PIT Stops

• May 2, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.: Operationalizing Equity: Strategies for Effective Pedagogy
  • Join the session: Zoom (Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android)
    Meeting ID: 978 7857 2688
    Passcode: 989976
  • About the Presenter: Dr. Daniel Reinholz, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University
  • Description: This talk focuses on the use of data to support equitable teaching. I discuss my development of the EQUIP observation tool, as well as professional development work with mathematics faculty. Out of this work, I share practical strategies that college instructors can use to promote an equitable and engaging classroom environment. I also discuss a learning process that faculty members can engage in to help them better uptake the strategies in an effective way. I draw heavily from my new book, Equitable and Engaging Mathematics Teaching: A Guide to Disrupting Hierarchies in the Classroom, which is freely available as an e-book or for purchase as a print copy.
  • Session recording:
    
• May 2, 1:10 – 2:15 p.m.: How do we know if our classroom is equitable?: An introduction to the EQUIP tool.
  • About the Presenter: Dr. Daniel Reinholz, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University
  • Description: This session provides a deep dive into the free, open source, and fully customizable EQUIP observation tool that was designed to capture aspects of equity in classroom participation. Participants will be introduced to the tool, walked through the process of creating an account and exploring the app, and will receive practical guidance on coding so they can use EQUIP in their own contexts.
  • Session recording:
    

• Apr. 11, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: Contract Grading: An Alternate Assessment Approach
  • Join the session: Zoom (Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android)
    Meeting ID: 915 0022 5347
    Passcode: 273172
  • About the Presenter: Dr. Erika Offerdahl, Director and Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, WSU Pullman
  • Description: Contract grading, emerging as a response to the limitations of high-stakes grading systems, prioritizes effort over performance and empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. This pedagogical approach, characterized by negotiated agreements between instructors and students, offers a flexible framework that accommodates diverse learning styles and preferences. Unlike traditional grading schemes, contract grading emphasizes task-oriented design and encourages early and open communication between stakeholders. In this presentation, three types of contract grading will be introduced followed by a more in-depth examination of hybrid grading contracts and finally a Q&A for instructors interested in exploring this approach in their own classroom.
  • Session recording:
    

March 2024

• Mar. 8, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Incorporating More Group Work in the Classroom
  • Join the session: Zoom (Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android)
    Meeting ID: 988 4819 0793
    Passcode: 247877
  • About the Presenter: Dr. Elli Theobald, Associate Professor, University of Washington
  • Description: Educational inequity remains one of the most persistent and intractable problems in our society. Without equity, the STEM workforce in particular is unlikely to meet the needs of the growing economy and will also suffer from stunted innovation, as diverse groups are more creative and more successful at solving complex problems. Despite widespread efforts to increase access to and inclusion in STEM, minoritized students remain excluded from both STEM majors and STEM professions. The reasons for this are complex but instructors can play an active role in disrupting these inequities. For example, active learning techniques have been shown to improve student performance on average, but can active learning also be a partial solution to achieving equitable student outcomes? In this seminar, I will share recent work demonstrating that opportunity gaps—differential performance between minoritized students (BIPOC students as well as low-income students) and over-represented students—were reduced by 75% in college STEM courses when instructors incorporated active learning strategies, but only when active learning was implemented in a majority of class time. I find these data hopeful, albeit demonstrating only a partial solution to inequity in higher education.
  • Session recording:
    

   

  • Mar. 8, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Implementing Active Learning with Intentional Groupwork (In-Person at WSU Pullman)
    • Attend the session: CUE 207 at WSU Pullman
    • About the Presenter: Dr. Elli Theobald, Associate Professor, University of Washington
    • Description: “I’m all in on active learning but how do I manage groupwork in my class?” If you have had this thought and asked this question, this session is for you! The literature on groupwork is convincing: When students work together, they learn more and have improved affect… but only in functional (vs. dysfunctional) groups. In this session, we will work together to learn some ways that instructors can motivate groupwork, establish norms around working in groups, and implement groupwork in their classes. One potentially surprising goal of this workshop is to help instructors reframe their aims for groupwork: It’s not about getting students to agree on the solution but rather about providing opportunities for students to practice productively disagreeing.

