The Center for Teaching Excellence welcomes your suggestions for presenters and programming
aimed at improving teaching and learning at USC. We’d love to hear your ideas—please
share them using the button below.
Technology misuse in the classroom has become so pervasive that we must rethink whether
our energies should be spent fighting it or whether to work with students on a new
paradigm. Yet struggles around technology are also the most obvious symptom of a much
larger problem of many students' inability to focus and the value many of them hold
for multitasking.
This interactive session will explore the needs, demographics, and attitudes of today’s
first-year students, both nationally and locally. Through a facilitated discussion
and game show format, participants will learn more about the realities and needs of
students entering college in 2024.
How do you conceptualize learning? How do you guide your students toward integrating
new knowledge and skills into their existing ideas and abilities? In this session,
you will review key principles of cognitive constructivism, social constructivism,
and connectivism and strategies to apply them to our teaching to enhance student learning.
You will then reflect on how these strategies could affect your students’ learning
experience and how you might apply them to your own teaching practices.
This session is part of a series of four Foundations of Learning workshops. Register
Thursday, October 3, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person
In this presentation, the presenter will share multi-semester data collected from
novice graduate teaching assistants before and after Teaching Assistant Orientation,
and over the course of their first semester in their graduate program. Through qualitative
and quantitative data, GTAs' primary teaching-related concerns are summarized.
This presentation will include practical suggestions for helping GTAs have a successful
start in their degree program while working productively with faculty and undergraduate
students. Register
Thursday, October 3, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
Undergraduate research creates meaningful experiences that drive student learning
further than theory alone. Multiples studies have demonstrated the importance of research
experiences in helping students in STEM feel connected and engaged with their major
(especially students from underrepresented groups) along with enhanced student outcomes.
However, there's a limited number of labs/research groups and with so many students
searching for research opportunities there's student needs not being met. The use
of a course based undergraduate research experience (CURE) can help alleviate this
undergraduate research bottleneck.
This session will explore the creation, implementation, and delivery of a CURE in
biological sciences. We'll outline how we developed our CURE, recruited our student
scientists, ensured student success, and the products created in one semester that
will stay with our student scientists for a lifetime.
Blackboard Ultra Course View (UCV) is the newest version of the Blackboard Learning
Management System. With new improvements being made monthly to Ultra Course View there
are exciting changes which instructors may not have seen. This is a short presentation
about the most recent updates that have occurred in Blackboard Ultra Course View and
will include information on how to stay up to date on future improvements. Register
Monday, October 7, 3:30pm - 4:20pm - Webinar
The first half of the Support Zone training focuses on providing context for the necessity
of faculty and staff being well-versed in recognizing and responding to students experiencing
mental health distress. The facilitator will review definitions, national and local
statistics about mental health in college students and discuss how stigma affects
help-seeking behaviors. The facilitator will also discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated
the aforementioned issues. This session will also cover crisis support protocol, how
to recognize signs of distress, warning signs of suicide, non-suicidal self-injury,
and how to respond and intervene to a student of concern.
An important goal of any mentoring relationship is helping the mentee become independent;
yet, defining what an independent mentee knows and can do is often not articulated
by the mentor or the mentee. Defining what independence looks like and developing
the skills to foster that independence are important to becoming an effective mentor.
Defining independence becomes increasingly complex in the context of a larger research
team.
Enhance your teaching approach with innovative content creation. This webinar offers
educators practical insights into using Generative Artificial Intelligence to craft
lectures and instructional materials tailored to the needs of 21st-century learners.
From transforming traditional content delivery methods to infusing creativity and
interactivity into course materials, participants will explore innovative approaches
to content creation that harness the power of Generative AI. Discover how Generative
AI can enhance engagement, foster deeper understanding, and inspire curiosity in their
students.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Apply prompt engineering in the context of course content.
Utilize Generative AI tools to generate dynamic and interactive course content, such
as lectures, presentations, and multimedia materials.
Create effective and meaningful learning experiences that facilitate student success.
