OTL Workshops

The OTL offers several workshops each semester on a variety of teaching related topics. OTL workshops are interactive, with time for both discussing concepts and gaining hands-on experience. Workshops are open to all who teach at WSU. Please see our calendar for current offerings.

Workshops may also be scheduled on request at OTL or in your department. Workshops can be modified to meet your needs or we will custom design a workshop specifically for your department or program. Contact OTL as well to schedule an individual consultation or appointment.

OTL workshops are grouped in three categories: Professional Development, Online Teaching & Technology Integration, and Course Design & Instructional Strategies. A complete listing of OTL workshops is provided below.

Alphabetical Listing of OTL Workshops.

Active Learning in Your Classroom.
In this interactive session we will address new methods for engaging students in classes large and small. We will also identify strategies and teaching techniques you can use, both within and outside the classroom, to improve student learning. Prerequisites: Bring a specific example of a lecture, or an assignment, or some materials that you want to enliven.

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Advanced Blackboard 1: Using the Communication Tools.
In this workshop we will work with Blackboard’s collaboration and communication features, such as virtual chat, discussion board, and student group pages. The focus will be on designing, implementing, and managing effective approaches and strategies for using these features. Prerequisites: Blackboard Basics workshop or experience equivalent to working knowledge of Blackboard, and an active Blackboard course site. Contact bbadmin@wayne.edu for a Blackboard site, if needed

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Advanced Blackboard 2: Assignments & e-Grading .
Learn techniques to effectively use, organize, and manage student work through Blackboard’s assignment feature. This workshop will also address online collaboration with your students within Word in preparation for electronic feedback to students. Prerequisites: Blackboard Basics workshop or experience equivalent to working knowledge of Blackboard and an active Blackboard course site. Contact bbadmin@wayne.edu for a Blackboard site, if needed.

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Advanced Blackboard 3: Creating Online Assessments .
This workshop presents Blackboard’s assessment tools. We will discuss the pros and cons of online assessment and explore types of assessments, options for feedback, and the online grade book. Participants will also learn Respondus, an easy tool for creating, editing, and saving assessments for Blackboard. A copy of Respondus software will be provided to each participant. Prerequisites: Blackboard Basics or experience equivalent to working knowledge of Blackboard, and an active Blackboard course site. Contact bbadmin@wayne.edu for a Blackboard site, if needed.

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Blackboard 7.1: What's Different, What's New
Learn about the new features available in the latest upgrade of Blackboard, including the Content System and E-Portfolios. The Content System will expand your ability to teach, write, collaborate, and share. By placing your course content in a secure, personal storage area in Blackboard, you will be able to access it from anywhere, at anytime, and share it with your others at your discretion. With the e-Portfolio feature, you and your students can create a Website to capture and display student achievement and collaborate and present group projects, or as a professional portfolio or personal Web space. Other changes will also be highlighted.

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Blackboard Basics
This workshop focuses on design, development, and organization for online teaching or online course content delivery. In this session we will design and set up your Blackboard course site and discuss site navigation, organizing and managing materials, and available Blackboard features.

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Blogs and Wikis in Academia .
This workshop will introduce weblogs (blogs) and wikis and explore their use in educational contexts, with special emphasis on higher education applications. We will examine some of the free or low-cost options available to faculty interested in using these tools in their classroom or as a way to expand their own "voice" on the internet. We will also consider some of the pedagogical implications of using these tools and review best practices and possible "gotchas" that instructors will want to be aware of.

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Building Rapport with Students .
Having good student-instructor rapport can mean many things, but invariably the relationship is about imparting knowledge in the most effective manner. This workshop combines several pedagogical strategies to help you tailor your teaching style, and your course, in ways that facilitate learning. We’ll talk about how verbal and nonverbal behaviors can help you get the most from your students, how to engage your students through active communication, effective discussions and using technology, and how to manage your classroom in order to create the best learning environment.

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Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) .
Instructors typically think about assessing students in very traditional ways: multiple choice tests administered after a series of chapter readings. Although this may have been an effective strategy in the past, today’s students enter the classroom with a different set of expectations. Advances in communication and technology offer students immediate feedback and allow them to alter learning strategies. Participants at this workshop will learn a number of quick, easy and effective assessment techniques that reinforce concepts, improve learning, and can help both students and instructors pinpoint deficits before the "big" test.