• Feb. 1, 3:00 – 3:50 p.m.: Zoom (Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android)
  • Topic: Dr. Janet Peters, Associate Professor and Director for Instructional Excellence & Innovation, will be presenting a session on how to document your teaching for self-reflection and improvement, annual review, and promotion.
  • Download session slides (PDF)
  • Session recording:
    

• Nov. 15 at 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (PST): In-person follow up discussion at WSU Vancouver
  • Topic: Follow-up discussion on the Vancouver campus to Nov. 9 “Educational Equity is a Journey, Not a Destination” PIT Stop.
  • Facilitator: Shameem Rakha, Associate Professor, Dept. of Teaching and Learning
  • Location: VUB 126
• Nov. 9 at 3:00 p.m. (PST): System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Topic: “Educational Equity is a Journey, Not a Destination.” Dr. Lisa Guerrero will lead an exploration of the ongoing and dynamic nature of achieving equity in postsecondary education. Equity is not a fixed goal but a continuous process of improvement. As such, this PIT Stop encourages a forward-looking perspective, inspiring educators to commit to the long-term journey of ensuring equal opportunities and outcomes for all students in our ever-evolving educational landscape.
  • Facilitator:
    • Lisa Guerrero, Vice Chancellor
  • Session recording:
    
  • Download session slides (PPTX)
  • Zoom information: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/91492785341?pwd=WDVIZkRDQithYlFvMWJwTFl0NFRldz09
    • Meeting ID: 914 9278 5341
    • Passcode: 244906

• Oct. 30 at 3:10 – 4:00 p.m.: Spark 208, WSU Pullman campus
  • Topic: Join Priya Panday-Shukla (Department of Teaching and Learning) and Mary Packer (Academic Outreach and Innovation) in this hands-on workshop to explore the affordances and limitations of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Whether you are a first-time explorer or an experienced user, we invite you to join in learning the basics of GenAI, discussing and understanding GenAI use in writing and images, and discovering different GenAI applications. Bring a laptop and come explore!
  • Who: Pullman faculty and graduate teaching assistants
• Oct. 4 at 3:00 p.m.: System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Topic: Introduction to the Peer Teaching Observation and Co-Mentoring Program
    • Read more about the program in the WSU Insider
  • Session recording:
    
  • Facilitators:
    • Theresa Jordan, Career Track Professor, History, WSU Pullman
    • Kathleen Cowin, Career Track Associate Professor, Educational Leadership, WSU Tri-Cities
  • Zoom information: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/93431471963?pwd=aklSekJUSDRDc1ZGTEQwOXRLdHExUT09
    • Meeting ID: 941 0351 7967
    • Passcode: 907254

• Sept. 7 at 3:00 p.m.: System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Topic: Practical ideas for teaching in the time of generative AI
  • Panelists:
    • Lisa Carloye, School of Biological Sciences, WSU Teaching Academy
    • Harrison Hughes, Academic success and Career Center
    • Karen Metzner, Center for Community Standards
  • Zoom information: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/98266101733?pwd=VzA1ZStvcTByNDlMcjRCYm1PRTcxUT09
    • Meeting ID: 982 6610 1733
    • Passcode: 992078

• Apr. 12 at 4:00 p.m.: System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Topic: Mindful Emotional & Social Intelligence (MESI) for Students and Faculty. Supporting the development of emotional and social intelligence skills for wellbeing.
  • Facilitators:
    • Joe Hewa, Director, Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership; Director, Mindful Emotional & Social Intelligence (MESI) at WSU
    • Robin Bond, Assistant Dean, Honors College; Director, Mindfulness-based Emotional and Social Intelligence (MESI) in the Honors College
    • Becky Dueben, Assistant Professor, Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership
  • Zoom information: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/94103517967?pwd=S3ErNm54VUhEdGZBVThONWFEem1aZz09
    • Meeting ID: 941 0351 7967
    • Passcode: 361644
• Weeks of April 17 and 24: Campus-specific faculty sessions
  • Topic: How to incorporate mindful activities to promote emotional and social intelligence
    • Everett:
      Apr. 24, 4:00 p.m.
      Hosted on the Zoom platform
    • Pullman and Extension:
      Join members of the WSU Teaching Academy, the Honors College, Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership, the Learning Innovations Team, and Counseling and Psychological Services in Cougar Health Services to reimagine how you might incorporate activities in your class or via Canvas that support students’ skills in emotional and social intelligence. Enjoy coffee and a treat while you are there!Apr. 25, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Spark 102
      • Guest experts: Charice DeGuzman, Joe Hewa, Brian Malone, Mary Kay Patton, and Anna Whitehall.

      Apr. 28, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., Spark 208

      • Guest experts: Robin Bond, Kristin Cutler, Charice DeGuzman, Becky Dueben, Joe Hewa, Brian Malone, Mary Kay Patton, and Kathleen Rodgers.
    • Spokane:
      Apr. 21, 12:10 – 1:00 p.m. (Register for location and Zoom link)
      Registration link: https://form.asana.com/?k=4pnp8lcpdwhNuBZ5Ql3Uaw&d=983331870380148
      Calendar invites with location and zoom info are sent following registration.
    • Tri-Cities:
      Apr. 26, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in CIC 223
      Check the WSU Tri-Cities event calendar for more information about this on-campus follow-up discussion.
    • Vancouver
      Apr. 27, 12:00 p.m. in Undergraduate Building, Room 212
      Join Dr. Patience McGinnis, Campus Director of Student Wellness, in a guided discussion around the development of student emotional and social intelligence skills. As a follow-up to the PIT Stops online discussion via the Transformational Change Initiative, join us to discuss what this means to our campus and students. Light refreshments will be served.

