Autumn 2017 UCAT Newsletter

Autumn 2017

TEACHING @ OHIO STATE

UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING

UCAT PROFESSIONAL STAFF EVENTS AT A GLANCE

Christy Anandappa SEPTEMBER
Office Administrative Associate 6 – CDI-OC begins
6 – STAR: Managing the Classroom
Audree Boggs 7 – Course Design Institute begins
Office Assistant 7 – Planning a Class Session
11 – Active Learning Strategies
Jennifer Collins 12 – Suicide Prevention Training
Postdoctoral Researcher 18 – “Classroom Assessment Techniques” begins
22 – “Learning through Classroom Conflict” begins
Sarah Holt 26 – Responding to Student Writing
Instructional Consultant and Coordinator of
Academic Inclusion and Associated Faculty OCTOBER
2 – Academic Job Search series begins
Teresa A. Johnson 3 – “Minds Online” book group begins
Assistant Director and Coordinator for 10 – Applied Active Learning Strategies
Assessment and Curriculum Design 18 – STAR: Active Learning
19 – Service-Learning in Your Course
Alan Kalish 20 – Supporting Students’ Transitions to College
Director 23 – Engaging through Online Collaboration
30 – Empowering Students in their Academics
Laurie Maynell
Assistant Director and Coordinator of International Initiatives

Jessica Riviere
Instructional Consultant and Coordinator of GTA Programing

Stephanie Rohdieck
Associate Director

Jennie Williams NOVEMBER
Program Coordinator 1 – CDI-OC Showcase
2 – Developing Critical Thinkers
3 – Featured Teacher: Student Engagement
6 – Technology Enhanced Active Learning
6 – Helping Students Reduce Procrastination
7 – “Affordable Learning” reading group begins
9 – Writing & Critical Thinking
15 – STAR: Student Feedback
15 – InterACT

University Center for the Advancement of Teaching | 2nd floor Younkin Success Center | 1640 Neil Avenue | [email protected] | 614-292-3644 | ucat.osu.edu

A NOTE FROM OUR COORDINATOR OF GTA PROGRAMMING

Jessica Riviere Welcome back!

Instructional Consultant and We are so glad the UCAT newsletter is part of your back to school
Coordinator of GTA routine. My name is Jessica Riviere, and I’m an Instructional Consultant
Programming and Coordinator of Graduate Teaching Associate Programming. Before
starting at UCAT in 2016, I was a pre-major academic adviser for the
INSIDE THIS ISSUE College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University, where I completed a
p. 3 Impacting Student Learning PhD in German Literature in 2014.

p. 4 Updates and Opportunities Although it was a big change for this Georgia native to move from
Tennessee to Ohio (in the snow!), it wasn’t the first time I’d lived in
p. 6 Lecturer Connection the Buckeye State: I completed my BA in German and International
Relations at the College of Wooster. After a Fulbright scholarship
p. 7 Featured Teacher teaching English in Germany for a year, I didn’t want to stop teaching,
and went to graduate school. While at Vanderbilt, I taught classes in
p. 8 Learning Communities German and in European Studies, worked in the Center for Second
Language Studies and the Writing Studio, and spent two years
p. 9 Academy of Teaching working for Vanderbilt’s Center for Teaching. Committing to a career in
educational development has been a wonderful transition for me, and
p. 10 Events on Teaching the last year and a half have been amazing! I am delighted to work with
graduate students, faculty, and departments from across the university.
p. 13 Enhancement Timeline
Affordable Learning Exchange As the coordinator for GTA Programming, I work with the most dynamic
teaching population on campus! Like all of the senior staff, I coordinate
p. 14 Graduate Teaching Associates content for our Teaching Orientation @ Ohio State in August, where we
welcome over 500 teaching associates each year. I also collaborate with
p. 16 Writing Center OUAB Grad/Prof and Career Counseling and Consultation Services on
UCAT Services the Academic Job Search Series, and support our graduate consultants
with the STAR workshop series (see p. 14-15 for more details!). I get to
work with our Teaching Circles and Graduate Teaching Fellows as they
support other graduate students teaching on campus. I think my favorite
part of the job, though, is working one-on-one with graduate students in
consultations. Whether you’re just starting out teaching, or preparing for
job applications, you inspire me with your hard work and passion!

We have a great line-up of opportunities for you this semester, and I
hope you can take time to reflect and recharge your teaching batteries
with us.

Warm regards,

Jessica Riviere

2

UCAT Impacts Student Learning

Results from our 2017 user survey

Teachers making a This June, we sent a survey to members of the teaching community at Ohio
difference in student State who had interacted with UCAT over the past year. We were pleased
to learn more about the impact that we are making on the student learning
learning experience at Ohio State.

