Programs & Workshops
Overview
The Center for Academic Innovation is WOU’s hub for faculty development programming exploring effective teaching and learning across modalities. We provide opportunities to engage with new instructional strategies, explore pedagogical topics, and connect with other instructors to inform and enrich learning experiences at WOU.
The goal of our programming portfolio is to provide a broad spectrum of engagement opportunities. We recognize that WOU’s instructors have different levels of experience, areas of interest, and available time to commit to a program. As a result, we offer standalone workshops on different topics alongside more intensive, multi-week opportunities. Some of our programming is synchronous, while others may be asynchronous or even self-paced. Our portfolio includes both technology training and opportunities to explore pedagogy broadly.
Current Programs
Focus: Teaching Strategies & Course Design
Focus: Learning Technologies
- Growing with Canvas
- Canvas Fundamentals
- Getting to Know Gradebook
- Making the Most of Your Modules
- Expand Your Options: External Tools & Canvas Commons
Audience
The Center for Academic Innovation’s programming is open to all WOU faculty and staff.
Our target audience consists of faculty members, staff with instructional duties, and staff whose positions involve significant support for teaching and learning or who are involved in developing/facilitating training and professional development opportunities. These groups will likely find our programming the most readily applicable to their immediate context. However, the Center for Academic Innovation is committed to supporting professional growth and lifelong learning for all WOU employees and does not limit participation in our programs. If you’re interested in any of the topics we cover, please join us!
Accessibility Statement
The Center for Academic Innovation is committed to inclusive access to all of its programming. We are happy to coordinate with you and the Office of Disability Services to make any arrangements necessary for you to fully participate in our programs. If you have any questions about what sort of accommodations and supports are available for events and programs at WOU, please contact Disability Services at 503-838-8250 or ods@wou.edu.
Suggest or Request Programming
We hope to see our portfolio continue to grow over time to provide even more opportunities for WOU’s community to explore continuing explore the infinite potential of our classrooms and teaching practice.
We would love to hear your suggestions for additional topics or new programs! In addition to the scheduled programming below, we are also delighted to work with departments, divisions, or other groups to develop programming or training to meet a specific need or area of interest.
In addition to the times available on our general schedule, Academic Innovation can also offer any of the sessions or topics below to departments, divisions, or other groups by request. If you have a group of five or more interested participants, we will work with you to schedule a special offering of any of our workshops or trainings.
If you would like to request programming or suggest a new topic or program, submit your feedback using this form: Suggest or Request Programming
Teaching Strategies & Course Design
Our programming focused on teaching strategies and course design work focus on effective teaching practices broadly, regardless of modality. When learning technologies are included, the lens we apply is how to leverage these tools towards a specific goal, as opposed to learning how to operate and navigate these tools.
The goal for these programs is to explore concepts and ideas that will support your teaching practice wherever learning takes place for you and your students. Join us in our exploration of different practices, strategies, and techniques that can positively impact student learning and your teaching experience.
Catalyst
Format
Instructor-led, asynchronous
Overview
Catalyst is a collaborative faculty development program that explores pedagogy and provides design support to jumpstart new course design and instructional projects.
Each time Catalyst is offered, the session will have a specific pedagogical focus that informs the content, activities, and design project for that session. The focus for each Catalyst session will be indicated in its title and explained in its description. Regardless of the focus, the primary goals of Catalyst are to brings faculty members together to:
- explore the intersection of technology and pedagogy together through content-driven modules and online interaction
- make progress on individual design projects with support from Academic Innovation and the Catalyst community
- build a community around WOU’s passion for teaching and learning
Time Commitment
Catalyst is offered multiple times throughout the year. When offered, the program is approximately 3-4 weeks long and requires between 25-30 hours of effort.
How to Access
You can learn more about Catalyst on our Catalyst information page. This page includes information on upcoming sessions, like dates and topic areas, as well as application links.
Teaching Deep Dives
Format
Instructor-led, synchronous
Overview
Deep Dives are interactive sessions that explore a specific teaching strategy or learning technology feature. Each Deep Dive session consists of (1) an overview of the session’s topic and (2) an opportunity to experiment with the concept, either by trying out new technology or through guided design activities.
5 to 8 Deep Dive sessions are scheduled each term, each focused on a different topic or strategy. Academic Innovation adds new topics over time but also repeats popular offerings regularly so don’t worry if you can’t make a session as you will likely see it scheduled again in the future.
Examples of Deep Dive topics include:
- Gamification & Badging
- Groups, Collaborations, & Discussions
- Creating Accessible Content
- Interactive Video
- Peer-Reviewed Assignments
- Classroom Asssessment Techniques (CATS)
- Creating Content-Rich Pages in Canvas
- Canvas Outcomes for Mastery & Competencies
Academic Innovation’s Deep Dive registration page has information on the specific dates, times, and topics scheduled for the current term. Check out our upcoming Deep Dive sessions!
