Course Design Series
The Learning Design Group has been offering monthly Course Design series since Fall 2022. These engaging sessions are held online and are open to all faculty and staff in teaching, regardless of the modality (face-to-face, remote, hybrid, online, etc.). We would love for you to join us and encourage you to share this great opportunity with your colleagues!
All sessions take place on the first Tuesday of each month during the Fall and Spring semester at 10 a.m. via Zoom. You can access the sessions directly using this - no registration is required. If you are unable to attend live, Don't worry! All sessions are recorded and available for later viewing.
Note: All sessions are recorded. You can view the recording in the description below for each session, or you can bookmark our channel for easy access.
Summer 2025
We’re offering AI Drop-In Office Hours this summer to support faculty preparing for fall. Dates and times are listed on our homepage. Stop by to chat with Chris Ostro and Avedan Raggio about AI in your courses, from assignments and policies to tools and teaching strategies.
Fall 2025
September 2: AI Literacy: A Critical Need in Higher Ed (24)
Description: Everyone agrees that we need to understand AI better and pass that knowledge down to our students, but no one agrees on how. In this talk, we will explore different definitions of “AI Literacy” and dig deeper into some of the common elements, deconstructing the hype around these tools. Ultimately attendees will learn how LLMs work, as well as possible uses, potential ethical issues, and some ways to communicate these concepts to their students.
This session is being created in partnership with CTL and OIT.
October 7: What Are We Assessing? Authentic Assessment in the Era of AI (25)
Description: As generative AI becomes more integrated into how students learn and produce work, educators are rethinking how to assess learning in meaningful and secure ways. Join us as we introduce and explore the concept of “authentic assessments,” tasks that mirror real-world challenges and require learners to apply knowledge in meaningful ways. Participants will gain an understanding of authentic assessment, explore how AI is transforming assessments, and learn strategies to design assessments that promote critical thinking and learner agency.
This session is being created in partnership with CTL.
November 4: What Students Expect in 2026: A Student Panel (26)
Description: It can be hard to admit, but being a student has changed drastically since we were in the classroom. Students in our classrooms today have had their lives shaped by political, economic, and technological events which have also had a profound impact on their learning experience. In this event, we give students the stage and ask some questions to get to know more about who they are and what they expect out of education in 2026.
December 2: AI and its Nuances: A Book Report (27)
Description: Over the last semester, many faculty and staff have been involved in an AI reading club, where we focused on reading emergent research on AI. In this talk, a few members from that group will present some ideas/research that they thought was most useful (or at least interesting) to the community.
This session is being created in partnership with CE’s faculty liaisons.
Spring 2026
February 3: Small Changes, Big Impact: Quick Canvas Tweaks that Improve Learning (28)
Description: Discover simple, research-informed adjustments you can make in Canvas that lead to better student engagement, clarity, and overall course experience. From organizing modules to streamlining your grading workflow, we’ll explore quick wins that save you time and support your students’ success.
This session is being created in partnership with OIT.
March 3: Changing Times, Changing Students: How Students Have Changed in the Past Decade (29)
Description: The last decade has brought immense change to everyone’s lives, students included. The various political, societal, economic, and technological shifts that students have experienced have profoundly impacted their educational experience. In this talk, we’ll explore this evolution, see what the experts say about how to best support these students, and ultimately provide some workable tips for the classroom.
This session is being created in partnership with CE’s Student Services.
April 7: Using AI to Redesign and Refine your Course (30)
Description: Curious how AI can support course design, not just for students, but for you as an instructor? In this workshop, we’ll explore practical ways generative AI tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot, NotebookLM, or Claude can help you redesign or refine your course content, assignments, and assessments. Whether you're looking to align learning outcomes more clearly, scaffold assignments more effectively, or simply rethink how students engage with material, AI can serve as a creative partner in your process.
This session is being created in partnership with ALI.
Archive
May 6: AI in Education: Why It's Important to Engage with AI in the Classroom! (23)
- Description: Over the past few years AI has hit the classroom in a variety of ways and been met with a variety of responses. Regardless of your own approach in the classroom, this talk will explore the importance of realizing where your students are with Generative AI (GenAI) and engaging with them accordingly. In this talk we will also deep-dive and explore many of the common ethical concerns around AI's role in the classroom.
April 1: Ignite Innovation: Faculty Showcase (22)
- Description: The showcase highlights innovative online teaching techniques and best practices, fostering collaboration and inspiration among faculty. Join the conversation and share your own experiences with technology in the classroom. By the end of this event, participants will have an opportunity to network with colleagues, share ideas, and gain inspiration to elevate your teaching.
March 4: A Panel Discussion: What's Being a Student Like in 2025? (21)
- Description: As a student in 2025, technology is an integral part of my daily academic life. Students rely heavily on digital tools to stay organized, collaborate, and learn effectively. Join us as we facilitate a panel discussion with students focused on navigating the challenges and opportunities of 21st Century student life. Ask our student panelists your burning questions about the future of education. By the end of this event, participants will gain insights from our students as to how AI has impacted their learning experiences, challenges they have had to adapt to in online learning, and their advice as to better support student needs.
February 4: Mastering Media: Video Best Practices for Engaging Teaching (20)
- Description: Want to create engaging video lectures that captivate students and make course content shine? This session explores best practices for recording, editing, and embedding high-quality videos into your courses using tools like Canvas Studio. Learn how to incorporate in-video quizzes, ensure professional sound and video quality, and leverage analytics to track student participation and engagement. Leave with practical tips and strategies to elevate your video workflow and confidently produce polished media for any teaching modality.
December 3: AI Detection: A Literature Review (19)
- Description: AI detection is a hot topic; should it be used? How much can it be trusted? Why isn’t it available at ? And as the technology changes, the answers to these questions keep changing! In this seminar we’ll explore what the literature currently says and how that might impact your course (and higher education more broadly!)
November 5: Prompt Engineering and Productive Faculty AI Use (18)
- Description: Lots has been discussed about how students should (or shouldn't) be using LLMs, but what about faculty? In this talk we’ll look at ways to improve your everyday LLM usage, as well as how you can use these tools to lighten the load of teaching!
October 1: Student Use of AI: A Panel Dialogue (17)
- Description: You’ve probably heard lots of big things about AI and its impact on higher education. Is it an innovation that will give every student a more personalized learning experience? Is every student just using it to cheat? Join the LDG for a discussion with current students to help separate vital knowledge from misconceptions.
September 3: Designing and Communicating your AI Policy Statement (16)
- Description: Students and faculty both face a lot of uncertainty with using AI in the classroom. This uncertainty can lead to tensions and confusion in the classroom. In this seminar we’ll discuss the building blocks of a good policy, how to make sure it’s enforceable, and how best to communicate it in the classroom.
May 7: Redesign Considerations and CidiLabs (15)
April 2: Embracing Accessibility: 6 Simple Steps (14)
March 5: Games, Gamification and Game Base Learning: All Three Levels (13)
December 5: Explore the Dynamic Intersection between Artificial Intelligence and Course Design (12)
November 7: Triumphs and Challenges Encountered by Educators while Using Canvas (11)
October 3: Student Experiences and Perspectives [Student Panel] (10)
September 5: How to Quickly Make Sure Your Course is Set Up for a Successful Semester (09)
May 2: Humanizing Your Course (08)
April 4: Who you gonna call? [Not Ghostbusters!] (07)
March 7: Simplify Grading with Rubrics and Speedgrader (06)
- Directions for Rubric Example Templates are available on the Course Design Resources Page.