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Center for Teaching Innovation

Teaching Events & Workshops

Find CTI events, workshops and webinars about teaching strategies and resources. Workshops and events are offered to faculty and graduate students otherwise noted.

Fall 2025 Events & Workshops

August Events & Workshops

Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies

  • When: Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 1:00–2 p.m., on Zoom. Register for Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies. This workshop is also offered on 8/18 (in person) and 9/2 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: This workshop is for faculty concerned about students bypassing the learning process by relying on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. We will discuss course policies, syllabus language, and assessment strategies that incentivize students to embrace their learning, and provide practical examples that you can consider or modify for your courses. Join us and connect with your peers while we explore how you can outline expectations for your students and create assignments that encourage learning in the face of AI.

Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies

  • When: Monday, August 18, 2025, from 3:00–4:15 p.m., in person. Register for Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies. This workshop is also offered on 8/13 (Zoom) and 9/2 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: This workshop is for faculty concerned about students bypassing the learning process by relying on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. We will discuss course policies, syllabus language, and assessment strategies that incentivize students to embrace their learning, and provide practical examples that you can consider or modify for your courses. Join us and connect with your peers while we explore how you can outline expectations for your students and create assignments that encourage learning in the face of AI. 

Challenges and Opportunities of Digital Storytelling Assignments

  • When: Monday, August 25, 2025, from 1:30–3:00 p.m., on Zoom. Register for Challenges and Opportunities of Digital Storytelling Assignments
  • Description: Digital storytelling assignments provide unique opportunities to practice communication, storytelling, critical thinking, authentic reflection, creativity, visual literacy, and technology skills. And yet, they are a little tricky. Come engage with examples of student work, and learn more about how to set up and scaffold assignments and avoid common pitfalls. The use of AI will also be addressed, including exploring strategies for supporting the thoughtful use of AI.

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September Events & Workshops

Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies

  • When: Tuesday, September 2, 2025, from 2:30–3:45 p.m., in person. Register for Learning Without AI: Designing Assignments and Course Policies. This workshop is also offered on 8/13 (Zoom) and 8/18 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: This workshop is for faculty concerned about students bypassing the learning process by relying on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. We will discuss course policies, syllabus language, and assessment strategies that incentivize students to embrace their learning, and provide practical examples that you can consider or modify for your courses. Join us and connect with your peers while we explore how you can outline expectations for your students and create assignments that encourage learning in the face of AI.

Remove Barriers to Learning: What If Your Course Worked for Every Student?

  • When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025, from 3:00–4:00 p.m., in person. Register for Remove Barriers to Learning: What If Your Course Worked for Every Student? This workshop is also offered on 9/19 (Zoom) and covers the same content.
  • Description: Supporting students through accommodation letters is important, but what if you could reduce the need for individual requests? Join us to explore strategies for removing learning barriers in your course by applying the Universal Design for Learning framework. You'll gain insights into the range of learning needs in your classroom, develop communication strategies to support all students, and identify ways to reduce barriers in your course.

Remove Barriers to Learning: What If Your Course Worked for Every Student?

  • When: Friday, September 19, 2025, from 10:00–11:00 a.m., on Zoom. Register for Remove Barriers to Learning: What If Your Course Worked for Every Student? This workshop is also offered on 9/10 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: Supporting students through accommodation letters is important, but what if you could reduce the need for individual requests? Join us to explore strategies for removing learning barriers in your course by applying the Universal Design for Learning framework. You'll gain insights into the range of learning needs in your classroom, develop communication strategies to support all students, and identify ways to reduce barriers in your course.

Alternative Approaches to Assessment at Scale

  • When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, from 1:00–2:00 p.m., in person. Register for Alternative Approaches to Assessment at Scale
  • Description: In this faculty-led panel discussion, we will discuss practical alternatives to the prelim-prelim-final assessment model. Faculty panelists Allison Godwin (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell Engineering), David Freund (Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences (A&S)), and Doug McKee (Economics, A&S) will share their experiences of implementing alternative assessment approaches in their medium- to large-sized classes. The panelists have designed their course assessments to align with their teaching goals and provide meaningful, engaging, and creative opportunities for students to learn in a large course environment. At the end of the session, you will have some creative ideas to implement into your course.

