Teaching Innovation Stations

wendy.fothergill@colostate.edu

Associate Professor – School Leadership and Center for Educator Preparation

donna.cooner@colostate.edu

Professor

Innovation Description:

The innovation configuration (IC) is a quantitative, longitudinal measurement tool for curriculum innovation. ICs are designed to assess the extent to which evidence-based practices are taught, observed, and applied within a set of courses or within a professional development (PD) program. By providing a structured framework for assessment, ICs can contribute to the continuous improvement of curriculum and, ultimately, to enhanced teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes.

The presenters have used this innovation configuration (IC) matrix to guide principal leadership professionals toward establishing and sustaining inclusive and high-achieving schools for students with disabilities. The IC was developed by the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform Center (CEEDAR) and is designed to evaluate essential components and degree of implementation. CSU Principal Licensure faculty members have been leaders in the state in implementing this tool for curriculum reform.

Impact on Student Learning:

The use of this tool ensures that the curriculum is designed to meet standards and specific required components. In this example, it has been used to prepare teachers and leader candidates to have the knowledge, skills, and practice needed to increase the success of all students, including students with disabilities, on PK-12 campuses. Through the use of the IC, principal licensure students have targeted, experiential activities that are geared to meet the diverse needs of students in PK-12 environments, which are driven by national Inclusive Principal Practices aligned with PSEL standards.

allyson.brothers@colostate.edu

Associate Professor

Innovation Description:

tonya.buchan@colostate.edu

Senior Faculty Developer & Teaching Effectiveness Initiative Program Manager | The Institute for Learning and Teaching

Innovation Description:

The CSU Teaching Effective Initiative (TEI) Program is a voluntary professional development program that incentivizes instructors to move beyond learning about new teaching strategies and emphasizes the implementation of and reflection upon the use of evidence-based practices of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF). In the two years since the TEI’s inception, over 35 faculty have submitted 300+ teaching reflections. Participants can earn Certificates of Completion, Letters of Commendation, and upon earning all seven TEF domains, the Teaching Effectiveness Fellow Award. TEI program artifacts can be used as evidence of teaching effectiveness in annual reviews and promotion/tenure applications.

Impact on Student Learning:

The TEI Program and the TEF are designed to support faculty committed to student success via their focus on the use of evidence-based teaching practices in conjunction with self-reflection. 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 professional development tool; it provides an opportunity for instructors to engage in metacognitive processes leading to greater self-awareness and growth. Specifically, the TEI post-implementation reflection form provides the framework for instructors to assess their instructional practices and consider their impact on students and student learning.

alena.clark@colostate.edu

Instructor

Innovation Description: 

Service learning is an innovative teaching strategy integrating community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience and strengthen communities. Students enrolled in Advanced Community Nutrition engaged in hands-on projects with community organizations including a clinic serving Medicare/Medicaid clients and a school district. Students engaged in addressing real-world issues, such as developing a curriculum for the top ten nutrition-related co-morbidities, and a sports nutrition curriculum for athletes. These projects were designed in collaboration with local organizations to ensure they met community needs while aligning with academic goals.

Students worked in self-selected teams, fostering collaboration and communication skills. Key resources included partnerships with community organizations, access to local experts, and digital tools for project management and research. The process for implementation began with identifying community needs and establishing partnerships with relevant organizations and were introduced to the project objectives and expected outcomes, and planned and executed service activities, guided by both their professor and community mentors. Students engaged in reflective practices, such as group discussions, to connect their experiences with academic content. The project culminated in a presentation to the community organization, allowing students to showcase their work and reflect on their learning journey.

Impact on Student Learning:

Insights and reflections from students who were part of the service-learning project showed that students developed a deeper understanding of course material and a greater sense of accountability in the project. Students identified roles of the group such as the managers of the outline, individuals responsible for communication with the community organizations and other roles as needed.

Outcomes like increased student engagement, enhanced problem-solving abilities, and a stronger connection to the community highlight the effectiveness of service learning. All students noted on course evaluations that developing a “real life” project was satisfying and they learned a lot about curriculum design by this assignment. By bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, service learning prepares students to be active, informed, and compassionate nutrition educators.

chris.geanious@colostate.edu

Senior Instructional Designer | The Institute for Learning and Teaching

Innovation Description:

This Innovation Station will focus on having participants review the TEF Domains and choose one that reflects an instructional strength they currently have and exhibit in the classroom. Handouts will be provided which highlight the domains and participants will be encouraged to expand upon this strength and describe the strategies they use to implement it in their practice.

