Teaching Innovation Stations 2026

Title: Assistant Professor
Academic Unit: Department of Occupational Therapy
Contact Kara

Description of the practice:
Learn how to develop AI-use statements with your students. Creating the statement together encourages students to take ownership and responsibility for using this evolving tool. Rather than a punitive AI statement, students felt empowered throughout the development process. This process fosters openness and transparency, strengthening the instructor-student relationship.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Students reported feeling heard, being partners in the learning process, and that the statements provided clear guidance on the safe and ethical use of AI.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Classroom Climate

Title: Associate Professor and Assistant Professor
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Allyson
Contact Jenn

Description of the practice:
Community-engaged learning (CEL) is defined as, “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community partnerships with instruction and critical reflection to enrich the student learning experience, teach civic and social responsibility, and strengthen communities.” (Michigan State University, 2026). With thoughtful planning, CEL opportunities can be integrated into a variety of different courses in order to help students connect course learning objectives to real world challenges, while supporting CSU’s Land Grant Mission. Viewing CEL as a tool for social change is a powerful way to engage and motivate students to apply classroom learning to the community and broader world. Students who participate in CEL projects often demonstrate increased motivation, autonomy, self-reflection and a clearer vision for how to use their passion to make a difference in the world. Instructors who incorporate CEL into their teaching often reflect on deeper meaning of their work, more positive student-instructor rapport, and higher sense of student engagement.

In this Innovation Station, we will present practical strategies and lessons we learned from designing a CEL course project around Sesame 3G, an 8-week, three-generation mentoring program at a local preschool. By integrating a formal student learning experience around the pilot launch of this national, multi-disciplinary, community project, we saw evidence of deep learning and connections, a breakdown of generational stereotypes, critical application of classroom concepts, and new passions and excitement emerge. Faculty also benefited from intentional alignment of teaching and engagement efforts, advancing instructional practice while also generating evidence of impact for annual reviews and promotion. Highlighting Sesame 3G as just one example, we hope colleagues will walk away with inspiration as well as strategies to identify CEL experiences that can extend and engage student learning beyond their own classrooms.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Our Spring 2026 Sesame 3G pilot project included 9 triads (each comprised of an older adult volunteer + CSU student + preschool student) who met for one hour per week for eight weeks at the CSU Early Childhood Center (ECC). The two adults in the triad were tasked with leading a session with the preschooler which was designed around a different video clip from Sesame Street each week to launch a conversation. More information about the program curriculum, which was developed by retired members of the Sesame Street production team, can be found here [https://www.3gmentoring.org/ ].

Through participant surveys and final reflection papers, we saw evidence of two primary outcomes, one directly related to applying knowledge from our coursework in real-world settings (HDFS 201, HDFS 312, and HDFS 318), and the other outcome supporting positive connection and belonging, which we know to be vital for people of all ages. We will provide some evidence below from program evaluations and student reflection papers in support of the observed outcomes.

Outcome 1: Active learning around lifespan developmental psychology for young children (HDFS 318) and older adults (HDFS 201, HDFS 312), including critical reconstruction of common generational and age stereotypes. As observed in our pilot report, “One student said that program was relevant to their interests in both child development and healthcare for older adults and that the opportunity to observe and be part of intergenerational relations offered insight into the processes of aging, communication, and social interconnectivity across all stages of life. Another indicated that the program dispelled their assumptions about older adults being passive, more socially isolated, and less active after retiring. They saw their older adult actively pursuing meaningful activities, emotional bonds, and opportunities to mentor others.” (Sesame 3G Preliminary Report, July 2026).

Outcome 2: We saw a meaningful sense of social connection and belonging developed by students and older adults alike. As our report notes, “In final program evaluations, the mentorship of the older adult partners was significant to many of the CSU students who felt nervous or tentative about facilitating their time with the preschoolers. Student reflection papers appreciated the rare opportunity to engage with multiple generations. Many noted that it was a highlight of their week, one saying it was a breath of fresh air. Several older adults commended their student partner for their growth through the program and also appreciated forming a friendship with the younger generation. Many expressed gratitude for the purpose they felt in mentoring.” (Sesame 3G Preliminary Report, July 2026).