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October Events & Workshops

What Works: Creating Engaging Learning Experiences

  • When: Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., in person. Register for What Works: Creating Engaging Learning Experiences.
  • Description: Join the Center for Teaching Innovation for an afternoon of inspiration, celebration, and connection at What Works: Creating Engaging Learning Experiences. The schedule features:
    • Cornell instructors presenting engaging activities they use in their classes. Presenters include:
      • Eriko Akamatsu, Asian Studies, College of Arts & Sciences
      • Jan Burzlaff, Jewish Studies, College of Arts & Sciences
      • Rhonda Gilmore, Human Centered Design, College of Human Ecology
      • Natasha Holmes, Physics, College of Arts & Sciences
    • A celebration of excellence, honoring faculty recognized by the Canvas Course Spotlight, which highlights standout Canvas course design based on student nominations and feedback.
    • Posters exploring real-world engaging activities utilized at Cornell and practical strategies for implementing similar activities.
    • Informal opportunities to engage with colleagues from across the disciplines about learning and teaching.
    • Whether you're looking to spark new ideas, connect with colleagues, or celebrate teaching innovation, this event offers a rich opportunity to engage with the Cornell teaching community.

Managing Classroom Discussion and Unexpected Utterances

  • When: Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 3:00–4:30 p.m., in person. Register for Managing Classroom Discussion and Unexpected Utterances. This workshop is also offered on 10/10 (Zoom) and covers the same content.
  • Description: As teachers, what can we do to help discussion flow, explore complexity, challenge misinformation, encounter different beliefs, and be prepared for those tricky “learning moments” that engage identities? Come explore the pitfalls and opportunities. How do we address the silence, the distracted, the cautious, the combative, the shy, and the overly eager? How do we challenge, affirm, and set everyone up for success? From articulating the learning goals, to tried and true strategies, to managing the unexpected, come join colleagues for a — we hope — robust discussion on managing classroom discussion.

Managing Classroom Discussion and Unexpected Utterances

  • When: Friday, October 10, 2025, from 10:00–11:30 a.m., on Zoom. Register for Managing Classroom Discussion and Unexpected Utterances. This workshop is also offered on 10/8 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: As teachers, what can we do to help discussion flow, explore complexity, challenge misinformation, encounter different beliefs, and be prepared for those tricky “learning moments” that engage identities? Come explore the pitfalls and opportunities. How do we address the silence, the distracted, the cautious, the combative, the shy, and the overly eager? How do we challenge, affirm, and set everyone up for success? From articulating the learning goals, to tried and true strategies, to managing the unexpected, come join colleagues for a — we hope — robust discussion on managing classroom discussion.

Teaching Through Turbulence

  • When: Wednesday, October 15, 2025, from 3:00 p.m.–4:15 p.m., in person. Register for Teaching Through Turbulence.
  • Description: Amid a time of uncertainty and strain across the country, Cornell classrooms reflect the complex realities students and faculty are carrying with them. Faculty are navigating shifting student engagement, increased accommodation needs, and deep concerns around inclusion and belonging, particularly for students who are marginalized or under stress. This opening session sets the stage for the series by examining these intersecting pressures, drawing on student well-being data and lived experiences from the Cornell community. We invite faculty to step back and reflect with colleagues on how to teach effectively through turbulence. Through discussion, case scenarios, and strategy-sharing, participants will walk away with concrete practices and renewed clarity about how to balance academic rigor with compassion, foster connection in the classroom, and support themselves while supporting students. This workshop is in collaboration with Cornell Health's Skorton Center for Health Initiatives (SCHI) and CTI and is open to all instructors at Cornell.

