Weekly CTL Teaching+Learning Lunches
Upcoming Events
- Workshops explore specific topics of teaching and learning with practical applications (hybrid format);
- Salons foster collegial conversations about teaching and learning (in-person).
Upcoming Events (Spring 2024)
April 12, 2024
Friday, April 12, 10:00am – 12:30pm, Rapaport Hall, LibraryAt this hybrid event Brandeis faculty and teaching staff from various disciplines will share their experiences of integrating AI tools into their courses, both to enhance student learning and to support their teaching. Presenters will share their approaches, materials, and lessons learned so that the audience can walk away with concrete examples and ideas for their own classes.
This event is a great opportunity to engage in the conversation on the topic and connect with colleagues. We are all learning how to adjust the teaching in the age of AIs. We don’t have to do it alone!
Please RSVP for in-person or online attendance to help us plan.
May 3, 2024
Friday, May 3, 9:00am - 2:00pm, Rapaporte HallThe Center for Teaching and Learning invites Brandeis community to celebrate the ways faculty are transforming their courses and pedagogies to support and advance learning.
The Celebration of Teaching at Brandeis will include
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Honoring teaching award recipients
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Faculty panel on the teaching of writing at Brandeis: across the curriculum, with and without AIs
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Raffles
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Faculty Appreciation Reception by seniors!!!
Past Events
October 28, 2022
Location: Goldfarb Vershbow Classroom
Introducing interactivity into the classroom has been shown to improve student learning while at the same time making the act of teaching more fun! Irina, Dan, and Marty will share their experiences and practical advice and look forward to learning new ideas from faculty attendees.
November 2, 2022
Location: Farber 2 ClassroomThe CTL cordially invites new faculty to an informal meeting as an opportunity to meet colleagues, share successes, challenges, and advice, and learn about the programming we’re planning for next semester. We are offering two times in hopes of accommodating our widely varying teaching schedules.
November 3, 2022
Location: Vershbow room (Goldfarb)The CTL cordially invites new faculty to an informal meeting as an opportunity to meet colleagues, share successes, challenges, and advice, and learn about the programming we’re planning for next semester. We are offering two times in hopes of accommodating our widely varying teaching schedules.
November 11, 2022
Location: Goldfarb Vershbow ClassroomCTL program director Marty Samuels will present current research on ways to help students feel more confident speaking up in class. We will then consider how to apply such techniques in our classrooms.
Materials from today's workshop:
January 27, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Gardner Jackson room in the LibraryResearch has shown that active learning significantly improves student learning, but how can we best incorporate it into our classes? In this workshop, we will discuss a variety of easy-to-implement active learning techniques from a variety of disciplines, and discuss how to apply some recent research about what makes active learning work best and how to get student buy-in.
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Samuels
Materials from today's workshop:
February 3, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Gardner Jackson room in the LibraryJoin colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Dr. Dan Perlman
February 6, 2023
Monday, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow Classroom in the LibraryGiven the recent advent of chatGPT and other AI-generative tools, the CTL has drafted a preliminary set of evolving guidelines for reconsidering assignment and course design to emphasize student learning in light of these new technologies. We know each course and discipline will face its own unique challenges, and we are ready to help you find acceptable solutions. Please reach out to us at ctl@brandeis.edu or fill out a CTL Help Request form with your specific questions!
Facilitator: Dr. Timothy Hickey
February 8, 2023
Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:00 am (Virtual)Given the recent advent of chatGPT and other AI-generative tools, the CTL has drafted a preliminary set of evolving guidelines for reconsidering assignment and course design to emphasize student learning in light of these new technologies. We know each course and discipline will face its own unique challenges, and we are ready to help you find acceptable solutions. Please reach out to us at ctl@brandeis.edu or fill out a CTL Help Request form with your specific questions!
Facilitator: Dr. Timothy Hickey
February 10, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Gardner Jackson room in the LibraryGiven the recent advent of chatGPT and other AI-generative tools, the CTL has drafted a preliminary set of evolving guidelines for reconsidering assignment and course design to emphasize student learning in light of these new technologies. We know each course and discipline will face its own unique challenges, and we are ready to help you find acceptable solutions. Please reach out to us at ctl@brandeis.edu or fill out a CTL Help Request form with your specific questions!
Facilitator: Dr. Timothy Hickey
February 17, 2023
Friday, February 17, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Gardner JacksonGrowth mindset—the belief that your skills and intelligence are malleable and can be improved with hard work and practice —has been shown to be a vital aspect of learning (including recently in Yeager, et al. Nature (2019) and Canning, et al. Sci Adv. (2019)). In this workshop, we will discuss how we can support our students to develop a growth mindset to help them recognize that intellectual abilities are not “fixed,” but are capable of growth in response to dedicated effort, trying new strategies, and seeking help when appropriate. It is often all too easy to think of ourselves as finished products with set skills, but this can hinder our attempts to be willing to learn new knowledge and skills. Fostering a “growth mindset” can motivate us- and our students- to focus on the process of learning, to embrace challenges as learning opportunities, and to improve our abilities through practice. Teaching students to have a growth mindset has been shown to improve student performance and reduce achievement gaps between student groups, and in this workshop we’ll discuss how to put some of these principles into practice in our classrooms.