“There’s no question that every instructor 96% of respondents (out of 152 who answered the question) reported their
at the university could benefit from the interactions with UCAT had a positive impact on their teaching practice.
CDI. I am much more aware of [the] The following services were noted most frequently as contributing to this
importance of pinning my students’ positive impact:
learning to the ‘big rocks’ of the course.
I previously would get lost in the sand • Participation in a workshop
of everyday class delivery and not • One-on-one consultations with a UCAT instructional consultant
tie together each element to a bigger • Participation in a Course Design Institute
structure and goals.” • Participation in an annual conference or orientation
• Participation in a course on teaching

“Redesigning my courses made me more Respondents described improvements in their course design, class preparation,
deliberate about what I was teaching and relationship with students, and classroom management, among other aspects
how I could tailor it to individual students’ of their teaching.
needs, so I was able to identify struggling
students sooner and get them on track While we are thrilled to know that our clients see improvement, the bottom line
earlier.” is the students. Are they learning better as a result of these improvements?
69% of respondents (out of 97 who answered the question) reported they
“Creating experiences other than lectures observed a change in student learning and performance as a result of
(discussions, simulations, etc.) has led their interactions with UCAT. Respondents noticed their students had better
to greater student engagement and engagement in class, an improved understanding of material, and higher
learning.” satisfaction with the course. One person even noted a “higher percentage of
students reporting favorable perceptions of the course and material in SEIs.”

Fulfilling our mission through achievement of our goals

90% of respondents agreed UCAT contributes to and/or enhances a culture of teaching
excellence at Ohio State.

81% of respondents agreed their interactions with UCAT helped them take steps that make
teaching more rewarding for them.

79% of respondents agreed their participation with UCAT contributed to their sense that they
are part of a community that cares about teaching.

3

UPDATES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Just-in-time resources on our website

We are pleased to announce we have added a repository of resources Resources for Inclusive
on various teaching topics to the Bookshelf section of our website. This Teaching
space is designed to be a starting place for you to explore these topics or
In the past year, our university has
to gather resources in a time-sensitive situation. experienced a series of challenges including
a violent incident on our main campus, a
Assessing Student Learning Ohio State Resources divisive election, and increasing incidents of
Assessing Your Course Planning a Class Session incivility.
Choosing Course Content Preparing for the Academic
Designing a Course At Ohio State, we value diversity in our
Effective Teaching Strategies Job Market faculty, staff and student body and we
Feedback on Your Teaching Shaping a Positive Learning recognize the importance of diversity in
Grading for Learning the learning process. Yet teachers still
Learning about Learning Environment wonder, “How do I foster a diverse and
Teaching at Ohio State equitable environment? How can I foster civil
Teaching with Technology discourse in my courses? How do I really
reach all my students?”
ucat.osu.edu/bookshelf/teaching-topics
Inclusive teaching principles can help
Safe Zone Trainings for Autumn 2017 you begin to answer those questions.

The Student Life Multicultural Center’s Safe Zone Project addresses Inclusive teaching describes the range
the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, of approaches to teaching that consider
questioning, intersex, asexual, and pansexual (LGBTQQIAP) people. the diverse needs and backgrounds of all
students to create a learning environment
Join an upcoming training at the Ohio Union: where students feel valued and where
everyone has equal access to the learning
Sunday Sep 24: 1-4 p.m. | Student Alumni Council Room process. We have new resources on our
Saturday Oct. 28: 1-4 p.m. | Ohio Staters Tradition Room website to help you get started:
Tuesday Nov. 7: 1-4 p.m. | Student Alumni Council Room
ucat.osu.edu/inclusive-teaching
These trainings are designed to:
• Provide a general overview of issues and concerns faced by You’ll find event calendars, evidence based
readings, overviews of university policies,
LGBTQQIAP individuals and communities and an FAQ with common challenges
• Increase awareness and understanding about sexual orientation and teachers face when trying to foster inclusive
classrooms.
gender identity and expression at The Ohio State University
• Provide resources to enable students, faculty, and staff to act as If you’re interested in learning more about
inclusive teaching, or how to create an
better allies to people marginalized due to their sexual or gender
identities, and to continue learning after the training inclusive classroom, you can also register
• Promote a safer, more welcoming, and more inclusive campus for our three-part discussion group this
environment in which students of all sexual orientations and gender autumn, or set up an individual consultation
identities can live and learn fully
by emailing [email protected]

4

UCAT Research Published

Welcome, Sarah Holt! “Metacognition by Design,” recently published in the
premier journal in the field of educational development,To
Instructional Consultant and Coordinator of Improve the Academy, draws on five years of qualitative
Academic Inclusion and Associated Faculty data collected from our intensive Course Design Institute
(CDI). Current and previous UCAT consultants gathered
“Over the past few years I have been lucky enough to this feedback from focus groups as well as participant
support UCAT’s mission as a graduate student: first as a feedback given on the final day of the CDI. Our study
graduate consultant and then as a doctoral intern. While explored how our CDIs foster metacognition, or deep
I’m not truly new to UCAT, I am so excited to take on this reflection on teaching practices, in order to build teaching
new role. I completed undergraduate degrees here at expertise. We asked whether participants exhibited a
Ohio State in English and Anthropology, and earned an metacogntitive understanding of teaching and an expert
MA in anthropology from McMaster University in Ontario, approach, as well as which aspects of the CDI contributed
Canada. For my PhD coursework in anthropology, I to this change. Overall, we found that the CDI provided
returned to Ohio State where I cemented my love for a successful and timely platform for developing
teaching and became involved with UCAT. It’s an honor teacher expertise by activating metacognitive
to continue working with the wonderful faculty who awareness. The following points support our findings:
shaped so much of my own education. I look forward to
working with the growing community of associated faculty • Participants in all four focus groups demonstrated
at Ohio State and to creating resources and opportunities
that foster inclusive teaching.” a growth in teaching expertise, namely

–Sarah Holt Apply for a through providing a rationale for pedagogical

CDI choices as well as demonstrating

go.osu.edu/ conditionalized knowledge, or an awareness

ucatcdi of how new knowledge from the CDI could be

applied in their teaching.

