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Workshops

The Center for Teaching Excellence welcomes your suggestions for presenters and programming aimed at improving teaching and learning at USC. Please share your thoughts. We’d love to hear your ideas!  Submit Professional Development Recommendation

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June 2026

Thursday, June 11, 1:00pm - 2:00pm - Webinar

This workshop familiarizes attendees with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate a UCV course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize Blackboard tools, and grade assignments.  Register

Tuesday, June 23, 10:00am - 11:30am - Webinar

This comprehensive 90-minute workshop introduces educators to using both Panopto and Zoom within Blackboard Learn to create engaging, effective online learning experiences. Participants will learn how to create and manage video content with Panopto, integrate recordings seamlessly into their courses, and leverage Zoom for live virtual sessions.

The session will also cover scheduling and managing Zoom meetings, handling recordings, and organizing video content for easy student access. Whether you are new to these tools or looking to streamline your workflow, this training provides practical strategies to enhance teaching and learning with integrated video and web conferencing solutions. Register

July 2026

Tuesday, July 7, 10:00am - 11:00am - Webinar

In this session you'll learn how to transform your Blackboard Learn Ultra course from ordinary to extraordinary! Discover how best to organize your content to make your course visually engaging and user-friendly and then take it a step further with customization to add some pizazz. Whether you're looking to streamline your course structure, add some creative touches, or both, this session will give you the tools to make your course stand out.  Register

Wednesday, July 22, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar

This workshop familiarizes attendees with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate a UCV course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize Blackboard tools, and grade assignments.  Register

August 2026

Tuesday, August 4, 10:30am - 11:30am - Webinar

This workshop is designed for Blackboard users who are familiar with the new Ultra Course View but want a more intensive look at the UCV Gradebook. In this 60-minute session, a consultant from eLearning Services will share best practices and tips & tricks for setting up a Gradebook that works for you, present a live demonstration, and answer questions. Register

Monday, August 10, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar

Why do you have a syllabus? Do your students even read the syllabus? In this session, you will discuss the purpose of the syllabus and how it can support clear and organized course design. You will identify USC-specific syllabus resources, including a template and checklist, that can help communicate course expectations, policies, and student responsibilities effectively. Register

Tuesday, August 11, 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Webinar

In this session, you will explore strategies for structuring your course for a strong start and preparing students for success. You will examine content flow, pacing, and alignment between outcomes and assessments to support a clear and organized learning experience.  Register

Tuesday, August 11, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for course design that prioritizes accessibility and anticipates learners’ needs. In this session, you will become familiar with UDL as a tool for course preparation and explore resources for increasing the accessibility of course materials and learning activities. Register

Wednesday, August 12, 11:00am - 12:00pm - Webinar

In this session, you will identify strategies for creating a strong start to the semester through day one planning, early engagement, active learning, and connections to resources that support student success. Register

Wednesday, August 12, 3:30pm - 4:30pm - Webinar

Active learning doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. In this session, you will explore active learning activities that take around 15 minutes or less and begin building an engagement toolkit that can support student participation and interaction. Register

Thursday, August 13, 9:00am - 10:00am - Webinar

This workshop familiarizes attendees with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate a UCV course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize Blackboard tools, and grade assignments.  Register

Thursday, August 13, 10:30am - 11:30am - Webinar

This workshop is designed for Blackboard users who are familiar with the new Ultra Course View but want a more intensive look at the UCV Gradebook. In this 60-minute session, a consultant from eLearning Services will share best practices and tips & tricks for setting up a Gradebook that works for you, present a live demonstration, and answer questions. Register

Thursday, August 13, 1:00pm - 2:00pm - Webinar

In this session you'll learn how to transform your Blackboard Learn Ultra course from ordinary to extraordinary! Discover how best to organize your content to make your course visually engaging and user-friendly and then take it a step further with customization to add some pizazz. Whether you're looking to streamline your course structure, add some creative touches, or both, this session will give you the tools to make your course stand out.  Register

Thursday, August 13, 2:30pm - 4:00pm - Webinar

This comprehensive 90-minute workshop introduces educators to using both Panopto and Zoom within Blackboard Learn to create engaging, effective online learning experiences. Participants will learn how to create and manage video content with Panopto, integrate recordings seamlessly into their courses, and leverage Zoom for live virtual sessions.

