Current Instructor Development Options
Open to all faculty, staff, and teaching assistants systemwide
We have gathered the following resources from across the University to support your development. Whether you have just a few minutes or several hours to invest, the following options can help you be prepared to teach no matter what form it takes.
As always, local academic technology professionals in your college, campus, or unit and central IT stand ready to help.
Just in Time
Self-paced resources
These web resources include short videos and curated lists in collaboration with campuses, colleges, and departments. Current resources include those developed by Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS), the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI), Libraries (Twin Cities), and other Teaching Support units.
- Does your coursework include experiential learning? Systemwide discussions were convened to generate and share creative solutions for doing experiential instruction online. Ideas and effective practices that were generated as well as session recordings are available from CEI, and this YouTube playlist includes recordings for all sessions.
- View tips for teaching in this current environment from the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Digital Access and Inclusive Course Design
Inclusive and Accessible Teaching
Universal/Inclusive design and inclusive pedagogies can create more equitable learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities, and reduce the need for retroactive modifications. For more information see UDL on Campus. Additional resources include:
- Register for an upcoming session of the Teaching with Access & Inclusion Discussion Series.
- The Supporting Your Students resource includes information on accessibility and inclusion and the Anti-Racism Resource provides ideas and practices to work toward racial equity in our learning spaces.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education explores this topic in their Inclusive Teaching resource; see also their "6 Ways to Be More Inclusive in a Virtual Classroom" article.
- Review the seven core skills for digital access, and learn how to create accessible Canvas courses.
- Keep Teaching: Accessibility provides best practices for captioning media and creating accessible downloadable course materials.
- Accessible U supports creation of more digitally accessible course sites, websites, Zoom meetings, documents, presentations, applications, etc.
One-on-One
Online consultations
Meet one-on-one with a consultant on pedagogical, technological, or writing topics. For topics including how to transition content online, how to use online tools, conducting course assessments, and how to create community in an online learning environment, request a consultation through TeachingSupport. For support in how to assign, coach, and grade student writing, request a consultation through Writing Across the Curriculum
60 minute
Webinars and workshops
Instructors can register for teaching and learning workshops to fit their schedules. These 60-minute online sessions via Zoom will cover topics such as: Synchronous vs Asynchronous Online Teaching, Creating Online Assessments, Using Zoom BreakOut Rooms, and many more. See more from Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS), Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) and Writing Across the Curriculum. Recorded webinars are also available.