• Participants became more metacognitive in

their awareness of teaching after the CDI, especially

in their ability to plan for student learning, monitor

success and correct errors.

• Data revealed that both the content and the structure

of the CDI aided participants in becoming expert

teachers.

• In terms of structure, participants appreciated having

dedicated time for teaching reflection as well as

discussions within an interdisciplinary community.

Johnson, T. A., Holt, S. A., Sanders, M., Bernhagen, L., Plank, K., Rohdieck, S. V., & Kalish, A. (2017).
Metacognition by design: how a course design experience can increase metacognition in faculty. To Improve
the Academy, 36, 117-127. doi:10.1002/tia2.20057

AT-RISK: SIMULATION TRAINING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN DISTRESS

The Office of Student Life, UCAT, and Undergraduate

Education are pleased to offer you At-Risk, an online

simulation designed to help you identify and approach

students in mental distress and, if necessary, refer them to

our counseling center. By completing this simulation, you

will be more comfortable and better prepared to help these

at-risk students get the assistance

they need. Visit go.osu.edu/atrisk to learn more and start the training

5

LECTURER CONNECTION

LECTURERS

Local Lecturer Support Grant Recipients Lecturer Teaching
Development Grants
2017-18
This spring, UCAT awarded individual
UCAT annually awards units up to The Mansfield Campus will be teaching development grants of up to $750
$5,000 each to create professional offering a series of professional
development opportunities tailored to development workshops for a select per person to the following lecturers at
fit the needs of their lecturers. Each set of lecturers on a variety of Ohio State:
unit is also given the option of applying teaching issues.
for additional funds to compensate a Geri Atanassova, Near Eastern Languages
lecturer selected to help coordinate The Center for Life Sciences and Cultures
these efforts. Education will create a community
of practice for lecturers that includes Tammy Eckard, American Sign Language
The Department of Spanish and workshops, a wiki, peer observation, Jasmine Roberts, Communication
Portuguese is developing a series of and community presentations to
workshops through which participants transform the way they think about, Lauren Sanders, American Sign Language
will generate mini-teaching artifacts to and ultimately use, course learning Haley Swenson, Women’s Gender, and
be shared among peers. outcomes in science education. Sexuality Studies

For more information about upcoming grant opportunities, please visit Applications for autumn Lecturer Teaching
go.osu.edu/lecturergrants. Development Grants are
due September 25.

Winners of the 2017 Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer

The Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer annually recognizes a maximum of six lecturers, senior lecturers, or
other associated faculty members for their teaching excellence.

UCAT would like to congratulate and thank this year’s winners for their tremendous contribution to
educational excellence at Ohio State!

Amy Barnes, Educational Studies Ryan McPherson, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hope Dawson, Linguistics Noel Paul, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Kim Lopez, Sociology Alice Teall, College of Nursing

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni may put forward nominees, and a committee of students and other award-winning faculty and
lecturers choose the recipients. To submit a nomination, please visit https://oaa.osu.edu/lecturer.html.

6

FEATURED TEACHER

Student Engagement through Personal Learning Plans

Our Canvas home page, syllabus, and before the more formal assessments.

communicative assessments include my Students select activities and due dates

personal teaching and learning motto: that best support their learning styles

“Make Mistakes, Make Meaning, Make or needs within any given unit. Many

Memories,” which we casually refer to as of my students choose to create ASL

our class “M&Ms.” I want my students to videos, such as unit dictionaries, stories,

know that our classroom and all entities or quizzes, or to video-record signed

of it are safe spaces in which to try our interactions with peers. These videos

Lauren best, support each other, and achieve are shared on our Canvas page for peer
Sanders
together. I reward consistent attendance review and become popular and effective
Senior Lecturer in
American Sign Language and punctuality with raffles throughout course resources.

“It is the the semester, with the winners earning a
supreme art of
the teacher to awaken joy in creative small token of appreciation. These small The second part of my PLP is Station
expression and knowledge.”
–Albert Einstein gestures lead to big results in creating Days. Each student is required to host

A presenter at a UCAT workshop about a positive environment where students a review station on a selected date and
ten years ago shared that quote and
it has since been the foundation of my are willing to engage and invest in the time. He or she creates an interactive
teaching philosophy. I strive for the
teaching and learning opportunities in my learning process. activity or game that supports the content
American Sign Language (ASL) classes
to be engaging, positive experiences that and learning goals for the current unit
allow students to have ownership in the
process. One of the most concrete ways I involve of study. Students have stated that this