Wednesday, October 9, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - On-Line Meeting
The Virtual Environments Community of Practice is planning ways to integrate virtual
reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments
at USC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students.
If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments CoP, or would like
to be on the email list for further information, please email Charles Andy Schumpert
at schumpca@mailbox.sc.edu.
Our second session of the semester will be all about creating VR experiences from
scratch with Kate Bernheisel from the College of Nursing. Register
Thursday, October 10, 11:45am - 1:00pm - In-Person
Join us for a Mutual Expectations Discussion on the topic of free speech on campus,
both inside and outside the classroom. This workshop will delve into how we can engage
in respectful dialogue, even when we disagree. Students, faculty, and staff will explore
expectations for classroom discussions, particularly on topics with diverse and opposing
viewpoints. Our goal is to find common ground for respectful conversation and engagement.
Enjoy this lively discussion with colleagues and students. Complimentary lunch will
be provided.
Utilizing integrative learning principles, the presenters will share examples of how
high impact practice (HIP) characteristics are incorporated across different disciplines
and identify classroom assessment techniques (CATs) that can be applied across a variety
of academic settings. Participants will have opportunities to share examples of reflection
and integrative learning principles in the design of assignments and appropriate assessment
methods for their classroom.
USC Vice President for Research Julius Fridriksson has made support for new and early-career
faculty a top priority since joining the Office of Research. In his New Faculty Academy
presentation, he will deliver an overview of research initiatives at the university,
discuss opportunities and challenges related to interdisciplinary research and share
information on research resources available to faculty. Fridriksson's presentation
will be followed by an open question-and-answer session.
The second half of the Support Zone training focuses on participants learning how
to refer students of concern experiencing varying levels of distress (mild, moderate
and severe), what to do if a student refuses a referral, how to maintain the students'
privacy, and how to follow-up with the student. This session includes role-plays and
other interactive activities to help participants practice their recently acquired
skills. The facilitator will also discuss the how responding to students of concern
affects faculty/staff mental health and how to respond accordingly.
This session includes a review of resources specific to faculty/staff needs and tips
on dealing with COVID-19 related stressors. Lastly, the facilitator will review campus
and community resources to ensure participants have a thorough understanding of what
is available to students and when to use each resource.
This comprehensive 75-minute training session is designed to help educators effectively
use Zoom and Blackboard together to enhance their online teaching experience. Whether
you are new to Zoom or looking to optimize your use of these tools, this training
covers everything you need to know.
Participants will learn how to set up and use Zoom and its features right from their
Blackboard course; how to schedule and manage Zoom meetings; how to manage recordings
after your Zoom sessions, and more! Register
Tuesday, October 15, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar
Come develop a deeper understanding of inclusive excellence and why it is central
not only to how we prepare students to lead, but also to how we engage all members
of our USC community. Learn about the ways in which the Office of Access, Title IX
and Community Engagement seeks to operationalize inclusive excellence, as well as
how the office intends to use its equity and inclusion strategy to track the University's
effectiveness!
Wednesday, October 16, 11:45am - 1:00pm - In-Person
Are you equipped to provide accessible content that meets the needs of all your students?
Come prepared to gain hands-on experience of applying digital accessibility best practices
during this session.
This workshop will provide guidance for applying accessibility practices to your documents
appropriately and how to prevent potential barriers people experience due to disabilities.
An overview of disabilities and the challenges they cause will be provided including
types of assistive technologies (AT) that help alleviate those challenges.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be touched on related to its part in developing
accessible content. Integrated automated accessibility checkers of Microsoft and Blackboard
platforms will also be covered. These automated tools can identify accessibility issues
and provide guidance to resolve them.
Attend with curiosity to help lead toward innovative and inclusive content design
strategies. Leave with a strong sense of applying accessibility best practices that
opens the path of better experiences for all your students.
Learning Outcome
Gain insight into challenges people with disabilities can experience with digital
content.
Increase awareness of assistive technologies that students may utilize.
Expand your understanding of digital accessibility, why it matters, and how it relates
to your content.