The session will also cover scheduling and managing Zoom meetings, handling recordings, and organizing video content for easy student access. Whether you are new to these tools or looking to streamline your workflow, this training provides practical strategies to enhance teaching and learning with integrated video and web conferencing solutions. Register

Friday, August 14, 9:00am - 9:40am - Webinar

In this workshop, you will learn how to enhance your courses in Blackboard's Ultra Course View. This session will guide you through setting accommodations for students, making your content more accessible, and applying universal design best practices. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be equipped with practical strategies to create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students. Don't miss this opportunity to make your courses better for everyone!   Register

Friday, August 14, 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Webinar

This workshop familiarizes attendees with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate a UCV course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize Blackboard tools, and grade assignments.  Register

Friday, August 14, 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Webinar

iClicker Cloud is a mobile-optimized engagement platform designed to facilitate student, educator, and institutional collaboration. iClicker Cloud includes both synchronous and asynchronous options including polling, quizzing, and assignments. Integrated right into Blackboard, iClicker can help instructors increase attendance and participation, provide instant feedback and identify misconceptions in real time, regardless of class size or the delivery method. Register

Monday, August 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm - Webinar

Did you know that there is a science behind learning names? Names are an important part of identity and key to?establishing?rapport as you build your learning communities. Facilitating learning names by everyone in your class increases a sense of belonging and enhances opportunities for engagement. In this session, you will reflect on personal and global naming conventions,?identify?cognitive challenges with learning names, prioritize learning names as a pedagogy of care, and apply science of names to classroom practices?   Register

Monday, August 17, 5:30pm - 7:00pm - Virtual

Adjunct Faculty Orientation provides practical guidance and just-in-time resources to support teaching at USC. Participants will learn about instructional technologies, teaching support services, course preparation strategies, and campus resources available to both instructors and students.  Register

Wednesday, August 19, 11:00am - 12:00pm - Webinar

CTE is most useful as an ongoing relationship, not a service you call on only when you are stuck. Faculty who connect with us early, before a specific need arises, get the most out of what we offer: a sounding board for new ideas, a second set of eyes on a course, a partner in trying something different. And when something more urgent comes up, we are here for that too. This practical, interactive session introduces what CTE actually does, including consultations, observations, programming, and course design support, and helps participants find the right starting point for where they are this semester. The session is built around participants' real questions and goals, so everyone leaves with a concrete first step and a reason to come back.  Register

Thursday, August 20, 11:00am - 12:00pm - Webinar

International students bring real strengths to a classroom: multilingual skill, cross-cultural insight, and experience moving between very different academic systems. Yet even a well-designed course can quietly work against them. Many courses rely on unspoken rules about how to participate, how to write, and which English is “correct,” and students often discover those rules only by breaking one. This highly interactive workshop helps faculty see those hidden rules in their own teaching and make them visible. Through short cases and shared problem-solving, participants leave with a handful of concrete, low-effort changes that make a course easier to navigate for international students.  Register

Friday, August 21, 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Webinar

While teaching laboratory sections may appear to an outsider to simply involve monitoring student activities, in reality they are multiple-hour classes that require numerous instructional skills, including detailed planning, content mastery and presentation, implementation of experiments, classroom management, troubleshooting, and interactive student assessment. In this session, GTA/IAs will be given guidance on the preparation and steps necessary for facilitating an engaging, learning-centered laboratory session and how to keep students motivated. Tips on grading strategies for laboratory-style assessments along with managing laboratory-specific issues will be discussed. Register

Monday, August 24, 11:15am - 11:45am - Webinar

Blackboard’s Ally tool simplifies the process of identifying and resolving accessibility issues across a variety of file types. In this session, learn how to use Ally’s features to check accessibility, fix issues, and improve your course materials. Register

Tuesday, August 25, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

Are you equipped to provide accessible content that meets the needs of all your students? Come prepared - with your laptop (if possible) - to gain hands-on experience of applying digital accessibility best practices during this session.