One of the first things I do to establish students in their learning is through preparation helps them better understand
student engagement is to share my own
enthusiasm for our time together and to Personal Learning Plans (PLPs). how they and other people learn and that
foster a sense of community. Prior to the
start of each semester, I send an email In collaboration with two of my ASL it led to mastery of the content. In my
introducing myself and inviting students
to our Canvas course site. There I colleagues, Kristin Saxon and Tammy qualitative and anecdotal data collection,
post a video of me signing a greeting,
accompanied by a written profile. Each Eckard, I developed these with four major Station Days and self-directed activities
student adds his or her own profile as
a means of learning things about each goals in mind: (1) to engage students have increased student motivation,
other that usually do not come up in
class. more deeply in their scholarship of ASL, creativity, and accountability, as well as

(2) to create learning experiences that are cultivated relationships and a sense of

meaningful, beyond earning good grades community within class.

or pleasing the instructor, (3) to allow for

choice, flexibility, and creativity, and (4) These successes have only been possible

to foster peer relationships, leadership, through extensive collaboration with and

and accountability. The specific structure support from my colleagues in the ASL

of each of our PLPs continually changes Program and UCAT. Friday

as we analyze their effectiveness, collect Teacher

Featuredstudent feedback, share and research

new ideas, and adapt to different
courses.
Join Lauren Sanders on

At the root of my most recent PLP, Friday, November 3
students are offered a variety of frequent, 12–1 p.m.
low-stakes activities to complete
throughout the semester. These are 220 Younkin Success Center
graded for thoughtful completion, rather for a roundtable discussion
than accuracy, to encourage effort and
about her strategies for getting
students engaged in her class.

offer opportunities to learn from mistakes

7

Learning Communities

For more than 15 years, our learning communities have proven to provide a tremendously impactful
experience for members of the Ohio State teaching community. At the end of the academic year,

we asked our participants to reflect on what they gained from participating in their respective
communities. Applications for 2018-19 learning communities will open this spring.

“I treasured the opportunity to connect with other lecturers, hear their stories
from inside and outside the classroom, and restore my pride in the vocation of
teaching.”
–Mira Kafantaris, Lecturer Learning Community

“I learned to think about teaching in entirely new ways, from different disciplinary
perspectives, and I also discovered the commonalities that we share, campus-wide,
related to doing our best work as educators. It was so gratifying to know that I’m not
alone in some of my struggles and to have a community with whom to problem solve
issues and share accomplishments. What a privilege to spend a year learning from the
vastly talented faculty here at OSU.”
–Caroline Clark, Mid-Career and Senior Faculty Learning Community

“I have been able to draw clearer lines between experiences in the field to
material in the classroom. The reward has been students commenting they
feel more prepared to become natural resource professionals.”
–Chris Tonra, Course Design Learning Community

“Through this learning community I was able to discuss common challenges and
develop teaching strategies across departments. I was also able to continue
my work with Applied Improvisation and see how it can be used as a tool for
engagement in different classrooms.”
–Dan Montour, Lecturer Learning Community

ucat.osu.edu/professional-development/learning-communities
8

Academy of Teaching

“Building a Community of Teacher-Scholars.” On May 4, the Academy of Teaching hosted nearly 200 members of Ohio
State’s teaching community at the 11th annual Conference on Excellence in Teaching & Learning. Faculty, staff, and graduate
students from around the university shared their teaching expertise and innovation with one another through posters and
breakout sessions. We welcomed President Drake and Dr. Randy Bass of Georgetown University as keynote speakers.

Read more about the conference at

Carolingoe.osBur.eeduit/oesnutbeaechr1g7eblrogWins the
Founder’s Award

Congratulations to Caroline Breitenberger for winning the 2017 Founder’s Award! Dr. Breitenberger is an
Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Director of the Center for Life Sciences Education, and
a former chair of the Academy of Teaching Executive Council. She won the Alumni Award for Distinguished
Teaching in 1995.

Welcome to our newest members!

The following teachers were awarded either the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching or the Provost’s Award for
Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer in Spring 2017 and are therefore our newest inductees into the Academy of Teaching.

Frederick Aldama, English Katherine Kelly, Law
Amy Barnes, Educational Studies Kim Lopez, Sociology
Hope Dawson, Linguistics Brian Lower, School of Environment and Natural Resources
Jennifer Cheavens, Psychology Ryan McPherson, Electrical and Computer Engineering
John Clay, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Noel Paul, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Susan Cole, Molecular Genetics Luis Rodriguez-Saona, Food Science and Technology
Rachel Dwyer, Sociology Susan Sutherland, Human Sciences
Allison Ellawadi, Speech and Hearing Science Alice Teall, Nursing

The Academy of Teaching, founded in 1993, comprises winners of the Alumni Award for
Distinguished Teaching and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer.

9

EVENTS ON TEACHING

SPECIAL CATEGORIES Please visit go.osu.edu/ucatevents where you can register for events you want to attend.