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Samuels
Materials from today's workshop:
March 3, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow Classroom in the LibraryJoin colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Dr. Dan Perlman
March 10, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow Classroom
It can be easy to focus our attention on what students are learning and doing during class time, but how do we want them to study and make use of course and University resources outside of class time? In this journal club, we’ll discuss study strategies that have been proven to be most effective for student learning, and studies that investigate the impact faculty have had on their students by briefly explaining how to study effectively in their courses.
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Samuels
March 17, 2023
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow Classroom
What does it mean to foster learning environments that are equitable and inclusive, promoting all of our students to succeed and thrive? In this workshop, we will discuss several strategies for teaching equitably and inclusively and for helping students feel like they belong in our classrooms. We will also address several challenges that can prevent classrooms from feeling inclusive and consider solutions.
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Samuels
March 24, 2023
March 24, Friday, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow ClassroomAs the proportion of students with documented disabilities continues to rise, faculty need support for implementing the wide range of accommodations. Join us for tips on managing accommodation letters, communicating with students about their needs, effectively implementing complex accommodations, and collaborating with Student Accessibility Support.
Facilitator: Dr. Cara Streit
Materials from today's workshop:
April 21, 2023
Friday, April 21, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Vershbow ClassroomJoin colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Dr. Dan Perlman
April 26, 2023
Wednesday, April 26, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Goldfarb Gardner Jackson
How can we help multilingual students approach writing assignments in English more confidently as they use their various language skills as an asset? In this workshop we will discuss multilingual teaching from a language justice perspective and think of strategies through the lenses of “access, assets, and agency” for multilingual students. The workshop is directed to graduate student instructors and tutors whose roles include providing feedback to students on writing assignments across disciplines. We will discuss best practices for effective feedback focusing on empowering multilingual students to improve their clarity and building up their repertoire to succeed across genres of academic writing.
Facilitators: Emiliano Gutiérrez Popoca and Rachel Kramer Theodorou
Materials from today's workshop:
- Feedback for Multilingual Writers from a Language Justice Perspective slides
- Feedback for Multilingual Writers from a Language Justice Perspective handout
- Starbucks analogy that grounded our group conversation: Westerlundruslana (2015) “Sociocultural Context of Starbucks” from Reclaiming The Language for Social Justice. Available at: https://reclaimingthelanguage.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/sociocultural-context-of-starbucks/.
- Shapiro, S. (2022). Chapter 9 Infusing CLA into Classroom Instruction. In Cultivating Critical Language Awareness in the Writing Classroom. Taylor & Francis Group. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/brandeis-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6829822.
May 5, 2023
Friday, May 5, 9:00 - 2:30, International Lounge in the Usdan Student Center
The Center for Teaching and Learning invites Brandeis community to celebrate the ways that faculty are transforming their courses and pedagogies to support and advance learning.
- Honoring teaching award recipients
- Faculty panels on teaching and learning
- Lunch, hors d'oeuvres, and raffles
- Faculty Appreciation Reception by seniors!!!
May 12, 2023
Friday, May 12, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Goldfarb Gardner Jackson room in the LibraryJoin colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Dr. Dan Perlman
May 22, 2023
Mon-Thurs, May 22 - May 25, 9:30am - 2:00pm each day, G'zang (Gerstenzang) 135
Want to revise an existing course or create a new course? Interested in exploring and enhancing your teaching? If you answered ‘Yes’ to either of those questions, then the CDI may be exactly what you want!
Dan Perlman, the CTL faculty advisor and the Center’s founder, will facilitate this year’s CDI; Marty Samuels and Irina Dubinina will help lead the workshop.
- an opportunity to reflect on your courses with 20-25 dedicated colleagues;
- a chance to design a course that is rewarding for you and your students;
- a tune-up for your course and your teaching (recommended every five years or 60,000 miles);
- a promising course syllabus that invites students to learn!
September 22, 2023
Sept 22, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)As the proportion of students with documented disabilities continues to rise, faculty need support for implementing the wide range of accommodations. Join us for tips on managing accommodation letters, communicating with students about their needs, effectively implementing complex accommodations, and collaborating with Student Accessibility Support.
Facilitator: Dr. Cara Streit
Materials from today's workshop:
October 4, 2023
Oct 4, Wednesday, 10am - 12pm
Faculty and staff are invited to join colleagues from the Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center (PARC) to learn about the issues modern students are facing related to technology-enabled abuse and digital safety: online stalking, sexploitation, deep fakes, non-consensual image sharing, and more. Adam Dodge, founder of Ending Technology Enabled Abuse (EndTAB.org) will discuss the ways that the digital world is evolving, the types of image-based and AI-based harm students are facing, and how to support those students who have experienced online abuse or tech-enabled trauma.