Teaching Through Turbulence

  • When: Friday, October 17, 2025, from 9:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m., on Zoom. Register for Teaching Through Turbulence.
  • Description: Amid a time of uncertainty and strain across the country, Cornell classrooms reflect the complex realities students and faculty are carrying with them. Faculty are navigating shifting student engagement, increased accommodation needs, and deep concerns around inclusion and belonging, particularly for students who are marginalized or under stress. This opening session sets the stage for the series by examining these intersecting pressures, drawing on student well-being data and lived experiences from the Cornell community. We invite faculty to step back and reflect with colleagues on how to teach effectively through turbulence. Through discussion, case scenarios, and strategy-sharing, participants will walk away with concrete practices and renewed clarity about how to balance academic rigor with compassion, foster connection in the classroom, and support themselves while supporting students. This workshop is in collaboration with Cornell Health's Skorton Center for Health Initiatives (SCHI) and CTI and is open to all instructors at Cornell.

Trauma Informed Teaching

  • When: Wednesday, October 29, 2025, from 3:00 p.m.–4:15 p.m., in person. Register for Trauma Informed Teaching.
  • Description: This session introduces trauma-informed teaching as a key component of fostering an equitable and supportive classroom. Participants will discuss how trauma can impact learning, behavior, and emotions, and explore practical strategies to create a safer and more equitable learning environment. We’ll cover general guidelines for trauma-informed teaching and provide flexible and compassionate teaching strategies. Participants will also learn about the SHARE Office and victim advocacy services available at Cornell and how to connect students to these confidential supports. This workshop is in collaboration with Cornell Health's Skorton Center for Health Initiatives (SCHI) and CTI and is open to all instructors at Cornell.

Trauma Informed Teaching

  • When: Friday, October 31, 2025, from 9:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m., on Zoom. Register for Trauma Informed Teaching.
  • Description: This session introduces trauma-informed teaching as a key component of fostering an equitable and supportive classroom. Participants will discuss how trauma can impact learning, behavior, and emotions, and explore practical strategies to create a safer and more equitable learning environment. We’ll cover general guidelines for trauma-informed teaching and provide flexible and compassionate teaching strategies. Participants will also learn about the SHARE Office and victim advocacy services available at Cornell and how to connect students to these confidential supports. This workshop is in collaboration with Cornell Health's Skorton Center for Health Initiatives (SCHI) and CTI and is open to all instructors at Cornell.

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December Events & Workshops

The Courage to Teach Now

  • When: Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., in person. Register for The Courage to Teach Now. This workshop is also offered on 12/11 (Zoom) and covers the same content.
  • Description: The work of teaching and learning takes ongoing courage and humility.  How are we, in our roles as educators, called to step up in extraordinary times? This workshop supports the process of developing a critically reflective teaching practice. Join colleagues for a facilitated discussion to share, reflect, identify available moves, and increase our capacity to navigate ambiguity in teaching and learning environments. 

The Courage to Teach Now

  • When: Thursday, December 11, 2025, 2025, from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., on Zoom. Register for The Courage to Teach Now. This workshop is also offered on 12/10 (in person) and covers the same content.
  • Description: The work of teaching and learning takes ongoing courage and humility.  How are we, in our roles as educators, called to step up in extraordinary times? This workshop supports the process of developing a critically reflective teaching practice. Join colleagues for a facilitated discussion to share, reflect, identify available moves, and increase our capacity to navigate ambiguity in teaching and learning environments. 

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Recent Workshops

Teaching Climate Change: Preparing Students for Their Future 

  • When: Tuesdays, May 27–June 24 (5 sessions, June 3 session is an optional drop-in), from 10:00–11:30 a.m., in person. 

  • Description: Join our cross-disciplinary 5-week learning community to design curriculum-aligned climate change assignments, modules, or courses. No matter your discipline or level of preparedness, the goal is to support your efforts to help prepare students for their climate-changing future. 