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Curriculum/Curricular Alignment and Student Motivation

Title: Senior Faculty Developer
Academic Unit: TILT
Contact Tonya

Description of the practice:
Reflection is a powerful tool to demonstrate instructor development and student learning. Engaging in reflective practice provides an opportunity for learners to pause, intentionally review the experience, make connections, and shape decisions. The CSU Teaching Effective Initiative (TEI) Program incentivizes instructors to engage in scholarly teaching through the implementation of and reflection upon the use of evidence-based practices of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF).

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
The TEI Program and the TEF are designed to support faculty committed to student success by taking a scholarly approach to teaching. According to the 2023 Civitas Learning Student Success Impact Report, incentivizing faculty use of evidence-based practices typically have a positive influence on student success and persistence. The TEI Program’s focus on the evidence-based practices highlighted in the TEF provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use resource grounded in the science of teaching and learning.

Additionally, self-reflection is a powerful tool for both faculty and students as it provides an opportunity to think critically, make connections between prior and new knowledge, and grow. Review exemplary post-implementation reflections from the TEI program to see how instructors self-assess their instructional practices and the impact on student learning. Additionally, consider how instituting a reflective practice in your classroom can foster critical thinking and growth.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Professional growth, reflection, documentation of teaching effectiveness, annual review, promotion or tenure

Title: Lecturer
Academic Unit: Department of Management, College of Business
Contact Paulo

Description of the practice:
This practice uses structured choice to broaden how students can participate in case-based class discussions. Rather than defining participation primarily as speaking in front of the class, students can demonstrate meaningful engagement through several pathways: verbal dialogue, structured group roles, live digital contributions, active group synthesis, or brief post-class reflections.

The expectations remain consistent across pathways: contributions must demonstrate understanding of the case, move the discussion forward, add analytical value, and go beyond simply repeating case facts.
The practice is implemented live in class. I maintain a simple class-by-class participation record with each student’s name and brief notes about the meaningful contributions they make. After each class, I record observations and assign contribution points based on the quality and significance of the student’s engagement. Students therefore have flexibility in how they participate, while I maintain a consistent standard for what counts as meaningful participation.

The system also includes a small verbal-engagement bonus to encourage students to gradually develop confidence in spoken professional dialogue without making verbal participation the only legitimate form of engagement.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
The most noticeable impact has been an improvement in both the frequency and quality of student participation compared with previous years when participation was more heavily centered on verbal discussion.

More students now have a pathway into the conversation, including students who may be hesitant to speak spontaneously in front of the entire class (students have talked to me over the years about their anxiety when speaking in front of others). Importantly, the strategy has not lowered the expectations for participation. Instead, it allows students to demonstrate analytical thinking in different ways while maintaining the same standards for meaningful contribution.

In case-based classes, I have observed greater participation during small-group work, more thoughtful contributions through live activities, and stronger connections between individual student insights and the broader class discussion. The approach also allows me to see and recognize contributions that might otherwise remain invisible in a traditional participation model.

For me as an instructor, the practice has changed my understanding of participation from “Who spoke?” to “Who contributed to our collective learning, and how?” The ongoing participation record also provides a more systematic way to recognize student engagement across the semester rather than relying on memory or on the students who naturally speak most often.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Student Motivation

Title: Professor
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Ashley

Description of the practice:
I will demonstrate how to create collaborative wiki pages that both TAs and instructors can build and revise, and which guide TAs to grade reliably and comment sensitively, set up new courses, compile student evaluation data, manage late assignments, write exam questions, and provide time-sensitive student outreach.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Teaching faculty are at risk for passive cognitive fatigue which could be elevating their risk for burnout. Using teaching assistants for repetitive tasks enables the faculty member to engage in more invigorating tasks such as course improvements or curriculum development. Existing resources do not drill down into how to efficiently create training documents that can be edited in real-time by both TAs and instructors.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Feedback and Assessment