This workshop familiarizes attendees with Blackboard’s Ultra Course View. eLearning
Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate a UCV course, communicate with
students, add content, find and utilize Blackboard tools, and grade assignments. Register
Thursday, October 17, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar
Panopto is an all-in-one video management platform built into Blackboard Learn. In
this session, attendees will learn how to create and manage video learning content
in Panopto that can be easily integrated into Blackboard courses. Register
Monday, October 21, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar
Do you want to learn techniques for involving your learners in your course? In this
session, you will discuss strategies for active learning and student engagement that
will help advance learning for everyone, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
You will engage with small teaching strategies to design learning activities that
can enhance engagement as soon as your next class!
This session is part of a series of four Foundations of Learning workshops The session
is a qualifying session for a New Faculty Academy certificate of completion.Register
Tuesday, October 22, 8:30am - 9:45am - In-Person
Learn to question your assumptions about what students know and explicitly identify
the knowledge and skills you want them to acquire when completing library research
assignments. [In this session, participants will explore common challenges students
face when conducting library research and identify best practices for designing assignments
that require or encourage the use of library resources. Participants will also have
the opportunity to learn about ways in which faculty can partner with librarians to
support student success. By creating research assignments with specific learning outcomes
that are clear to your students, you can improve the experience for everyone involved.
Good communication is a key element of any relationship, and the mentoring relationship
is no exception. As mentors, it is insufficient to say we know good communication
when we see it. Participants will learn how to identify the key characteristics of
effective communication and practice these skills with other participants. At the
end of workshop, participants will be better prepared to provide constructive feedback
to mentees, engage in active listening, communicate across diverse dimensions (disciplines,
ethnicities, positions of powers), and formulate strategies for improving their own
communication style.
Wednesday, October 23, 10:50am - 11:40am - In-Person
Introduce your students to the integrative environment of digital projects without
overwhelming yourself. A digital project assignment can be a web site, database, podcast,
or any multimedia platform. This type of assignment can draw students into the class
but can be cumbersome for the teacher. Drawing on faculty experiences and twenty years
of managing USC Libraries’ Digital Collections, this presentation will help you understand
how to set up and manage such an assignment so that you can all enjoy learning and
collaborating and not lose sight of the main topic. Learn about the Libraries services
so you can take full advantage of them. If this talk piques your interest, the Library
offers in depth online, workshops on many of the tools mentioned in this overview.
Wednesday, October 23, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar
Engaging students through interactive and dynamic activities is essential for fostering
a stimulating learning environment. In this webinar, educators will explore how to
leverage Generative Artificial Intelligence to enhance their teaching practices and
create impactful activities for 21st-century learners. From designing collaborative
projects to incorporating AI-generated prompts and feedback, participants will discover
innovative ways to integrate Generative AI into their instructional activities.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Apply prompt engineering in the context of learning activities.
Design interactive activities that leverage Generative AI to enhance student engagement
and participation.
Identify opportunities for further integration of Generative AI into instructional
activities to enhance student learning outcomes.
The 15th Annual Oktoberbest Symposium celebrates teaching success at USC, actively
engages attendees in professional development sessions that enhance innovative teaching
practices, and establishes and fosters meaningful connections. The Oktoberbest agenda
features engaging sessions, led by your USC colleagues, on innovative approaches to
teaching, assessments, course design, and creative student learning opportunities.
Oktoberbest is free to all who teach or support teaching at USC, but is not open to
the general public.
The Oktoberbest Keynote Address will be given by Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Senior Associate
Director for Teaching and Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Simmons
University. Her keynote address and Gallery Walk workshop is entitled “Hope in a Time
of Monsters: Supporting Faculty and Student Mental Health.” Register
Tuesday, October 29, 10:00am - 11:00am - Webinar
This workshop is designed for Blackboard users who are familiar with the new Ultra
Course View but want a more intensive look at the UCV Gradebook. In this 60-minute
session, a consultant from eLearning Services will share best practices and tips &
tricks for setting up a Gradebook that works for you, present a live demonstration,
and answer questions. Register
Tuesday, October 29, 1:15pm - 3:15pm - In-Person
Hear from USCPD what to do to keep your students and yourself safe. This seminar is
designed to provide guidance on what to do in a shooting incident, how to be prepared,
how to think safely and how to recognize a potential problem, specifically in campus
and classroom contexts. Register
Wednesday, October 30, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar
In this workshop we will tackle the plans, tips, and tricks necessary to get students
to rave about your communication abilities – or, at least improve their enthusiasm.
