Wed-Fri | Feb 26-28, 2025 | 9th Annual Teaching for Learning (T4L) ConferenceJoin us on the Utah Valley University campus February 26-28, 2025 for the 9th annual Teaching for Learning (T4L) Conference.
During the conference, participants will be able to connect with other instructors, take home great ideas for teaching, and stay current on research in teaching and learning.
Thurs | Jan 30 | 12-1pm | Effective Interactive Technologies that Promote Students’
Learning and EngagementWhat are some technologies that can enhance students engagement and Are you curious about how to integrate AI in your class? If so, this session will dive into the use of generative artificial intelligence in the classroom to enhance student learning and explore new ways and approaches to transform teaching.
Wed | Feb 19 | 12-1pm | Student-Centered Teaching and its impact on Faculty and StudentsYou’ve probably heard of “student-centered teaching,” but what happens if we center teachers alongside the students? In this session, we’ll explore the concept of “teacher-centered teaching” alongside student-centered techniques and how we might seek to balance competing needs and responsibilities within our practice as educators.
Thurs | Mar 27 | 12-1pm | Using AI for Academic ResearchJoin us for an engaging workshop on leveraging AI for research. This interactive session will equip you with practical AI techniques for enhancing research workflows - from brainstorming and topic identification to data analysis and literature reviews. You'll also explore effective ways to integrate AI tools into your teaching practice and guide students in their appropriate use.
HEA Orientation | 2nd Tuesday of Each Month | 1-2pmAn introduction to the HEA fellowship.
Dates
HEA Writing Q&A | 1st and 3rd Wednesday of Each Month | 3-5pmHave you started working on your HEA Fellowship application? Do you have questions that you would like to discuss? Please join us in this HEA Fellowship Writing Clinics. In this session, you will get help and support in the process of writing your application. We will also discuss the PSF, talk about the application process, and clarify any questions you may have.
Dates
Thurs | Jan 16 | 12-12:30pm | Accessibility Lunch and Learn Series: Installment 1How to make Word documents accessible to assistive technology.
Wed | Feb 5 | 12-12:30pm | Accessibility Lunch and Learn Series: Installment 2How to make PowerPoint files accessible to assistive technology.
Thurs | Mar 6 | 12-12:30pm | Accessibility Lunch and Learn Series: Installment 3How to make your Canvas course accessible to assistive technology.
Wed | Feb 12 | 12-12:30pm | Common Navigation Template MaintenanceJoin OTL's Instructional Support Technologists as they demonstrate how to successfully update course content while maintaining the Common Navigation Template on your Canvas course.
UVU offers various certifications, including high impact practice (HIPs) teaching certifications, which are research proven methods to improve student learning outcomes through the Office of Teaching and Learning. Upon completing a high impact practice certification, participants are invited to join in a community of practice to further refine their HIPs facilitation by exchanging ideas and best practices with colleagues.
Highlighted/New Event | High Impact Practice | Stipend Paid
The goal of this four-session institute is to provide participants with an understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications in higher education. Topics covered include AI fundamentals, using AI for teaching and course design, teaching students AI literacy, and leveraging AI for research. Interactive activities reinforce concepts and provide hands-on experience with AI tools and resources relevant to teaching and learning. There is a $1,000 stipend upon completion. There will be a cap of 20 participants.
25 Hour Certification
Workshops
Workshop Dates
Fri | Jan 24 | 10am-12pm | FL 502
Welcome to an overview of American Culture, its social behaviors, folkways and mores. As we learn together, we will use evidence based historical context to discuss America's inception, growth, successes and failures. American culture is both liberal and conservative, religious and political as well as completive; we are all the essence of this great country. America was shaped by immigrants and consequently has one of the largest immigrant populations; we live among and are impacted positively by a huge variety of ethnicities, traditions, and beliefs which impact us all.
25 Hour Certification
Workshops
Key Assignments
Connecting Indigenous, Asian, Latin-X & Black History
Course Runs | Mon, Feb 3 - Mon, Apr 28
Workshop Dates
The purpose of this pathway is to support faculty in their design of assessments that reflect course learning objectives and meet the needs of ALL students. Faculty will learn about the different types of assessment and the purpose of each, the backward design model, how to create rubrics, and Universal Design for Learning principles. They will then use what they have learned to update an existing course’s CLO-aligned learning objectives via backwards design, design an aligned authentic assessment, and use UDL principles to support student success.