Title: Associate Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Academic Unit: Department of Occupational Therapy
Contact Alison

Description of the practice:
Learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, verbal) are outdated and not entirely supported by evidence. Many students say they are hands-on learners for everything, but how does that apply to the variety of skills we teach our students? Additionally, learning styles are not a one-size-fits-all approach, and students may need to learn skills in different ways. Based on the work by Grenier (2015), a new way of teaching technical skills will be presented through the use of sequential learning steps (see, discuss, do, research, reflect). Participants will be provided with an alternative approach to traditional learning styles and will be shown why it is an effective alternative to use in skill-based settings such as construction sites, studios, clinics, labs, kitchens, classrooms, and is applicable to all CHHS internship settings.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Student learning is impacted in several meaningful ways. Applying a label like “visual learner” can limit a student by implying they always learn the same way, rather than focusing on the specific skill and the flexibility needed to master it. Students learn more effectively when instruction adapts to the skill and context itself rather than to a self-identified style, leading to stronger skill acquisition, better knowledge transfer, and greater confidence when performing the skill independently. For example, an OT student who typically identifies as a hands-on learner is taught a tub transfer using Grenier’s sequential learning steps. For this particular skill, the student tells their lab instructor they’d like to first watch it demonstrated, then discuss it, reflect on that conversation, and finally perform it (see–discuss–reflect–do). Another student in the same lab group instead prefers to jump straight in and complete the tub transfer before reflecting afterward (do–reflect). By drawing on the sequential learning steps (see, discuss, research, reflect, do), each student was able to choose the approach that worked best for them individually. Had both simply said “hands-on learner,” they would have been treated the same way, potentially limiting their learning and growth.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Instructional Strategies and Student Motivation

Title: Instructor
Academic Unit: College of Liberal Arts
Contact Alyson

Description of the practice:
In the last week of class, students create a map of what they have learned this semester, highlighting and naming the interconnections. They review through notes, texts, previous coursework, and dig deeper into their memories. Then, on the maps, students annotate: things they found enjoyable​; things they found frustrating​; things that surprised them. You can also ask them to mark what they want to prioritize studying before the exam.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Based on an activity from “How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching,” this practice provides focused intention to the last week of class to creating a synthesis and appreciation of everything students have learned. To that end, student design their own course outline, recall key concepts even from the beginning of the semester, notice interconnectedness of the material and course, and address areas that need refreshing and review.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Instructional Strategies

Title: Instructor, Doctorate of Education, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Academic Unit: Department of Health and Exercise Science
Contact Greta

Description of the practice:
I send a welcome email to all students receiving SDC accommodations as soon as I receive the letter. In this email I state that I have received their letter, explain what I have done/will do, what I expect of the student, and open the floor for questions, concerns, or clarification. At first, sending this email to every student with accommodations felt like an overwhelming task, but I have since created a template that I will share that makes it much more manageable. This is considered a highly-effective practice during the first four weeks because it helps build a relationship between instructor and student wherein student success is a priority, regardless of accommodation status, and helps create a sense of belonging.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Literature suggests this has a positive impact on student sense of belonging. I have received a few email replies from students expressing gratitude, (e.g. “Thank you so much for looking over them, it is greatly appreciated”) and others reflecting their own expectations of themselves (e.g. “Thank you for reaching out and already setting my testing time! I will let you know if any [disability related challenges] arise that keep me from turning something in on time, but I hope to be mostly following along the 4-week schedule”).

