Custom Workshops and Services
Our instructional consultants can design and deliver customized workshops on a variety of teaching and learning
topics. These workshops are customized according to the individual needs of departments, academic units, or
campuses. Below are some examples of customized workshops we have delivered.
Planning for Learning
The Syllabus Doctor
A well-written syllabus is the beginning of a successful learning experience for your students. In this workshop, we’ll
discuss how to write a student-centered syllabus that will provide the anchoring necessary for a successful
semester for you and your students.
Classroom Management
We all know who “they” are. “They” are staring at their cell phones and busily texting; “they” are using their laptops
to check airline fares; “they” are chatting with their friends to the exclusion of everything else; “they” are always
asking if there are going to be extra credit assignments. This session is not about “what they do.” Instead, it focuses
on what you can do to manage disruptive behaviors in a productive way. What are appropriate proactive course
policies and how does one present and reasonably enforce these policies?
Creating Inclusive Courses
This workshop is designed to focus on specific actions faculty can take to make their courses more inclusive for a
variety of students. While most of us understand the importance of diversity, some still wonder what they can do to
make a difference. The workshop includes the following, but can also be customized to your needs:
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How and why attending to diversity improves learning for all students
Common barriers to learning in classes that are not inclusive
Impediments to faculty creating inclusive class environments
Exposure to a variety of research-based inclusive practices
Deciding which actions are most relevant for your courses and context
Encouraging Learning
Decipher Disciplinary Thinking by Examining How Students Think and Learn in Your Field
When you teach, you do more than cover content; you also help students develop thinking processes specific to
your discipline. We offer customized departmental workshops in which you and your colleagues use an established
framework (Middendorf & Pace, 2004) to critically analyze your assumptions and teaching practices.
Effective Use of PowerPoint
This workshop will help you create slides that are effective and engaging.
Large Classes, Big Challenges: Strategies for Instructor Success
Large classes can present big challenges to instructors and students alike. This interactive presentation introduces
participants to strategies designed to foster student participation and class civility. We also discuss tips for handling
grading for large amounts of students. This session is designed for people teaching classes of 40-500+.
Teaching with Technology
Curious what your Penn State colleagues are doing with technology in the classroom? This session explores
several University-supported technologies, including blogs, wikis, lecture capture and VoiceThread, focusing on
specific pedagogies employed with these various technology tools. Attendees will come away with an
understanding of how these technologies can be applied to teaching and learning and where to go to get started
with these technologies.
Working with Student Teams
As the use of multi-disciplinary, geographically dispersed teams in the workforce continues to rise, many instructors
are incorporating team-based assignments as part of the curriculum. This workshop will examine several different
approaches to teaming, specifically when working with student teams to complete large, complex class
assignments. The workshop will cover methods for creating teams, strategies for monitoring team progress and
strategies used to assess teams and their work.
Assessing and Reflecting on Learning
Getting Through the Stack: Grading that is Efficient and Effective
If you find grading to be time consuming and frustrating and you spend hours writing comments on student papers
but are doubtful that your comments are implemented, or even read, we can help. In this workshop, we will give you
strategies on how to grade efficiently and effectively.
Student Ratings (SRTE): Myths and Realities
There are several myths floating around about student ratings. In this workshop, we will highlight which
assumptions about student ratings are supported by research, and which are not.
Using Rubrics to Improve Grading
Do you dread scoring students’ essays? Do you love the assignments you’ve created but worry that you might not
be scoring them consistently? Do your students ever complain that they don’t know “what you want”? Scoring
rubrics may be the answer. This workshop will provide some rubric basics then guide you through designing a
rubric that you can use in one of your courses.
Writing and Analyzing Multiple Choice Tests
Multiple choice tests are easy to score but difficult to write well, particularly if you want to assess critical thinking. In
this workshop, you’ll get some tips to help you write effective multiple choice questions and use statistical
information to improve your question-writing.
Student Engagement
Lectures That Keep Students Engaged
In this workshop, we can help you design instruction that will keep your students engaged, focused and learning
throughout the class period.
Motivating Students
Do your students seem to lack a strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and a general desire to learn? Poor student
motivation can be a barrier to learning. In this workshop, you’ll learn research-based strategies for increasing
student motivation. You’ll feel differently about your students and leave feeling empowered to motivate them!
Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
301 Rider Building ▪ University Park, PA 16802
www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu ▪ site@psu.edu