Active Learning Series (AL) Thursdays (9/7–10/5) – Course Design Program will teach faculty, GTAs, and advising
This series has been developed in Institute staff about prevention and early intervention
partnership with the Office of Distance 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center techniques designed to help save a life from
Education and eLearning (ODEE) suicide. The training will provide participants
in support of the Innovative Spaces Join colleagues from across the university as with the knowledge and skills required to
Program, a campus-wide initiative to you take a big-picture look at a course of your recognize warning signs and risk factors for
foster transformational teaching and choice and engage in a hands-on process suicide, practice on how to approach students
learning in Active Learning Classrooms. of (re-)designing it to more effectively and in distress, and help students get access
purposely help students learn. An application is to campus and community mental health
Discussion Group (DG) required. We limit the capacity of our institutes resources.
These are multi-part small group in order to facilitate community development.
discussions. Participants must commit Apply: go.osu.edu/UCATcdi Monday (9/18) – “Classroom Assessment
to all sessions. Techniques” Online Workshop begins
Thursday (9/7) – Planning a Class Session Two-week online experience
2:30–4 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center

Student Motivation and Engagement Something that we hear often
Series (SME)
Dennis Learning Center staff share In this workshop, you will learn how to from instructors is: “I think Fully
their insights and techniques for structure the classroom interaction that you that my class is going online
increasing your students’ motivation and have with your students to meet your learning well, but there are times
engagement. outcomes. Whether you are a novice or an
experienced teacher, this workshop is for you. when I am not entirely sure
Writing as a College Teaching Tool We will discuss how to identify appropriate
(WCTT) delivery methods (such as lecture, discussion, if my students are ‘getting it.’”
Writing Across the Curriculum partners etc.) and choose from a wide repertoire of
with UCAT to bring you this series of teaching and learning strategies for both small In other words, instructors want to know
events about effecting learning through and large classes. Participants will leave with
writing in the classroom. a plan for a single class session and with the if students comprehend what they are
tools for planning others.
SEPTEMBER teaching in between homework or exam
Monday (9/11) – Introduction to Active
Learning Strategies (AL) results. Fortunately, there are many quick
1–2:30 p.m. | 100 Campbell Hall
and effective ways to answer this question.

In this asynchronous online workshop,

you will learn about formative assessment,

how it can help you assess student learning

at any point during class, and how doing so

also contributes to your students’ learning. We

will discuss several classroom assessment

techniques so that you can try out a few in

Wednesdays (9/6–10/11) – Course Design Environments designed for active learning your own class. Space will be limited, and you
Institute for Online Courses have consistently been shown to increase
10 a.m.–1 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success student engagement. This session, part one of will need an active name.# to participate.
Center a three-part workshop, will use active learning
methodologies to help participants identify Fridays (9/22–10/6) – Learning through
The Course Design Institute for Online ways that they can move their classes away Classroom Conflict (DG)
Courses (CDI-OC) provides participants from standard lectures toward more active, 10:30 a.m.–12 noon | 220 Younkin Success
with the tools, time, and support they need student-centered experiences. Center
as they work to build or rebuild effective,
student-centered online courses using Tuesday (9/12) – Suicide Prevention Classrooms are one of the few places in an
Carmen as the platform. The CDI-OC will Training increasingly polarized world where students
be conducted mainly through face-to-face 2–3:30 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center must engage with different perspectives
interactions, but will also include both in an extended manner. This can offer an
synchronous and asynchronous online Suicide is the second leading cause of death opportunity for transformative learning
components. Apply: go.osu.edu/UCATcdi among U.S. college students. This Suicide experiences, but many teachers feel
Prevention Week, a certified instructor from underprepared to foster meaningful discourse.
Ohio State’s Campus Suicide Prevention In this three-part discussion series, we explore
a framework of Universal Design that allows

10

EVENTS ON TEACHING

. us to anticipate and ameliorate potential Tuesday (10/10) – Applied Active Learning better understanding of how to offer support
sources of conflict that inhibit learning, and
Strategies (AL) that helps learners become more engaged

also to lead discussions on course content 10–11:30 a.m. | 100 Campbell Hall and skilled in reaching your course’s goals.

that we anticipate being challenging for

students. Participants will leave with tools for At the end of this session, participants will be Monday (10/23) – Engaging Students

designing inclusive learning environments, able to choose an active learning strategy to through Online Collaboration

setting goals for civility, articulating use in a course, evaluate the suitability of an 10–11:30 a.m. | 018 Enarson Classroom

expectations, anticipating conflicts in class, active learning strategy for a given course Building

and responding to conflict. We request that situation, and make initial planning decisions

participants commit to attending all three about implementation for that strategy. This Student to student interaction is essential

parts of the discussion series. session will be held in an Active Learning for successful courses, but it’s easy to get

Classroom where participants will engage stuck in a discussion board rut in online

Tuesday (9/26) – Responding to Student in multiple activities to decide on an active courses and we don’t always have time to

Writing (WCTT) learning strategy to implement in their course let students collaborate during class. This

2–3:30 p.m | Younkin Success Center and develop a personalized plan for moving session, facilitated by staff from UCAT

forward. and ODEE, will spark your creativity for

Most instructors will be asked to respond other ways to get students interacting

to and evaluate various forms of student Thursday (10/19) – Designing Service- through collaborative learning in online

writing at some point in their teaching. Both Learning into Your Course spaces. By understanding the elements

new and experienced instructors often 1–2:30 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center of collaboration that drive learning, you’ll

find this activity to be frustrating and time identify opportunities in your own courses,

consuming. In this session, facilitated by Service-learning is an integral part of create a collaborative activity and begin

Writing Across the Curriculum staff, learn new initiatives such as the Second Year using the Carmen tools that support student

how responding effectively to assignments Transformational Experience Program collaboration.