This workshop will provide guidance for applying accessibility practices to your documents appropriately and how to prevent potential barriers people experience due to disabilities. An overview of disabilities and the challenges they cause will be provided including types of assistive technologies (AT) that help alleviate those challenges.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be touched on related to its part in developing accessible content. Integrated automated accessibility checkers of Microsoft and Blackboard platforms will also be covered. These automated tools can identify accessibility issues and provide guidance to resolve them.

Attend with curiosity to help lead toward innovative and inclusive content design strategies. Leave with a strong sense of applying accessibility best practices that opens the path of better experiences for all your students. It is strongly advised that you bring a laptop or tablet to follow along with the presentation.  Register

Tuesday, August 25, 1:00pm - 2:30pm - Webinar

The Generative Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice (GenAI CoP) at the University of South Carolina is a collaborative initiative designed to explore and discuss the implications of GenAI in higher education. This community brings together faculty, staff, and graduate students to share insights, strategies, and experiences related to the integration of GenAI across administration, research, teaching, and learning. Register

Wednesday, August 26, 11:00am - 12:00pm - Webinar

Bias doesn't announce itself. It surfaces in an offhand comment, a casually chosen example, the student whose hand you don't see or feedback that lands differently than intended. But bias doesn't operate in isolation, it's amplified or interrupted by power dynamics: who holds authority, whose knowledge is centered and how participation is structured. Interrupting Bias in the Classroom is a highly interactive, practice-focused workshop that moves beyond awareness into action. We treat participants as practitioners refining a difficult skill, noticing bias and the power structures that enable it in real time, then respond in ways that preserve learning and relationships. Register

Wednesday, August 26, 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Webinar

Having a successful, positive experience during a graduate teaching or instructional assistantship (GTA/IA) is a shared responsibility, including both the faculty member supervisor and the graduate student. While the faculty member/supervisor takes primary responsibility for guidance through the requirements of the GTA’s role, the GTA also needs to be proactive and involved. GTA supervision can take many forms depending on a variety of factors, and both the supervisor and GTA should follow key guidelines of good supervisory implementation and practice.

Join this webinar to learn the recommended guidelines and best practices, including how to ensure effective and respectful communication, develop realistic timelines and expectations, and navigate problematic situations through a scenario-based discussion approach. Be proactive so that you ensure your graduate teaching assistantship is positive, successful, and provides you with a professional development opportunity that benefits you in all aspects of your graduate career. Register

Thursday, August 27, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar

Clearly articulating classroom expectations helps to set the foundation for a mutually beneficial course. Research shows that persistence and retention is connected to student's sense of belonging. Furthermore, students who engage in quality interactions with faculty are retained at a higher rate (Astin 1977, 1993). As a faculty member, it is important to assist in developing this sense of belonging and aid in student's persistence and retention. This session will cover pedagogical strategies and ways to negotiate positive norms within your classroom to assist you in developing a meaningful academic environment.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments.  Register

Friday, August 28, 8:15am - 2:00pm - In-Person

Meet academic leaders, connect with fellow faculty, and gain practical tools for success at USC. Register

Monday, August 31, 2:20pm - 2:50pm - Webinar

All course materials hosted on USC platforms, including Blackboard, must be digitally accessible. This session focuses on Microsoft Word and covers how to use heading styles, the accessibility checker, and other tools to create accessible syllabi, assignments, and handouts.  Register

September 2026

Tuesday, September 1, 11:40am - 12:55pm - In-Person

During their time at USC, our undergraduate students enroll in courses, participate in cocurricular engagements, hold down jobs while preparing themselves for their future careers, engage with the community, and manage their own personal challenges (AAC&U/Carnegie Foundation, 2004), but how do they make sense of these varied experiences and realize how they all interconnect? Integrative learning provides students with strategies to make connections between these within and beyond the classroom activities to help them apply their skills to new and complex problems and challenges.

