The Center for Teaching Excellence welcomes your suggestions for presenters and programming
aimed at improving teaching and learning at USC. Please share your thoughts. We’d
love to hear your ideas! Submit Professional Development Recommendation
This interactive presentation educates participants on their rights at the University
related to discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. It will also apprise
participants of the supports and options available to them through the Office of Civil
Rights and Title IX. Additionally, this presentation will allow participants to explore
strategies to intervene in situations where harm is happening and will encourage open,
honest dialogue to empower them to treat members of our community with dignity and
respect.
Come develop a deeper understanding of inclusive excellence and why it is central
not only to how we prepare students to lead, but also to how we engage all members
of our USC community. Learn about the ways in which the Office of Access and Opportunity
seeks to operationalize inclusive excellence, as well as how the office intends to
use its equity and inclusion strategy to track the University's effectiveness.
If you say “yeah!” or “certainly not!” or “maybe?” then come see if you're right!
The session will start with a demonstration of source-grounded AI programs such as
NotebookLM and how they can be adapted for the classroom. Then participants will test
generative AI's capabilities for identifying genre, characters, and plot points of
classic novels such as The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and Frankenstein, among
others. Original editions of these works will also be in the room.
There will be time for participants to share results, tweak prompts, and decide for
themselves whether AI can (or CANNOT) rewrite the classics. Don't forget to bring
a laptop! Please register to ensure we have space AND you can even request an original
edition of a book not listed here.
This session is a collaboration between Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special
Collections and the Center for Teaching Excellence “Try the Tools” series. Register
Monday, April 7, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar
Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) is the newest version of the Blackboard Learning
Management System. With new improvements being made monthly to Ultra Course View there
are exciting changes which instructors may not have seen. This is a short presentation
about the most recent updates that have occurred in Blackboard Ultra Course View and
will include information on how to stay up to date on future improvements. Register
Monday, April 7, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - Webinar
Assessments just got a major upgrade! This webinar explores how Generative Artificial
Intelligence can transform your assessments from rote memorization exercises to engaging
experiences that promote deeper learning. Discover how to generate assessments that
align with your course learning outcomes to foster creativity, critical thinking,
and personalized learning experiences.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:• Apply prompt writing in the context of assessments.
Differentiate between traditional assessment methods and generative AI-powered assessments.
Design effective assessments that measure student mastery and promote meaningful learning
outcomes.
This Mutual Expectations discussion will focus on the benefits and practical steps
that faculty/staff can take on developing meaningful professional relationships with
one another. How students can approach faculty, why developing professional relationships
matter, how this may be different than a mentor relationship and more. Join this fun
discussion with fellow students and faculty over a free lunch!
RSVP is required.
Sponsored by the Carolina Experience and the Center for Teaching Excellence.
In an era where education is increasingly seen as a dynamic, interactive process,
narrative pedagogy offers an innovative approach to teaching and learning that centers
on the power of storytelling. This session will explore how integrating narrative
techniques into educational practices can deepen student engagement, foster critical
thinking, and create meaningful connections between learners and content. Register
Wednesday, April 9, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar
The Virtual Environments Community of Practice is planning ways to integrate virtual
reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments
at USC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students. This month's meeting focuses
on VR in Sports Marketing with Keshav Gupta from the Department of Sport and Entertainment
Management.
If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments CoP or would like
to be on the email list for further information, please email Charles Andy Schumpert
at schumpca@mailbox.sc.edu. RSVP
Thursday, April 10, 10:00am - 11:30am - In-Person
Join us for the 3rd module of Career Champions. In this session we'll learn about
the career competencies employers are looking for within our students and how to incorporate
those into our academic lessons, student employment, internships, etc. You'll also
know how to help students see these competencies within themselves and how to advocate
their talents, abilities, and experiences.
This workshop is designed for Blackboard users who are familiar with the new Ultra
Course View but want a more intensive look at the UCV Gradebook. In this 60-minute
session, a consultant from eLearning Services will share best practices and tips &
tricks for setting up a Gradebook that works for you, present a live demonstration,
and answer questions.Register
Friday, April 11, 12:00pm - 1:30pm - Webinar
A teaching philosophy statement provides a concise description of an instructor’s
teaching approach, methods, and experience. Colleges and universities request a teaching
philosophy statement from applicants for faculty positions, and some higher education
institutions require one as part of the tenure and promotion consideration process.
What is your teaching philosophy? What should you write or include? What if you have
limited teaching experience? This workshop will help you articulate your teaching
philosophy in a concise, effective essay. We will discuss the statement’s purpose,
different aspects of your teaching experiences that can be included, and best practices
and strategies for composing the statement. This is a working webinar, requiring that
you do some reflective writing in advance, so that the webinar itself can include
individual writing, group discussion, and feedback. Participants will leave with an
outline of their statement, written components, and guidance to continue crafting
it.