will ease instructors’ workloads, better reflect (STEP), and service-learning courses can

their goals for student learning, and guide also qualify to be counted as GE Open Monday (10/30) – Got Motivation?

students as they tackle the writing process. Option elective hours for undergraduates. Strategies for Empowering Students in

The Office of Service-Learning and UCAT their Academics (SME)

OCTOBER invite faculty to join us for a session on the 1–2:30 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center
basics of service-learning. This workshop

Tuesdays (10/3, 10, 24, 31) – Online Book will help instructors and departmental staff Have you ever wondered why some
Discussion Group: Teaching Effectively understand what service-learning is and what students eagerly engage in coursework,
with Technology by Michelle D. Miller goes into planning and developing a service- while others avoid studying? Why students
(2014) (DG) learning course offering. can be either resilient when facing
9:30–11 a.m. via Carmen Connect challenges or stop trying altogether? The
Friday (10/20) – “I never had to study difference is motivation! All students are

Are you wondering how to promote learning in high school”: Supporting Students’ capable of developing their motivation for
Transitions to College (SME) learning, and instructors play an important
in an online environment? If 1–2:30 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center role in this process. In this session, you will
learn key motivational principles from the
so, this book is for you. Using Fully Many undergraduates enter college field of educational psychology. You will
non-technical language, the online never having been challenged to develop then brainstorm methods for applying these
author applies neuroscience strategies for effective learning. On top of insights to practice in order to empower
that, many students struggle with juggling your students with greater confidence in and
and cognitive psychology to multiple responsibilities and goals, studying ownership of their learning.
in a way that goes beyond the surface, or
provide an engaging discussion about how self-directing their learning. In this session,

attention, memory, and analytical reasoning

can be enhanced in courses that mindfully

incorporate technology.

Priority is given to instructors who teach at you will learn about common challenges

our regional campuses. Participants must undergraduates experience in their

commit to attending all four online meetings. transitions to college, particularly as they

Participation is limited to 12 individuals for relate to theoretical models of self-regulated

whom UCAT will provide books. learning. You will also reflect on and share

your own experiences in order to develop a

11

NOVEMBER EVENTS ON TEACHING of open educational resources is one
strategy that instructors can employ to
Wednesday (11/1) – Course Design engagement. Lauren will expand on her overcome financial barriers (“Open” by Rajiv
Institute for Online Courses (CDI-OC) ideas, answer questions, and lead a Jhangiani & Robert Biswas-Diener). We are
Showcase discussion about how her strategies might excited to team up with staff from ODEE
9–11 a.m. | EHE College Commons (260 be adapted for other courses. as we explore the importance of providing
Ramseyer Hall) affordable course material as a way to
Monday (11/6) – Technology-Enhanced eliminate barriers for many of our students.
Participants from the Autumn 2017 CDI-OC Active Learning (AL) Both books are both available for free and
(see p. 10) will share their experience of 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. | 100 Campbell Hall once you’ve registered, you will receive
and insights gleaned from going through details on how to access them. Registration
the backward design process for their At the end of this session, participants will for the group is limited to 12 people.
fully-online courses. They will also present be able to choose one or more tech tools
some of the course materials they produced to enhance an active learning strategy in Thursday (11/9) – Writing & Critical
during the institute. Those in attendance will a course, make initial planning decisions Thinking (WCTT)
see new models for online instruction and about implementation of the tool(s), and 10–11:30 a.m. | 220 Younkin Success
have a chance to engage the participants identify resources for technology services, Center
with questions about effective course design training, and support. The session will be
for online courses. Light refreshments will held in an Active Learning Classroom. Critical thinking is an important skill for
be served. We’ll be looking at classroom polling, students in any classroom. In this workshop,
wikis, mobile devices/apps, and other Writing Across the Curriculum consultants
Thurday (11/2) – Beyond Google: technologies that can help create a more will help participants define what critical
Developing Critical Thinkers active, student-centered experience. thinking means in their discipline.
10–11:30 a.m. | 150 Thompson Library Participants will then develop effective and
Monday (11/6) – Helping Students efficient writing activities that help students
One important facet of critical thinking is Reduce Procrastination and Boost Time work on critical thinking skills while also
the ability to not only locate high-quality Management (SME) helping instructors assess student learning.
information sources, but also to analyze, 1–2:30 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center
evaluate, and use them. Implicit in these Wednesday (11/15) – InterACT:
abilities are asking good research questions How might your course be different if Valuing the Cost: When
and understanding the differences students procrastinated less? In this Financial Responsibility
between various information source types. session, presenters from the Dennis Impacts Student Learning
To continue helping faculty teach these Learning Center will review traditional 3–4:30 p.m. | 150 Younkin Success Center
skills and students learn them, University concepts of procrastination as a
Libraries published an open-access ebook maladaptive behavior, as well as claims that Many of our students report that after paying
called Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide students might work better under pressure. for tuition, room and board, they cannot buy
to Academic Research. This presentation You will gain a deeper grasp of the impact books or sometimes even food. About 15
will provide a hands-on introduction to of last-minute studying as well as reasons percent of Ohio State students reported that
the ebook, as well as give participants underlying students’ procrastination. You they lacked reliable access to affordable,
experience in quickly customizing relevant will gain ideas for how to present content nutritious food from week to week. In this
learning activities for their own disciplines and structure assignments in ways that interactive performance-based workshop,
to meet the needs of students in their own discourage procrastination and encourage participants will engage in discussion about
courses. better time management. how financial instability and food insecurity
impact students in our classrooms. How can
Friday (11/3) – Featured Teacher Friday: Tuesdays (11/7–28) – “Open instructors consider these realities in course
Student Engagement with Lauren Educational Resources management, structure, and even content-
Sanders for Affordable Learning” building? InterACT is a theatre-based
12–1 p.m. | 220 Younkin Success Center Reading Group ensemble that uses interactive techniques
9:30–11 a.m. | Barbie Tootle Room, Ohio to assist participants in developing success
Join Featured Teacher (p. 7) Lauren Union strategies and problem-solving common
Sanders in a roundtable discussion about classroom scenarios.
her insights and techniques for student Join us as we discuss selections from two
open digital books that explore the cost
of higher education (“Paying the Price”
by Sarah Goldrick-Rab’s) and how use