In addition, participants will be asked to choose an area of practice reflected in the TEF Domains in which they feel they could improve. Emphasis will be on “lower hanging fruit” – areas they already feel comfortable in and see ways to improve through tweaks in current practice.

Impact on Student Learning:

This strategy will help instructors be reflective about their practice with a positive, strengths-based approach and will encourage them to focus on what they already do well. In addition, it will encourage them to expand their thinking into areas where improvement can occur.

katherine.gerst@colostate.edu

Assistant Professor

Innovation Description:

Cooperative learning groups are an innovative teaching strategy where students collaborate in small, diverse teams to achieve shared academic goals. This approach promotes active engagement, critical thinking, social interaction, accountability, and teamwork.

To implement, instructors should group students strategically, ensuring diverse skill levels and perspectives. One method involves using a deck of playing cards: groups of four are created by assigning each group a numeral or face card (Ace through King), while individual members receive a suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades). This process can accommodate up to 52 students, with roles rotating weekly to ensure all students fully participate in different capacities.

Students remain in their assigned groups for the duration of the semester, encouraging consistent teamwork and relationship-building over time. Each group is given a folder containing all the necessary materials for the course, including detailed explanations of each role, a class attendance chart, and a schedule of role assignments for the semester. This organized structure helps students understand their responsibilities clearly and allows instructors to easily track progress and participation.

Impact on Student Learning:

Implementing cooperative learning groups in my face-to-face classes has resulted in significantly higher grades compared to traditional teaching methods, even when students were tested with the same material. This strategy creates a dynamic classroom environment that encourages continuous interaction, mutual support, and collective problem-solving.

Research indicates that cooperative learning is a crucial element of inclusive pedagogy. According to Millis (2005), cooperative learning groups replicate real-world teamwork, foster a sense of community in the classroom, and allow for simultaneous participation among students. They also enhance students’ ability to rely on resources such as manuals and guides, rather than solely on the instructor, and increase the participation of students who may be uncomfortable speaking in larger groups. This approach reduces learning anxiety, provides adaptable structures for various content areas, and improves academic performance. Furthermore, cooperative learning supports social and emotional development, decreases prejudice, and promotes tolerance, creating a culture of respect and belonging among students.

molly.gutilla@colostate.edu

Associate Professor

Innovation Description:

While feedback is essential to learning, giving, receiving, and debating grades is a critical point of stress for students and instructors alike. Clark and Talbert, mathematics professors, challenge us to reconsider grading practices by asking, “What if there was a way to think about grades built on growth over game-playing, learning over letters and numbers, and productive relationships over adversarial ones?” Even without overhauling the final grading system currently in place at CSU, instructors can rethink their grading approach and adopt alternative approaches that prioritize student growth in new ways.

This station will highlight several lower-effort changes that can be made to grading systems to improve student learning and instructor experience. Content will include a brief history of grading in higher education in the U.S., reasons to rethink grading, and display the 4 pillars of alternative grading (based on “Grading for Growth”). Specific examples of grading structures I have shifted in my own classrooms will also be shared along with additional resources to learn more.

Impact on Student Learning:

Alternative grading methods can foster equity in assessments, and by using systems that are accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn and succeed. Additionally, students who have experienced classrooms with alternative grading have reported an increased motivation to learn, a greater sense of control, and the cultivation of a positive learning environment that supports their overall well-being.

ashley.harvey@colostate.edu

Professor

lilyana.ortega@colostate.edu

Associate Professor

Innovation Description:

Best practices for synchronous online (OL) or face-to-face (FTF) teaching include instructor-student, student-student, and student-content interactions. Breaking up traditional lecturing with these activities allows students to remain engaged and actively participate throughout the class session.

In my synchronous online classes (Lily), I use polls/live quizzes, chats and synchronous discussion boards, collaborative documents and breakout rooms. I will provide an example outline of a synchronous class session along with specific examples of the following interactive activities: polls, live quizzes, chats, synchronous discussion boards and collaborative documents.

