Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Tag: CPD

Cluster: High Impact Practices Part 1

Register here | Facilitator: Crystal Anderson


Are you interested in developing learning experiences where students can apply their skills and competencies in and beyond the classrooms? In Part 1 of this thematic faculty development cluster consisting of 2 one-hour workshops, you will learn about the critical elements of teaching today’s students (Fundamentals of Effective Teaching (Required) workshop) and how to use transparent assignment design for courses with internships, undergraduate research and project-based learning (High-Impact Practices and Applied Learning (Design) workshop).

By completing Part 1 and Part 2, you can earn a CPD Level 1 Teaching Essentials Credential as part of Stearns Center’s Continuing Professional Development program. If you complete the Mason Core Enhancement with Part 2, you can earn the Level 1: Certified Mason Core Instructor Certification.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: Providing effective and sustainable feedback

Register Here | Facilitator: Thomas Polk

Want to develop a more sustainable and effective plan for providing feedback? This workshop focuses on key practices for increasing the impact and efficiency of the feedback you offer. We will explore the characteristics of effective feedback and strategies for implementing them.
*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

WAC Primer: Teaching Writing across the Curriculum

Wednesdays, Feb 4 – 25 | Register Here | Facilitator: Thomas Polk

Are you new to teaching a Writing Intensive course or looking for fresh ways to engage students through writing? WAC Primer is an engaging four session series designed to help faculty build practical, research informed strategies for teaching with writing and designing assignments that advance meaningful student learning. Participants will explore effective assignment design, feedback and assessment practices, and active learning strategies for teaching writing in any discipline. WAC Primer offers a supportive, collaborative space to discover new approaches, reflect on your course design, and connect with colleagues across campus who share a commitment to student learning.

Dates of Sessions:
February 4, 2026 11am-12pm
February 11, 2026 11am-12pm
February 18, 2026 11am-12pm
February 25, 2026 11am-12pm

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: An Introduction to the Writing-intensive Course

Register Here| Facilitator: Tom Polk

Are you new to teaching a WI course or want a refresher on some of the basics? This workshop will focus on writing-intensive course design and help faculty prepare for the semester ahead. Join WAC staff to learn more about the new learning outcomes and begin drafting your WI course materials.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

 

Workshop: Preparing Your Course and Yourself for Difficult Classroom Discussions & Situations

Register here | Facilitator: Rachel Yoho

*This event was rescheduled from its original date (Feb. 6).

Do you have strategies to prepare yourself and your students to handle difficult conversations? This could be when you are having difficult conversations about topics like race, sexuality, religion, politics, or similar. These situations also could result from a discussion comment that makes a student or group uncomfortable or might even be about grades. In this workshop, we will discuss how to design (or redesign) your course and prepare yourself to facilitate important or “hot topic” conversations in the classroom.  Background information on how to design the course and prepare for facilitating important conversations in the classroom will be provided.  This workshop is applicable to instructors across all disciplines for facilitating important conversations, whether or not their designed course topics include socially pressing issues. This workshop is part of a four-part series for Mason faculty to engage in broadly inclusive education across all disciplines.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: (Re)Designing Syllabi for Inclusive Classrooms that Support Learners & Instructors

Register here | Facilitator: Rachel Yoho

Are you ready to align your courses with university commitments to inclusive teaching? Or are you developing a new course or submitting an existing one for the new university-wide tags (like Mason Core)? In this workshop, we will work to advance our understanding of inclusive course design and how to improve syllabi to be more inclusive for everyone in the space (including instructors!). During the session, we will have specific discussion time to focus on connecting these ideas with your course and your discipline. At the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a greater understanding of the potential considerations for designing and redesigning inclusive course syllabi and aligning with broader institutional initiatives and expectations.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Canceled: Mini Course: Syllabus Design

January 8 – January 18

Asynchronous| Register Here | Facilitators: Crystal Anderson and Laina Lockett

Do you want your syllabus to promote student success and engagement? Do you want to make your goals and assignments clear and relevant for students? In this self-paced, 10-hour asynchronous mini course, you will learn how to create a syllabus that aligns your learning goals with your assignments, organizes course content to maximize student learning and makes use of SyllaBright, George Mason’s course design assistant.

Registered participants will be added to the course January 8-12. The registration deadline for the course Monday, January 12 at 8:00 a.m.

Upon completion of the course, participants will earn the Level 2 Credential for Teaching Competencies as part of the Continuing Professional Development program.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Mini-course: Introduction to AI-Enhanced Teaching Practices

Wednesdays, January 28 – April 22

Full – Registration Closed| Facilitator: Laina Lockett

*Note: this workshop was formerly titled Intermediate Artificial Intelligence Inspired Pedagogies

Are you interested in learning about how the best teaching practices are impacted by generative AI? If so, this is the mini course for you! In this mini-course you will cover a wide variety of topics and have time to explore new AI applications. Topics will include large language model (LLM) impacts on academic integrity, universal design, inclusive teaching, assessment, as well as explore applications of other types of generative AI such as image and video tools. How to turn these classroom changes into research will also be covered. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Dates of Sessions: [No session the week of spring break] 
January 28, 2026 9-10:30AM
February 11, 2026 9-10:30AM
February 25, 2026 9-10:30AM
March 25, 2026 9-10:30AM
April 08, 2026 9-10:30AM
April 22, 2026 9-10:30AM

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: Preparing Your Course and Yourself for Difficult Classroom Discussions and Situations

Register here | Facilitator: Rachel Yoho

Do you have strategies to prepare yourself and your students to handle difficult conversations? This could be when you are having difficult conversations about topics like race, sexuality, religion, politics, or similar. These situations also could result from a discussion comment that makes a student or group uncomfortable or might even be about grades. In this workshop, we will discuss how to design (or redesign) your course and prepare yourself to facilitate important or “hot topic” conversations in the classroom.  Background information on how to design the course and prepare for facilitating important conversations in the classroom will be provided.  This workshop is applicable to instructors across all disciplines for facilitating important conversations, whether or not their designed course topics include socially pressing issues. This workshop is part of a four-part series for Mason faculty to engage in broadly inclusive education across all disciplines. 

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Reflective Assessments for STEM Faculty and Students

Register here| Facilitator: Laina Lockett

What are the essential actions to stay an innovative STEM Educator? This workshop will review strategies for continual growth as STEM educators to ensure that students are best prepared for a changing world. In this workshop we will discuss essential reflective actions for both you and your students as a way to grow.

This workshop is part of the Level 1 Foundational Practices in STEM Education Cluster. Other workshops in this cluster include:

September 4 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am:  Fundamentals of Effective Teaching

September 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am: Reading as Active Learning in STEM Disciplines

September 18 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am: Motivating Students in STEM Courses

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.