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Inclusive Pedagogy

Title: Assistant Professor
Academic Unit: Department of Health and Exercise Science
Contact Christina

Description of the practice:
The goal of this station is to inspire other teachers to cultivate student experiences through service-learning opportunities. We hope to share with others our approach of helping students stay engaged and become inspired by their work within our broader community. In our class sessions, we designed assignments where we partner with local businesses to help promote them and acquire new customers. We would love to showcase examples which demonstrates the effectiveness of these campaigns. For instance, last week we concluded a marketing campaign with Pizza Casbah where the students helped the owner bring in over 200 new customers as a result of their service-learning project.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
The impact on student learning has continued to be overwhelmingly positive. Students feel confident when they understand their part in helping generate new business for local owners. Most recently, when our students learned they helped the owner Pete from Pizza Casbah bring in 200+ customers in one week, they were so excited to see they truly helped a make a positive difference for his business.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Instructional Strategies

Title: Seismologist and geophysicist
Academic Unit: Geosciences
Contact Derek

Description of the practice:
I’d like to share my experience using Claude AI to redesign an existing class and design a new class.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
The redesigned class has more coherency among lecture, labs, homework, and exam questions. The lectures are more complete, and there’s a set of supplementary documents that help students understand the lectures.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Title: Associate Professor
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Rob

Description of the practice:
Every Monday, I have the class end with a multiple choice bubble sheet based on the book chapter and lecture that day (8 questions total). Every Wednesday, I have the class end with a (hand) writing exercise based generally on the topic that week.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
I’ve noticed improved attendance and note taking on Mondays because I allow hand written notes for the multiple choice but not their computers. I hope to see improved writing skills throughout the semester but it’s still early in the process.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Student Motivation and Instructional Strategies

Title: Professor
Academic Unit: School of Education
Contact James

Description of the practice:
As part of a redesign of a graduate Organizational Learning Performance and Change (OLPC) course Analyze Workplace Learning (EDOD 674), we are using AI agents to simulate an organizational work environment so that students can practice applying course tools before they use them in a real setting. The agents are internal to CSU and run on CSU’s own system, so the interaction stays inside a secure, university-managed environment.

Here is how it works. Each agent is given a scenario and a persona drawn from the kind of workplace situation students will eventually face, for example a stakeholder or client in an organization. The student completes an actual course assignment by working through it with the agent: interviewing it, gathering information, testing a tool or method, and responding to the realistic, sometimes ambiguous or incomplete answers the agent gives, much as a real client would respond. Rather than reading about a tool or watching it demonstrated, the student uses the tool in a live, low-stakes, repeatable setting.

This approach is effective because it closes the gap between knowing and doing. Students get authentic context and immediate practice, they can try again as often as they need, and they arrive at the real task having already rehearsed it. This is a work in progress. Fall 2026 is the first semester we are deploying these agents, and we will be sharing what we learn as we go.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
The intended impact is authentic, application-level practice that transfers to real work. Instead of stopping at conceptual understanding, students use the actual tools and methods of the field in a realistic context, which supports deeper learning and better transfer. The simulation also raises engagement and motivation: the tasks feel consequential, students have real agency in the interaction, and they can practice deliberately without the pressure of a live client.

There is an instructor development dimension as well. This gives faculty a reusable model for building authentic, scalable practice into fully online, asynchronous courses, where creating realistic role-play at scale has traditionally been difficult.

Because this is the first semester of use, our impact evidence is preliminary. We expect to have early usage information from this graduate-level course by the time of the colloquium, including how students are interacting with the agents and their initial reactions, and we will share those preliminary findings honestly as an in-progress effort rather than as finished results.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Instructional Strategies and Student Motivation

Title: Assistant Teaching Professor
Academic Unit: Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
Contact Devon

Description of the practice:
Experiential learning (EL) is learning through doing or having and subsequently reflecting upon an experience. This engaging, interactive means of learning deeply promotes student motivation and a positive classroom climate.

Students overwhelmingly believe that schools should offer hands-on activities. While 81% of students surveyed expressed a desire for experiential learning activities, only about 30% of educational institutions actually offer such opportunities (Wiley, 2024).