Clear communication in course design and in ongoing course messages is key to student
satisfaction and improved course learning outcomes. We will use Blackboard Ultra as
our tool and explore how we can use it to get clear, concise, and creative in our
communications. We will take a hands-on approach: I will share evidence-based strategies
for improved communication and show you examples from our sociology courses. Next,
we will work on strategies that are uniquely applicable to your own courses. You will
walk away with a draft of a quality communication plan for one of your courses and
a number of immediately applicable Blackboard hacks up your sleeve. Register
Thursday, October 31, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar
Join us for a lively discussion of the benefits of formative assessment and feedback
and strategies for implementing them in different teaching and learning contexts,
including large enrollment courses. Participants will learn how to use formative assessment
to foster students’ responsibility for their learning and enhance instructor’s awareness
of students’ progress and challenges and their ability to intervene effectively. We
will explore several types of formative assessments and easy-to-use tools for creating
them.Register
November 2024
Friday, November 1, 9:40am - 10:30am - In-Person
Join us for an engaging conversation on creating classroom environments where first-generation
college students can thrive. Learn about new strategic retention initiatives such
as the First-Generation Center and First-Generation Living and Learning Community.
Leave with actionable strategies you can incorporate in your work to champion first-generation
student success.
Join us for an engaging session focused on mental wellbeing in the workforce. The
presentation will explore the importance of mental health for faculty, staff, and
other member of academy. After discussing concepts such as stress, resilience, and
burnout, we will address mechanisms to cope and self-care. The presentation will also
include some interventions that can be completed with low resources and training to
improve relaxation and long-term well-being.
Do you have a desire to help your learners become more motivated to do well and persist
through challenges? Join us to learn how to leverage motivation and emotion to create
positive, engaging learning environments. You will analyze motivational theories and
strategies to determine what might be able to best help your learners in your context.
This session is part of a series of four Foundations of Learning workshops.Register
Wednesday, November 6, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar
Assessments just got a major upgrade! This webinar explores how Generative Artificial
Intelligence can transform your assessments from rote memorization exercises to engaging
experiences that promote deeper learning. Discover how to generate assessments that
align with your course learning outcomes to foster creativity, critical thinking,
and personalized learning experiences.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Apply prompt engineering in the context of assessments.
Differentiate between traditional assessment methods and generative AI-powered assessments.
Design effective assessments that measure student mastery and promote meaningful learning
outcomes.
Thursday, November 7, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person
Helping students develop the skills for the growing demands of the job market means
teachings students to integrate their work experiences with their educational background.
Often these elements are treated as two distinct experiences, with few connections
drawn between career opportunities and classroom education and skills.
This session will provide participants the opportunity for exploring mechanisms to
connect these experiences through the integration of internship opportunities in classroom
settings. We will focus on exploring potential internship sources for your students,
highlighting skills, theories, and tools that can be developed within the classroom
to compliment these experiences, and helping students to integrate in and out of class
opportunities in clear and concise ways through reflection.
The first half of the Support Zone training focuses on providing context for the necessity
of faculty and staff being well-versed in recognizing and responding to students experiencing
mental health distress. The facilitator will review definitions, national and local
statistics about mental health in college students and discuss how stigma affects
help-seeking behaviors. The facilitator will also discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated
the aforementioned issues. This session will also cover crisis support protocol, how
to recognize signs of distress, warning signs of suicide, non-suicidal self-injury,
and how to respond and intervene to a student of concern.
