Instructors: prepare for fall courses by attending August conferences, workshops offered at PFW, PNW, PWL

Instructors preparing for Fall 2021 have a wealth of resources available to them in August, including conferences, workshops, and consultations offered by their respective campuses. Register now for the following at your campus:

Purdue West Lafayette

Gradescope and Variate
Aug. 11, 2-2:50 p.m. Online
This session will introduce faculty to Gradescope and Variate, two supported assessment tools available to faculty at Purdue. Gradescope is a grading platform that allows for faster, better feedback on written assignments while Variate is a tool that enables faculty to give students unique free-response numerical or mathematical expression problems without any coding required.

Starting Your Course Off On The Right Foot
Aug. 19, 1-1:50 p.m. Online
This session will review the steps faculty should take to ensure that their courses are ready on the first day of class. Presenters will cover some of the most common issues that come into Teaching and Learning Technologies about Brightspace courses at the start of each semester, with a focus on ensuring that your course reflects the work you’ve put in to make it perfect.

Brightspace Basics
Aug. 17, 11-11:50 a.m. Online.
This flipped workshop will provide a brief overview of the Brightspace interface for new users. The remainder of the session is designated for Q&A and requested demonstrations. Please click here for the session packet, which will download to your computer as a Word document. We recommend reviewing the material prior to the session.

Brightspace Gradebook
Aug. 18, 2-2:50 p.m. Online
This online workshop will cover setting up and maintaining your gradebook in Brightspace. Topics covered for this session include creating categories, creating a grade item, associating a grade item with a quiz and assignment, and creating a weighted grade scheme. There will be time at the end of the session for questions.

Teaching and Learning Technologies will continue to offer daily drop-in sessions for Brightspace support, with expanded hours during the week before and the first week of the semester.

Ask a Librarian is also available via chat, email, text, or tweet for help answering your questions about Libraries’ resources or services.

Purdue Fort Wayne

CELT’s Annual Fall Teaching Conference: Get Students Engaged
Aug. 19, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Walb Union, PFW campus
Keynote: Dr. Christine Harrington, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership at New Jersey City University.

CELT is thrilled to announce our 2021 Fall Teaching Conference will be offered in-person this year. Join us and our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Christine Harrington, to reflect on, share, and apply teaching and learning strategies that “get students engaged!”

Our socially-distanced event will include boxed lunches and follow University guidelines for mask requirements and room capacity restrictions. Spots at the conference are limited, so register early.

If you are unable to secure a spot for the in-person option or prefer to attend virtually, CELT has collaborated with IT Services to offer a livestream of the plenary sessions. Select the virtual option during registration to sign up for access to the livestream.

Set Up Your Gradebook in Brightspace
Aug. 5, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Online
During this session, faculty will learn how to set up their Gradebook in Brightspace. The consultants will share some use-cases for different ways to set up your gradebook, explain the major settings between Points and Weighted grades, and discuss the pedagogical considerations.

Enhancing Brightspace Course Organization and Navigation
Aug. 16, 2-3 p.m., Online
We will use simple strategies, Brightspace tools, and CELT course templates to organize your online course content for easy navigation and student success.

Instructional Video Creation
Aug. 18, 2-3 p.m., Online
During this session, we will introduce the different university-supported educational technologies that can be used to create instructional videos, including Kaltura Capture, Kaltura Classroom, Camtasia, and Video Express Room. The similarities and differences will be covered. Example videos will be shared to show the different types of instructional videos. The session includes a 45-minute introduction and 15-minute Q&A.

Set Up Your Gradebook in Brightspace
Aug. 31, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (noon), Online
Early interventions have been one of the main factors of helping students succeed in a course. Brightspace offers a wide range of data to help faculty make informed decisions about learning efficiencies and identify struggling students. Join us for a conversation about using Brightspace learning analytics to identify and support at-risk students

Purdue Northwest

Summer Workshop Series – Preparing for the Next Normal: Re-Engaging Students in the Classroom
As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and define the “Next Normal,” it is an ideal opportunity for us to reflect on what weâ€™ve learned about teaching and learning, and plan for an engaging re-entry to the classroom. Attend any or all sessions.

The Syllabus as an Engagement Tool: Part 1
Aug. 4, 9-10 a.m. (Central)
In this follow-up to Part 1 of “The Syllabus as an Engagement Tool,” you will bring your revised syllabus and engage in a peer review session with colleagues. You will receive feedback on your revised syllabus and have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on colleaguesâ€™ syllabi.
Transitioning Back to the Classroom: Making the Most of In-Class Time
Aug. 5, 2-3 p.m. (Central)
In this session, we will critically examine what is worth keeping from our online teaching experiences of the past year and incorporate it into the classroom setting. We will also have a refresher on best practices for in-person teachingâ€“itâ€™s been a while!

PNW Power Onward Conference
Aug. 16-18
PNW faculty and staff, join your colleagues to reconnect, share ideas, and engage in discussion and collaboration about supporting student success at the Fall 2021 PNW Power Onward Conference. Held at Westville, Hammond, and virtually through Zoom, the conference will feature keynote speaker Dr. Tia Brown McNair, a resource fair, workshops, demonstrations, and roundtable discussions from faculty and staff. Check out the conference website for more information and schedule details!

For questions and support at your campus, contact:

For questions and support at your campus, contact:

Purdue Global: Direct teaching-related questions to askctl@purdueglobal.edu. Technical support questions should be directed to TechSupport@purdueglobal.edu or 866-522-7747 (toll-free).

Purdue Fort Wayne: Teaching-related questions should be directed to PFW’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) at celt@pfw.edu, 260-481-6354, or CELT’s website for resources and to request one on one consultations. Technical support questions should be directed to PFW’s IT Services Help Desk helpdesk@pfw.edu or 260-481-6030.

Purdue Northwest: Direct teaching-related questions to the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@pnw.edu or CFE’s website. Technical support questions should be directed to The Office of Instructional Technology by email oit@pnw.edu, through the OIT’s website, or by accessing their Virtual Help Desk.

Purdue West Lafayette: Visit the Innovative Learning website or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.