    We believe a climate-change-prepared person is climate-literate and able to address climate change anxiety in a way that leads to an action-oriented future and hope for a better world. But, how do we accomplish this in our teaching? We invite instructors looking to get started designing or refining a climate change-related course or assignment or those who are already engaging this topic but want to learn more and explore the topic across disciplines. Join us to learn from experts and each other.

    According to the US Global Change Research Program (2009), “A climate-literate person: understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system and the options to address human-caused climate change; recognizes credible information about climate change and knows where to find it; communicates about climate change in accurate and effective ways; and is able to make informed decisions related to climate change.”

    *United States Global Change Research Program. (March 2009). Climate literacy: The essential principles of climate science.

Teaching Digital Storytelling

  • When: This 5-week program is hybrid, with the first two meetings happening in person and the others via Zoom:
    • Friday, May 30, from 1:00–2:30 p.m., in person. Location: Computing & Communications Center (CCC), Room 123
    • Friday, June 6, 13, & 20, from 1:00–2:30 p.m., online via Zoom
    • Friday, June 27, from 1:00–2:30 p.m., in person. Location: Computing & Communications Center (CCC), Room 123

  • Description: Digital storytelling allows story creators and their audiences to engage through the power of narrative. This 5-week program is an opportunity to make a story and design an assignment for fun, to help students communicate complex ideas in meaningful and creative ways, or to explore providing students with options for demonstrating knowledge.

    Although the main focus of this program will be creating a personal narrative, course trailer, or assignment example as a short podcast or video, other forms and storytelling approaches will be discussed and welcomed.

    • In this institute, you will:
      • make a digital story and experience the creative process.
      • design a digital storytelling assignment.
      • clarify and understand the supports you can offer regarding access to resources.
      • make a plan for fair assessment and grading.

Implementing Authentic Assessments in Your Classroom

  • When: Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 3:45–4:45 p.m., in person.

  • Description: In this panel discussion we will explore alternative assessments for small to large-sized classes. These types of assessments provide meaningful, engaging, and creative opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. At the end of the session, you will have some creative ideas to implement into your course. 

    Panelists are Natasha Holmes (Physics, College of Arts & Sciences), Amie Patchen (Public & Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine) and Landon Schnabel (Sociology, A&S, Brooks Cornell Public Policy).

    This event is sponsored and hosted by the Provost's Working Group on Innovation in Assessment, which supports research, experimentation, and adoption of alternative student assessment practices at Cornell University.

Assessment Practices that Support Student Well-being

  • When: Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 3:30–4:30 p.m., in person.  

  • Description: At a time when college students are increasingly anxious and less connected to their peers, how can our assessment practices support student well-being? In this panel discussion, we will discuss current threats to students’ well-being and mental health, and discuss assessment-related strategies to communicate care, create a community of learners, and develop resilience. Join us to hear from Mark Sarvary (Neurobiology & Behavior), Tracy Carrick (John S. Knight Institute), and Amy Godert (Learning Strategic Center and Academic Student Success Programs).

    This event was sponsored and hosted by the Provost's Working Group on Innovation in Assessment, which supports research, experimentation, and adoption of alternative student assessment practices at Cornell University. 

The Art of Discussion

  • When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, from 3:00–4:30 p.m., in person.
  • Description: The Art of Discussion is the inaugural event in our new “Art of Teaching” series. Facilitating discussions is among the most challenging arts for a teacher to master. It is also one of the most important, as it encourages students to apply, test, and extend their learning in dialogue. Because of this, facilitating a stimulating and successful discussion requires concentration and creativity. Join us to hear from Jenny Goldstein (Global Development, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences), Alex Livingston (Government, College of Arts & Sciences) and Hale Tufan (School of Integrative Plant Sciences, CALS) as they share some of the hard-won secrets of this unique art. Then, participate in a conversation about how to better master the art of discussion.