The second half of the Support Zone training focuses on participants learning how
to refer students of concern experiencing varying levels of distress (mild, moderate
and severe), what to do if a student refuses a referral, how to maintain the students'
privacy, and how to follow-up with the student. This session includes role-plays and
other interactive activities to help participants practice their recently acquired
skills. The facilitator will also discuss the how responding to students of concern
affects faculty/staff mental health and how to respond accordingly.
This session includes a review of resources specific to faculty/staff needs and tips
on dealing with COVID-19 related stressors. Lastly, the facilitator will review campus
and community resources to ensure participants have a thorough understanding of what
is available to students and when to use each resource.
This comprehensive 75-minute training session is designed to help educators effectively
use Zoom and Blackboard together to enhance their online teaching experience. Whether
you are new to Zoom or looking to optimize your use of these tools, this training
covers everything you need to know.
Participants will learn how to set up and use Zoom and its features right from their
Blackboard course; how to schedule and manage Zoom meetings; how to manage recordings
after your Zoom sessions, and more! Register
Tuesday, November 12, 11:45am - 1:00pm - In-Person
Join us for a Mutual Expectations Discussion where we will explore participants' views
on the appropriate use of AI on campus. When is ChatGPT appropriate, and when is it
not? What other AI tools are being used beyond ChatGPT? Should we establish common
expectations as a campus community for AI usage?
Enjoy this engaging discussion with fellow students and faculty. Complimentary lunch
will be provided.
Sponsored by the Carolina Experience, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and the
Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.
Tuesday, November 12, 12:00pm - 2:00pm - In-Person
Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty
and staff to make campus more supportive of students in recovery from substance use
disorder. Learn to: confront myths and stigma about substance use disorder; use and
model acts of allyship in everyday interactions; and identify, access, and direct
people to recovery resources at USC.
Recovery Ally workshops are presented in a flipped-classroom model that includes a
self-paced video module as prework (estimated 20 minutes) and a one-hour in-person
session. Pleasereview the recorded contentprior to your scheduled workshop session.
One of the most critical elements of the mentor-mentee relationship is having a shared
understanding of what the objectives of the relationship are. When challenges arise
in the relationship, it is likely because there has been a misunderstanding about
what the expected objectives of the relationship are. Additionally, relationships
and their expectations change over time as the mentee grows, meaning that frequent
and consistent adjustment of the expectations of mentors and mentees is required for
mentorship to be successful. This workshop is an elective for the Entering Mentoring
Certificate of Completion.
Wednesday, November 13, 10:00am - 11:00am - In-Person
Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty
and staff to make campus more supportive of students in recovery from substance use
disorder. Learn to: confront myths and stigma about substance use disorder; use and
model acts of allyship in everyday interactions; and identify, access, and direct
people to recovery resources at USC.
Recovery Ally workshops are presented in a flipped-classroom model that includes a
self-paced video module as prework (estimated 20 minutes) and a one-hour in-person
session. Pleasereview the recorded contentprior to your scheduled workshop session.
Wednesday, November 13, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar
A teaching philosophy statement provides a concise description of an instructor's
perspective on teaching, student learning, methodologies, and implementation, and
institutions typically request a teaching philosophy statement from applicants for
faculty positions and as part of the tenure and promotion process.
What, then, is your teaching philosophy? What aspects should you reflect upon, write,
or include? And how has the writing of this document changed as a result of ChatGPT,
both in the document construction as well as your perspective on this fundamental
shift in higher education? This will be a working webinar, where we will discuss strategies
for composing the statement, incorporating time for theme development, group discussion
and feedback, and ChatGPT prompt exploration. Participants will leave with a thematic
outline of their statement, a draft of the opening paragraph, and guidelines to continue
crafting it.
NOTE: For you and other participants to benefit the most in the time available, this webinar
requires that you do some reflective writing in advance of the session.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Reflect on and clarify their values about teaching and learning.
Expound upon these values and craft a working thematic outline.
Explore the ethical usage of ChatGPT in teaching statement construction.
Wednesday, November 13, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - On-Line Meeting
The Virtual Environments Community of Practice is planning ways to integrate virtual
reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments
at USC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students.
