Reinert Center Events

10:00 am: Introduction to Ignatian Pedagogy and the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (MA)
Ignatian pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning inspired by the teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to basic concepts pertaining to Ignatian Pedagogy and the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. They also will be introduced to possible ways to apply Ignatian Pedagogy to course materials and class activities.

2:00 pm: Developing an Effective Syllabus (MA)
This workshop supports instructors writing their first syllabus or first syllabus for courses taught at SLU. We will explore considerations regarding how to view, voice, and construct a syllabus as well as examine what and how a syllabus communicates with students.

10:00 am:  Interactive Learning Strategies for Inclusive and Engaged Classrooms (LF)
This workshop will provide examples of interactive teaching strategies that can help support inclusive, engaging, student centered learning experiences for courses in any discipline.  From simple in-class interactions to more thorough instructional strategies, participants will leave with examples they may incorporate into their teaching.

2:00 pm: Adapting Your Teaching for Large Classes (LF)
It is not always clear how to adapt familiar teaching practices to maintain engagement when teaching a large enrollment class. In this 60-minute workshop, we will explore how to adapt evidence-based teaching strategies for large-enrollment courses. We will discuss common challenges and identify practical techniques that keep students engaged while managing one’s workload.

New Faculty Orientation Plenary session and Resource Fair

10:00 am: Establishing a Shared Foundation for Classroom Civility (MA)
Classroom civility, student engagement, and classroom disruption are aspects of teaching that are recognized by all instructors yet defined differently. This session will help participants more clearly communicate their own expectations as they explore practical techniques for building classroom environments that support civility and learning here at SLU.

10:00 am: First Through Fifth, Friday Coffee Break, Wuller 204
On the first Friday of the month, we invite all faculty who are in their first five years of teaching at SLU to come talk about teaching. Join your colleagues who are also in their first five years for coffee and conversation about teaching at SLU. Drop by for the whole time, arrive late or leave early; bring a friend or make a friend while you are here.

2:00 pm: Designing Icebreakers to Build Community and Course Connections (LF)
Icebreakers (during the first week of the semester and beyond) are a helpful pedagogical strategy to build community, foster inclusion, and engage students. This workshop discusses the pedagogical uses of icebreakers and explores different types and examples of icebreakers. Participants will have the opportunity to design an icebreaker activity they can adapt to their own courses.

The Introduction to Online Teaching is a fully online asynchronous course that provides a pedagogical foundation for Saint Louis University faculty who are new to the online teaching environment. The course provides faculty an opportunity to gain the experience of an online “student” and to experience a fully online course that has been designed to align with the University’s Online Course Design Rubric while developing a plan for an online course. (O/P/F/GO)

This one-week course examines productive faculty-student and student-student interaction in online courses.  Participants will develop facilitation practices that align with standards outlined in the SLU Online Course Design Rubric, and the federal requirements for "regular and substantive interaction." (O/LF)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching

The Universal Design for Online Teaching and Learning course is a week-long, asynchronous course focusing on Universal Design and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in distance formats. Participants will examine, reflect on, and apply key UDL principles in an online course of their choosing as a means of meeting the needs of diverse student learners. These principles provide an additional lens into meeting the standards found in the University’s Distance Course Design Rubric. (O/LF)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching

The Introduction to Online Teaching is a fully online asynchronous course that provides a pedagogical foundation for Saint Louis University faculty who are new to the online teaching environment. The course provides faculty an opportunity to gain the experience of an online “student” and to experience a fully online course that has been designed to align with the University’s Online Course Design Rubric while developing a plan for an online course. (O/GO)

How can you build inclusive learning environments in asynchronous courses when students and instructors are separated by distance and learning occurs at a self-paced speed? In this one-week course, participants will consider course design strategies and teaching practices that create and facilitate inclusive online learning environments. Through module activities, participants will engage in discussions and draft course planners to better center, situate, and express inclusive pedagogy as a means of promoting student belonging in an online course of their choosing. (O/MA)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching

Giving students opportunities to interact and learn with and from each other is essential in distance teaching. Canvas offers many options to do this in an online course. This 60-minute workshop explores the Peer Review (student-to-student feedback) option available in some Canvas Tools. Participants will consider how peer-to-peer feedback has pedagogical purposes, is well-suited as a scaffolded component, and helps to keep students on pace for complex or larger assessments.

It can sometimes be hard to see how a traditional lab assignment can translate into a distance teaching setting. In this 60-minute workshop, we will explore how to develop or adapt learning objectives from the lab into online asynchronous assignments. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing distance lab assignments, identify core learning goals for your labs, and brainstorm asynchronous alternatives that go beyond virtual simulations. Participants are encouraged to bring an existing or planned lab activity or learning objective to the workshop.

This 60-minute workshop explores strategies for designing effective online group assignments. We will discuss the purpose and function of online group work, address common challenges students face when working together online, and examine practical approaches for supporting meaningful online collaboration. Participants are encouraged to bring an existing or planned group activity or assignment to the workshop.

This 60-minute workshop explores practical strategies for designing equitable multimedia assignments that align with course learning goals and support student creativity. Participants will also discuss effective ways to use multimedia projects for assessment.

The introductory workshop identifies why accessible course materials matter for student learning and explores practical “access moves” that instructors can apply across a variety of course materials to make them more accessible.

This workshop focuses on creating accessible PowerPoint slides for instructional use. Participants will explore key access moves, such as ensuring readability of slides, purposefully using images and decorative graphics, and options for closed captioning in live and recorded presentations. These access moves can improve the accessibility of your slides, which are an important tool for communicating content to all student learners in all course formats.