Time Commitment
Deep Dive sessions are scheduled for 90 minutes.
How to Access
You can find upcoming Deep Dives and sign on Academic Innovation’s Deep Dive registration page.
Sessions are limited to 15 participants and slots are filled on a first come first-serve basis.
These sessions are interactive and provide opportunities to begin developing your own materials so please bring a device that can work in Canvas.
Online Learning Consortium Membership
Format
Self-paced resources
Overview
Western Oregon University is an institutional member of the Online Learning Consortium. The Online Learning Consortium provides webinars, research, and rubrics that support quality online teaching and learning. Any member of our WOU community can register for an individual OLC at no cost and access these resources.
Membership Highlights:
- Webinars: Access to approximately 50 on-demand webinars covering a range of online learning topics and all future webinars
- OLC Research Center provides resources on digital learning trends, innovations, and effective practices in the field. Research studies, white papers, journal articles and other resources including webinars, podcasts and publications are categorized into six different categories: teaching & learning, instructional/learning design, leadership, digital learning, annual reports, and Quality.
- Scorecard Suite includes access to the OSCQR course quality rubric, as well as scorecards for using digital courseware and blended learning, among others.
Time Commitment
Variable
How to Access
Sign up for an OLC membership using your WOU email address!
Learning Technologies
Our learning technologies programming focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of working with different tools. Effective teaching practice frames our inquiry and approach to how these tools are used and modeled but the primary outcome for these sessions is to improve your comfort using different technologies so that you can optimize their use in your course. Our learning technologies programming covers different settings, features, and uses of supported learning technologies at WOU, providing how-to demonstrations and guiding you to additional resources.
Growing With Canvas
Format
Self-Paced
Overview
Growing with Canvas has five modules of content that will take users through everything they need to know about using Canvas at their institutions – no matter what grade or level. The course uses a combination of the Canvas Video Guides and Canvas Guides to teach the content. Participants in the course will try out a number of the concepts through the practice assessments.
Time Commitment
Each module has about 45-60 minutes of video. We estimate the time to complete each module is 1.5-2 hours, for a total of 8-10 hours spent to complete the course. The course does not need to be completed in one sitting.
How to Access
You can gain access to Growing with Canvas by completing the Sandbox Request Form. This form enrolls you in Growing with Canvas while also creating a sandbox shell that you can use to experiment with new ideas and features.
Getting to Know Gradebook
Format
Instructor-Led, Synchronous
Overview
Canvas’ gradebook is a powerful tool for tracking your students’ progress and easily calculating your grades each term. This session will introduce you to the gradebook, how to configure it to meet your needs, and tips for using it productively. Facilitators will also share differences between the Canvas gradebook and Moodle’s gradebook to help you transition from Moodle to Canvas successfully.
Time Commitment
This training is scheduled for 1 hour.
How to Access
Getting to Know Gradebook is offered several times each term. To find out more about upcoming dates and sign up for a session, check out our Canvas trainings registration page.
Making the Most of Your Modules
Format
Instructor-Led, Synchronous
Overview
This workshop will cover how Canvas uses modules to create structure in courses, as well as fundamentals of module organization, content, and settings. In this workshop you will learn how to:
- create modules in a way that makes sense for your course
- add content (resources, activities, external URLs and tools)
- set requirements, prerequisites, and publishing dates.
- use best practices to set up your course and avoid cognitive overloads.
Time Commitment
This training is scheduled for 1 hour.
How to Access
Making the Most of Your Modules is offered several times each term. To find out more about upcoming dates and sign up for a session, check out our Canvas trainings registration page.
Questions about Quizzes
Format
Instructor-Led, Synchronous
Overview
- Provide an introduction to the Quiz tool in Canvas
- Explore the differences between Class and New Quizzes in Canvas
- Explain different settings, quiz question types, and grading options
- Cover how to set up exceptions and accommodations within quizzes
Time Commitment
This training is scheduled for 1 hour.
How to Access
Questions about Quizzes is offered several times each term. To find out more about upcoming dates and sign up for a session, check out our Canvas trainings registration page.
Expand Your Options: External Tools & Canvas Commons
Format
Instructor-Led, Synchronous
Overview
Learn more about the additional tools and resources you can add into your Canvas course! This workshop will:
- Demonstrate how to add an external tool from the Canvas App Center
- Provide an overview on what external tools are supported or recommended by Academic Innovation
- Introduce you to Canvas Commons, a digital library of educational content where Canvas users can share materials, like course content or assignments.
- Demonstrate how to share items from your course to Canvas Commons and how to import items from Canvas Commons into your course
Time Commitment
This training is scheduled for 1 hour.
How to Access
Expand Your Options is offered several times each term. To find out more about upcoming dates and sign up for a session, check out our Canvas trainings registration page.