Engaged Speakers' Series: Dis/Placements: Storytelling, Teaching, and Research with the Uptown Chicago Neighborhood

  • When: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, from 12:00–1:30 p.m., in person.

  • Description: Are you curious about working with a community partner or thinking about innovative and authentic ways for students to represent and share their learning? Come learn from Dr. Anna Guevarra and Dr. Gayatri Reddy, from the University of Illinois Chicago, who’ve led a unique and enduring community-engaged public history project with undergraduates, Dis/Placements: A People's History of Uptown Chicago, since 2017.

    As an example, they “have been learning from members of the Winthrop Avenue Family” who have shared with them “stories of displacement, racism, and segregation…but also of joy, community and collective care.” Dr. Guevarra and Dr. Gayatri’s students’ work highlights the power of narrative and visuality in many forms, from digital storytelling to XR/VR, community mapping, photography, and more. How have they shepherded the relationships and the teaching of these successful and tricky assignments? Join us in community for lunch and a presentation.

    This event was co-hosted by the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement and the Center for Teaching Innovation, and co-sponsored by the Asian American Studies Program and the Public History Initiative. 

Authentic Assessments in the Age of Generative AI

  • When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., in person.
  • Description: Generative AI is here to stay. How can instructors prioritize learning, critical thinking, reflections, and conceptual understanding in the age of generative AI? In this panel discussion, we will discuss the impact of generative AI and current opportunities for leveraging generative AI to support authentic learning and assessments. Join us as we share examples of how generative AI is being implemented across Cornell and connect with colleagues from diverse disciplines. Together, we will examine strategies to assess student learning in this evolving digital age. Panelists include Steve Jackson (Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, Information Science & Science & Technology Studies, Cornell Bowers CIS), Ellie Duan (Animal Science, CALS), and Justin Clark (History, A&S).

Grading for Growth: Toward more Humane, Authentic, and Trustworthy Ways to Evaluate Student Work with Robert Talbert. 

  • When: Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 1:30–2:30 p.m., in Goldwin Smith Hall, GSH 132.
  • Description: Grading as we know it is significantly broken. The traditional approach involving one-and-done assessment, points, partial credit, and averaging is demotivating for students, demoralizing for faculty, time-consuming, disconnected from science, and of questionable statistical validity. But it is not unchangeable, and in fact there is no better time than now to explore alternatives that prioritize student growth and align better with how humans learn. In this talk, we'll explore the history and issues of traditional grading, propose a framework for "alternative" grading practices, and see how to implement alternative grading without massive requirements of time or energy.

Teaching about Climate Change

  • When: Monday, November 4, 2024, from 3:00–4:30 p.m.
  • Description: Join colleagues experienced and new to explore the how and why of teaching about climate change. Given the diversity of approaches and educational priorities, how are instructors managing the fear and anxiety of the immediate threat, possibilities for action and advocacy, and accurate engagement with climate science? What does cross-discipline engagement look like down to the assignment level? In this workshop, come ready to explore the roles, responsibilities, creativity, teaching challenges and opportunities, and find connections across disciplines for future collaborations.

Fostering Antiracist Practices in Pedagogy and Community-Engaged Learning

  • When: Friday, October 18, 2024, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
  • Description: Join colleagues experienced and new to explore principles of anti-racist community engagement- and some practical applications. We will enliven our discussion by exploring social identity development and an alternative approach to valuing cultural wealth, through storytelling and interaction. These tools can be used to foster appropriate awareness and sensitivity to work across differences on and off campus.

Facilitating Discussions with Divergent Viewpoints in the Classroom

  • When: Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 9:30–11:00 a.m.
  • Description: Connect with colleagues to contextualize the perceived higher stakes of managing classroom discourse in turbulent times. How do you manage your personal beliefs, identity, values–and a commitment to inclusion–in your role as an instructor? How can you provide opportunities to engage others’ with different and/or opposing views to foster learning?
    In this 90-minute workshop, we identify key moments in the semester to lay a foundation for robust and challenging discussions and practice facilitation skills.

