This page contains details for all of the 2026 Pedagogy Workshops.

8:30 – 10:00am Block

First Day of Instruction: Strategies for Planning and Student Engagement

Preparing well for teaching your first lab, recitation, or class section sets you up for success. In this workshop, you will learn strategies to successfully engage with your students, spark curiosity, communicate expectations, build community, and intentionally plan your instruction based on backward design and evidence-based practices.

Learning Outcomes:

• Successfully establish a welcoming classroom environment, build rapport, and an inclusive community.
• Identify effective ways for communicating course/lab/recitation expectations and student responsibilities.
• Create a learning outcome based on backward design.
• Use easy-to-implement assessment techniques to to gauge student learning.

This workshop can be counted toward the Certification in College Teaching competency “Creating Effective Learning Environments” when submitting instructional material developed based on the content learned.

Responding to AI with Relational Ethics

Can developing student-teacher relationships address our anxieties about AI? When we shift the focus from controlling student behaviors to nurturing their curiosity and desire to connect, we reveal a realm of teaching strategies, course designs, and learning activities that remind us why we are educators. AI affords expediency and efficiency; these values do not have to characterize the entire learning experience. During this workshop, we will revisit our AI concerns through the lens of relational ethics and develop strategies to design, teach, and learn differently.

Learning Outcomes:

• Reflect on how AI use disrupts the intended learning experience.
• Recognize how academic performativity impacts AI use.
• Lean into learning activities that reward attention and community.

10:30 am – 12:00 pm Block

Teaching Techniques for Managing Students in Labs and Recitations

In this workshop participants will process their responsibilities as lab and recitation leaders, including building a positive learning environment, lab- and recitation-specific practices, active and collaborative learning methods and managing disengagement. Participants will have the opportunity to work on real-life scenarios with experienced graduate students to construct solutions.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize lab/recitation responsibilities and expectations from their mentors and contracts.
• Describe two active learning practices for implementation in labs/recitations.
• Discuss solutions to real-life scenarios to confidently manage situations that may interfere with learning in labs and recitations.

Assignment Design and Developing Rubrics for Assessment

In this session, we will use Quality Matter’s notion of alignment to frame explorations, conversations, and designs of learning objectives, learning activities, and assessment. Specifically, we will play with how rubrics can enhance assessment and communication with learners.

Learning Outcomes:

• Write measurable learning objectives that fit within a given course or unit.
• Develop learning activities that bridge learning objectives and assessment and provide learners an opportunity to practice.
• Create thoughtful and intentional assignments/assessments that align with learning objectives.
• Thoughtfully and intentionally design rubrics to assess established learning objectives and communicate with students.
• Create rubrics in D2L. 

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Block

Getting Started with D2L: Tools for Teaching & Grading

This workshop is designed to equip Graduate Assistants with the fundamental skills and knowledge to effectively utilize D2L for their teaching and grading responsibilities. This session will cover navigation, gradebook, and best practices for facilitating student success. After an initial presentation, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and get advice on their specific courses.

Learning Outcomes:

• Navigate the D2L Interface
• Utilize the Gradebook
• Manage Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes
• Apply D2L Best Practices
• Access Additional Resources and Support

Students will need to bring Laptops/devices for this workshop.

Scientific Teaching and Assessing: What’s Important in STEM Learning 

During this workshop, we will use scientific teaching to actively engage you in evidence-based instructional methods shown to be effective in helping all students learn core disciplinary concepts by using science practices -- so it is not only what students learn, but how they use knowledge. Importantly, the pathway to scientific teaching integrates the STEM research model into a teaching approach by using science practices desired for all students, such as working with data, creating and testing models, reasoning analytically, constructing scientific arguments, and working collaboratively. Teaching scientifically will contribute positively to your development as a scientist.

Learning Outcomes:

• Integrate scientific teaching and assessment of student learning to what you do as a practicing scientist.
• Explain and use the 3-dimensional learning protocol to design assessments, objectives and instruction that are aligned. 

3:00 – 4:30 pm  Block

Developing a Plan for Efficient Grading: Technology, Communication, Time-Management

Effective grading is a result of understanding how to assess students in a manner that is both helpful to their development and efficient use of your own time. In this session, we will discuss the preparation you should go through in order to able to assess students quickly, the consideration you should make when forming a working schedule that allows for you balance your many duties, and the idea that discussing how to use feedback with the students will make future grading easier.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify communication prompts that encourage discussion with the instructor-of-record about grading responsibilities.
• Describe benefits/constraints of using available online MSU grading tools for assessing student submissions
• Articulate the value of feedback for students on an assessment
• Develop time management skills needed to fulfill grading duties

Developing Engaging Courses

Attendees will spend time engaging with peers in activities to help them implement backwards design in their curricular planning to develop appropriate assessments and create engaging lessons aligned with course learning outcomes and assessment goals.

Learning Outcomes:

• Attendees will be able to implement backward design in their curricular planning.
• Attendees will be able to develop appropriate assessments aligned with learning outcomes
• Attendees will be able to create engaging lessons aligned with course learning outcomes and assessment goals.