Events
Schreyer Institute programs are for anyone at Penn State who has an instructional role or is preparing for a future one. Our participants are typically faculty, graduate students, and postdocs. Academic administrators, instructional designers, staff members, and undergraduates in instructional roles are also welcome.
Teach to Reach with Universal Design for Learning
Facilitated by Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor and Lauraine Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Biology, Penn State Mont Alto
Monday, 10/5/2026 to Saturday, 10/31/2026, Asynchronous
Teach to Reach with Universal Design for Learning
In this four-week, entirely asynchronous online course, participants draw upon their own teaching or learning design experience and their existing, basic understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to generate and respond to discussions, create an instructional activity inspired by UDL, and provide feedback on their peers’ activities.
The course is open to faculty of any rank or status, teaching assistants, post-doctoral instructors, and members of the learning design community with existing teaching or learning design experience and a basic understanding of UDL. For eligibility requirements, see https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/teachtoreach.
To register, complete our enrollment survey at https://tinyurl.com/RegisterTTR. Participants will be notified via email approximately one week prior to the start of the course.
Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.
Teaching AI Literacy Without Using AI
Facilitated by Logan Harvey, Research Faculty
Monday, 10/5/2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
AI literacy does not have to begin with a chatbot. In this workshop, participants will use Penn State’s AI Literacy Framework as a guide to explore how to teach foundational AI literacy concepts without requiring students to use generative AI tools directly. We will consider activities that help students examine how AI systems work, where they show up in everyday life, how they shape knowledge and decision-making, and what ethical questions they raise. Participants will leave with practical strategies for helping students develop the critical judgment needed to evaluate AI tools, whether or not those tools are used in the course.
Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.
```Accessibility for Clear Communication
Facilitated by Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and Sonya Woods, Lead Accessibility Consultant, Penn State World Campus
Tuesday, 10/13/2026, 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Via Zoom
Students’ ability to do what we’re asking them to do depends upon clearly communicating our expectations. Designing syllabi and assignments with accessibility in mind enhances clarity, enabling all students to better engage in their learning, know what to do with it, and do it on time. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to core practices for accessibility in Word, PDF, and/or Canvas, and how artificial intelligence and Anthology Ally can support those efforts.
Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.
AI and the Discipline: Responding to Change in Teaching and Practice
Facilitated by Logan Harvey, Research Faculty
Tuesday, 10/20/2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Generative AI is not affecting all fields in the same way. In some disciplines, AI is changing how professionals write, code, analyze data, create media, conduct research, make decisions, or communicate expertise. In others, it is raising new questions about authorship, evidence, labor, ethics, equity, and professional judgment. In this workshop, participants will explore how AI is reshaping disciplinary practice and consider what those changes mean for courses, programs, departments, and other disciplinary communities. Participants will identify emerging AI-related competencies in their fields and discuss practical ways to adapt curricula, assignments, learning outcomes, and conversations with students.
Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.
