News - Innovative Learning

August instructional workshops feature Brightspace, technology, book club

Instructors at Purdue campuses are invited to participate in the following August workshops and sessions to help prepare for the fall 2022 semester. This support is offered by the Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette, the Center for Faculty Excellence and Office of Instructional Technology at Purdue Northwest, the Purdue Fort Wayne Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), and Purdue Global.

Purdue West Lafayette

This month, Consulting and Training will be offering the following workshops:

Brightspace Basics
Tues., Aug. 16, 11-11:50 a.m. ET (WebEx)

Preparing Your Gradebook
Wed., Aug. 17, 2-2:50 p.m. ET (WebEx)

Starting Your Brightspace Course Off On the Right Foot
Thurs., Aug. 18, 11-11:50 a.m. ET (WebEx)

After Weeks 1 and 2, our daily drop-in hours will revert back to the following (all ET):
Mondays 1-2 p.m.
Tuesdays 10-11 a.m.
Wednesdays: 3-4 p.m.
Thursdays: 2-3 p.m.
Fridays: 10-11 a.m.

Additionally, the Consulting and Training Group of Purdue Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) and Purdue Online is refreshing its workshop offerings to focus on by-request workshops delivered when campus units and instructors most need them. The on-demand workshops can be arranged by filling out this request form (2-3 weeks’ notice is appreciated). Details on delivery, topics, and timing may be found on the Innovative Learning News page.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Speed Dating with PFW Ed Tech – Session 1
Wed., Aug. 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET
As the workshop name shows, participants will engage in a fast-matching event to learn the affordance and limitations of university-supported educational technology.

CELT Fall Teaching Conference
Thurs., Aug. 18, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET
Joshua R. Eyler is the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and adjunct associate professor of humanities at Rice University. He has a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Connecticut and has published on a range of topics, including evidence-based pedagogy, technology in the classroom, and disability studies.

Embracing Accessibility: Working together to optimize learning environments that benefit all students
Thurs., Aug. 18, 1:30-2:50 p.m. ET
In this session, a diverse panel of experts from Education, Disability Access Center, User Technology Support, and CELT will (1) discuss the significancy of accessibility for all learners; (2) confront barriers to creating inclusive and equitable learning environments; and (3) describe campus resources that faculty can rely on for support with accessibility. The accessibility experiences of real students will be described, along with practical strategies for putting accessibility goals into practice.

Panel Discussion: Mixed Modality Teaching in Interesting Times
Thurs., Aug. 18, 3-3:40 p.m. ET
Mixed modality teaching is a reality, and we must find ways to address the needs of students and faculty. Our team is using “Mixed Modality” to describe teaching that includes both online and in-person students simultaneously. The panel members were chosen to provide a balance of faculty, instructional design, and appropriate technology. Each panelist will provide information on these four main areas: student engagement, software availability, management of mixed class sessions; and addressing assignments as they relate to the mixed modality classroom.

Pearson Accessibility Workshop
Thurs., Aug. 18, 3-3:40 p.m. ET
Representatives from Pearson will be on hand to discuss accessibility in Pearson courseware. We’ll share the history of accessibility at Pearson and the work we’ve done with Purdue to move accessibility forward. Hands-on demos of where to find accessible resources and answers to your accessibility questions will be shared.

Use Poll Everywhere to Engage Students in Mixed Teaching Modality
Wed., Aug. 31, 1-2:15 p.m. ET
During this 75-minute session, participants will learn the basics of Poll Everywhere. Example activities will be shared to engage students in mixed teaching modalities. Before the workshop, participants are encouraged to check the Poll Everywhere resources on the CELT website.

Purdue Northwest

Work Sprints
Wed., Aug. 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Thurs., Aug. 4, 10 a.m.-12 noon CT
Thurs., Aug. 11, 9-11 a.m. CT
Fri., Aug. 12, 10 a.m.-12 noon 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.

Last Day to Submit a Create-Your-Own Book Club Proposal
Mon., Aug. 8
Do you have a book that you’d like to read and discuss with colleagues? This is your chance to host your own book club! The Center for Faculty Excellence will financially support the purchase of the books, refreshments for meetings, and other costs associated with running the book club, as well as include the group members’ attendance on annual participation letters.

Last Day to Register for CFE Fall 2022 Programs
Mon., Aug. 29
Sign-up to participate in a Book Club, a Community of Practice on First-Year and First Generation Students, and/or the Research Productivity Program.

Brightspace Refresher
Wed., Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-12 noon CT
Join the Office of Instructional Technology to review the essentials of Brightspace for the start of the semester. Join this demo of how to course copy & bulk edit dates, set course availability, send email & announcements, and verify assessments and grade settings align with syllabus.

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.