Structuring Assessment: Rubric Design and Use

  • When: Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 1:30–3:00 p.m., on Zoom.
  • Description: This 75-minute online workshop is the second in a two-part series on structuring learning assessment, and it is designed to support faculty efforts to create clear and concise rubrics. The themes of alignment and clear communication will be applied to the process of effective rubric design and use. Participation in the first part of the series is not required.

Structuring Assessment: Assignment Design

  • When: Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 12:00–1:15 p.m.
  • Description: This 75-minute online workshop is the first in a two-part series on structuring learning assessment, and it is designed to support faculty efforts to create clear and aligned assignments. This session will also emphasize the extent to which clear communication can enhance assignment design.

The Courage to Teach Now: End-of-Semester Reflections 

  • When: May 9, 2024, from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
  • Description: The work of teaching and learning takes ongoing courage and humility, and the end of the semester invites reflection. Join your colleagues for an in person lunch and facilitated discussion about how we, in our roles as educators, are called to step up in extraordinary times. 

    What did you try in your teaching this semester? What challenged you? Responding well to difficult moments remains ever a goal, whether it’s politics or AI. Talking through our approaches with others helps us reflect and manage uncertainty as we learn from our own and others’ experiences.

    Warmly and compassionately facilitated. Includes lunch.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Identify strategies for building trust and supporting inclusion in the classroom

Beyond the Personal Narrative: Critical Interventions in Digital Storytelling Assignments

  • When: Monday, February 12, 2024, 3:00–4:30 p.m., in person.
  • Description: Instructors are turning towards digital storytelling for many reasons: as an inclusive teaching practice; to offer choices informed by Universal Design for Learning practices; out of boredom with 5-page papers; and even to encourage original thought and authentic assessment in the face of AI-generated content. This workshop invites instructors to explore interventions beyond the personal narrative that make a difference in teaching digital storytelling, including assignment design, assessment, and supporting narrative development and creativity.

Structuring Learning Assessment Workshops

  • Open to instructors, postdocs, and TAs interested in crafting effective assignments and rubrics for their courses. These 75-minute sessions are designed to complement one another but can also be attended on a standalone basis.
  • Assignment Design (Part 1 of 2):
    • When: Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 1:00–2:15 p.m., on Zoom.
    • Description: This 75-minute online workshop is the first in a two-part series on structuring learning assessment, and it is designed to support faculty efforts to create clear and aligned assignments. This session will also emphasize the extent to which clear communication can enhance assignment design.
  • Rubric Design (Part 2 of 2):
    • When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 1:00–2:15 p.m., on Zoom.
    • Description: This 75-minute online workshop is the second in a two-part series on structuring learning assessment, and it is designed to support faculty efforts to create clear and concise rubrics. The themes of alignment and clear communication will be applied to the process of effective rubric design and use. Participation in the first part of the series is not required.

Exploring the Bounds of Free Speech in the Classroom (and How Not to Panic…)

  • When: Friday, January 12, 2024, 12:00–1:30 p.m., in person. Advance registration is required.
  • Description: How can you provide opportunities to engage others with different and/or opposing views to foster learning? How do you manage your personal beliefs, identity, values – and commitment to inclusion – in your role as an instructor? In this 90-minute lunch and learn session, participants will explore how to create and facilitate a learning environment that welcomes challenging discussions. Reflect with your colleagues and leave with practical ideas you can use.

Overview of Curriculum Mapping for DEI 

  • When: Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 1:00–2:00 p.m., on Zoom.
  • Description: This event will provide an overview of our curriculum mapping process and invite those in attendance to consider participating. Specific objectives include:
    • Affirm the importance of establishing a common language for conversations relative to curriculum and diversity, equity, and inclusion
    • Describe CTI's "Curriculum Mapping for DEI" program for program/department chairs
  • For more details on this workshop and program offering, visit Curriculum Mapping for Diversity & Inclusion.