Experiential activities help students form a stronger grasp of pedagogical materials while bolstering their investment in and engagement with schoolwork. EL can be implemented into any classroom; this station will offer activities that any instructor can take into their own classes and start using right away.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Actual student testimonials speak to the power of experiential learning:

“Experiential learning has positively impacted my life and learning process exponentially. I’ve learned so much of who I am as a learner and what works well for me.”

“Experiential learning is the most powerful and influential kind of learning. Life is fundamentally comprised of experiences. All you have to do is get up, get out, and let life do the rest.”

“Experiential learning was a new concept to me that showed that there are more ways to learn and more things that could be learned. The activities we did gave us real world [sic] applications to our course concepts and time to think critically about our community and the people and places in it.”

After engaging with this station, instructors will:
• Better understand what experiential learning actually means.
• Feel empowered with data detailing the efficacy of experiential learning.
• Explore specific experiential activities they can put into practice right away.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Classroom Climate and Student Motivation

Title: Senior Faculty Developer
Academic Unit: TILT
Contact Chris

Description of the practice:
Many faculty use generative AI for isolated tasks, but AI platforms can become more useful when they work within an organized project environment. This Innovation Station will demonstrate how a Teams or SharePoint project folder, consistent document organization, and a brief Project Orientation and Status file can help Copilot retrieve context, distinguish current materials from retired drafts, summarize prior decisions, identify open questions, and support ongoing project work. This strategy is effective because it shifts attention from increasingly elaborate prompts to well-organized, retrievable, and human-governed project knowledge.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
This practice supports instructor development by reducing the time and cognitive effort required to recover project context, locate current documents, track decisions, and coordinate ongoing work. Faculty can apply the workflow to course development, curriculum revision, research, committee work, accreditation, grant writing, and documentation of teaching effectiveness. Better-organized project knowledge can also improve student learning indirectly by helping instructors maintain alignment across learning outcomes, activities, assessments, course policies, and instructional materials. The approach keeps faculty expertise and judgment central while using Copilot to assist with retrieval, comparison, synthesis, and workflow continuity.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Professional growth, reflection, documentation of teaching effectiveness, annual review, promotion or tenure and Curriculum/Curricular Alignment

Title: Associate Professors
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Katie
Contact Lily

Description of the practice:
Generative AI has quickly become part of students’ academic lives, yet instructors and students often have very different understandings of when and how AI may appropriately be used. Our preliminary survey of 152 HDFS students at Colorado State University found that AI use is widespread, while students also reported uncertainty and inconsistency in faculty expectations. Students described using AI for studying, brainstorming, clarifying assignment instructions, summarizing course materials, editing and revising writing, and checking their work; not solely for generating full assignments or papers.

In response to these findings, we are developing a more transparent, assignment-level approach to AI use rather than relying on broad course policies such as “AI is prohibited” or “AI is allowed.” Our practice incorporates the AI Assessment Scale (AIAS), developed by Furze and colleagues (2026), which provides a continuum for communicating the appropriate level of AI involvement in a specific assessment. The framework ranges from assessments in which students use no AI, through AI-assisted idea generation and editing, to assignments in which AI is intentionally incorporated and students critically evaluate and use AI-generated material.

Participants will learn how to use this framework to examine their own assignments, identify the learning outcomes they are actually assessing, determine an appropriate level of AI involvement, and communicate expectations to students in clear, assignment-specific language. The goal is to move AI conversations from policing and detection toward transparency, intentional assessment design, and AI literacy.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Our preliminary findings suggest that students are already incorporating AI into their academic workflows, but do not always understand what constitutes appropriate use across different courses and assignments. In our survey, only 9 of 152 students reported that they did not use AI for academic work. Students also described considerable variation in faculty expectations and expressed a desire for instructors to provide clearer guidance about responsible AI use.

The proposed practice addresses this gap by shifting AI guidance from a general course-level policy to transparent, assignment-specific expectations. Rather than asking students simply to determine whether AI is “allowed,” instructors can identify the role AI should play in a particular learning activity based on the skills and learning outcomes being assessed.

