July instructional workshops highlight grade books, assessments, teaching online

The Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette, the Office of Instructional Technology at Purdue Northwest, and the Purdue Fort Wayne Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) offer several workshops and sessions in July to help instructors manage their grade book, quizzes, and assessments, and teaching online and during the “next normal.”

Purdue West Lafayette

Brightspace Gradebook
July 12, 3-3:50 p.m.
This online workshop will cover setting up and maintaining your grade book in Brightspace. Topics covered for this session include creating categories, creating a grade item, associating a grade item with a quiz and assignment, and creating a weighted grade scheme. There will be time at the end of the session for questions.

Selecting the Right Tool for Your Assessment Needs
July 22, 1-1:50 p.m.
Purdue supports a wide variety of assessment tools that work with Brightspace. In this session, presenters will provide a brief overview of the purpose of assessment, a comparison between formative and summative assessment activities, and introduce a variety of tools faculty can use to assess both student learning and the effectiveness of their teaching and learning activities. Tools covered will include Brightspace Quizzes, Circuit, Hotseat, iClickers, Gradescope and Variate.

Teaching and Learning Technologies will continue to offer daily drop-in sessions for Brightspace support.

Ask a Librarian is also available via chat, email, text, or tweet for help answering your questions about Libraries’ resources or services.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Learning to Teach Online
July 12 -July 31, Online
This three-week online course is developed for PFW online instructors who are new to online teaching or want to gain new ideas for effective online teaching strategies. You are invited to join your peers as online learners to learn about topics such as basic designing principles of online courses, effective facilitation strategies for collaborative online learning and online discussions. You will also be exposed to the corresponding technological skills for those strategies. The course will be asynchronous online. All course materials will be posted to the Brightspace course site. This online course is Certificate eligible. After completing all the activities outlined in the syllabus, you will receive a CELT Certificate for Learning to Teach Online.

Manage Quiz Submission Views in Brightspace
July 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Online
This workshop will review submission view settings in the Quiz tool. Learn more about the Default View and Additional Submission View options. In this session, we will also discuss different submission view use cases, when and how to display quiz results and feedback to students, and tips when managing quiz submission views.

Purdue Northwest

Writing Retreats
July 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
A Writing Retreat provides a focused block of time and supportive environment for you to commit to and have some level of accountability for accomplishing a research goal.

Summer Workshop Series – Preparing for the Next Normal: Re-Engaging Students in the Classroom
As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and define the “Next Normal,” it is an ideal opportunity for us to reflect on what we’ve learned about teaching and learning, and plan for an engaging re-entry to the classroom. Attend any or all sessions.

The Syllabus as an Engagement Tool: Part 1
July 7, 9-10 a.m. (Central)
The syllabus is often a student’s first introduction to a course and to you as the instructor. It is an opportunity to engage students in the class right from the very start. In this session, we’ll discuss the purposes of a syllabus, examine the impact of language and tone, and critique sample syllabi.
The Syllabus as an Engagement Tool: Part 2
July 14, 9-10 a.m. (Central)
In this follow-up to Part 1 of The Syllabus as an Engagement Tool, you will bring your revised syllabus and engage in a peer review session with colleagues. You will receive feedback on your revised syllabus and have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on colleagues’ syllabi.
Supporting Students through Challenging Times
July 14, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (noon) (Central)
Our students have faced a variety of challenges due to the pandemic, and we want to do all we can to help them through these challenging times. In this session, you’ll have the opportunity to strategize with faculty colleagues and representatives from the Dean of Students Office, Disability Access Center, and the Counseling Center about how we can best support students and promote their success.
Engaging Students in the Classroom: Pandemic Edition
July 14, 1-2 p.m. (Central)
We know we are returning to the classroom in the fall, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a return to normal. There will likely be safety protocols in place that could impact how you conduct class activities. Come to this session to think through how you can adapt your classroom practices to accommodate safety protocols and keep students engaged in the “Next Normal.”
Teaching During COVID: Lessons Learned
July 15, 10-11 a.m. (Central)
As we emerge from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to collectively learn from each other’s experiences to create the best possible “Next Normal.” Join your colleagues to reflect on the past year and discuss how the lessons learned will impact your instructional practices.
Save Yourself Time in Brightspace
July 19, 10-11 a.m. (Central)
July 22, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (noon) (Central)
Attend this session to learn how to Save Yourself Time in Brightspace, including how to: Perform a Course Copy, Evaluate assessments using Quick Eval, Create Rubrics built into Brightspace, Change date restrictions in bulk using Manage Dates, and Bulk edit material in course.
Transitioning Back to the Classroom: Making the most of In-Class Time
July 27, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (noon) (Central)
In this session, we will critically examine what is worth keeping from our online teaching experiences of the past year and incorporate it into the classroom setting. We will also have a refresher on best practices for in-person teaching — it’s been a while!

For questions and support at your campus, contact:

For questions and support at your campus, contact:

Purdue Global: Direct teaching-related questions to askctl@purdueglobal.edu. Technical support questions should be directed to TechSupport@purdueglobal.edu or 866-522-7747 (toll-free).

Purdue Fort Wayne: Teaching-related questions should be directed to PFW’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) at celt@pfw.edu, 260-481-6354, or CELT’s website for resources and to request one on one consultations. Technical support questions should be directed to PFW’s IT Services Help Desk helpdesk@pfw.edu or 260-481-6030.

Purdue Northwest: Direct teaching-related questions to the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@pnw.edu or CFE’s website. Technical support questions should be directed to The Office of Instructional Technology by email oit@pnw.edu, through the OIT’s website, or by accessing their Virtual Help Desk.

Purdue West Lafayette: Visit the Innovative Learning website or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.