This presentation explores teaching strategies and philosophies that encourage students to engage in activities beyond the classroom and then have students relate those experiences to their courses and curriculum. We will review current research and practices on integrative and experiential learning and how the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning supports IL and EL, including the impactful role of our Quality Enhancement Plan, Experience by Design. Participants will discuss strategies for encouraging students to reflect and make interdisciplinary connections between their experiences within and beyond the classroom to promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

This workshop is a required session for a certificate of completion in Integrative and Experiential Learning.  Register

Tuesday, September 1, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

Active Learning doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. Start creating your own engagement toolkit with this selection of active learning activities that take around 15 minutes or less. Whether you're in a large or small room, have 20 or 200 students, need group work or solo reflection, we have something you can modify to suit your needs.   Register

Wednesday, September 2, 9:40am - 10:30am - Webinar

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an integral part of our world. However, it's crucial to understand that AI complements human innovation and creativity rather than replacing it. In this webinar, we'll explore how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can empower learners and educators alike, fostering responsible and innovative use across disciplines.  Register

Wednesday, September 2, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar

The Active Learning & Technology Community of Practice (AL&T CoP) welcomes faculty, staff, and graduate students interested in engaging tools and technological innovation for more interactive teaching and learning. The community explores the integration of software and hardware for both in-person and online classrooms, focusing on new platforms, best practices, and effective student engagement. 

The AL&T CoP provides opportunities to:

  • Attend presentations on innovative experiences and share your own projects and research.
  • Brainstorm with peers who are effectively integrating new hardware and software to increase student engagement.
  • Collaborate with members from diverse departments.
  • Get involved in active learning events on campus through learning and volunteer opportunities.  Register

Thursday, September 3, 10:05am - 10:35am - Webinar

PowerPoint presentations can powerfully support student learning when designed accessibly. This session explores key accessibility practices such as reading order, alternative text, and slide structure to ensure every student can engage with your visual content. Register

Thursday, September 3, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

How can we excel at supporting all graduate and professional students at USC? This interactive presentation explores this question through a look at the needs and experiences of this often, under-resourced population of students, from both a national and USC-specific perspective. Through facilitated discussion, participants will learn about key challenges to graduate student academic and career success and how to translate skills to the labor market as well as academia and explore resources and recommendations for fostering a culture of support in the classroom and beyond.

This an elective session for a certificate of completion in Understanding USC Student Populations and Experiences.  Register

Tuesday, September 8, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar

Creating an environment of integrity within the classroom truly takes a village. Faculty, administrators, and students all play a role in maintaining an ethical campus community. This workshop will explore preventative tools to address classroom roadblocks.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments.  Register

Tuesday, September 8, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

You've got your mind set on active learning strategies, but how do you bring them to scale without overwhelming yourself or your students? Maybe you want to do 'something' active in your big class, or to adapt a technique you're using with a smaller class, but need support with the logistics.

Join us for an overview of effective, evidence-based active learning strategies that are manageable in larger classes - whether for you that means 30 or 300..
Register

Wednesday, September 9, 10:05am - 10:35am - Webinar

PDFs are one of the most common file types shared across courses and websites, but they can also be one of the least accessible if not properly designed. This micro-workshop explores how to create and remediate accessible PDFs, whether you’re exporting from Word, PowerPoint, or scanning existing materials. Learn how to check PDFs for accessibility as well as resources to address the most common errors. Register

Wednesday, September 9, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - In-Person

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) community of practice provides an intentional space for discussion regarding accessibility in teaching and learning at the university. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to join. Register

Thursday, September 10, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

How can we foster meaningful engagement in the online classroom? This interactive virtual workshop explores practical active-learning strategies for both synchronous and asynchronous courses. Participants will experience approaches that encourage collaboration, participation, and deeper learning, from simple discussion and case-study activities to more structured models such as team-based learning. Register

Friday, September 11, 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Webinar

