November instructional workshops highlight teaching writing, gaming, educational technologies

The Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette, the Center for Faculty Excellence and the Office of Instructional Technology at Purdue Northwest, and the Purdue Fort Wayne Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) offer workshops and sessions in November to help instructors with teaching writing, gaming pedagogy, and educational technologies.

Purdue West Lafayette

Teaching and Learning Community of Practice
Documenting and describing our teaching efforts around writing
Mon., Nov. 21, 3-4 p.m. ET
TLCoP’s third event of the semester will explore how we can document and communicate the ways we support students’ writing skills through our teaching. Professor and Teaching Academy member, Lindsey Payne, will introduce Purdue’s newly adopted Framework for Teaching Excellence. Together, we will brainstorm strategies, such as teaching portfolios, for articulating the benefits of our writing instruction on student learning. In this session, participants will have opportunities to consider their current practices around documenting and sharing out about their teaching efforts, envision where they would like to be in the Teaching Excellence framework, and brainstorm strategies for reaching their goals with other Purdue instructors who are passionate about helping students advance their writing abilities.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Poll Everywhere advanced
Thurs., Nov. 3, 12 noon-1:15 p.m. ET
Helmke Library, LB 440A
Facilitator: Katie Jia, CELT associate director of educational technologies
This workshop is designed for instructors who have previously used the basic features of Poll Everywhere (e.g., logging in, create/present activities). In this advanced workshop, participants will be guided to create Poll Everywhere survey and competition activities to engage the students and import activity results to Brightspace.

Low-stakes games, high-stakes gains: How to create a sense of community and inclusion during a pandemic semester
Tues., Nov. 15, 12 noon-1 p.m. ET
Helmke Library, IDEASpace
Facilitator: Suin Roberts, associate professor of German
In this workshop, Roberts will demonstrate how to create collaboration and friendly competition using low-stakes games. Participants will learn strategies to create community, combat notorious class-skipping, increase participation by disengaged students, and add lightheartedness to class meetings. These games can be applied in any class or topic.
-Participants will learn about various types of games that Roberts created for their German language classroom.
-Participants will play a game and share experiences.
-Participants will brainstorm games/activities for their own classes.

Purdue Northwest

Foundational technology for faculty
Ongoing
Explore the core components of instructional technology in the Foundational Faculty Training module in the PNW Brightspace Instructor Training Course. These self-paced topics include: creating Brightspace content and communication, flexibility in modality, grading, and using activities. Earn a badge for each completed area. This module is part of a series of competencies created for you by the Office of Instructional Technology. Look for our upcoming functional faculty training module that takes a deeper dive into technology tools supported at PNW.

Work Sprints
Wed., Nov. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Fri., Nov. 4, 9-11 a.m. CT
Tues., Nov. 8, 2-4 p.m. CT
Thurs., Nov. 10, 10 a.m.-12 noon CT
Tues., Nov. 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
A Work Sprint provides a focused block of time and supportive environment for you to commit to and have some level of accountability for accomplishing a task-specific goal. Attend any or all sessions.

Writing Retreat
Fri., Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. CT
Gabis Arboretum
A writing retreat provides a focused block of time and supportive environment for you to commit to and have some level of accountability for accomplishing a research goal. There will be no planned programming, instead it will be a time for you to focus on your research/writing goals and hopefully be very productive! The Writing Retreat is in-person and virtual.

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, 219-989-8328, or CFE’s website. Technical support questions should be directed to The Office of Instructional Technology by email oit@pnw.edu or OIT’s website or through their Virtual Help Desk.

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