For FTF classes, I (Ashley) use “discussion bubbles” on slides to prime students to be ready to discuss once I’m done explaining the slide. It not only decreases the awkward pause when I ask for input but it also increases small and large group discussion participation. I typically set a 1-minute timer for small-group discussion as I believe that these short, reliable sharing segments help students feel safe and avoid too-lengthy awkward small talk. I frequently pair this technique with opinion-based iClicker questions before the discussion (so that students know that they are not alone in their views) and extra-credit Fired Up points for sharing in the large group afterward.

Impact on Student Learning:

Lily: Since implementing the use of all three interaction types in each synchronous class session, I have noticed that about 98% of students in each class session participate. That same percentage of students stays in the class session the entire time, rather than logging off after spending a short amount of time in the class session. Attendance has also remained stable and high during synchronous online class sessions rather than the decrease I often noted as the semester progressed when I used more traditional lecturing. On student evaluations, students also comment on the positive community/environment they feel in the class and how connected they feel to their peers even if they are attending virtually.

Ashley: In 2023, 65% of over 400 students in my large FTF classes indicated that they feel comfortable sharing in class and 86% said that they feel connected to their classmates (somewhat connected, connected, or very connected).

alison.herman@colostate.edu
Associate Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Innovation Description:

Discussion boards are an integral feature of the Canvas platform and are used frequently during classes and when students are on internships and fieldwork placements. The discussion board should serve as a platform for students to reflect on their experiences, ask questions, and receive feedback from peers and instructors, fostering a collaborative learning environment and helping to bridge the gap between the academic environment and real-world practice. In their 2014 study on graduate student perceptions of discussion boards, Amos identified several characteristics, such as being unnatural, busywork, boring, and lacking meaningful interaction. Amos (2014) also shared that when comparing live communication meetings vs. the discussion board, 74% of students preferred synchronous online communication vs. 24% for the asynchronous discussion board.

To increase collaborative learning among occupational therapy (OT) graduate students while on their fieldwork experiences, the asynchronous discussion board was removed, and an online Peer Mentoring model was established. Students are pre-assigned a small group and provided instructions and prompts to facilitate conversation. Student groups meet 3 times during the internship semester, record their meetings on Teams, and post their meetings for faculty to review and provide feedback. This shift in the discussion board model provides the opportunity for engaging dialogue, real-time feedback support, and connectedness among students.

Impact on Student Learning:

Following the implementation of an online Peer Mentoring model, student comments on course reviews have been positive. The transition from an asynchronous discussion board model to a synchronous peer-to-peer model provides students the opportunity to pose questions they might otherwise hesitate to ask their fieldwork educators, due to concerns about being perceived as incompetent. Having live, real-time feedback is beneficial, compared to posting on a discussion board and waiting for a response, especially when immediate support is needed. Students report that live meetings offer more natural and human connections, in contrast to the more robotic experience of the discussion board. Furthermore, having opportunities for students to connect with peers fosters the development of professional collaboration, a skill OT students will need as they transition from student to practitioner.

While the feedback has been mostly positive, some students with robust OT peer social groups outside of fieldwork have reported they do not rely on Peer Mentoring for collaboration, compared to others who don’t have this support. In addition, students whose preferred communication style is written vs. verbal may find the Peer Mentoring model intimidating and challenging. A study to evaluate the Peer Mentoring model would be beneficial to gather additional evidence and determine the effectiveness of this model vs. other models of online engagement.

sara.istre@colostate.edu
Career Education Manager

Innovation Description:

This teaching strategy focuses on integrating career education into the classroom by using Canvas modules designed for resume building, cover letter writing, job search techniques, and interviewing skills. These self-paced modules provide structured, high-impact resources that align with classroom objectives while offering flexibility for both instructors and students. The innovation allows faculty to seamlessly incorporate career preparation into their course without additional administrative burden, supporting the experiential learning emphasis across disciplines.

The “show and tell” for instructors includes an overview of the Canvas modules and a sign-up link for faculty to be asked to the modules, as well as provide any feedback. This strategy is relevant for CHHS programs with students at various stages of the career development.