Assessing your course is crucial to gathering valuable feedback on how effectively your teaching methods are working and making adjustments to improve the overall learning experience for your students. A course assessment should go beyond end-of-semester student evaluations by obtaining meaningful, actionable input from students regarding their experience in your class, their needs, and perceptions. There are many ways to collect feedback from your students; the best method depends on your objectives and the kind of information you want. In this webinar, we will explore a variety of techniques, such as midterm feedback for obtaining this kind of formative whole-course feedback, how to identify areas of improvement, what to ask your students, when and how to collect feedback, and how to interpret and respond to that feedback so you can improve your course for all involved.  Register

Monday, September 14, 11:00am - 11:30am - Webinar

Learn how the Quality Standards for Online Courses (QSOC) guide the Provost’s Online Course Quality Review Initiative and support student success in online learning environments. This webinar provides an overview of the standards and highlights practical considerations for course development, communication, engagement, accessibility, and online course delivery.  Register

Monday, September 14, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar

Discover the potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to support your teaching and enhance student learning. This session explores practical strategies for experimenting with GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot. Examine how foundational prompt-writing techniques and hands-on exploration can build your AI literacy and inform the teaching and learning content you design.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Define Generative Artificial Intelligence and prompt writing in accessible, practical terms.
  • Explore four GenAI tools—ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot—to compare capabilities and uses relevant to teaching and student learning.
  • Apply basic prompt-writing strategies to experiment with GenAI and generate outputs that could support student learning or instructional tasks.
  • Identify opportunities for meaningful integration of GenAI into teaching and learning—such as explanations, examples, feedback, question generation, or activity design.

This is a required session for the Teaching and Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence digital badge.  Register

Tuesday, September 15, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

This interactive session will examine what students truly want from faculty inside and outside the classroom. Using research and student voices, participants will explore themes such as supportive teaching, sense of belonging, communication, approachability, and engaging pedagogy. Attendees will reflect on their own teaching practices while gaining practical strategies for building stronger connections with students and fostering environments that support learning, persistence, and student success. Register

Tuesday, September 15, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty and staff to make campus more supportive of students in recovery from substance use disorder. Learn to: confront myths and stigma about substance use disorder; use and model acts of allyship in everyday interactions; and identify, access, and direct people to recovery resources at USC.

The Recovery Ally workshop is presented in a flipped-classroom model that includes a self-paced video module as prework (estimated 20 minutes) and an in-person session. Please review the recorded content prior to your workshop session.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency.  Register

Wednesday, September 16, 1:10pm - 1:40pm - Webinar

Captioning and transcripts make video content more engaging, flexible, and accessible. Learn how to use USC’s supported video platform, Panopto, to easily add and manage captions for lectures and other recorded materials.  Register

Thursday, September 17, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

As part of the Compassionate Carolina initiative, this workshop helps faculty and teaching assistants build classrooms grounded in care, connection, and courage. Participants will learn how trauma impacts student learning and behavior, and explore practical, trauma-informed strategies to promote psychological safety, inclusion, and resilience—for both students and themselves.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency.  Register

Monday, September 21, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar

How do we view our students? How can you harness their strengths and abilities to succeed? In this session, we will recognize how the lenses that we view students through form a hidden curriculum of expectations and how we can shift to leveraging the strengths of all students. We will apply strategies for creating more equitable teaching to enhance our teaching practices and empower students. Register

Tuesday, September 22, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

Join our series to learn more about the importance of collaborating with the University Libraries’ Special Collections to transform student research. This session will introduce practical strategies for identifying, selecting, and scaffolding primary materials across disciplines. Attendees will explore assignment design techniques that support critical thinking, source evaluation, and original interpretation. This hybrid series offers adaptable approaches to deepen student engagement and elevate research outcomes.

This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library. Register

Tuesday, September 22, 1:00pm - 2:30pm - Webinar

The Generative Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice (GenAI CoP) at the University of South Carolina is a collaborative initiative designed to explore and discuss the implications of GenAI in higher education. This community brings together faculty, staff, and graduate students to share insights, strategies, and experiences related to the integration of GenAI across administration, research, teaching, and learning. Register

Thursday, September 24, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

This workshop is designed to explore the student experiences of junior and senior year students utilizing insights gleaned from USC data, as well as national literature on these topics. Given the significant emphasis placed on the later years of undergraduate college students, particularly related to their career readiness and planning, participation in high-impact practices and experiential learning opportunities, and preparing to successfully launch into the next life chapters, this session will highlight ways that faculty and staff can support upperclassmen students during this significant stage of their academic careers.

