pm CDT

Reimagining Assessment Practicum: Design

This series of Lightning Talks explores the impact of Northwestern University's Reimagining Assessment Practicum on enhancing the effectiveness of student learning processes and practices. The conversations highlight practical applications and insights derived from a broad spectrum of practicum participants, ranging from faculty to university administrators.

Speakers

Saera Lee

Visiting Assistant Professor, Northwestern University

Lina Eskew

Assistant Director of Equitable Assessment, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

1:30pm CDT

Reimagining Assessment Practicum: Implementation

Speakers

Christopher Neary

Instructional Design and Technology Consultant, Northwestern University

Cornelia Watkins

Instructor, Cello, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

1:30pm CDT

Reimagining Assessment Practicum: Insights

Speakers

Susan Beth Wesner

Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Northwestern University

Liz McCabe

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

1:30pm CDT

Virtual Reality and Language Teaching and Learning

A growing body of literature has shown how Virtual Reality (VR) can be used as a tool to develop linguistic and cultural competencies in the language classroom (Song, 2019; Mills 2021; and Thrasher 2022). However, VR in language teaching and learning remains a novelty. This panel will explore the way in which Virtual Reality can enhance linguistic and cultural development by addressing two main questions for all panelists and audience: 1) Why is VR relevant as a tool for the development of linguistic and/or cultural competencies in language education? and 2) How has it been applied in language classrooms for different languages? The panel will have presenters from multiple U.S. institutions that have used 360-degree videos and images in their own classrooms to promote language and culture learning. These presenters will showcase the use of VR for the teaching and learning of two different languages: French (Dr. Kyle Patterson, Santa Monica Community College) and Spanish (Dr. Juan A. Godoy Peñas, University of Cincinnati; Dr. María Jesús Barros García, Northwestern University; Dr. César Enrique Hoyos Álvarez, Northwestern University; and Dr. Claudia Quevedo-Webb, Northwestern University).

Speakers

Juan Godoy Peñas

(University of Cincinnati)

I am an Assistant Professor Educator in Spanish. Also coordinator of the Spanish Intermediate Sequence and our Summer Local Spanish Immersion Program. I am interested in blended learning, the role of technologies in the language classroom, the relations between identity and second... Read More →

Kyle Patterson

Lecturer, French and Italian, Northwestern University

Claudia Quevedo-Webb

Assistant Professor of Instruction- Spanish, Northwestern University

César Hoyos Álvarez

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

María Jesús Barros García

Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Wildcat Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Panel

1:30pm CDT

Creativity in the Age of AI: Forging New Pathways in Media Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how we design, create, and experience media. This interactive session explores the cutting-edge of AI tools specifically for content creation in a higher education setting. We'll delve into AI's use in image generation, animation, sound design, video editing, and UX prototyping, empowering educators to unlock new forms of student expression. Participants will gain hands-on experience with platforms like Midjourney, Kaiber, and ElevenLabs, developing practical skills within the framework of 'prompt engineering'. While investigating AI's creative potential, we'll critically examine its implications for media education, addressing responsible use and emerging ethical challenges in the rapidly changing landscape.

Speakers

Spencer Striker

Associate Professor of Digital Media Design, Northwestern University | Qatar

Spencer Striker, PhD specializes in digital media design, focusing on interaction design, mobile media, digital learning, video games, and entrepreneurship. His current flagship project, History Adventures: World of Characters, is an interactive digital learning series that revolutionizes... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Arch Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

1:30pm CDT

Fluent Conversations: Unlocking the Potential of Spanish Heritage Learners

Spanish heritage learners (SHL) can enhance pronunciation and fluency through Flip, a dynamic video platform. The presentation explores the progress of ten students creating reflective video clips. Flip provides an interactive space for practice and feedback, assessed through external examinations and self-evaluations. Preliminary results reveal improved skills when speakers record and share videos. The study contributes to existing research on Flip's effectiveness in oral performance (Kleftodimos, 2023; Mango, 2021, among others). Attendees will learn to implement Flip in other language classrooms, or other courses that enhance oral proficiency and assessing activities. Flip's peer-to-peer feature fosters engaging conversations, building a vibrant community and cultural ties. The recording tool empowers learners, propelling fluency while preserving linguistic heritage. The diverse range of Flip activities, including the Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA), comprises a comprehensive cluster assessment featuring three distinct tasks, each aligned with one of the three communication modes: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. The presentation aims to spark discussions on similar tools for a collaborative learning environment.

Speakers

Julia Oliver Rajan

Associate Professor of Instruction, Spanish, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Rock Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

1:30pm CDT

Rethinking Participation: A Bias-Resistant Tool for Active Class Engagement

Engaging in active participation in the classroom not only fosters co-construction of knowledge, but also plays a pivotal role in developing collaboration and interpersonal skills crucial for students’ career readiness. In language classes, participation is especially instrumental in the development of fluency and accuracy in the target language. Acknowledging the fundamental role of active classroom engagement, many courses allocate a significant proportion of students’ final grade to this aspect. However, the reliance on traditional methods of evaluating participation, involving instructor recall and subjective interpretations, proves imprecise and subject to unconscious bias, potentially reproducing inequalities in the learning environment. These shortcomings underscore the need for alternative assessment practices that are bias-resistant, incorporate multiple means of active engagement, encourage motivational practices, and place the student at the center of learning. This presentation introduces a new pedagogical tool to assess participation as skill-building and illustrates how Canvas was used in a multi-section Spanish course to establish a feedback mechanism to encourage self-regulation and create the space for adjusting participation behaviors. The session will delve into the tool’s impact on student outcomes and will end with a forward-looking discussion on challenges and avenues for the continued refinement and development of this innovative assessment tool.