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Classroom Management.
This workshop will look at the changing nature of the university classroom and address questions about handling classroom incivility. We will discuss different kinds of student behavior that we may experience and how to respond as well as how to successfully set a tone in our classes that promotes positive interaction and learning.

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Classroom Presentation Techniques.
This workshop includes discussion about and practice in effective classroom presentation for both the small and large class. Observe and analyze different presentation styles and find the approach that works best for you and your students.

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Developing a Teaching Portfolio .
This workshop focuses on the necessary components of a teaching portfolio. Additionally, we offer consultation on determining roles and responsibilities, writing a teaching philosophy, and evidencing student learning, expertise in content, instructional delivery, instructional design and course management.

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ePortfolios for Learning .
Portfolios are wonderful tools for student engagement and assessment. During this workshop we will examine the benefits of ePortfolios and learn how to use Blackboard to develop an ePortfolio. The second half of the workshop will be hands-on, so please bring appropriate materials (e.g., teaching philosophy, CV) in electronic format to start building your own ePortfolio!

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Evaluating and Responding to Student Writing.
In this workshop, we will discuss techniques for effectively assessing student writing. We will examine different approaches to the evaluation of writing and work on developing criteria and methods that will help you and your students meet your course goals. We will also look at efficient ways to respond to student writing that will help your students achieve clear, focused, and well-developed papers. Bring 2 or 3 sample student papers to work on during this session.

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From Objectives to Assessment .
This workshop defines and explains learning taxonomies and the criteria for writing measurable learning objectives. Participants will gain practice writing learning objectives for their course's goals and expectations. And finally, participants will associate their written objectives to both instructional strategies and content assessment.
Prerequisite: Please bring a sample of course objectives you'd like to revise during the workshop.

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Got Research: Integrating Library Resources & Online Teaching.
Join university library professionals to learn about integrating library resources into Blackboard, designing effective research assignments to help students avoid plagiarism, and linking to and integrating online tutorials.

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Harnessing the Interactive Web: A Web 2.0 Toolkit for Instructors .
This workshop will review the ideas behind "Web 2.0", exploring the various ways that instructors can plug into the interactive second-generation of the internet. We'll take a pragmatic look at some web-based tools that can help you stay ahead of (or at least on top of) the information curve and bring the world into your classroom. Delight and amaze your students and friends with your knowledge about and use of Blogs, Wikis, Flickr, Grazr, and more!

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Interactive Lecturer .
How can you engage students in your lecture? Find out how to use discussion, humor, and organizational strategies to deliver a dynamic lecture.

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Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning .
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning is one of the fastest growing movements in higher education and appears across the entire curriculum. Julie Thompson Klein, OTL Faculty Fellow and Professor of Humanities, will conduct an introductory workshop covering the different types of interdisciplinary course models, pedagogy, learning outcomes, and guidelines for syllabus design. Lunch is included along with a bonus information packet. Participants are also welcome to schedule follow-up individual and small-group consultations.

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Interpreting Your SETs.
In this session, you will review your WSU Student Evaluation of Teaching. We will discuss how to interpret your SETs and how to use them to help improve your teaching. Please bring one semester’s SET data, including comments.

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Laptop Connections: Everything You Wanted to Know... .
Using your laptop in a Wayne State University classroom is convenient but it can be annoying when things don't go smoothly. Learn the basic steps for connecting to the classroom system and avoiding troublesome projector problems. Find out how to adjust your computer settings (Mac or PC), make changes in properties and monitors, display PowerPoint presentations using dual monitors, and incorporate video and flash animations.
Note: This workshop is offered live online (using Wimba Live classroom) and you will be able to interact with the instructor via your computer from your office or home. It will also be recorded for viewing at later times. After workshop registration you will be sent instructions for participating in this “live” classroom event.

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Leading Effective Discussions.
In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the effectiveness of discussion, how to integrate discussion with lecture, and how to design discussion to improve student learning. We will also practice techniques for leading effective discussions.

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Moving Your Course Online
Are you ready to teach online? This workshop will cover the pedagogical issues, similarities and differences of online teaching vs. traditional teaching. Relevant literature will be discussed and applied to the online teaching environment. Resources, tools, examples, and strategies will be provided, as well as checklists for preparing the course syllabus and designing the course content.
Prerequisite: You must bring a syllabus or course outline for your proposed online course.