• Mar. 1 at 4:00 PM (Pacific): System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Session recording:
    
  • Topic: Classroom assessment that promotes inclusion
    • Students arrive in our classrooms with a diversity of experiences, knowledge, and skills. By adopting inclusive assessment practices, faculty and graduate teaching assistants can create a more welcoming and supportive learning environment, reduce bias, and improve student engagement and motivation. In this one-hour session, Dr. Jenny Knight (UC-Boulder) will review best practices for engaging students in learning and assessing their progress, and help participants create a tool chest of practices they will be comfortable implementing.
    • Dr. Jenny Knight has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. She has been teaching undergraduates at all levels for over twenty years, ranging from freshmen-level genetics to senior-level developmental biology, along with graduate courses in pedagogy. After transitioning from lab bench to biology education research in 2004, she has developed concept assessments, studied the benefits of peer discussion of clicker questions, investigated how students solve complex problems in genetics, and is currently working on how to stimulate self-regulation and metacognition.
  • Zoom information: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/94766330875?pwd=NE0zZDIxb2VoR0VPVmplK3R0c3o5dz09
    • Meeting ID: 947 6633 0875
    • Passcode: 124556
• Week of Mar. 20: Campus-specific faculty sessions
  • Topic: How to design for inclusive assessment
    • Pullman and Extension:
      Mar. 23, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Spark 102
      Mar. 24, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Spark 102
      Dr. Jenny Knight will be flying in from the University of Colorado Boulder to discuss her work studying a variety of critical factors that affect students as they learn biology.
    • Vancouver:
      Mar. 23, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in VUB 122
      WSU Vancouver’s on-campus follow-up discussion for March’s “Classroom assessments that promotes inclusion” will be led by Jessica Masterson, PhD, in the College of Education.
    • Tri-Cities:
      Mar. 22, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in CIC 223
      Check the WSU Tri-Cities event calendar for more information about this on-campus follow-up discussion.
• Week of March 27: Campus-specific faculty sessions
  • Topic: How to design for inclusive assessment
    • Everett and Mt. Vernon Extension:
      Mar. 28, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the conference room
    • Spokane:
      Mar. 30, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
      Johnny Lupinacci will facilitate the next Teaching Conversation/PIT Stop for WSU Spokane focused on inclusive assessment.

• Feb. 1 at 3:00 PM (Pacific): System-wide faculty virtual session
  • Topic: ChatGPT: What is it? What can it do, and what can’t it do?
  • Session recording:
    
  • Panelists:
    • Brian Clowers, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
    • David Makin, Associate Professor and Director of the Complex Social Interaction Laboratory, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
    • Dee Posey, Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Department of Psychology; WSU Teaching Academy
    • Heather Schneider, Instructional Designer, Academic Outreach and Innovation
    • Kate Watts, Associate Professor, Department of English; WSU Teaching Academy
• Weeks of Feb. 13 and 20: Campus-specific faculty sessions
  • Topic: How to prepare for and respond to ChatGPT in the classroom
  • Everett and Mt. Vernon Extension:
    Feb. 28, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the conference room
  • Pullman and Extension:
    Feb. 14, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Spark 102
    Feb. 15, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Spark 102
    Join members of the WSU Teaching Academy and Instructional Designers from Learning Innovations for coffee and donuts. This drop-in event is an opportunity to continue the discussion about ChatGPT, what it means for YOUR classroom, and how you can design your course in proactive ways.
  • Spokane:
    Feb. 21, 11:10 a.m. in SAC 347
    Take part in a themed teaching conversation to discuss artificial intelligence in healthcare education. This event will be hosted both in person and electronically.
  • Tri-Cities:
    Feb. 16, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. in CIC 223
    ChatGPT Follow-Up: How to prepare for and respond to ChatGPT in the classroom
  • Vancouver:
    Feb. 22, 12:05 – 1:00 p.m. in VUB 124
    Join Wendy Olson, Director of Composition and Writing Assessment, and Paul Krouss, Faculty Lead for Innovative Pedagogies, in a guided discussion around ChatGPT and what this internet tool might mean for our classes. As a follow-up to the PIT Stops panel discussion via the Transformational Change Initiative, we will take a look at this tool and discuss implications/usefulness for instruction. Light refreshments will be served.