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. Instructional software support questions should be directed to The Office of Instructional Technology by email oit@pnw.edu or OIT’s website or through their Virtual Consultation Link.

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

Deadline extended by Purdue Online for PWL free registrations to Distance Teaching & Learning Conference Aug. 3-5

Updated June 30, 2022

More seats have been purchased by Purdue Online leadership to meet the interest of Purdue West Lafayette staff and faculty in attending the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference (DT&L) held virtually Aug. 3-5, 2022. The last call for free registration is Friday, July 22, 2022, or until all seats are spoken for/used.

Purdue Online is offering free registrations to the annual conference, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). Sessions are virtual and occur between 12 p.m. noon and 5:30 p.m. ET.

Purdue Online will also host an opportunity for collegial networking and further the conversation. Instructors who register may also participate in a Teams session for discussions, to share resources, and connect with others who share a similar interest in professional development topics.

Interested PWL instructors must register by Friday, July 22, following this two-step process outlined in the Qualtrics registration form.

Create an account with UPCEA
Complete the Purdue Online DT&L registration form

The 2022 DT&L conference is an outstanding professional development experience for individuals working in the field of distance and online education – from faculty and instructors to instructional designers and administrators. The conference covers relevant research, innovative teaching tools, and cutting-edge learning technologies. The event also offers the chance to network and brainstorm with colleagues who share a focus and passion for online and distance education. See the 2022 DT&L website for details, schedule, and biographies of keynote and invited speakers.

Purdue Online is part of Innovative Learning, Purdue West Lafayette’s hub approach to connect instructors to the resources they need to engage students, develop courses in any instructional modality, and enhance learning across the University. Other members include the Center for Instructional Excellence, Libraries and the School of Information Studies, Envision Center, and Teaching and Learning Technologies. To learn more, visit www.purdue.edu/innovativelearning or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.

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.

July instructional workshops highlight Brightspace, Poll Everywhere, work sprints, writing retreat

Instructors at Purdue campuses are invited to participate in the following workshops and sessions on Brightspace, work sprints, a writing retreat, and educational technology such as Poll Everywhere during July. This support is offered by the Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette, the Center for Faculty Excellence at Purdue Northwest, and the Purdue Fort Wayne Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT).

Purdue West Lafayette

Purdue Fort Wayne

Using Poll Everywhere for Student Engagement and Attendance
Tues., July 26, 11 a.m.-12 noon ET
During this one-hour session, participants will learn the basics of Poll Everywhere. Example activities will be shared for engaging students and attendance tracking.

Purdue Northwest

Work Sprints
Wed., July 6, 9-11 a.m. CT
Thurs., July 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Thurs., July 14, 9-11 a.m. CT
Mon., July 18, 1-3 p.m. CT
Thurs., July 21, 9-11 a.m. CT
Tues., July 26, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT
Wed., July 27 12:30-2:30 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
Tues., July 19, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. CT
Set aside time to work on your summer research goals in the company of colleagues (attend in-person or virtually).

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

Apply now for PWL summer, fall 2022 IMPACT faculty development opportunities

The IMPACT program is taking applications for two upcoming opportunities: a summer pilot of IMPACT Week and the fall 2022 IMPACT Semester Faculty Learning Community. Instructors of record for Purdue West Lafayette undergraduate courses may submit an electronic application now and will be accepted on a rolling basis up until the program start date or until the cohorts are filled. Further details are available on the IMPACT website.

The IMPACT (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation) program is a campus-wide initiative begun in 2011 by the Office of the Provost with the aim to engage students more fully in their learning, thereby improving competency, retention, and completion in classes that serve students across the entire campus. IMPACT’s mission is to support instructors in enhancing their pedagogical practices in order to create autonomy-supportive and inclusive learning environments to foster student success. It is part of the Purdue Moves and the University’s initiatives to be the national forerunner in transformative higher education.

IMPACT Week: This is a pilot of a week-long intensive that will most likely run the first week of August 2022. This program is fully online and covers the core elements of IMPACT through online content, daily reflection questions, and optional drop-in hours. Funding for completing the week-long program is $1,000. There will be additional opportunities for this version in the fall and spring semesters.
IMPACT Semester: This is the 13-week Faculty Learning Community (FLC) program. The program begins the first week of the fall 2022 semester and ends the week before finals, with weekly, in-person, 75-minute synchronous sessions. Instructors apply with a specific course that they are teaching and, as a final deliverable, create a Course Design Plan that shares how the instructor will transform the course to achieve their individual and departmental unique goals for the course. For first-time faculty going through the program, funding is $10,000 upon completion of all deliverables. The program is described further on the IMPACT website.

For more information on the program, contact Allison Russell, IMPACT program manager, at allisonrussell@purdue.edu.