12

TEACHING Affordable Learning Exchange Grants
ENHANCEMENT
Education can’t be excellent if students sometimes become discretionary items
TIMELINE aren’t fully equipped. The cost of for these students. Many wait to purchase
textbooks shouldn’t be a limiting factor books, or never buy them at all.
AUTUMN SEMESTER to their success, especially when high-
quality open and affordable alternatives to ALX funds projects that help bridge
 AUGUST conventional, high cost textbooks exist. this gap, while promoting excellent
pedagogy and maintaining ownership
Review the UCAT event The Affordable Learning Exchange was of teaching and learning tools with the
calendar and register for a created to help instructors take ownership experts—Ohio State’s world-class faculty.
few events that fit into your of their courses and content. It is a
schedule and address areas collaboration between ODEE, UCAT, ALX grants help faculty transform
you’d like to develop. and University Libraries. We are here to their materials for courses of all sizes
help navigate the waters of affordable and types at Ohio State. Typical
 SEPTEMBER resources and find creative solutions projects employ multiple strategies,
that promote students’ savings. These including adopting an open textbook,
Schedule a UCAT consultation solutions include re-imagining the adapting or remixing open-licensed
to discuss how best to gather textbook, encouraging faculty innovation, materials or even creating brand new
midterm feedback from your and empowering our faculty through resources. Each project results in a
students. grants and training opportunities to adopt, customized learning experience for
adapt, create and share open educational students.
 OCTOBER resources.

Register now for the winter On the Columbus campus... The Affordable Learning Exchange (ALX)
break Course Design Institute 81% of students apply for some form of is accepting proposals to participate in
to prepare for your spring its next cohort. ALX awards grants to
courses. federal student aid instructors who want to transform their
26% of resident undergraduate students courses using open and affordable
 NOVEMBER materials. Any course at Ohio State is
qualify for a Pell Grant eligible for consideration–from small
Visit with a UCAT consultant to seminars to large, multi-section general
make sure your end-of-term Many students who receive this aid find education courses.
assessments align with your that these funds are exhausted on tuition,
goals and learning objectives room and board. A large number don’t Events on the topic of affordable
for your course. receive any aid at all. Unfortunately, learning are marked on p. 12.
textbooks and classroom materials
 DECEMBER
Apply for an ALX grant at affordablelearning.osu.edu.
Reflect on the semester. Applications are due Friday, Sept. 8, 2017.
Update your teaching portfolio
using UCAT’s website (go.osu.
edu/teachingportfolio) as a
guide. Review your SEIs, and
set professional development
goals.

13

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATES

Academic Job Search Support

Are you wrapping up your time at Ohio State and looking for what’s next? Take advantage of what
UCAT can offer if you’re considering applying for positions on the academic job market:

Teaching statement/teaching portfolio consultations: A job that requires teaching as part of GPictured: Session of Teaching Ori
the duties will expect you to describe your qualifications in this area. Let us help you craft your
teaching statement, teaching portfolio, or the teaching paragraph for a cover letter through an
individual, confidential consultation with a member of our highly qualified staff.

Student Feedback: Your students have a front-row seat to your teaching. So let us help you
think about ways to gather information from them about your teaching, or interpret information you
already have (like SEIs).

Academic Job Search Series: OUAB Grad/Prof, Career Counseling and Consultation Services,
and UCAT all partner to offer this series of workshops in the autumn semester.

Join us Mondays from 4–6 p.m. in the Senate Chamber of the Ohio Union.
Oct. 2 Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letters • Oct. 9 Teaching and Research Statements

Oct. 16 The Interview • Oct. 23 Negotiating the Job Offer

Have a Question about Welcome new UCAT Graduate Consultants!
Supporting GTAs?
Erin Blankenship-Sefczek is a Ph.D. Candidate
You’re not alone! We’ve created a list-serv to make it in the Anthropology Department. She has taught
easier for TA Coordinators, faculty who work with GTAs, in a variety of contexts including at Ohio State
and others who support GTAs on campus to connect and COSI.
with one another. This list-serv can be used to publicize
events or deadlines, but also to ask for help from other Kelly Jo Fulkerson Dikuua is a Ph.D.
experienced voices on campus. Interested? Candidate in the African-American and African
Studies Department with higher-ed teaching
Go to lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/gtacoords experience both in the US and Namibia.