This working webinar is designed for graduate students and postdocs who teach or are
planning careers in academia after graduation. Students nearing the end of graduate
school and preparing to apply for academic positions may find this workshop particularly
helpful.Register
Monday, April 14, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar
In this session you'll learn how to transform your Blackboard Ultra course from ordinary
to extraordinary! Discover how best to organize your content to make your course visually
engaging and user-friendly and then take it a step further with customization to add
some pizazz. Whether you're looking to streamline your course structure, add some
creative touches, or both, this session will give you the tools to make your course
stand out. Register
Monday, April 14, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - Webinar
A teaching philosophy statement provides a concise description of an instructor's
perspective on teaching, student learning, methodologies, and implementation, and
institutions typically request a teaching philosophy statement from applicants for
faculty positions and as part of the tenure and promotion process.
What, then, is your teaching philosophy? What aspects should you reflect upon, write,
or include? And how has the writing of this document changed as a result of ChatGPT,
both in the document construction as well as your perspective on this fundamental
shift in higher education? This will be a working webinar, where we will discuss strategies
for composing the statement, incorporating time for theme development, group discussion
and feedback, and ChatGPT prompt exploration. Participants will leave with a thematic
outline of their statement, a draft of the opening paragraph, and guidelines to continue
crafting it.
NOTE:For you and other participants to benefit the most in the time available, this webinar
requires that you do some reflective writing in advance of the session.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Reflect on and clarify their values about teaching and learning.
Expound upon these values and craft a working thematic outline.
Explore the ethical usage of ChatGPT in teaching statement construction.
Engaging in conflict is challenging whether you are an experienced instructor or new
to your role. A common strategy is to ignore the behavior due to our own discomfort,
concern over retaliation or fear that our intervention may cause more harm or disruption.
We will identify what our fears are about classroom disruption and use case study
examples to practice strategies to stretch participants' comfort zones. This workshop
will also explore Gerald Amada's research from Coping with Misconduct in the College
Classroom and provide participants with tangible strategies to prevent and respectfully
address disruptive behavior.
Reflecting upon your mentoring relationships is a vital part of becoming a more effective
mentor. This is especially important immediately following a mentor-mentee training
sequence like Entering Mentoring as it allows you to consider how to implement changes
in your mentoring practice based on the training you have received. The ability and
practice of reflecting on your mentoring at regular intervals is strongly encouraged.
The Resilience in the Classroom training is a 50-minute training that focuses on three
major components of resilience:
Self-compassion
Dealing with failure, and coping skills, and
How to incorporate these components into the classroom.
Resilience is associated with academic success and psychological well-being. This
session will help instructors identify how they can strengthen students' resilience
and help them adapt to change and hardships by integrating these core competencies
into their curriculum.
As we prepare for the removal of VoiceThread from Blackboard on May 10, 2025, eLearning Services and Media Services are working together and are committed to
ensuring a smooth transition. Participants will be provided essential guidance on
for following topics:
Backing up important VoiceThread content before the discontinuation date
Explore Panopto for lecture capture, video-based discussions, video assignments, and
content sharing
Explore Zoom for live discussions, breakout rooms, and recorded presentations
Explore Blackboard for built-in discussion boards, video assignments, and course content
sharing.
learn about alternative tools to support interactive and collaborative learning
Additional learning technologies may be available based on specific needs, and our
team will provide expert recommendations on the best solutions for your courses Register
Tuesday, April 22, 12:00pm - 1:30pm - In-Person
The Generative Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice (GenAI CoP) at the University
of South Carolina is a collaborative initiative designed to explore and discuss the
implications of GenAI in higher education. This community brings together faculty,
staff, and graduate students to share insights, strategies, and experiences related
to the integration of GenAI across administration, research, teaching, and learning.
The GenAI CoP meets regularly to provide a platform for participants to:
Discuss Practical Applications: Explore how GenAI can be utilized across administration,
research, teaching, and learning.
Explore Emerging Trends: Stay informed about the latest developments and share best
practices in GenAI.
Develop Integration Strategies: Formulate responsible approaches for incorporating
GenAI into higher education.
Share Experiences: Exchange challenges and successes to collectively shape the future
of this transformative technology at USC.
We invite faculty, staff, and graduate students at the University of South Carolina
to join us in this exciting initiative. Register
Tuesday, April 22, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a proactive approach to making course materials
more accessible, but its principles can also enhance how students express their understanding
of course content. In this workshop, we will explore strategies for engaging with
students who may approach assessments in unexpected ways and how to design more inclusive
assessments that allow for diverse demonstrations of learning. We will also focus
on designing assessments efficiently, prioritizing student agency while minimizing
instructor burnout. Register
Wednesday, April 23, 10:50am - 12:05pm - In-Person
This presentation aims to empower educators with effective strategies to cultivate
an engaged and dynamic classroom environment that fosters mutual respect, enthusiasm,
and deep learning. To achieve this, we will explore practical techniques such as:
visual cueing to improve memory retention; storytelling and music-based activities
to create an engaged and energized—even in in early-morning classes—atmosphere and
strengthen instructor-student connections; and gamification techniques such as badges
and competitions to enhance participation and motivation. Through subsequent reflection
on their own teaching practices, participants will be able to connect and improve
upon their own strategies and enhance their impact on student learning.Register