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Perfect PowerPoint.
Learn how to make PowerPoint effective for use in your course or for delivering a presentation. Learn how to use color, fonts, images, and white space to communicate your key ideas effectively and professionally. Participants will evaluate some slide examples and make suggestions for improvement based on knowledge learned in this workshop.

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Photoshop I: Editing Your Images.
This workshop will introduce you to using Photoshop for basic image editing/enhancement. Fundamental concepts of digital graphic files (e.g. resolution and color mode) will be covered. Prerequisites: Familiarity with the Windows and/or Mac environment.

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Photoshop II: Using the Tools.
This workshop will practice with the different tools located in the Photoshop tools palette—what they do and how to apply them. In this interactive workshop you will explore using the tools and defining actions to achieve specific effects. Prerequisites: Photoshop Basics or familiarity with Photoshop.

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Photoshop Elements.
Participants will become familiar with this application and how to select tools. Some editing techniques available within the application will be learned and applied in this interactive workshop. Also covered are some basic concepts about graphic files. Prerequisites: Familiarity with the Windows and/or Mac environment.

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PowerPoint for Your Course: Creating Effective Presentations.
In this session, we will discuss when and how to most effectively use PowerPoint as a tool for learning. The workshop addresses the why and how of PowerPoint in the classroom for online and face-to-face classes. We will also create short presentations incorporating effective design principles and addressing how to add multimedia elements, hyperlinks, slide background, and animations as well as how to set up your slide show for online and the classroom.

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Preparing for the First Day .
The first day of class is critical for starting off on the right foot and setting the tone for the semester. Participants will discuss important issues such as: what to include in the syllabus, steps for creating expectations and ground rules, introducing yourself and icebreakers.

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Preparing PDF Documents: Adobe Acrobat 7.
Learn about using Adobe Acrobat to create PDFs from electronic files and hard copy documents and how to establish settings for document security, bookmarks, indexing, and printing.

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Prepping Images for the Web
Learn basic graphic principles for creating digital images to use on the Web, such as the importance of file size and resolution. Learn how to choose the right graphic format and color mode, and how to “resample” an image for an optimum digital image for online use.

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Promoting Academic Integrity with Plagiarism Detection Software .
This workshop focuses on the increased problem of cheating and plagiarism across campus and ways faculty can promote academic integrity. Participants will be trained on how to use SafeAssignment, a Blackboard-compatible plagiarism detection software program. Major emphasis will also be placed on strategies for helping students produce quality, original work and avoiding academic misconduct. These include: how to structure assignments that encourage academic integrity, resources available to students and faculty, and procedures for resolving issues related to academic misconduct.
Prerequisite: Please bring an electronic document you would like to upload and check for plagiarism. This workshop is intended for those who have taken Blackboard Basics or have a working knowledge of Blackboard. You also need a Blackboard course, login and password before coming to the session.

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Scanning Images.
This hands-on workshop helps you understand scanner technology and how to use scanner software to generate the best image possible. Learn important graphic concepts and how they impact your image when scanning. Please bring a photograph to scan.

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Social Book and Article Finding Tools for Scholars.
In this session we will explore a growing crop of online article, citation and book management tools especially well-suited for academics. See how "the wisdom of crowds" can enhance your work and occasionally even delight or surprise you. Featured tools will include CiteULike, LibraryThing, Zotero and WorldCat.org.

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Starting Your 'Second Life' .
Second Life is a massive multiplayer game with more than 8 million players and its own economy and culture, which has recently emerged as one of the cutting-edge virtual classrooms for major colleges and universities. Come see Second Life in action and practice creating your own 'Second Life.'
Prerequisites: You will need to complete a brief tutorial before attending. Please visit: http://www.otl.wayne.edu/pdf/sl_instructions.pdf for more information.

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Syllabus Design.
This session focuses on helping you to create an effective syllabus that reflects your learning objectives, expectations, and university polices. We will develop learning goals and objectives and a draft syllabus for your course.

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Teaching Portfolio for WSU Promotion and Review.
In this workshop you will learn about teaching portfolios—what they are and how to develop one. You will also begin writing your teaching philosophy statement and designing your own teaching portfolio. We will also examine a few teaching portfolios written by other professors. This session is targeted to full-time faculty who are required to complete a teaching portfolio.

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Teaching Portfolio for Professional Development.
This session is specifically designed for those interested in creating a teaching portfolio as a means to promote better teaching and to document teaching and teaching-related achievements. Not only does developing a teaching portfolio help you prepare for the job market, but analyzing and reflecting on teaching also helps you to make effective decisions and changes for your class. This session is targeted to GTAs and part-time faculty.

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Theory and Practice of Learning.
Understanding learning theory is a critical component of supporting students in the learning process. During this workshop, popular theories of learning and their application to teaching will be discussed. Additionally, the learning process will be examined from the instructor’s perspective. We will discuss effective ways to present material to encourage learning and offer practical tips for incorporating the theories in the classroom.

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Transform Your Presentation: Streaming PowerPoint.
Learn to use Camtasia software to transform your PowerPoint presentations into streaming media files for use on the Web or in a Blackboard site. In this workshop you will learn to add narration to your presentations and the advantages of using this interactive video approach when delivering course content to your students. Prerequisites: Please bring an electronic version of a PowerPoint presentation.

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Using "Clickers" to Engage Students
Research shows sustained lecturing does not promote learning. How can you get your students more actively involved in class so they more thoroughly learn the information? In this workshop, we will discuss classroom strategies using the Classroom Performance System (CPS) designed to encourage active learning. Introducing active learning strategies in your classroom promotes critical thinking. In addition, using CPS “clickers” for quizzes, tests or even as a review allows students to participate and learn without fear of embarrassment or negative attention.

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Using Student Groups and Collaborative Learning in Your Course.
This workshop focuses on how to effectively integrate student group projects into your course, addressing issues of group management, preparing students for collaborative work, and assessing group projects. We will also discuss what kinds of assignments are most effective for group projects and using student groups in both online and classroom settings.

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Video for Your Course: Preparing and Integrating Multimedia Practice capturing video from VHS and DVD and preparing clips for classroom and online use. Guidelines for effective and appropriate use of multimedia in your teaching will also be explored. Feel free to bring your own materials (VHS or DVD) to work with.

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Video Production I: Shooting.
Offered with University Television/Education Technology Services, C&IT
Work with University Television to learn more about production standards for video and to practice shooting quality video for your class. Learn about lighting, backdrops, voice modulation, effective use of color and wardrobe, and other important production values. This session will include hands-on practice with a video camera so that you can begin to produce your material.

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Video Production II: Editing & Uploading to Blackboard.
Offered with University Television/Education Technology Services, C&IT
Learn how to edit video for your class using Pinnacle Studio software. In this session, we will edit clips for use on Blackboard and in PowerPoint, and for burning to and playing from a disk. We will discuss the effective use of video in each of these formats to insure access to material and appropriate use of multimedia in your teaching. We will also practice capturing video from DVD and preparing clips for classroom and online use.

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Web Site Planning Primer
Thinking about creating a Web site? This session gives you a broad overview of how to approach planning a Web site. Also discussed are issues you need to consider before you begin development.

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Wimba "Live Classroom" Introduction
“Live Classroom” is a live online classroom that supports multi-way audio, video, application sharing, polling and content display. It works within Blackboard and offers a real-time method for interacting with students that complements other Blackboard tools. It provides a persistent classroom where you can present and interact “live” over the internet to your students. This workshop will walk you through the steps to launch your own “Live Classroom” in Blackboard, provide an overview of its uses and hands-on practice with: starting sessions, notifying participants, uploading and managing content, using the eBoard, application sharing, adding quizzes and providing feedback.
Prerequisites: This workshop is intended for those who have taken Blackboard Basics or have a working knowledge of Blackboard. You also need a Blackboard course, login and password before coming to the session.

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Wimba "Live Classroom" Next Steps
This workshop is a continuation of the Wimba Introduction and will provide hands-on practice in the use of the following “Live Classroom” tools: uploading content on the fly, creating break out rooms and assignments, tutoring, collaboration, user management, and archiving sessions.
Prerequisites: Wimba "Live Classroom" Introduction

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Last modified September 1, 2005.