Spring into Spring 2024
Course Preparation Series

What is Spring into Spring Course Preparation Series?

Prior to the end of the fall term, the Center for Online and Digital Learning (CODL), will facilitate 5 workshops based on topics to help faculty prepare for the upcoming term. This series provides in-person, online, and asynchronous components for faculty. Whether you are free to join us or want to review later, we've provided learning opportunities and dedicated work time to get a head start on your spring courses. A new topic every day, the week after Thanksgiving!

What are the session topics?

Select one of the following links or scroll to review all sessions. You can also review topics from previous series.

Accessibility in the Classroom

Equitable Syllabus

Advanced Blackboard: Fun with Adaptive Release

Calendar Tool and Date Management

Spring in Spring - Fall 2022 Sessions

How to participate

This series is a mix of in-person, online, and self-paced sessions for faculty. Date, times and locations are listed below, you can just show up.

Schedule for the Spring 2024 Series

Accessibility in the Classroom

Tuesday, November 28, 2-4pm
In person in the PDC, Building 17, Room 210.

Your slides are up and you are ready to start teaching. Sunlight is shining through the windows. A student in the front row is finishing up their lunch. A group of students is chatting in the hallway. What barriers will your students experience in the physical learning environment? In this workshop, we will discuss ways in which you can mitigate learning barriers in the design, delivery, and facilitation of your in-person classes. We will explore ways that students and faculty move and interact in the physical classroom.

Want to learn more? Review our Accessibility in the Classroom page

Equitable Syllabus

Wednesday, November 29, 2-4pm

In person in the PDC, Building 17, Room 210.

Your syllabus is the cornerstone of your course, representing your teaching practices and philosophy. It also conveys expectations, college policies, and the framework for your course. What does having an equitable and inclusive syllabus mean? How you write, the language and tone you use, and the information you share convey so much more than just “how the class will work.” Join us for a workshop with a brief presentation, large group, small group and self-reflective activities. Explore what will make your syllabus better. You will start revising your Spring 2024 course syllabus, and leave with an action plan for next steps.

Want to learn more? Review our Equitable Syllabus page or learn more from the previous Equitable Syllabus workshop.

Advanced Blackboard: Fun with Adaptive Release

Thursday, November 30, 2-4pm
In person in the PDC, Building 17, Room 210

Adaptive Release in Blackboard allows you to personalize student access to your course materials. Do students need to pass a quiz or participate in a discussion before opening up the next lesson? Do students choose their topics of interest? In this workshop, you will participate in an Adaptive Release activity to experience all the features available with this tool. Then we will cover how to set up Adaptive Release criteria and provide examples of how it can be used in a Blackboard course for course management and teaching.

Want to learn more? Review our Advanced Blackboard: Fun with Adaptive Release page

Calendar Tool and Date Management

Friday, December 1, 10am-noon

Online via Dates Zoom

An accurate calendar is an essential tool for students to keep track of assigned work and manage their time. Dates populated in Blackboard automatically transfer to the calendar tool. We will cover ways to enter dates and how to view dates as a faculty or student.