Seed Grants — Now with autumn, Carly Martin is a PhD Candidate in Germanic
spring, and summer deadlines Languages & Literatures. She has experience
teaching both German and Philosophy courses
Have a great idea for GTAs in your department, but at various levels.
need a little support to get started? Want to experiment
with something that’s worked elsewhere on campus, but Anne Wilson is a Ph.D. Candidate in
you are not sure it will work with your GTAs? Now that Psychology. She has experience teaching
the semester has started, have you realized that there’s Introduction to Psychology and serves as
something else you’d like to implement in the future? the Graduate Course Coordinator for the
Introduction to Psychology programs.
For more information, examples, and details, go to:

ucat.osu.edu/professional-development/
grant-programs/seed-grants

14

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATES

G T AngOrientation2016 APPLY FOR AN AUTUMN 2017
TEACHING CIRCLE

Are you interested in scheduling time to reflect
on your own teaching and learn from others who are
teaching on campus? Consider joining a teaching circle!

A teaching circle is a group of graduate students “who meet, on
an ongoing basis, to discuss issues of teaching and learning”
(Langsam, 2001). Beginning its third year, the GTA Teaching
Circles provide GTAs of all experience levels and from varying

departments a forum from which to learn, gain support,
and network.

Applications are due August 31.
go.osu.edu/ucatcircle

AUTUMN 2017 STAR BREAKFASTS

Wednesdays from 9–10:30 a.m. | Ohio Union | Co-sponsored with OUAB Grad/Prof

STAR is a group for new-ish TAs at Ohio State to encourage, socialize with, learn from, and grow alongside each other.

September 6: Managing the October 18: Active Learning November 15: Student Feedback
Classroom Brutus Buckeye Room, 3rd floor Barbie Tootle Room, 3rd floor
Barbie Tootle Room, 3rd floor
Do you want your students to practice Are you curious about the value and
New teachers often grapple with higher order thinking tasks such as reliability of different types of student
their authority in the classroom, and analysis, synthesis, and evaluation? feedback? We will explore strategies
disruptive or disengaged students can Active learning techniques can help for obtaining and interpreting student
challenge the learning environment them grow from passive listeners to feedback, including the SEIs and
we work to create. We will explore problem solvers. We will explore a beyond.
ways to promote civility in the range of structures for class activities
classroom through the use of effective and discuss ways to use them in your
classroom management skills. We will specific context.
also develop strategies for handling
common concerns about classroom
management new TAs often face.

Learn more about STAR @
go.osu.edu/STAR

For more information about GTA Programming, contact Jessica Riviere at [email protected]. 15

The Ohio State University Writing HOW CAN UCAT HELP YOU MEET
Center: More Than “Just Papers!” YOUR GOALS?

Have you ever wondered how to incorporate the Writing Our mission at UCAT is to support and advocate for all
Center into your courses? Concerned about your who teach at Ohio State. We aim to help Ohio State’s
students’ writing? Unsure of how to start on writing teachers approach their work in a scholarly and reflective
projects yourself? The Ohio State Writing Center is here way, engaging with the research on effective pedagogies,
for all members of the university community in multiple thus promoting continuous improvement of student
capacities. learning. We likewise strive to create a community wherein
student-focused teaching principles and practices are
The Writing Center offers: valued and in which teachers feel connected to each
• Brief classroom visits other. Taken together, we believe these things engender a
• Writing groups for long- campus culture where teachers have access to the tools,
term projects support, and recognition they need to be confident and
• One-on-one consultations fulfilled in their pedagogical roles at Ohio State.
• Workshops to prepare
written documents Individual Consultation
• Writing retreats for graduate students, faculty, If you have a teaching-related concern, idea, or need you’d
staff, postdocs and visiting scholars like to discuss, one of our instructional consultants will
gladly meet with you one-on-one.
The Writing Center offers an array of services to many
different writers at various places in their academic Unit Consultation
careers. They are here to help you with your writing needs, UCAT consultants will meet with an individual
from the beginning of the brainstorming and goal-setting representative or a group from your unit to discuss
processes to the last draft revision. Let them support more curriculum or other large-scale projects or concerns.

than “just papers” for you and your Course Design Institutes
students! If you have a new course to design, or an existing course
that needs some new life breathed into it, attend one of our
Interested in learning more, or Course Design Institutes.
referring students or colleagues to
the Writing Center? Contact Dr. Midterm Feedback Interviews
Genie Giaimo at A consultant will have a mid-semester conversation with
your students and help you understand their feedback.
[email protected].
Learning Communities
Consider applying to a learning community if you’re
interested in working through a longer-term teaching
enhancement project with the support of interdisciplinary
peers.

Custom Invited Workshops
A UCAT consultant will plan and facilitate a workshop on a
topic of your choosing for your unit or group.

Open Events
Register for our university-wide events and workshops.

Resources
Browse our website or library at the Younkin Success
Center for teaching-related books, handouts, and articles.