If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments CoP, or would like
to be on the email list for further information, please email Charles Andy Schumpert
at schumpca@mailbox.sc.edu.
In our third and final meeting of Fall 2024, we'll discuss accessibility concerns
using VR and the potential for VR to help create more inclusive spaces for all. Register
Thursday, November 14, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar
Engaging in conflict is challenging whether you are an experienced instructor or new
to your role. A common strategy is to ignore the behavior due to our own discomfort,
concern over retaliation or fear that our intervention may cause more harm or disruption.
We will identify what our fears are about classroom disruption and use case study
examples to practice strategies to stretch participants' comfort zones. This workshop
will also explore Gerald Amada's research from Coping with Misconduct in the College
Classroom and provide participants with tangible strategies to prevent and respectfully
address disruptive behavior.
Don’t stress! We can help. We will cover best practices for producing lecture videos
from your office or home that are both engaging and accessible. We will include tips
and resources for making your video content accessible and also provide additional
resources available to you here at USC.Register
Monday, November 18, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
Students not reading your syllabus? Want a quicker, efficient way to get information
to your students about our courses? Try supplementing our regular syllabus with a
graphical syllabus! In this session, we'll explore the benefits of graphical syllabi,
how to quickly create one, and some ways we can engage students with our syllabi in
fresh and creative ways. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or device to
begin creating a graphical syllabus but it's not required. Participants will leave
with a template graphical syllabus that can help jumpstart their journey. Register
Tuesday, November 19, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
With the launch of Carolina Experience in 2024, a heightened emphasis has been placed
on understanding and supporting the experiences of sophomore, junior, transfer, and
senior student populations through an emphasis on community development and career
readiness. To help in these endeavors, longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data
collected from the Student Success Center has been instrumental in better understanding
these target populations.
What are the common experiences of students in the middle years of college? What are
the biggest challenges they face and what do they most look forward to? How does this
align with the national research on these populations? And most importantly- how can
this information be used to support their overall experience at USC and in support
of student engagement, including experiential learning, and career readiness?
We will go over the assessment findings and what specialized resources are already
in place at USC to support these populations, as well as provide recommendations for
instructors and course-based activities. Finally, we will wrap up this session with
group discussion on suggestions to further support the target populations through
the Carolina Experience, including additional ways for campus stakeholders to get
involved.
The Resilience in the Classroom training is a 50-minute training that focuses on three
major components of resilience:
Self-compassion
Dealing with failure, and coping skills, and
How to incorporate these components into the classroom.
Resilience is associated with academic success and psychological well-being. This
session will help instructors identify how they can strengthen students' resilience
and help them adapt to change and hardships by integrating these core competencies
into their curriculum.
Wednesday, November 20, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
The diversity in USC classrooms is rapidly increasing to include students from a range
of countries and linguistic backgrounds. With all of the benefits that come from having
a global classroom, there are challenges that are presented by this shift. As students
try to succeed in a language that they do not natively speak and in a country where
cultural differences can be confusing and overwhelming, these challenges often come
to light in the classroom.
This session will equip you with strategies for ensuring that your international students
successfully learn the material and meet your expectations in the classroom.
It’s time to start thinking about your upcoming course! Have you already started planning
your syllabus and have ideas but don't know where to start? Or are you feeling mired
down in syllabus details, feeling like you're missing a prime opportunity to rethink
and revise certain sections? You're not alone - and we're here to help! Join other
instructors as we break down the components of the syllabus using the backwards design
model: the role of learning outcomes and how to craft them, developing quality learning
activities, formulating the appropriate assessment, and determining the most effective
teaching methodology. Other tips and advice for syllabus development, including required
and recommended components, along with examples of good and bad syllabus construction,
will be discussed. Register
December 2024
Wednesday, December 4, 2:00pm - 4:00pm - In-Person
Enhance your courses and get personalized assistance for teaching with the new Blackboard
Learn Ultra Course View (UCV). Whether you have specific inquiries or just need general
assistance, facilitators from the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and eLearning
Services (eLS) are here to help!Register