Materials from today's workshop:
October 6, 2023
Oct 6, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)Join colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Irina Dubinina
October 20, 2023
Oct 20, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)
The Samuels Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation (COMPACT) offers grants to support community-engaged research and pedagogy. In this workshop, we will discuss what community-engaged scholarship is, how to begin a community-engaged project, and how to get funding to support it.
Facilitators: Dr. Sara Shostak and Dr. Megan Ross
Materials from today's workshop:
November 3, 2023
Nov 3, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)Join colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
Facilitator: Irina Dubinina
December 1, 2023
Dec 1, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)In this workshop, led by three Brandeis faculty members, faculty will learn about innovative approaches to grading, known as Specifications Grading and Mastery Grading. We hope that Brandeis faculty presenters will help you find inspiration to change the way you evaluate student learning and streamline the grading process.
Facilitator: Irina Dubinina (Russian Studies), Tim Hickey (Computer Science), Rebecca Torrey (Mathematics), and Pito Salas (Computer Science)
Materials from today's workshop:
February 2, 2024
Feb 2, Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Vershbow computer classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)Digital Scholarship surpasses software and online tools; it's about debating the impact of technology on Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines. This discussion will help you discover meaningful ways to "digitize" your classroom. Brainstorm questions and topics that will challenge students to wrestle with their own perspectives on technology. Learn how to reframe your existing materials so you can integrate relevant questions about contemporary digital society.
Facilitator: Dr. Natalie Susmann
Materials from today's workshop:
March 1, 2024
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)
Join colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
We are thrilled that our colleagues from Academic Services (Lori Tenser, Dean of Academic Support and Advising; Julia Mani, Director of Peer Academic Support; and Brian Koslowski, Director of Academic Advising) will be joining us for this Salon. If you have any questions about academic advising at Brandeis, please bring them along!
Materials from today's workshop:
March 14, 2024
Dr. Marissa Greenberg, University of New Mexico
March 14, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Rapaporte Hall, Library, in-person event with an option to join on Zoom as a listener (i.e., no participation)
This workshop will focus on creating learning environments in which students won’t want (or easily be able) to turn to AI. Covering course and assignment design, it will introduce scaffolding principles that pair evolving guidelines for dealing with chatGPT and best practices for social justice-oriented and culturally responsive pedagogy. This 90-minute in-person, interactive event will culminate with a workshopping activity in which participants apply principles and practices to their own teaching materials.
Why do students turn to chatGPT and other kinds of generative AI to complete assignments? Rather than crisis management, Marissa will show how participants may approach this question from a position of committed revision. She will guide participants’ consideration of students’ sense of disconnection from their learning and explain how, like previous so-called apocalypses in higher education, AI presents us with opportunities to reaffirm our commitments as teachers and to be innovative about how we pursue these commitments. Marissa shares her classroom-tested strategies and tactics for engaging students, including digital humanities and place-based research, and offers ideas for incorporating chatGPT and other kinds of generative AI into course design and assignments. While based in Marissa’s experience teaching in the online literature classroom, this event should be valuable to scholar-teachers in various academic disciplines and teaching modalities.
March 14, 2024
Dr. Marissa Greenberg, University of New MexicoThursday, March 14, 10:00 – 11:00 am, Mandel Reading Room, in-person only
(This event is especially designed for faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences)
For scholar-teachers in the humanities and humanistic social sciences, AI may appear to ring a death knell to traditional research projects. Rather than reject them, however, Dr. Marissa Greenberg will make the case for revising research projects to include chatGPT and other kinds of generative AI alongside other sources and modes of academic inquiry, content, and dissemination. This event will include a 30-minute demonstration followed by Q&A and discussion among attendees.
April 5, 2024
Friday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level)
Join colleagues for discussions about learning and teaching. These informal conversations are about issues that interest you – or with which you are wrestling. We’ll follow your lead, but we always have good topics on tap if there’s nothing on your mind at the moment. Bring a friend (or two)!
In this Salon, we will continue the discussion about supporting students with our colleagues from Academic Services. Questions we plan to explore include: What trends are you seeing in your classrooms as gaps in study skills/communication? Do faculty integrate skills instruction into their class/curriculum (eg. email etiquette, organizational strategies, study techniques), and where else is skills instruction happening? How might we think about coordinating and expanding our efforts on teaching academic skills? Please bring your own questions as well!
Salon guests:
Lori Tenser, Dean of Academic Support and Advising
Julia Mani, Director of Peer Academic Support
Brian Koslowski, Director of Academic Advising
Vino Murugesan, English Language Programs
Elizabeth Nako, Student Accessibility Support
Materials from today's workshop: