October

In this workshop, the cognitive perspective on students’ self-evaluations of test performance will be presented, including discussions of the different types of self-evaluations students can make (predictions before the test, and postdictions after the test), the problem of overconfidence, and the difficulty of improving these judgments. The importance of question order on testing, how it can affect self-evaluations of test performance, and how during study it can affect the learning process will also be covered. 

Part Two of “Reframing Testing as a Learning Experience” Seminar. 

Do you find grading to be time-consuming and frustrating? Do you spend hours writing comments on student papers but feel doubtful that your comments are implemented, or even read? We’ll discuss time-saving strategies, ways to ensure fairness, and strategies for providing meaningful feedback. 

This workshop meets one of the requirements for the Instructional Foundations Series.

Encouraging your students to become actively involved with their learning can sometimes be challenging, but students' engagement is critical to their academic achievement. We'll explore practical strategies that can give your students an opportunity to practice concepts and skills in order to enhance learning.

This workshop meets one of the requirements for the Instructional Foundations Series.

Join us for a free half-day conference for grad students & post docs. Lunch is included for those who register by noon on 10/12.

Sessions include:

Career Advice from new faculty - Junior faculty from Penn State and other higher-education institutions will offer advice on successfully navigating the first few years of a faculty position. 

Student, teacher, scholar, colleague: Taking on multiple roles - Faculty panelists will share strategies for juggling the multiple roles encountered by graduate students and postdocs. 

How to plan a class session from scratch - We’ll explain a practical framework for designing class sessions and making sure that your objectives, assessments, and activities are all aligned to promote students’ learning.

Developing a teaching persona: Creating your classroom identity - The right “classroom identity” for you helps you own your expertise and authority, establish a basis of trust and respect, and inspire and engage students. 

Beyond "fake news": Helping your students build information - evaluation skills - Information literacy is a crucial skill in higher education. Learn how to help your students differentiate between credible, scholarly sources and less reliable ones.

How to get your students involved in learning - One of the best ways to help students learn is to ask them to apply their knowledge. Faculty panelists will share practical strategies for engaging students actively in learning.

Job candidates are frequently asked to provide teaching philosophy statements and teaching demonstrations to hiring committees. It can be challenging to put your "philosophy" into words--perhaps you are not even certain you even have a philosophy of teaching! This interactive workshop is designed to help you begin to articulate and develop your philosophy. You will also have a chance to identify and troubleshoot common challenges in demonstrating your teaching on campus visits.

This is a closed presentation. If you are interested in a similar workshop for your area, contact us site@psu.edu.

Faculty of all ranks and administrators at all Penn State locations are invited to participate in the biennial Schreyer Conference, co-sponsored by the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, the Schreyer Honors College, and the Office for General Education. Conference topics will address the concerns of faculty, particularly faculty who will be submitting new course proposals and revised courses for recertification.

The conference will begin with a brief video of students’ perspectives on Gen Ed and a review of the program approved by the University Faculty Senate. Participants will next select one of 4 concurrent sessions:

• Managing the Senate Recertification Process
• Promotion, Dossiers, and Structures that Support Integrative Teaching
• Integrating Inclusive Teaching into Gen Ed Courses
• Effective Teaching in Integrative Studies Courses

The conference will culminate with lunch in a wrap-up session featuring Provost Nick Jones, emceed by SHC Dean Peggy Johnson, and including ample time for participant questions.