Innovate Your Teaching Workshops

Bring your courses into compliance with the latest requirements. This workshop will show you how to use UDOIT, the accessibility checker built in to Canvas, to identify and address common accessibility issues like headings, alternative text for images, color contrast, descriptive link texts, and video captions, and more.

Join this hands-on session on how to make your files and PDF accessible. Using Grackle, Adobe Acrobat, and Microsoft tools, attendees will learn how to scan their documents, interpret the checker reports and apply step-by-step remediations to make course files accessible.

This training covers the technical and instructional aspects of accessible video design in Canvas. Learn to embed captions and transcripts, craft clear audio descriptions, and apply accessibility checks to recorded lectures and multimedia assignments. The session emphasizes usability, editing techniques, and aligning materials with accessibility standards to reduce barriers and improve student engagement. 

This interactive workshop explores how faculty can use generative AI to create inclusive learning environments aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and POUR accessibility principles. Participants will discover practical ways to use AI as a co-pilot for rapid content remediation, including generating high-quality alt-text, simplifying complex jargon, and restructuring materials into WCAG-compliant formats.

Have questions about making your course materials accessible? Drop in to the Digital Accessibility Fix-It Clinic, an open help session where faculty can get hands-on support with accessibility challenges in their teaching materials. Bring your Canvas pages, documents, slides, media, or any accessibility questions, and members of the Center for Teaching and Learning team will be available to help you troubleshoot issues, demonstrate quick fixes, and share practical strategies for improving accessibility.

This informal, come-and-go session is designed to help faculty prepare for the new university digital accessibility policy taking effect in late April. Whether you need help interpreting accessibility guidelines, fixing common issues, or learning tools that make accessibility easier, stop by and get the support you need. 

This workshop introduces the exciting world of generative AI (GenAI) tools for college educators. A high-level overview of the generative AI landscape and how these tools use machine learning algorithms to generate creative content such as music, art, and text is reviewed. Examples of generative AI tools are shared and ways these tools can be used to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom and to boost academic productivity are discussed.

This workshop examines key factors shaping Gen Z’s learning styles, including their relationship with Generative AI, learning preferences and challenges. Participants will explore the impact on student learning and discover pedagogical strategies tailored to Gen Z’s learning styles, including active learning, consistent feedback, real-world connections, multimedia integration, interactive teaching methods, and the use of Generative AI to create engaging and effective learning experiences.

Join this workshop if you have never set-up an account or are a beginning user of generative AI (GenAI). 

This hands-on workshop will cover an introduction to GenAI and MS CoPilot. Participants will set-up an account, learn how Generative AI produces a response, practice prompting, experiment with personalized learning techniques, and practice producing instructional materials that could be used in your courses.

Join this session to learn how to better support students’ study skills in the age of AI. We will demonstrate how to prompt AI tools (like MS Copilot) to develop self-study guides, practice assessments, and serve as a personal learning assistant for students. By the end of the hour, you will have an action plan for how to communicate these strategies to students in your course(s).

Join this session to learn how to integrate generative AI tools effectively in writing projects. We will demonstrate how to chunk and scaffold project tasks for peer review and instructor support, as well as how to prompt A.I. tools (like MS CoPilot) to enhance the writing process at each stage. By the end of the hour, you will have a planning tool and strategies for integrating AI into writing projects.

Join us for this workshop on student facing communication and  course policy guidelines for AI Tools! Jointly delivered by the Center for Teaching and Learning and Office of Student Accountability & Conflict Resolution, this session covers the new Academic Integrity policy related to student use of AI tools coupled with pedagogical considerations for supporting responsible classroom AI use. Resources and best practices will be shared!

This interactive workshop invites faculty to discuss ethical dilemmas in generative AI for education. Through real-life scenarios and guided dialogues, participants will explore issues like algorithmic bias, student data privacy, and the role of AI in assessments. The forum will foster open discussion and collaborative problem-solving, equipping faculty with practical strategies for ethical AI integration in teaching.

This workshop will explores the Zoom AI companion feature added on to Zoom meetings. Participants will learn how to use the Zoom AI Whiteboard feature for teaching, including creating, sharing, and collaborating on digital whiteboards. The session covers drawing tools, sticky notes, and integration with Zoom features, with live demos showcasing how to enhance virtual teaching through interactive and engaging lessons.

Description.

Discover NotebookLM, Google’s powerful, human-centered AI platform designed to transform source curation, critical reading, and course preparation. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore how to use NotebookLM as an all-in-one tool to collect course materials, “talk” to documents via the built-in Gemini chatbot, draft customized notes, and even generate short audio podcasts.

Through demonstration, discussion, and practical application, you will learn strategies to integrate AI into everyday teaching workflows—enhancing critical thinking rather than hindering it. Attendees will walk away with everything they need to start using NotebookLM to elevate classroom learning and workflows right now.