Impact on Student Learning:

By embedding career education within course content, students are more engaged and better prepared for their professional journeys, improving their job readiness and employability. The modules ensure consistency in how career education is delivered, standardizing knowledge on resume writing, cover letter development, and interviewing techniques across courses. Students benefit from structured guidance while instructors can focus on course-specific content, knowing career preparation is being addressed. Evidence shows that students who receive career education early in their programs are more confident in securing internships and jobs post-graduation, which aligns with the experiential learning outcomes sought by many academic programs.

Instructors can implement this strategy by embedding the Canvas modules into any course that includes career readiness, advising, or experiential learning components, adapting the content as needed to fit their course structure.

louise.jennings@colostate.edu
Professor; Associate Director of Graduate Programs

Joined by School of Education doctoral candidates Aleandra Pinder and Lee Tyson

Innovation Description:

I created the Theory-into-Action project in DEIJ courses (face-to-face and asynchronous online) to support undergraduate/graduate students in translating DEIJ frameworks into actions for systemic change in their own professional contexts.

1. We begin by reviewing theoretical models for systemic change centered on DEIJ; we discern the models’ dimensions in class discussions.
2. In a single class session, students work in small groups for their first pass at applying these frameworks. They brainstorm how to address an organizational DEIJ need by drawing on the frameworks then present their work and receive peer feedback on how to further improve their plan.
3. Students then use insights gained from the group brainstorming to propose an individual action plan to effect change in their own context. They submit to the instructor an outline of their plan — including purpose, goals, underlying theory, dimensions of the DEIJ models they draw upon, action steps, anticipated challenges, and course texts/external texts they will reference.
4. Students present almost-final drafts of their Theory-into-Action plans to the class for feedback (e.g., strengths, how to strengthen its systemic impact) and to gain insights from each other’s projects they can apply to their own.
5. Students use peer feedback to refine their final paper.
6. Often, a poster fair is organized to further engage the SOE and CSU community in learning.

Impact on Student Learning:

Undergraduate and graduate students often find it challenging to see DEIJ as more than interpersonal differences and personal biases; this dialogic learning process helps them to understand how DEIJ issues are embedded in systems, structures, policies, and practices, requiring change at a systems level. Students also need support in applying theory to create systemic change. By analyzing DEIJ frameworks that illustrate the systemic nature of DEIJ, then applying dimensions of those frameworks to their own contexts, students develop knowledge, skills, dispositions, and actions for creating systemic change with a DEIJ lens.

Undergraduate teacher-education students often develop their action plans to a school system whereas graduate students in different disciplines apply it to their own professional contexts (e.g., as trainers for medical professionals, school principals, directors of arts institutions, administrative professionals in various units at CSU, etc.). The ongoing dialogue, brainstorming, and peer review throughout these steps is integral to the learning process as students build and extend their knowledge by presenting and responding to each other’s ideas. They learn by critically reflecting on other students’ plans in terms of how well they apply theory, by considering features of others’ plans to apply to their own plan, by receiving peer and instructor feedback on their plans, by providing feedback, and by hearing/reading feedback provided to others’ projects.

leann.kaiser@colostate.edu
Associate Professor

Innovation Description:

Discussions are a popular teaching method in both online and on-campus courses. But, good discussions don’t just happen and students often need guidance on the purpose of discussions and how to effectively engage in them. In this innovation station, I will present two analogies that instructors can present to improve the efficacy of discussions in their classes.

First, the analogy of “barn building” can be used to help students understand the goal of discussion is for everyone to contribute to the creation of something new. Barn building is relevant for both on-campus and online courses. Second, “the dinner party” analogy is helpful to use in online classes to encourage students to engage in authentic conversations, rather than simply replying to a discussion prompt.

Impact on Student Learning:

It can be difficult for learners to know what or how to contribute to a discussion in order to develop a deeper understanding of a topic. Instructors may also struggle to articulate to students how to engage in discussion and what kind of responses are beneficial to meet learning outcomes. The barn building and dinner party analogies are easy ways for instructors to use commonly understood images and experiences to illustrate to students the purpose of discussions and how to engage in them.

