Few instructors have received formal training for intercultural learning or inclusive education (Paige, & Goode, 2009). However, there are many promising teaching practices that faculty can add to their teaching repertoire, which will improve their teaching of international students and are believed to result in high levels of student learning. In this session, you will learn about the best practices for teaching linguistically and culturally diverse international students, and how to select the most appropriate teaching and learning practices for your class(es). Participants will engage in an active learning experience where they will identify an international student population (e.g., country of origin, age, study stage, program of study) and match the selected student population with the most relevant teaching practices for enhancing both student learning and student satisfaction. It will be followed by a workshop-wide discussion focusing on the challenges of connecting teaching practices with student characteristics and student satisfaction.

Establishing clear grading criteria can make the process of assessment more efficient for those doing the marking, and less confusing for the students whose work is being graded. Rubrics are a great way to improve communication and can benefit both you and the students you're grading. In this hands-on workshop you will be introduced to how to design and use rubrics, as well as how to assess their quality and effectiveness. We will discuss how providing students with informative feedback can help make the assessment process more objective and consistent while reducing the time required to mark. The value of rubrics is getting students to move past simply providing what they think the instructor/GA/TA wants to what criteria actually makes the assignment, paper, project excellent. Come explore how to help students perform better through rubrics.

Lectures are often considered unengaging and ineffective. However, if well planned and delivered, lectures can serve as an effective method to convey information and facilitate understanding. This workshop will introduce the basic skills and techniques of successful lecturing. Throughout this session, you will learn how to effectively explain complex ideas, as well as capture and maintain students’ attention. An emphasis will be placed on the delivery of meaningful explanations to enhance students’ understanding of course material. To further aid your lecturing practices, various methods and resources to create lesson plans will be explored.

Picture this: You’re excited to teach a university class. You painstakingly prepare your lecture, making sure to fit in every detail that you think the students need to learn. You deliver your lecture, only to see your students’ eyes glazing over, their heads bobbing, or their thumbs swiftly composing text messages to friends. What went wrong? We likely don’t have to imagine this. In fact, perhaps we have been the students to quietly drift off into dreamland or socialize in cyberspace during a traditional lecture. Wouldn’t it be great if, instead, students actively participated in their learning? This session will introduce you to several active learning techniques that will help you to make classes more engaging and content more memorable. The focus will be on student-centred learning, turning spectators into star players.

Your GA/TAship is a valuable opportunity that provides you with skills and experiences that can help you with your career. In this session, learn about how you can identify and develop these skills and experiences and how you can effectively communicate and market them to potential employers.

Establishing clear grading criteria can make the process of assessment more efficient for those doing the marking, and less confusing for the students whose work is being graded. Rubrics are a great way to improve communication and can benefit both you and the students you're grading. In this hands-on workshop you will be introduced to how to design and use rubrics, as well as how to assess their quality and effectiveness. We will discuss how providing students with informative feedback can help make the assessment process more objective and consistent while reducing the time required to mark. The value of rubrics is getting students to move past simply providing what they think the instructor/GA/TA wants to what criteria actually makes the assignment, paper, project excellent. Come explore how to help students perform better through rubrics.

Discover the power of the University of Windsor’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to participate in an introductory hands-on Blackboard experience from a GA or TA’s perspective, and test out key features and tools that you may be expected to use in your role. Come join us to learn more about Blackboard and where to access further resources to help you maximize its potential. This workshop is being held in the University Computer Centre-G01.
Note: Pre-registration for this workshop is required and you will need your UWin ID and password.
Please visit the Campus Map for directions.

Lectures are often considered unengaging and ineffective. However, if well planned and delivered, lectures can serve as an effective method to convey information and facilitate understanding. This workshop will introduce the basic skills and techniques of successful lecturing. Throughout this session, you will learn how to effectively explain complex ideas, as well as capture and maintain students’ attention. An emphasis will be placed on the delivery of meaningful explanations to enhance students’ understanding of course material. To further aid your lecturing practices, various methods and resources to create lesson plans will be explored.

Every day, we engage in informal discussion. Yet, as a GA/TA, you will potentially be required to participate or lead a formal effective discussion. As such, this informative and interactive session will provide tools, tips, and engaging discourse surrounding leading effective discussions. Topics reviewed will include, but are not limited to: asking effective questions, understanding group dynamics, active listening, planning and design effective discussions using active-learning techniques, and conflict prevention and resolution.