Integrate ready-to-use AI literacy Canvas modules built by the UNC System and Google LLC (in partnership with Coursera). This brief orientation highlights the importance of AI literacy for student success and provides practical, “plug-and-play” strategies to integrate these pre-built resources into your existing courses. Through these modules, students have the opportunity to earn an official microcredential, including the Google AI Professional Certificate.

This workshop covers how to build a Canvas course from an empty course shell. Explore the Canvas interface, learn how to set the home page, communicate with your students, and practice adding content and resources – including the syllabus – to your Canvas course. We will also guide you in basic settings, page creation, setting up assignments that report to the gradebook, and how to get on-demand support. 

Ensure students can view their updated grades on Canvas and track their progress throughout the semester. Learn how to use the Canvas Assignments page to set up your Gradebook to calculate course grades in a variety of ways. You’ll also learn how to create and grade assignments, enter grades with SpeedGrader, and use rubrics for communicating expectations of quality. Gradebook settings that automate grading functions and save time are covered.

Learn how to create Canvas Quizzes for student assessments and manage online quizzes in a time-efficient manner. Giving frequent low-stake quizzes is considered a great student-centered learning technique that facilitates students becoming accountable for their learning. We recommend this workshop for anyone new to Canvas Quizzing or who needs to learn about updates to the Canvas Quizzing Tool. Migration of Canvas Quizzes created with the classic quiz tool is covered.

Canvas Studio has replaced Kaltura Capture and My Media for instructional videos! This workshop will cover the basics of using Canvas Studio to create and share instructional media through your Canvas courses. Topics include: how to upload existing media, recording new media, captioning videos, editing media, embedding media on pages, understanding the video Library, and creating assignments that involve video submission and having students submit assignments involving videos.

This hands-on workshop equips faculty with the practical skills needed to move beyond simply viewing data and into strategic intervention. We will perform a deep dive into the three critical learning analytics tools within Canvas: Course Analytics (New Analytics), Canvas Studio Analytics, and Quiz Item Analysis. Participants will learn to interpret key student engagement and performance metrics (such as weekly participation, video viewing habits, and assignment trends) to identify patterns of struggle, implement timely support for at-risk students, and make data-driven decisions that elevate course design and student success outcomes.

Discover how Canvas Groups and the Peer Review feature can enhance collaboration, engagement, and meaningful feedback in your courses. This workshop will explore strategies for creating and managing group activities, facilitating effective peer review, and designing inclusive learning experiences with digital accessibility in mind. Participants will also examine how AI tools can support the feedback process while maintaining academic integrity and student-centered learning.

New description.

Active learning requires students to be engaged in their learning rather than being passive listeners. To enhance learning, students must speak, write, think deeply, and collaborate with others about the content and concepts presented in class. This workshop provides an introduction to active teaching and an active learning framework that can be used to move toward active learning engagement and strategies in your classroom.

Group work is a high impact educational practice and it can have a significant effect on student success. When implemented effectively, it provides a memorable learning experience that helps students develop valuable skills such as engaging in conversations that require higher order thinking skills and assuming responsibility for their learning. In this session, we will focus on the elements that make up effective collaborative assignments or projects and what is the instructor’s role in facilitating these learning experiences.

This workshop will introduce faculty/staff to Poll Everywhere, and how to use the student response software in classroom and other learning spaces. During the workshop participants will explore how to get registered and create polling content. We will also guide you on downloading your class roster from Canvas into Poll Everywhere. Once polling responses have been gathered, you will learn how to export grades from the polling responses into Canvas.

Join our interactive workshop and discover five powerful activities that fosters growth mindset among your students, helping them overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Explore reflective journaling, collaborative problem-solving, effective feedback strategies, goal setting, and the influence of guest speakers and role models. Leave with practical tools and techniques to create a dynamic and empowering learning environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your teaching and inspire student growth.

Learn how a daily emotional “check-in” creates a brave space where individuals can engage in deeper discussions and embrace the ability to have challenging conversations.

Faculty are cordially invited to participate in an introductory workshop on Globally Networked Learning (GNL) program, an innovative experiential learning offering that enhances students’ global awareness, communicative skills and workforce readiness. Participants in this workshop will learn about GNL’s benefits to both faculty and students. This workshop is the first part of a two-part workshop series, or can be taken as a stand alone workshop.

Faculty are cordially invited to participate in an interactive case studies session of the various collaborative projects from the Globally Networked Learning (GNL) courses that UNC Charlotte faculty have taught. These projects represent a variety of academic disciplines and students’ learning outcomes of the GNL courses are discussed. Participants in this workshop will also learn about the design principles of these projects in an online collaborative learning environment.  This workshop is the second part of a two-part workshop series, or can be taken as a stand alone workshop. 

Globally Networked Learning (GNL) courses not only benefit faculty and institution by providing students international experience while not leaving Charlotte, it also boosts students’ career competencies. This new workshop introduces and applies the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) competencies to virtual collaborative assignments in GNL. Participants will learn to translate the virtual collaborative assignments in GNL into concrete career skills for students’ professional development. This workshop is the third part of a three-part workshop series, or can be taken as a stand alone workshop.