25 Hour Certification
Workshops
Workshop Dates (MS Teams)
Register For Developing Assessments to Support Student Success
You have likely earned degrees in disciplines other than education, yet you are a professional educator. The Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Higher Education certification program is designed to bridge the gap and ensure all UVU faculty have a solid foundation in a dozen seminal works about teaching in higher education. This is a hybrid learning experience that spans 7 weeks with three face-to-face (F2F) active learning demonstrations within that time period. In addition, each week you will have online activities to complete in Canvas.
25 Hour Certification
Workshops
Respect Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning + Use Active Learning Techniques
Encourage Connections Between Instructors and Students + Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation Between Students
Communicate High Expectations and Give Prompt Feedback
Key Assignments
Unit Redesign
Workshop (F2F) Dates
Register for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices
The Livestream Teaching Academy (LTA) Certification is the official preparation program for instructors wishing to teach livestream courses at UVU. This program is designed to give educators an opportunity to develop skills, reflect on past practice, and meaningfully plan for future practice. This path is designed to advance the newer livestream pedagogy including ways to develop instructor presence, peer-to-peer interaction, and meaningful and valuable livestream sessions.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Each workshop will take about 1-2 hours to complete, so expect to spend about 10-12 hours total to complete all 6 workshops.
Key Assignments
MS Teams Recording
Livestream Lesson Plan
Course Runs | Tue, Jan 21-Tue, Mar 4
Register For Livestream Teaching Academy
The Online Teaching Academy (OTA) Certification is the official preparation program for instructors wishing to teach online courses at UVU. UVU Faculty Senate has mandated that all online faculty (both full-time and adjunct) earn certification by Fall 2021. This program is designed to give educators an opportunity to develop skills, reflect on past practice, and meaningfully plan for future practice. This path is designed to advance online and hybrid pedagogy including ways to develop instructor presence, peer-to-peer interaction, and meaningful and secure online assessments. There is a $1,000 stipend upon completion.
25 Hour Certification
Workshops
Key Assignments
Lesson Redesign
Culminating Assignment
Course Runs | Tue, Jan 21-Tue, Mar 4
*Due to limited slots available in Spring 2025, you will be required to have Associate Dean approval to join OTA. Please refer to your department chair for the registration link.
Design and teach service-learning courses through the lenses of Roles, Relevance, Reciprocity, Reflection, Risk Management, and Reporting.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Roles, Relevance: Service-Learning vs. Community Volunteerism
Reciprocity, Reflection: Community Partnerships
Risk Management, Reporting: Meaningful Reflection about Authentic Learning
Key Assignments
3 Reflections
Syllabus
(Submit SL syllabus to the SL committee. The syllabus needs to evidence learning outcomes)
Workshop Dates (MS Teams)
Wed | Jan 29 | 11am-12pm
As an experiential learning pedagogy, service-learning moves students beyond the classroom to become active participants in their learning and develop civic knowledge and skills. This certification will support instructors who have completed the service-learning 1 training and allow them to complete a deeper dive into incorporating service-learning in their courses and disciplines.
Workshop Dates
Workshop Dates (MS Teams)
The Office of Teaching and Learning has created an online training module for faculty who teach large sections. This is a self-paced, asynchronous faculty development course that provides a path to an internationally recognised teaching recognition as it’s part of UVU’s Advance HE scheme.
Faculty who participate in this training will gain a deeper understanding of the use of instructional design methodology to develop student-centred courses and to deliver dynamic, interactive lectures; how to design and implement effective cooperative and collaborative learning projects, and identify appropriate grading methods.
The training also covers items such as utilizing pertinent educational literature relevant to formative and summative assessments and best practices for building rapport with students and for providing a learning context that fosters students’ engagement and retention.
25 Hour Self-Paced Certification
Workshops
Advance pedagogical skills in support of disciplinary writing and WE graduation requirements. Develop high- and low-stakes writing assignments that provide revision feedback so students can practice the conventions of discipline-specific genres.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Developing Effective Writing Assignments
Developing In-Class Processes and Strategies
Responding to and Grading Student Writing
Key Assignments
High-stakes Assignment Description
Scaffolding Map
Workshop Dates (MS Teams)
UVU has joined with the Center for Postsecondary Research to conduct formal research on the student experience within HIPs classrooms and this research has been approved by UVU’s Institutional Review Board. Requirements of participation:
See the HIPs Quality Research Project Toolkit for more details and to opt into the study.