For students, this approach has the potential to increase clarity, reduce uncertainty about academic expectations, and promote more intentional and ethical use of AI. It also creates opportunities for students to develop AI literacy skills such as evaluating AI-generated information, recognizing limitations and inaccuracies, and making informed decisions about when AI enhances (or undermines) the learning process.

For instructors, the framework provides a practical process for reconsidering assessment design. It encourages instructors to ask: What am I actually asking students to demonstrate? Does AI interfere with that learning outcome, support it, or provide an opportunity for students to critically engage with it? This process can lead to clearer assignment instructions, more intentional assessment design, and greater consistency in communicating expectations across courses and instructors.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Instructional Strategies

Title: Master Instructor; Online Programs Operations Coordinator
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Day

Description of the practice:
Designing courses with Student Choice from course content to assessments motivates student engagement, empowers students to lead their learning, and supports self-reflection. Implementing UDL by adding layers of student choice is a powerful strategy to improve student engagement and promote student learning.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Engage students in their learning by offering them a choice in content- would you rather read an article or listen to a podcast? Empower students to lead their learning by allowing them to dive deeper into topics of curiosity, if you want to know more, here are the tools to explore further. Support students with diverse skills and abilities by offering flexibility in assignments, show me what you know in a way that is authentic to you. Student choice promotes motivation, curates a culture of belonging, and stimulates learning and growth.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Inclusive Pedagogy and Student Motivation

Title: French Instructor
Academic Unit: Honors Program
Contact Leah

Description of the practice:
This Innovation Station showcases how portfolios can function as an alternative to traditional final papers or projects while preserving rigorous learning outcomes such as research, analysis, synthesis, reflection, and communication. Rather than asking students to complete a disconnected end-of-semester assignment, portfolio design intentionally scaffolds coursework throughout the semester so that individual activities build toward a final portfolio of learning.

Students curate, revise, and annotate work completed across the course, demonstrating not only what they learned but also how their thinking developed over time. The portfolio becomes a space for students to explain connections among assignments, reflect on their growth, and identify how course experiences might contribute to future academic, professional, or personal goals.

This approach builds on principles of transparent course design by aligning assignments with course objectives and helping students see how individual activities contribute to broader learning outcomes. Rather than treating assignments as isolated tasks, portfolio design creates a coherent learning pathway in which each activity builds on previous work and prepares students for future learning. The model is flexible and adaptable across disciplines and course levels, from first-year seminars to content-focused courses, writing-intensive classes, and experiential or career-focused learning environments.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Portfolios emphasize growth, shifting assessment from isolated assignments to a connected process of learning, revision, reflection, and synthesis.

With Portfolios, students are able to:

• Demonstrate learning through multiple forms of evidence.
• Make connections among assignments rather than viewing coursework as isolated tasks.
• Articulate what they learned, how they learned it, and why it matters.
• Revise and refine earlier work.
• Connect course learning to future academic, professional, and personal goals and create projects that may support those goals.

For instructors, portfolios can make assessment more meaningful (and easier) by aligning final evaluation with work that students have been developing all semester. Rather than grading a separate end-of-term project, instructors assess how effectively students connect, revise, reflect on, and contextualize their learning. This approach highlights growth, encourages deeper engagement with feedback, and reinforces the purpose behind individual assignments.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Curriculum/Curricular Alignment and Student Motivation

Title: Assistant Teaching Professor
Academic Unit: School of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Contact German

Description of the practice:
Alumni panels are a highly effective way to connect our course concepts and learning objectives to the “real world”. Rather than asking alumni to discuss their professional career in general, I have found it’s more effective to organize the panel around two specific concepts. This targeted approach helps students see how these concepts can be applicable to multiple industries and roles.

