Activities & Events
Upcoming Big Events
Conversation: Alternative Grading Methods
Tuesday, August 15, 2023, 3:30 – 5:00pm (via Zoom)
On Tuesday, August 15, 3:30-5pm central time via Zoom, join the ChiCOMMIT group for a conversation about alternative grading methods. All instructors are welcome and discussion will include general grading goals for mathematics courses as well as examples of alternative grading techniques in mathematics courses. More information and a zoom link will be shared soon.
Past Events
Workshop: Promoting Equity and Productive Collaboration in Groupwork
In this workshop, we will watch an (enacted) video of a situation where groupwork does not work. Then we will discuss ways that we can succeed in engaging students in equitable and productive collaboration. Whether you use groupwork often or want to get some ideas of how to incorporate it into your classes in a way that is inclusive of all students, this workshop is for you!
*This workshop is inspired by/adapted from Nina White and Robin Wilson’s November 2022 Workshop: Groupwork, Equity, and Student Buy-In from the SIGMAA Inquiry-Based Learning's Workshop Series.
Conversation 1: June 21
What do you feel good about from the spring term? What do you wish had gone differently?
What is something you feel like you want to share with others? Maybe it’s a question, an idea, or an activity.
All levels of formality are welcome: come to listen and think on the spot, prepare something more structured beforehand, or do something in between. The point is to connect and share about inquiry and active learning while also drinking coffee, tea, etc.
Conversation 2: August 10
Summer isn’t over yet! Come and hang out (virtually) with your Chicagoland COMMIT friends as we celebrate (or mourn) the start of the fall semester with our 2nd Summer Conversation. We’ll discuss how we prepare for the semester, whether it’s in person, online or anything in between. Here are a few questions to think about.
How do you prepare for the semester (logistically, mentally, etc.)?
Has how you prepare for the semester changed as a result of “pandemic teaching?”
What have you found works best for you in transitioning from summer to semester?
Summer Discussion Series 2022
Summer Discussion Series: Using Inquiry & Active Learning in a Socially-Distanced Classroom, August 12, 2021
The meeting included a mix of lightning talks (Chris Sabino on warm-up activities, Beth DeWitt on class roles, and Sheila Tabanli on reflective assignments) and small group discussion about culture/buy-in for active learning and techniques, as well as logistics in socially distanced classrooms. Ideas included first-day activities to promote inquiry from the start of the course and the continued use of technology as we returned to the classroom, such as polling apps or using a Google Jamboard, which we modeled during the meeting to allow all participants to add ideas prior to and during discussion.
We discussed how the Summer Discussion Series provided an opportunity for collaborative brainstorming, allowing participants to share ideas for inquiry and active learning in their contexts. We felt the discussions were especially fruitful when the topic addressed a pressing need, such as adapting for new teaching modalities during the pandemic. Presenters: Aliza Steurer, Beth DeWitt, and Sarah Bockting-Conrad.
MAA MathFest Presentation, Conversations in Chicagoland: A Way to Connect with Colleagues while Preparing for Pandemic Teaching and Beyond, Contributed Paper Session: Using Inquiry and Collaboration in Faculty Professional Development during the Pandemic and Beyond. August 6, 2021
Summer Discussion Series: Reflections on a Year of Pandemic Teaching: What worked? What didn’t? What are you taking forward from this year?, June 24, 2021
Aliza Steurer gave a brief introduction to inquiry for participants unfamiliar with the term. Participants plan to continue assessments like oral exams or second-chance grading, to record videos for absent students or difficult topics, and to use technology to provide engagement during and outside of class among students. Since the pandemic has highlighted the need for human connections to students, participants also want to continue community building, like class introduction videos or sharing hobbies, and greater flexibility in deadlines as needed and through online office hours.
Spring Zoom Social Hour, April 21, 2021
We gathered informally to reconnect with colleagues across institutions in Chicagoland and to continue to support each other during the struggles of another term of pandemic-influenced teaching.
We connected with participants from the summer and other colleagues to support each other during the challenging term, empathizing with our common struggles and sharing informal ideas for midterm pedagogical adaptations.
Fall Zoom Social Hour, October 16, 2020
Summer Discussion Series: An Eye Toward Equity: Building Class Culture & a Sense of Belonging, August 2020
After a brief introduction on equity as one of the pillars of IBL by Aliza Steurer, Sarah Bockting-Conrad and Lance Vobornik shared their experience with student written norms and expectations. In breakout rooms participants discussed incorporating both instructor and student videos to build community, creating regular surveys or using the chat to get feedback from students on their learning and mood, balancing equity with a desire for community in terms of student camera use during class, and requiring engagement outside of class through self-reported grades.
Summer Discussion Series: Focusing on Assessment, July 18, 2020
Participants shared experiences with oral exams, with pair or group exams, to fix work in a different color after talking with classmates or feedback from the instructor, and how these connect to the pillars of inquiry. . Around the common concern of academic integrity on traditional exams while remote, we discussed helping students connect assessment to the goals of learning, writing hard-to-look-up questions, and reducing exam grades’ proportion of the course grade.
After a brief introduction to IBL and the Chicagoland COMMIT group by Lance Vobornik, participants split into breakout rooms. For asynchronous classes we discussed collaborative online tools such as student videos or discussion posts presenting proofs or problem solutions. For monitoring group work we discussed having a spokesperson from each group share a minute paper. During whole class meetings, participants shared ideas for polling apps or using the chat feature to answer 3-2-1-go questions.
Summer Discussion Series: IBL & Active Learning Methods in a Virtual Environment, June 12, 2020
Chicago Symposium Series: Executing Inquiry Based Learning, Breakout Session, February 21, 2020, at University of Illinois at Chicago.
After a short team activity, participants reflected on their experiences as learners, on the interactions with the instructors during the activity, and the comparison to their own current teaching practices. Presenters: Sarah Bockting-Conrad, Beth DeWitt, and Matthew Lee.