These analogies emphasize that everyone needs to contribute to a discussion but that those contributions can (and should) look different. When the class engages in this way, their understanding of a topic and overall learning will be strengthened. I have used these two analogies for many years in my own classes and students continue to refer to them throughout the class (and even in subsequent semesters) to explain to themselves and others how to make discussions an effective and engaging learning activity. As well, students in my classes typically note that discussions are the primary way in which they learn course materials. These analogies set up the expectations and conditions for these successful discussions in my classes.

jen.krafchick@colostate.edu
Professor

Innovation Description:

Campus Connections (CC) Youth Mentoring is a unique service-learning course at CSU that is licensed to five other universities. This is a high-impact course that has engaged over 3500 students over the past 14 years. The innovation of CC includes engaging with the community by bringing youth to campus instead of sending students off-campus to address a community-identified need.

Mentoring occurs in groups of pairs in a structured setting with significant support from experienced students (including mentor coaches, lead mentor coaches, and graduate student therapists) with faculty/staff supervision. Through a semester-long structured weekly program, mentoring pairs engage in meaningful social experiences together that promote positive development for youth while students gain valuable professional and interpersonal skills. In addition to the community engagement and direct experience working with youth who have experienced adversity, CC also serves as a research lab to ensure best practices and outcomes for youth and their families, undergraduate and graduate students.

Impact on Student Learning:

Results of a recent study indicate that participation in CC is positively related to student success. Compared to undergraduate students who did not participate in CC, CC students had significantly higher GPAs, more credits completed by their junior year, and higher rates of graduation at 4, 5 and 6 years. These positive associations were even stronger for students from structurally underserved populations (i.e., students with two or more of the following attributes: first-generation, racially minoritized, and/or Pell Grant recipients).

Research on CC also indicates that students who participate in the program report improved meaning and flourishing in life and enhanced interpersonal skills. In addition to these student success and skill development outcomes, students can also gain an academic credential through continued leadership involvement and the opportunity to earn a university certificate in Youth Mentoring with Campus Connections. Academic credit for the certificate can be earned by serving as a mentor coach, a lead mentor coach, research assistant, teaching assistant, intern, etc. Graduate student therapists who participate in CC learn to provide therapy in a unique setting adding to their competencies.

jain.kwon@colostate.edu
Instructor

Innovation Description:

My multifaceted teaching principles and strategies focus on fostering engaged learning through critical thinking on issues around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEISJ). I implement human-subject research and cutting-edge technologies in Interior Architecture & Design undergraduate capstone-level courses. These courses integrate community service aspects and human-subject research at varying levels.

DEISJ: Students are guided toward a better understanding of DEISJ, especially the invisible aspects; they develop their capstone projects concerning building users with special needs, e.g., at-risk youth, neurodivergent workers, dementia patients, and undocumented youth.

Technology: Technologies are also integral to the courses, e.g., building information modeling, eye tracking, EEG, VR, and 3D fabrication. Students have unique opportunities to experience cutting-edge technologies through research and creative work.

Real-world Perspective: My teaching also reflects a real-world perspective on our fundamentally collaborative and interdisciplinary field. Students are given opportunities to work with industry professionals and network with them through various events during their capstone year. For more sustainable support, I am currently developing the IAD Capstone Mentorship Program.

Students also learn about digital accessibility to effectively communicate with a diverse audience. Students also gain a sense of global industry while applying international codes and standards.

Impact on Student Learning:

Engaged learning experience is a great motivation in students’ advanced learning experience, which I believe promotes critical thinking and a positively provocative perspective. My course development concerns students’ intellectual interaction with the community, faculty, industry professionals, and peers. I also strive to promote students’ learning through collaborative efforts within the interior design program and with other disciplines. One of the research-based engagement projects is the recent renovation of the CHHS Dean’s Office suite, which involved eye-tracking research and interior wayfinding design. Students comment, “The course experience solidified my understanding of the importance of researching the user and using evidence-based design strategies to improve the user experience within the space”; “It really helped improve my motivation. Knowing that what we were doing could potentially be like a real-world thing that’s happening to improve our campus is really special.”

Such unique learning experiences in students’ capstone year have increased our students’ interest in graduate study, which continues to grow. Equivalently, providing individualized instructions is also crucial because all students have different learning styles and experiences. Diverse students have equitable learning experiences as I implement various media in my courses, from manual to digital and from text to virtual reality.

tobin.lopes@colostate.edu
Associate Professor

Innovation Description:

Videos are an established instructional tool in online instructional events and have become more prevalent as technology has improved and recording content has become more accessible. There are numerous formats including recorded lectures, screencasts, explainer videos, learner-created, and contemporaneous. Contemporaneous videos can support engagement through instructor presence and engagement which is beneficial in online teaching and learning by promoting community, creating accessible learning environments, and personalizing the learning experience.