Speakers

IRENE Finestrat

Assistant Professor of Instruction in Spanish, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Big 10 Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Presentation

1:30pm CDT

Talk Back: Teaching Adaptation and Conflict Mediation to Expand the "Canon"

A basic principle of the liberal arts classroom is that students must understand history to build on it. But what is the process of building? How do we teach meaningful intervention? How do we guide students to put histories of exclusion in productive tension with futures of inclusion? This presentation offers adaptation and conflict mediation as modes of conversation with the past, whether that is an older text or an older scholar. Participants will engage with three theories of adaptation fidelity with Thomas Leitch; palimpsest with Linda Hutcheon; and talk-back with Julie Sanders as pathways for students to re-tell a story. We will further practice conflict mediation scenarios, to develop a conflict writing framework for students to respond to other voices. Finally, we will develop an assignment sequence that empowers students as literate, thoughtful creators.

Speakers

Janine Chow

PhD, Theatre and Drama, Northwestern University

Janine Chow received her Ph.D. in theatre and drama from Northwestern University in December 2023. Her work examines cultural constructions of childhood in musical theatre, from precursors in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s so-called ‘chopsticks musicals’, to the first child protagonist... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

2:30pm CDT

Can AI Pass My Class? Rethinking Quizzes in a Chat-GPT World

This presentation will showcase the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in an assignment for Molecular and Cell Biology for Engineers (Chem Eng 275) that was used as an alternative to a traditional take-home quiz. The project involves students developing a quiz based on course content, submitting it to an AI program, and subsequently grading the AI-generated responses. The formulation of the quiz questions required students to identify major concepts from readings and lectures, pushing them to engage with the material at a deeper level. In developing questions that might be challenging for AI, students needed to demonstrate their ability to make connections across subjects and critically analyze course content. Finally, grading the AI generated responses from the "Computer Student," provided a measure of evaluating the students' capacity to apply acquired knowledge. By contextualizing and validating alternative sources or ideas, this assessment offers insights into the students' ability to think critically and exhibit a comprehensive understanding of the course material. This quick presentation will explore the project's implementation, its impact on student learning, and the broader implications for redefining assessment strategies in the classroom.

Speakers

Abbie Stringer

Adjunct Professor in Engineering, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

2:30pm CDT

Supporting Northwestern's Neurodivergent Learners

Have you had students who faithfully attend and participate in class but just don’t submit their assignments? Students who read but can’t retain what they read? Students who seem to have difficulty breaking big projects into smaller segments? While a variety of challenges can contribute to these issues, it is possible, even likely, that some of these students are neurodivergent. They may be autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, have ADHD or OCD, or other cognitive characteristics that are often invisible, leading professors to misinterpret students’ challenges as personal failings rather than as students encountering structural barriers to learning. Some students may know they are neurodivergent, yet many will not, or they haven’t discovered meaningful supports yet. While NU offices like AccessibleNU and Academic Support and Learning Advancement may be able to provide some supports, its important faculty be mindful of how their course design or expectations may inadvertently create learning barriers. This talk builds on a collaboration between undergraduate student Emily Lester and Prof. Noelle Sullivan, where Emily will share some of her experiences with barriers and discoveries of meaningful supports, and Noelle will share relatively easy strategies faculty could incorporate to meaningfully support Northwestern’s diverse learners.

Speakers

Emily Lester

Undergraduate Student, Social Policy and Global Health, Northwestern University

Noelle Sullivan

Professor of Instruction in Global Health Studies, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

2:30pm CDT

Taking the Cop Out of the Classroom: Decolonizing Academic Integrity

Cheating is once again a hot topic in higher education, as the sudden introduction of generative AI sparks fears among faculty and Deans that students will take advantage. But cheating can only exist in a competitive learning environment where the myth of meritocracy leads us to believe that some people deserve to succeed, and some do not, and that students should be ranked, sorted, and assessed relative to their peers, and based on performance. What would it look like to build learning communities where academic integrity, and not rules and consequences, are the foundation? In this talk, Jackson Bartlett calls for a paradigm shift in our approaches to "cheating" on campus. Carefully dissecting the colonial frameworks of education underpinning dominant approaches to academic integrity, he then carves out alternative rooted in trust, connection, and assessing for learning, providing concrete strategies for listeners drawn from the latest research and years of critically reflective teaching.

