SPRING 2008

Program

9:00 - 9:30 am           Breakfast and welcoming note 
                                Aziza Ellozy, CLT Director

9:30-10 am               Designing Learning Environments: an introduction
                                Aziza Ellozy, CLT Director

10-11:15 am              Winning Strategies for Assessing Student Learning
                                Facilitator: Ann-Boudinot Amin, Director of Assessment

11:15-11:30 am         Coffee break

11:30 - 12:45 pm       The Syllabus: Cornerstone of Effective Learning?
                                Pandeli Glavanis, CLT Associate Director

12:45-1:45 pm           New ideas and technologies:
                                    a. Data visualization 
                                    b. Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative
                                Facilitator: Aziza Ellozy, CLT Director

1:45- 2:30 pm           Lunch

2:30-3:45 pm            Undergraduate Research for Community-Building
                               Facilitator: Amani Elshimi, Dept. Rhetoric &Composition

3:45- 5:00 pm           Peer instruction: a way to interactive classes
                               Facilitator: Adham Ramadan, Chemistry Dept.

5:00 pm                   Wrap up

Workshop Description

• Designing Learning Environments: an introduction
  Facilitator: Aziza Ellozy, CLT Director
  
  This introduction will very briefly review current trends in teaching and learning and how this translates in the design of effective learning environments.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material

• Winning strategies for assessing student learning
  Facilitator: Ann-Boudinot Amin, Director of Assessment
  
  In this hands-on workshop, participants will be given an overview of techniques for assessing student learning and will gain skill in writing effective student learning outcomes. Participants will take an inventory of their individual teaching goals and will use this information to develop a set of learning outcomes for one of their courses.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material

• The syllabus: Cornerstone of effective learning?
  Facilitator: Pandeli Glavanis, CLT Associate Director
  
  The syllabus has a dual benefit in all courses: First it enables students to get an immediate sense of what the course is about and of greater importance what is expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated. Second, the very process of preparing the syllabus allows faculty to delineate clearly what will be covered and at what pace and what exercises and/or assignments are required in order to both evaluate students as well as meet the substantive goals and objectives set.  This workshop will explore the different components of a generic syllabus which can then be adapted for use in any course.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material

• New ideas and technologies
  Facilitator:  Aziza Ellozy, CLT Director
  
  This session will demonstrate free online tools available to help you convert data into interactive graphics and lively animations. Discussion will revolve around possible applications in your courses or research. You will also be introduced to Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Open Learning Initiative and its rich array of fully developed introductory courses across disciplines .This is very different from MIT’s OCI: courses are designed for students to learn independently with built-in  feedback assessment software (intelligent tutors). Faculty across the US have used or adopted the modules to complement their courses. A how-to guideline will be distributed.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material

• Undergraduate Research for Community-Building
  Amani Elshimi, Dept. Rhetoric and Composition
  
  This session shares and evaluates a number of community-based learning and research experiences taking place in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition.  The projects include undergraduate students exploring NGOs and composing grant proposals; participating in a Self Study for the Department of Rhetoric and Composition; researching refugee issues and publishing a collection of narratives; exploring literacy issues and teaching an adult literacy class; raising awareness on water scarcity through a multi-media campaign and a social documentary.  The audience will be prompted to discuss issues of transfer of skills, capstone integrative learning and civic awareness.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material

• Peer instruction: a way to interactive classes
  Facilitator: Adham Ramadan, Chemistry Dept.
  
  This workshop will present Peer Instruction as an alternative to traditional lecturing. This method, developed by Harvard Professor Eric Mazur, has been proven by many studies and diagnostic tests to be considerably more effective than the conventional lecture approach. During the workshop we will watch a short clip of Dr Mazur and his students in action. The use of concept tests to engage students in active, collaborative learning will be discussed and participants will serve as the “class” in which the method is demonstrated. Dr Ramadan will share his own experience.
  
  click here to download this workshop's material