While pre-produced and brief-message videos are common in online instruction, videos recorded contemporaneously on a regular basis offer benefits for learners as well as the community of learners as a whole, especially in asynchronous online educational settings. Contemporaneous videos offer additional real-time opportunities for instructors to offer their thoughts, feedback, and direction in the advancement of the learning goals and objectives. This regular video-creation allows for integrating current events and timely examples into the content allowing for a personalized and specific learning experience.

Impact on Student Learning:

Contemporaneous videos promote a more accessible and approachable learning environment. These videos allow an instructor to engage with the material while simultaneously demonstrating what they view as the most important content by virtue of it being included in the video. It’s through this highlighting of content and providing their thoughts on it, that learners see how others engage with it – modeling the use and application of the content. It makes the content more understandable because the instructor has modeled their understanding and processing of the content for the learners. The informal and conversational approach results in a positive impact on the learning experience.

Finally, the inherent spontaneity of these videos allows instructors to organically integrate emerging trends and current events into their course and their instruction that they would not have with previously created videos. By recording and posting in real-time, the videos enable learners to engage with timely and applicable content relevant to them.

kristin.mooney@colostate.edu
Instructor

Innovation Description:

Visitors to this innovation station will have the opportunity to learn about several active learning exercises to increase their understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). They will also be invited to engage in an experiential exercise with a surprise twist that pertains to DEIJ. Each participant will be handed a few sentences describing a fictitious person and asked what words they would use to describe this person’s attitudes or behaviors. Participants will then be asked to submit their descriptors anonymously on an index card given to me and then receive additional information through handouts and interactive discussions with me.

Impact on Student Learning:

The impact on student learning has been that students become more aware of their own unconscious bias regarding gender, and how it might influence their perceptions of clients with whom they work as social workers. Students reflect that they are surprised that even with all they know about DEIJ, they still had this kind of bias.

Students discuss ideas of how these biases might be addressed so clients are not impacted. They also express surprise at the true reason for this exercise, and that they find it highly valuable. It is a powerful exercise in uncovering bias that social work students would deny they have if asked. I believe this type of exercise would be simple to adapt to a variety of courses pertaining to human behavior.

julie.taylor@colostate.edu
Master Instructor; Online Programs Student and Teaching Success Coordinator

Innovation Description:

I will showcase my two fellowship projects: Peer Observation Program and Faculty’s Favorite Pedagogical Practices. The Peer Observation Program provides a structured and effective way to engage in a supportive peer observation process, while encouraging the sharing of teaching expertise and efforts toward teaching effectiveness for student success.

Faculty’s Favorite Pedagogical Practices encourages faculty to share a teaching strategy they deem as successful in regard to enhancing teaching and learning in their RI and/or online classroom. The strategies will be compiled into a resource for all faculty. My goal during the Colloquium will be to increase awareness of these projects and entice participation in them.

Impact on Student Learning:

The Peer Observation Program (POP) and Faculty’s Favorite Pedagogical Practices (FFPP) support student success through an investment in effective teaching. Both encourage faculty to use best practices that are grounded in scholarship and designed to improve student learning, such as those informed by the Teaching Effectiveness Framework.

POP enhances teaching techniques through a supportive feedback exchange with a colleague, whereas FFPP bolsters teaching through an inspirational sharing of effective strategies. To quote former HDFS participants: “I am motivated to look at them [my courses] in new ways and make small changes that will make it a better educational experience for myself and students.” “I love the chance to peek into someone else’s teaching world – it’s a great way to find new inspiration and ideas from my very smart colleagues.”

jennifer.todd@colostate.edu

Senior Faculty Developer & Teaching Effectiveness Framework Program Manager | The Institute for Learning and Teaching

Innovation Description:

Rather than asking students to answer questions or ask questions by raising their hands, I offer the “No Hand Raising” approach to teaching. This includes a list of recommended strategies that engage all students in thinking critically about content during class. This list includes some of the following:

1. Numbered Heads Together, where one person from each pairing or group is responsible for sharing the thoughts/questions for the group. (e.g. “2’s, please share what your group discussed)
2. Sharing Brilliance, where individuals share something that someone in their group said that ‘needs to be heard by everyone.’ This promotes active listening and hearing from the more quiet students.
3. Group Questions, where small groups decide on one question to ask the instructor about content.
4. Peer Instruction, where students who feel confident about a topic (4 or 5 out of 5) connect with those who feel less confident (1, 2, 3 out of 5) and teach and learn from each other.