This workshop is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Understanding USC Student Populations and Experiences. Register

Thursday, September 24, 11:40am - 12:55pm - In-Person

As part of the Compassionate Carolina initiative, this workshop helps faculty and teaching assistants build classrooms grounded in care, connection, and courage. Participants will learn how trauma impacts student learning and behavior, and explore practical, trauma-informed strategies to promote psychological safety, inclusion, and resilience—for both students and themselves.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency.  Register

Monday, September 28, 9:40am - 10:30am - Webinar

When you inherit a course, you also inherit someone else's decisions. A syllabus, a set of materials, an assessment plan, all built on reasoning you cannot fully see. Some of it is genuinely good. Some of it no longer fits the students, the field, or you. The hard part is telling the difference. This hands-on workshop gives participants a clear process for reviewing an inherited course and deciding what to keep, what to change, and what to remove. Participants work with their own inherited course during the session, so they leave with the start of a real revision plan. Register

Tuesday, September 29, 11:40am - 12:55pm - In-Person

This session will primarily focus on transfer and sophomore college year experiences, with some additional emphasis on junior year students. With the recent launch of Carolina Experience in 2024, a heightened emphasis is placed on continuity across the entirety of USC student experiences through increased sense of belonging and career readiness. To help in these endeavors, longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data collected from the Student Success Center has been instrumental in better understanding these target populations.

What are the experiences of transfer and sophomore college students? What are the biggest challenges they face and what do they most look forward to? How does this align with the national research on these populations? And most importantly- how can this scholarly literature, theoretical context, and localized data be used to support the overall USC student experience at USC and in support of engagement, including experiential learning, and career readiness?

We will go over the assessment findings and what specialized resources are already in place at USC to support these populations, as well as provide recommendations for instructors and course-based activities utilizing evidence-based approaches. Finally, we will wrap up this session with group discussion on suggestions to further support the target populations through the Carolina Experience, including additional ways for campus stakeholders to get involved.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Understanding USC Student Populations and an elective session for a certificate of completion in Integrative and Experiential Learning.  Register

Tuesday, September 29, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

Join our series to learn more about the importance of collaborating with the University Libraries’ Special Collections to transform student research. This session will introduce practical strategies for identifying, selecting, and scaffolding primary materials across disciplines. Attendees will explore assignment design techniques that support critical thinking, source evaluation, and original interpretation. This hybrid series offers adaptable approaches to deepen student engagement and elevate research outcomes.

This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library.  Register

Wednesday, September 30, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar

Examine how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can enhance the clarity, accessibility, and engagement of your course materials. This session explores practical strategies for using GenAI tools—such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot—to support course content creation and strengthen course design. Examine how GenAI aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to promote flexibility, inclusivity, and deeper learning experiences.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Apply effective prompt-writing strategies to create or refine course content that aligns with desired learning outcomes.
  • Use Generative AI tools to generate clear, engaging, and accessible content that supports student learning.
  • Integrate UDL principles—including engagement, representation, and action/expression—to design flexible and inclusive learning experiences.
  • Identify responsible and transparent practices for using GenAI in course content creation and design.

This is a required session for the Teaching and Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence digital badge. Register

Wednesday, September 30, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - Webinar

How do you conceptualize learning? How do you guide your students toward integrating new knowledge and skills into their existing ideas and abilities? In this session, you will review key principles of cognitive constructivism, social constructivism, and connectivism and strategies to apply them to our teaching to enhance student learning. You will then reflect on how these strategies could affect your students’ learning experience and how you might apply them to your own teaching practices.  Register

October 2026

Thursday, October 1, 11:40am - 12:55pm - Webinar

Are your students sometimes mystified by their grades, or perhaps lacking motivation to take ownership of their learning? Have you ever wanted to help your students become more effective learners? Today’s students come to college with widely varying academic skills, unaware of the study skills needed to meet college-level expectations for learning.