Speakers

Jackson Bartlett

Director of CTRE, Chicago State University

Dr. Bartlett's leadership at the CTRE builds on years of experience in faculty development, university teaching, DEI, and leadership development both in and out of higher ed. He received a Ph.D. and MA in African American Studies from Northwestern University and is a loud and proud... Read More →

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

2:30pm CDT

Using Posit Cloud to Teach Introductory Statistics and Data Science

Active learning in quantitative courses requires students to use software, preferably software they can use beyond the classroom. However, there are significant logistical hurdles such as getting the software on every laptop or ensuring activity setup is correct for everyone. The Posit Cloud platform solves these logistical issues and more. It allows us to introduce the statistical software R and RStudio to large sections of introductory students. We avoid all technical issues surrounding loading and installing software. Additionally, we can ensure all students can jump right into the daily activity. We can begin thinking and playing with real life data almost immediately! This makes the course much more relevant and engaging for students.

Speakers

Arend Kuyper

Director Undergraduate Studies for Data Science; Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Danielle Sass

Assistant Professor of Instruction in Statistics and Data Science, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

2:30pm CDT

“Make It a Safe Space” Needs Analysis for Student Wellness and Community

In recent years, faculty in our small department noticed an increase in student anxiety and trauma and a decrease in coping and interpersonal connection. After distributing a needs assessment and collaborating with cultural centers on our campus, we were able to create a functional undergraduate space with resources for mental health, wellness, and collaboration. In this lightning talk, I will share what we learned about how student tears, neurodivergent faculty, a Google Form, and a few hundred dollars transformed our department into a community.

Speakers

Jill Hallett

Visiting Lecturer, University of Illinois Chicago

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Northwestern Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Lightning Talk

2:30pm CDT

The AI Horizon at Northwestern

What does it mean to educate students in the age of AI? How is AI showing up in Northwestern classrooms, for better or worse? And what will the world beyond Northwestern require of our students with regards to AI?

With big-picture perspectives and actionable insights for educators, hear about undergraduate education, writing, academic integrity, and career preparation through the lens of generative AI’s impact. Panelists with wide-ranging expertise will discuss how generative AI is reshaping education and student experiences at Northwestern.

Speakers

Tracie Thomas

Director for Career Development, Northwestern Career Advancement

Miriam Sherin

Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, Northwestern Office of the Provost

Elizabeth Lenaghan

Director and Associate Professor of Instruction; Assistant Director, Northwestern Cook Family Writing Program; The Writing Place

Ricardo Galliano Court

Assistant Dean, Northwestern Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Abby Rosensweig

Senior Learning Technologist, Northwestern IT

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Wildcat Room Norris University Center, 1st Floor

Panel

2:30pm CDT

Creating Stories: Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools as Writing Tutor

This presentation focuses on examining the strengths and limitations of prompt driven ChatGPT for a creative writing task using German as a foreign language. College students of German at the advanced level were asked to develop, write, and illustrate a unique children’s story using ChatGPT as a thinking partner. Interacting with ChatGPT in German, students engaged in informal and low-stakes writing-to-learn activities that could help them think through ideas and key concepts for their stories, as well as learn new vocabulary, expressions, and language patterns. Answering to learner-produced prompts, ChatGPT provided both explicit and implicit learning situations that focused on vocabulary development and grammar in a meaning-focused context, creating conditions in which learners could learn according to their current language proficiency and pace. The author discusses how they set up the project, what tasks and prompts they used to elicit content, and how they prepared illustrations using an artificial intelligence image generator.

Speakers

Franziska Lys

Professor, German, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Arch Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

2:30pm CDT

Implementing UDL through Gamification

If you’ve ever asked yourself: What can I do to inclusively support individual students to meet course learning objectives? How can I expand grading and assessment to measure the true comprehension of students who may do poorly at tests or papers? How do I get my students more invested in the course and have a higher content retention? Join Maya as she leads you step by step to reimaging your course through a mash-up of Gamification, ULD, Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, “choose your own adventure,” and other pedagogical approaches. We will examine how various student polling and instructor curation can tailor a course to the specific students in the class. By giving students a voice in their education, you can create a unique experience for all.

Speakers

Maya Fein

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Baldwin Wallace University

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Rock Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

2:30pm CDT

Ungrading in a Foreign Language Class

Do you want to let students own their learning? Do you want students to focus on growth rather than grades? In the Fall quarter of 2023 and Winter quarter of 2024, students in Elementary Chinese classes were able to select their grades of participation and an oral practice assignment following a given rubric. CTEC survey results provide evidence that the self-assessment method effectively improved students' participation and engagement. In this presentation, I will share my rubrics of the two self-assessments and demonstrate the Canvas settings that allow students to grade themselves.

Speakers

Yan Zhou

Thursday May 16, 2024 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Lake Room Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Presentation

3:30pm CDT

Canvas Hall of Fame Ceremony and Networking Reception

Come celebrate the end of TEACHx by helping us honor the instructors who went above and beyond to create engaging experiences for their students using Canvas. Refreshments will be provided.

Speakers

Victoria Getis

Director, Teaching & Learning Technologies, Northwestern University

James Stachowiak

Director of Assistive Technology, AccessibleNU, Northwestern University

Thursday May 16, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Louis South Norris University Center, 2nd Floor

Ceremony, Featured