This approach requires building a collaborative and trusting classroom climate where students learn from diverse perspectives, so I will share some language to use with each strategy.

Impact on Student Learning:

When students raise their hands to ask or answer questions, you usually hear from the same 5% of your students. The No Hand Raising approach requires participation from every student. This can be done in a safe, supportive manner, WITHOUT cold-calling, using the strategies offered on the handout at the Innovation Station. This practice does not mean that if a student has a question that it’s ignored; it’s not completely black and white. It does; however, support engagement and participation from all students, likely to improve their success.

aimee.walker@colostate.edu
Assistant Professor; Faculty Liaison, Early Childhood Professions ConX; Program Coordinator, Early Childhood Education with Teacher Licensure Program

Innovation Description:

I asked my students in my 8 a.m. class, “If I had the opportunity to share one of my teaching innovations with other teachers on campus, what would you want me to share and why?” Almost every student responded with the same Active Teaching innovation, “Warmers and Content Warmers”. 8 a.m. Energizers focus on using active teaching strategies in early morning classes to support student engagement and increase exemplary achievement on learning objectives.

During this innovation session, my students (yes, several agreed to present with me) and I will share eight active teaching and learning experiences that will energize your 8 a.m. classes: True/False/Argh; Multiple choice Think-Pair-Share, Sit down/ Stand Up; Knowledge Walk Peer Teaching; One-minute paper; Tweet it; Myth Buster; and Let’s get Meta about it!

Impact on Student Learning:

• Improved attendance
• Increased perceptions of belonging
• increased number of students with more than one contact in the class to reach out to for support.
• Improved perception of class as a meaningful tool for learning (not just accessing content)
• Increased engagement in F2F class and with module pages on canvas
• Improved students’ achievement of “exemplary” and “accomplished” work on CLOs

anastasia.t.williams@colostate.edu

Director of Teaching Excellence | The Institute for Learning and Teaching

Innovation Description:

This innovative teaching strategy presents a comprehensive approach to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment during the 2024 U.S. election period. The strategy comprises five evidence-based strategies:

1. Acknowledging the Moment: Recognizing the election’s impact on students’ emotional states and offering brief reflections or mindfulness exercises.
2. Providing Flexible Support Structures: Implementing Universal Design for Learning principles through additional office hours, flexible deadlines, and alternative assessment formats.
3. Integrating Relevant Course Connections: Linking course content to election-related themes to enhance engagement and demonstrate real-world relevance.
4. Preparing for Potentially Heated Moments: Establishing clear community guidelines and using frameworks like the Critical Incident Questionnaire to manage difficult conversations.
5. Promoting Civic Engagement: Encouraging participation in democratic processes beyond voting, emphasizing various forms of community involvement.
   Implementation involves integrating these strategies into course design and delivery, adapting them to specific disciplinary contexts, and consistently applying them throughout the election period. Resources include prepared communication templates and structured discussion frameworks.

Impact on Student Learning: 

This strategy significantly enhances student learning by creating an environment where students feel acknowledged, supported, and engaged during a potentially stressful time. Key impacts include:

1. Improved focus and reduced anxiety: By acknowledging the election’s potential impact, students can better manage stress and maintain academic focus.
2. Enhanced engagement: Connecting course content to current events increases relevance and deepens understanding of subject matter.
3. Development of critical thinking skills: Structured discussions on election-related topics foster nuanced analysis and evaluation of complex ideas.
4. Inclusive participation: Flexible support structures and multiple means of engagement ensure all students can participate fully, regardless of their personal circumstances or political views.
5. Civic responsibility: Promoting broader civic engagement helps students understand their role in society beyond the classroom.

Outcomes observed include increased class participation, improved assignment quality, and positive student feedback on feeling supported and valued. This approach not only facilitates academic learning but also nurtures important life skills such as empathy, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.