CTL & ASSETT Newsletter - October 2023

Course design helps increase student engagement, learning, and overall success. Why is this important? While colleges still grapple with diversifying student bodies, many diverse learners are marginalized because of identity factors such as age, race/ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status (among others). We could fail to meet the individual needs of today's learners without embracing student variability.
 
Instructors must adopt inclusive course design strategies. Inclusive course designs are responsive to the individual needs of learners. For example, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a framework for using multiple means of representation, engagement, action and expression. Pedagogical partnerships promote collaboration between instructors and students throughout the term.
 
Learners today need active participation, collaboration, and welcoming spaces where they matter. Inclusive course designs will enrich educational experiences for everyone while encouraging deeper connections to the course.

• Course Design Series Monthly Meetings
• UDL Workshops and Consultations
• Active Learning Cards
• UDL and Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist
• Addy, T. M., Dube, D., Mitchell, K. A., & SoRelle, M. (2021). What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching.
• Rossi, V. (2023). Inclusive Learning Design in Higher Education: A Practical Guide to Creating Equitable Learning Experiences.
• Wiggins, G. P. (2005). Understanding by Design [electronic resource] / Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Mapping Your Course

The Learning Design Group (LDG) are Instructional Designers that provide support and resources for instructors at the University of Colorado Boulder. The LDG team has approximately 60 years of combined experience and can work with instructors who teach face-to-face, remote, online, or hybrid courses. They have partnered with CTL to create workshops around course design and are a great resource to faculty!

Enjoy light refreshments, mingle with colleagues and meet with our staff to say hello, ask questions, and learn more about our consultations, teaching resources, seminars, workshops, and other programs and services! Stay a little, or stay a while. We will be giving away books and other door prizes during the event.

RSVP here (optional but encouraged). We look forward to meeting you and hearing from you about how we can best serve our teaching community here at CU Boulder.

This student-produced podcast is an opportunity for undergraduate students to share their thoughts and extend their voices to the broader CU Community, speak about their experiences at the University of Colorado Boulder, discuss their successes and failures, and get an insider perspective about what it’s like to be college student.

Wellness Wednesday for Students on Wednesday, October 11 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. MT

Online Teaching Community of Practice (OCoP), Join us on Zoom from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. MT for as many of the sessions below that you are able to!

• Wednesday, October 11
• Wednesday, November 8
• Wednesday, December 13

Creating an Accessible Learning Environment in Canvas Series

• Canvas Course Design Basics on October 12, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MT
• Canvas Accessibility on November 16, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MT

Portfolios in Buffscreate on Monday, October 16 from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. MT

Inclusive Community of Practice (ICoP), Join us on Zoom from 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. MT for as many of the sessions below that you are able to!

• Wednesday, October 18: Mental Health and Optimizing Self-Care
• Thursday, November 15

Student Wellness Panel on Thursday, October 19 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. MT

Faculty Wellness Panel on Thursday, October 19 from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. MT

Inclusive Research Mentoring for Grads and Postdocs

• Session 3: Assessing Understanding on Thursday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. MT
• Session 4: Promoting Independence on Thursday, November 30 from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. MT

Inclusive Research Mentoring for Faculty

• Session 3: Assessing Understanding on Friday, October 27 from 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. MT
• Session 4: Promoting Independence on Friday, December 1 from 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. MT

Course Design Series

• Triumphs and Challenges Encountered by Educators while Using Canvas on Tuesday, November 7 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. MT
• Explore the Dynamic Intersection between Artificial Intelligence and Course Design on Tuesday, December 5 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. MT

Engaging International Faculty at CUB on Thursday, November 9 from 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. MT

Engaging International Students at CUB on Thursday, November 9 from 4:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m. MT

Ungrading: Alternative Grading Series on Thursday, November 16 from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. MT

Complete the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Micro-credential and earn a digital badge! This self-paced online program introduces participants to the principles of UDL and provides a framework for making your course(s) more inclusive to learner variability. Enroll today!

Programs and Services
Consultations and Classroom Observations
Teaching Resources

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