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Embracing Belonging, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (BEDI)

NSU educators will design and deliver learning opportunities that acknowledge, celebrate, and engage all learners.

NSU educators will:

  • Respect and value learner and learning differences.
  • Design learning experiences that are equitable, accessible, inclusive, and incorporate diverse examples and viewpoints.
  • Seek to engage all learners so that they may participate fully in their curricular and co-curricular environments.
  • Ask for learner input about ways to increase belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in teaching and learning practices.

The following sessions are intended to support NSU educators in developing honest, fair, and consistent instructional practices that encourage freedom of inquiry.

INTG – Acting with Integrity 
BEDI – Embracing BEDI 
LCTR – Creating Learner-Centered Environments
DSGN – Designing Effective Learning Experiences 
TECH – Using Innovative Teaching Strategies and Technology

Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (BEDI, INTG)
Universal Design builds on the notion that what is essential for some is often good for everybody. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applies this notion to learning, providing a framework to support diverse students in a way that is beneficial for everyone. In this session, Dr. Orellana will introduce the UDL framework and principles, and present resources and examples to get started with UDL.

Foundations of Teaching Online: Humanizing Approaches to Teaching with Technology (BEDI, LCTR, TECH, INTG, DSGN)
Education is a caring practice. As such, it is important to consider the effectiveness of the technologies we use for promoting productivity, supporting student engagement, and facilitating a student’s acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, skills, and attitudes. In this session we define a pedagogy of care, discuss humanizing approaches to teaching with technology, and explore ways to integrate these approaches into current teaching and learning practices.

Teaching During a Pandemic or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Teaching Online (BEDI, LCTR, DSGN, TECH)
Everyone’s lives were turned upside down during quarantine in 2020. Traditional face-to-face lectures were out of the question and teachers everywhere were forced to adapt to provide for their students. This presentation will review some of the skills and technologies that help to enhance student learning while socially distanced and as we transition back to the classroom for our “new normal.” Tutorials will also be provided for free resources to help incorporate more technology into your lectures including livestreaming to YouTube and using virtual sticky notes.

Using Non-CRN Canvas “Courses” to Provide Targeted Academic Content to Students (BEDI, DSGN, LCTR, TECH)
People most often use Canvas as a home for formal course content, but it has an even broader capacity to support students' learning when we think outside of the box. In this presentation, Susan Landrum will demonstrate how non-CRN Canvas "courses" can be used to create targeted academic content for students, such as supplemental modules that can be assigned to multiple courses; orientation mini-courses introducing students to the basic academic skills they will need for their program; and other types of academic skills instruction.

Expanding Accessibility Using PowerPoint Tools (BEDI, TECH)
Creating accessible PowerPoints is easy using Microsoft’s built-in accessibility checker. In this presentation, Carolyn Fitzpatrick reviews common accessibility mistakes in PowerPoint, and demonstrates how to fix them quickly.

Foundations of Teaching Online: Accessible and Inclusive Instructional Design (BEDI, INTG)
In this workshop, we will explore strategies for making online courses more accessible and inclusive. All students can benefit from intentional course design.

Active Learning and the Measurement of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education (BEDI, LCTR)
Active learning modalities of teaching are instructional undertakings involving students participating in an engaged manner in their education. Approaches that promote active learning focus more on developing students’ skills instead of transmitting information through a traditional didactic lecture setup which can be relatively, a more passive level of participation for the student. Active learning sessions require students to indulge actively (read, discuss, write, analyze) that requires higher order and critical thinking, and emphasis is placed on the students’ explorations of their own attitudes and values. This presentation explores the different modalities which practice an active learning format, insights into the facilitation of these sessions and measurement of student outcomes of these sessions.

Creating Captions and Editing with Shark Media (BEDI, TECH)

Preparing Your Online Course a Canvas Summer Road Trip Session 3: What Do We Need Along the Way?  Planning Learning Experiences & Instruction Part 1 (Welcoming Your Students) (BEDI, LCTR)
One of the most impactful things you can do to get your course off to a good start is welcoming your students. In this session, we will discuss strategies you can use to welcome your students and make them feel part of your online learning community.

Inclusive Courses in Canvas According to Universal Design for Learning: Practical Design Ideas (BEDI, TECH, INTG)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-based instruction promotes inclusive learning that meets the diverse needs of all students. Three UDL principles, nine guidelines, and 31 checkpoints guide the creation of instructional environment, lessons, and curricula. However, given the myriad of pedagogical and technological options, where and how do we start implementing UDL in an online course? What are some practices or tips to get started in Canvas? In this session, Dr. Orellana will share and discuss with participants practical implementation ideas to design Canvas courses according to UDL.

Connecting Faculty and Student (Re-)Engagement with Relationship-Rich Education: Opportunities for Fall 2022 (BEDI, LCTR, INTG)
This conversation will provide participants with an overview of relationship-rich education (Felton and Lambert, 2020) and how it can have a positive impact on faculty and student (re-)engagement this fall. This workshop is being offered only for undergraduate department chairs and faculty developers at this time.

Starting the Journey to Excellence with a College Faculty Onboarding Program (INTG, BEDI)
The journey to engaged, excellent teaching requires support and preparation for those doing the teaching! In this session, we describe a college Faculty Onboarding Program we developed in 2023 to introduce our new faculty to NSU and provide them with the resources and information needed to succeed in their new role—driven by the belief that effective onboarding will lead to higher job satisfaction, better job performance, greater organizational commitment, and reduction in stress. Informed by feedback from recently hired faculty, we identified support strategies to help new faculty thrive by proactively removing barriers and minimizing guesswork, rather than fixing issues in a reactive fashion.
Attendees will have access to program resources they can adapt for their own use, such as checklists to guide new faculty during their first day, week, term, and year. They will see the non-CRN Faculty Onboarding Canvas Site we created as a virtual learning community; it houses modules on everything from how to get a Shark Card, how to handle grade disputes, to the process for faculty contract review. The program also includes in-person and Zoom activities, such as a college New Faculty Orientation, Onboarding Open Houses, Canvas Support Sessions, a Teaching Workshop Series, and social gatherings with the Dean. We also expanded our Faculty Peer Mentor program and provided additional support to the Peer Mentors. We hope that attendees will gain inspiration and practical ideas for engaging faculty in their own colleges in a manner that supports excellence in teaching and learning across the university.

Packing our Bags for Inclusive Classroom Engagement: Strategies for Actively Engaging Students to Explore Diversity (BEDI, LCTR, DSGN)
Today’s college students are on a journey to grow knowledge, skills, and competence in the profession of their dreams. The landscape of the learning environment requires faculty to adjust their teaching styles as students respond to changes in societal norms. Creating a curriculum to meet the needs of multiple learning styles and a diverse student population must include various teaching methods. In addition to developing new teaching methods, it is essential to consider the growing cultural profile of our nation. As future professionals serving diverse populations, students benefit from a robust curriculum that exposes them to various populations and promotes cultural competence. Many strategies enhance learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Active learning is an instructional method that engages students with the curriculum through discussions, classroom activities, problem-solving, and other methods. Creating activities and discussions around diversity can foster an inclusive classroom environment while providing opportunities for students to relate to real-life problems. Encouraging students to work together to provide feedback to faculty regarding course content can promote a sense of belonging. The proposed presentation addresses how faculty can engage students using active learning methods in physical and virtual classrooms. Faculty can benefit from packing a bag of ideas, activities, and creative strategies that include topics, terminology, and principles of diversity in their course content. How faculty might consider inclusivity when creating course assessments and activities will be discussed. Attendees will engage with learning content and activities exemplifying diversity, inclusion, and belonging principles.


 

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