Labs and tutorials are a key part of science courses, helping students engage in what they’re learning, gain hands-on experience, and practice problem-solving and critical thinking. Labs/tutorials not only help students learn concepts and techniques, but also provide a window into the nature of science and research. GAs and TAs play a vital role in the success of labs and tutorial sessions. Whether you are new GA/TA beginning your teaching, or an experienced GA/TA interested in further developing your skills, this workshop will provide you with practical tips and evidence-based methods to help you make your labs and tutorials interactive, engaging, and effective. We will discuss best practises, try out different teaching methods, and explore scenarios that GAs/TAs may encounter in their teaching roles.

Picture this: You’re excited to teach a university class. You painstakingly prepare your lecture, making sure to fit in every detail that you think the students need to learn. You deliver your lecture, only to see your students’ eyes glazing over, their heads bobbing, or their thumbs swiftly composing text messages to friends. What went wrong? We likely don’t have to imagine this. In fact, perhaps we have been the students to quietly drift off into dreamland or socialize in cyberspace during a traditional lecture. Wouldn’t it be great if, instead, students actively participated in their learning? This session will introduce you to several active learning techniques that will help you to make classes more engaging and content more memorable. The focus will be on student-centred learning, turning spectators into star players.

Being a GA or TA can be stressful and time consuming when also balancing the responsibilities of academic requirements and developing your own program of research. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of various considerations for you to reflect on as a student researcher and teaching assistant. We will also give you strategies and resources for maximizing your time, in an effort to make your research endeavors more efficient and rewarding.

Grading papers, assignments, and exams isn’t just about assigning a numerical value to students’ work. It isn’t even about “correcting” them. This is an opportunity for you to engage with the products of students’ learning, use your critical judgement for assessing the work against stated goals, offer strategies for improvement, and practice your social skills as you mediate between students and instructors. It may seem like a daunting task, but this workshop will offer practical strategies and resources to help you become an efficient and consistent grading assistant!

Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely accessible, openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching and learning. Participants will be introduced to Open Educational Resources (OER), including different levels that exist and common repositories where these valuable resources can be found.

Once you have registered for lunch, be sure to email Marilyn at ctl@uwindsor.ca with any allergies or dietary needs no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, August 16th, 2019. Dietary accommodations cannot be guaranteed after August 16th, 2019.

Indigenous knowledge stands in contrast to Western conceptions of knowing in virtue of the normative features that originate from the relationships that frame Indigenous ways of being in the world. Given this difference, instructors wishing to use inclusive (decolonial, indigenous) methods of teaching should take this difference into consideration when forming best practices of pedagogy. An interesting result of indigenizing pedagogy is that it has applications for the non-indigenous student and course as well. Participants will leave this session having explored various readings and teaching methods.

Discover the power of the University of Windsor’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to participate in an introductory hands-on Blackboard experience from a GA or TA’s perspective, and test out key features and tools that you may be expected to use in your role. Come join us to learn more about Blackboard and where to access further resources to help you maximize its potential. This workshop is being held in the University Computer Centre-G01.
Note: Pre-registration for this workshop is required and you will need your UWin ID and password.
Please visit the Campus Map for directions.

Every day, we engage in informal discussion. Yet, as a GA/TA, you will potentially be required to participate or lead a formal effective discussion. As such, this informative and interactive session will provide tools, tips, and engaging discourse surrounding leading effective discussions. Topics reviewed will include, but are not limited to: asking effective questions, understanding group dynamics, active listening, planning and design effective discussions using active-learning techniques, and conflict prevention and resolution.

Labs and tutorials are a key part of science courses, helping students engage in what they’re learning, gain hands-on experience, and practice problem-solving and critical thinking. Labs/tutorials not only help students learn concepts and techniques, but also provide a window into the nature of science and research. GAs and TAs play a vital role in the success of labs and tutorial sessions. Whether you are new GA/TA beginning your teaching, or an experienced GA/TA interested in further developing your skills, this workshop will provide you with practical tips and evidence-based methods to help you make your labs and tutorials interactive, engaging, and effective. We will discuss best practises, try out different teaching methods, and explore scenarios that GAs/TAs may encounter in their teaching roles.

Being a GA or TA can be stressful and time consuming when also balancing the responsibilities of academic requirements and developing your own program of research. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of various considerations for you to reflect on as a student researcher and teaching assistant. We will also give you strategies and resources for maximizing your time, in an effort to make your research endeavors more efficient and rewarding.

Grading papers, assignments, and exams isn’t just about assigning a numerical value to students’ work. It isn’t even about “correcting” them. This is an opportunity for you to engage with the products of students’ learning, use your critical judgement for assessing the work against stated goals, offer strategies for improvement, and practice your social skills as you mediate between students and instructors. It may seem like a daunting task, but this workshop will offer practical strategies and resources to help you become an efficient and consistent grading assistant!