Develop inclusive pedagogical skills and/or teach a G/I/I course through lenses of cultural identity and relevance, global/intercultural, gender, race, and religion/worldview.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Cultural Identity in the Classroom
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Equity Pedagogy
Two Elective Workshop
Gender Pedagogy
Global and Intercultural Pedagogy
Religious, Spiritual, and Worldview Diversity
Key Assignments
G/I/I Syllabus
G/I/I Key Assignment
*Available TBD
Course Runs | TBD
Workshop Dates TBD
The goal of the Mentoring Undergraduate Research Academy (MURA) is to help faculty improve mentoring of students participating in undergraduate research. Discussions topics include aligning expectations, professional development, effective communication, assessing understanding, addressing equity and inclusion, fostering independence, and cultivating ethical behavior. The faculty will develop 2 deliverables: both a mentoring plan and philosophy. There is a $100 stipend upon completion.
12.5 Hour Certification
Attend 6 Sessions
Aligning Expectations, and Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy and Plan Learning Outcomes
Professional Development and Effective Communication
Addressing Equity and Inclusion and Assessing Understanding
Fostering Independence and Cultivating Ethical Behavior
Facilitation Strategies
Key Assignments (2 deliverables)
Mentoring Philosophy
Mentoring Plan
*Available TBD
Course Runs | TBD
Workshop Dates TBD
Project-Based Learning: This certification program supports instructors in learning about PBL and incorporating it into their courses. It also facilitates the redesign of general education courses that can be accepted into the Excelerate program offered by UVU's Innovation Academy. 12.5 hrs.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Overview of PBL, PBL Framework, and Benefits of PBL
Key Assignments
Course Runs | TBD
Workshop Dates
Best practices for teaching the first year student including making early and often connections with students, learning to learn strategies, growth mindset, metacognition, and embedding FY content into your course.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Connecting with Your First Year Students
Best Practices for Teaching the First Year Student
Teaching Students How to Learn Effectively
Growth Mindset
Metacognitive Teaching Strategies
Overview of Inclusive Teaching
Developing Your FY Assignment
Key Assignments
*Available TBD
Course Runs | TBD
Workshop Dates TBD
Fundamental principles and practices of team-based learning including creating effective iRAT, tRAT, 4S activities, improving facilitation skills, peer evaluation, and team development.
12.5 Hour Certification
Workshops
Fundamental Principles and Practices of TBL
Creating an Effective TBL Module
Evaluating multiple choice questions (MCQs)
Improving Facilitation Skills for TBL
Peer Evaluation and Team Development
Key Assignments
Preparing for TBL Implementation
Developing an Effective TBL Module
*Available TBD
Course Runs | TBD
Workshop Dates TBD
The purpose of this UDL course is to help faculty value and create accessible learning experiences for all students regardless of student ability or learning preferences. Indeed, when put into action, UDL principles allow instructors to create learning conditions where all students can actively participate in the classroom, complete assignments, and demonstrate learning.
Self-Paced Certification
Workshops
Self-Paced Course
Communities of Practice are groups of instructors who come together to share ideas and teaching strategies. They provide spaces to engage in dialogue and cultivate innovations around common learning and teaching concerns. CoPs are facilitated by faculty with expertise in the topic. In most cases, CoPs work over a two-semester period and participants meet once a month. To learn more about the structure, consider registering and talking to the CoP facilitator.
The Office of Teaching and Learning supports a variety of CoP each year. Anyone with an interest in learning and teaching can join a CoP.
Clicking on the icons/title below will add you to the Microsoft Teams space for each Community of Practice.
Click the buttons to below to read self-paced workshop descriptions and self-enroll.
This course will provide you with an opportunity to practice backwards design approach to helping your students achieve learning outcomes. You will develop a summative assessment with rubric to measure student achievement. You will develop two formative assessments to support student learning.
Learn and practice the fundamentals of the Canvas learning management systems, including building assignments, using the gradebook, and posting files for students.
The Foundations of Course Design (FCD) is a pedagogical experience guided by instructional designers from the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) at UVU. It gives you a foundation in established course design principles and is particularly suited for those who have never developed a flexible course or have developed only informally.