IMPACT is part of Innovative Learning, Purdue West Lafayette’s hub approach to connect instructors to the resources they need to engage students, develop courses in any instructional modality, and enhance learning across the University. Members include the Center for Instructional Excellence, Libraries and the School of Information Studies, Purdue Online, Envision Center, and Teaching and Learning Technologies. To learn more, visit www.purdue.edu/innovativelearning or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.

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).

PWL, PNW offer instructors help in June with Brightspace, work sprints, writing retreat

The Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette invites instructors to daily drop-in help with Brightspace during June, and the Office of Instructional Technology at Purdue Northwest is offering self-paced Brightspace help, work sprints, and a writing retreat.

Purdue West Lafayette

Brightspace and Instructional Technology Drop-In Help Sessions
These drop-in help sessions are held daily, Monday through Friday. Join any of these sessions with your Brightspace questions as well as questions you might have on any of our supported instructional technologies! No registration is needed. Our daily drop-in hours are as follows (all ET):These drop-in help sessions are held daily, Monday through Friday. Join any of these sessions with your Brightspace questions as well as questions you might have on any of our supported instructional technologies! No registration is needed. Our daily drop-in hours are as follows (all ET):
Mondays 1-2 p.m.
Tuesdays 10-11 a.m.
Wednesdays: 3-4 p.m.
Thursdays: 2-3 p.m.
Fridays: 10-11 a.m.
Additionally, the Consulting and Training Group of Purdue Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) and Purdue Online is refreshing its workshop offerings to focus on by-request workshops delivered when campus units and instructors most need them. The on-demand workshops can be arranged by filling out this request form (2-3 weeks’ notice is appreciated). Details on delivery, topics, and timing may be found on the Innovative Learning News webpage.

Purdue Northwest

Work Sprints
Thurs., June 2, 9-11 a.m. CT
Mon., June 6, 1-3 p.m. CT
Tues., June 7, 10 a.m.-12 noon CT
Wed., June 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Thurs., June 16, 12:30-2:30 p.m. CT
Tues., June 21, 9-11 a.m. CT
Wed., June 22, 10 a.m.-12 noon CT
Mon., June 27 1-3 p.m. CT
Wed., June 29, 12:30-2:30 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
Thurs., June 23, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. CT
Set aside time to work on your summer research goals in the company of colleagues (attend in-person or virtually).

Self-paced Level-Up Training Series
Ongoing with the Office of Instructional Technology
Want to update your Brightspace course but don’t have time for training? Check out these on-demand training topics in the PNW Brightspace Instructor Training Course to view at your convenience. Earn a badge by watching tutorial videos and using our discussion space to share your ideas. Then showcase your badge on your portfolio or display on LinkedIn.

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

May 2022 instructional workshops feature Brightspace, summer reading & research

Instructors can learn more about topics such as Brightspace for course starts and summer programs and work sprints in the following May sessions. Faculty should register for their campus sessions offered by the Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette and the Office of Instructional Technology and Center for Faculty Excellence at Purdue Northwest.

Purdue West Lafayette

Starting Your Brightspace Course Off On the Right Foot

Thurs., May 12, 10-10:50 a.m. ET

Want to make sure the first week of class goes smoothly? This workshop will help! This session will review the steps faculty can 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 Drop-In Help Sessions

Held daily, Monday through Friday

Additional Drop-In Help Sessions will be available from Mon., May 2, through Tues., May 10, to provide additional support to instructors as they wrap up the semester and submit their final grades.

To request a custom workshop for your college or department, please email tlt@purdue.edu.

Purdue Northwest

Last Day to Register for CFE Summer Programs

Fri., May 6

Sign-up to participate in a Summer Book Club and/or the Summer Research Productivity Program.

Work Sprints

Tues., May 3, 1-3 p.m., CT

Tues., May 17, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., CT

Thurs., May 19, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, CT

Mon., May 23, 9-11 a.m., CT

Wed., May 25, 1-3 p.m., CT

Tues., May 31, 12:30 – 2:30 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.

Self-paced Level-Up Training Series

Ongoing with the Office of Instructional Technology

Want to update your Brightspace course but don’t have time for training? Check out these on-demand training topics in the PNW Brightspace Instructor Training Course to view at your convenience. Earn a badge by watching tutorial videos and using our discussion space to share your ideas. Then showcase your badge on your portfolio or display on LinkedIn

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

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The Bechtel Innovation Design Center offers individual and groups of Purdue students a new suite of novel remote processes for consultation, design, machining, electronics, fabrics, 3D printing and more. Students can join the Center for course, club, or personal projects, but instructors may contact Dr. Matthew A. Swabey, director, at maswabey@purdue.edu.