I have implemented these panels by intentionally reaching out to diverse panel candidates, introducing the panelist and concepts in earlier class sessions, and preparing thought-provoking opening questions that tie the target concepts to their professional experience.

Student feedback from the past three semesters, during which I implemented targeted alumni panels, indicated that the panels increased their motivation in the course and their sense of belonging in the professional community. In addition, the alumni panels introduced them to career options and experiences they may not have previously considered. Alumni panels are customizable to all course formats and levels – in this Innovation Station, we will discuss strategies you can use to implement them in your courses.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Targeted alumni panels increased student engagement and motivation in class activities, as students heard directly from professionals about the value and application of the discussed concepts in the workplace. The panels helped students recognize that the assignments and activities done in class are not busy work but intentional tasks to build skills and knowledge relevant for their careers. For example, last year students heard how widespread oral technical communication was in the workplace, and how they needed to tailor the target message depending on the audience they are communicating with. I have previously mentioned these ideas during my lectures, and this was reinforced by all of the panelists.

Another impact of the targeted alumni panels has been career development, not only in potential professional connections but also in learning about career options and opportunities. Several students, for example, mentioned that learning about one of the panelists’ roles prompted them to consider careers in patent law, a career path they have not thought of before the panel.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Inclusive Pedagogy and Student Motivation

Title: Senior Instructor
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Jaime

Description of the practice:
This Innovation Station previews the High Enrollment Teaching Toolkit which is a Canvas based resource I am developing through the CHHS Dean’s Faculty Teaching Fellowship. The toolkit supports faculty teaching courses 50+. IT will be organized into five modules: Course Design, Active Learning, Assessment and Grading, Building Community and Student Support. Each module offers 3-5 practical and evidence-based strategies. I also hope to include templates and examples from faculty that others can use right away.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Large courses can leave students feeling invisible and disengaged, and they can push faculty toward unsustainable grading and passive lecturing. This toolkit targets both sides of that problem.

For instructors, it builds confidence in managing large classes, expands the use of active learning, streamlines grading and feedback, and reduces burnout through sustainable systems. For students, it strengthens engagement and belonging, improves learning through evidence-based instruction, and provides more equitable access to feedback. Over time, these changes may reduce course withdrawals and failures.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Classroom Climate and Instructional Strategies

Title: Master Instructor; Online Programs Student and Teaching Success Coordinator
Academic Unit: Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Contact Julie

Description of the practice:
Annotation and reflection are hardly new pedagogical practices. In fact, their very old-school nature may be part of their renewed value. In a moment when generative AI can readily produce summaries, discussion posts, and polished responses to readings, this assignment asks students to engage and mark-up a text, making personal connections and reflecting on how their thinking has evolved. The primary purposes are to encourage reading and foster active engagement and critical thinking. Making the assignment more challenging to complete with AI is an additional benefit.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
Students seem to be actually reading the assigned articles! The assignment has made student engagement and learning visible through inquisitive annotations, insights, and connections to personal experiences and other course content, plus reflective personal take-aways. Their annotations and reflections have been thoughtful and personalized, with responses that feel genuine and reflective of their own thinking/experiences rather than AI-generated. Students who provided feedback on the assignment described it as valuable for engaging with and learning from the readings, felt that it was meeting its intended purpose, and indicated a preference for annotating and reflecting over other types of assessments, such as quizzes.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Student Motivation and Feedback and Assessment

Title: Senior Faculty Developer
Academic Unit: TILT
Contact Jennifer

Description of the practice:
This station will provide concrete ways to use the Teaching Effectiveness Framework to develop your teaching and how to write about your development for annual review or promotion and/or tenure.

Impact on Student Learning or Instructor Development:
When you use the language of teaching found in the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF), you can think critically about what you implemented, how students responded to your implementations, and how you will approach the implementation in the future. The TEF gives you a starting point to set goals and reflect on your teaching.

Teaching Effectiveness Framework:
Professional growth, reflection, documentation of teaching effectiveness, annual review, promotion or tenure