Metacognition is the practice of “thinking about thinking”: the awareness and ability of learners to identify their cognitive processes and make changes to their learning behaviors (Lovett, 2008). Promoting metacognition can increase students' understanding of how learning works, teaching students how to understand what caused their successes or failures and direct their own learning (Brownlee, Purdie, & Boulton-Lewis, 2001).

This webinar will go beyond the basics of metacognition and explore how to use metacognitive techniques to help students monitor and regulate their own learning, providing you with concrete strategies and adaptive instructional materials for incorporating into your course. Register

Friday, October 2, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - In-Person

Think back to the most influential teacher or professor you have ever had. Chances are, what you remember most is not their PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, or exam questions. You remember how they made you feel, the experiences they created, the questions they challenged you to answer, and the moments that transformed information into understanding. Why do some of these learning experiences stay with us for years while others are forgotten by the end of the semester? The answer may lie not in what students hear, but in what they do. Experiential Learning Theory suggests that meaningful learning occurs when students actively engage with ideas through experience, reflection, and application. Yet many instructors struggle with how to move beyond traditional lectures without sacrificing course content or rigor. The good news is that experiential learning does not require a complete course redesign. Small, intentional changes can create opportunities for deeper engagement, critical thinking, and lasting learning.

In this interactive workshop, participants will use an experiential learning framework, the Design Challenge, to redesign a component of their course to include an experiential learning element. Through reflection, hands-on activities, and peer discussion of practical implementation for their discipline and instructional modality, attendees will leave with evidence-based approaches for creating learning experiences that students remember long after the course has ended.

This workshop is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Integrative and Experiential Learning.  Register

Tuesday, October 6, 11:00am - 11:30am - Webinar

Learn how the Quality Standards for Online Courses (QSOC) guide the Provost’s Online Course Quality Review Initiative and support student success in online learning environments. This webinar provides an overview of the standards and highlights practical considerations for course development, communication, engagement, accessibility, and online course delivery.   Register

Wednesday, October 7, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar

In this session we will discuss the academic misconduct trends we are seeing online and in person with our students. Additionally, we will discuss how to identify and address these common violations while maintaining a productive instructor/student relationship.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments.  Register

Wednesday, October 7, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - In-Person

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) community of practice provides an intentional space for discussion regarding accessibility in teaching and learning at the university. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to join. Register

Thursday, October 8, 11:40am - 12:55pm - In-Person

Utilizing integrative learning principles, the presenters will share examples of how high impact practice (HIP) characteristics are incorporated across different disciplines and identify classroom assessment techniques (CATs) that can be applied across a variety of academic settings. Participants will have opportunities to share examples of reflection and integrative learning principles in the design of assignments and appropriate assessment methods for their classroom.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Integrative and Experiential Learning.  Register

Thursday, October 8, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

Many students find it increasingly difficult to afford course materials and faculty can feel at a loss for how to find and incorporate free, copyright-compliant materials into their courses. Educators may also be interested in knowing how these resources can be used creatively for more interactive learning sessions. We are here to help! This workshop will not only discuss how to adopt OER resources for your course with the library's assistance, but also to encourage you and your students to create and license OER resources for others to use in their courses. These ideas are perfect for individual or group projects that allow learners to test and use the course materials to show their knowledge retention. Register

Monday, October 12, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar

Explore how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can support the design of interactive, student-centered learning activities. This session explores practical strategies for using GenAI tools—such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot—to design discussions, case studies, and simulations that enhance engagement and deepen learning. Examine how prompt-writing techniques and intentional use of GenAI can strengthen active learning, promote critical thinking, and create more meaningful learning experiences for your students.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Apply prompt-writing strategies to generate or adapt active learning activities that support engagement and student learning.
  • Design interactive learning experiences—such as discussions, case studies, and simulations—that leverage GenAI to enhance participation and collaboration.
  • Evaluate GenAI-generated activities to determine alignment with learning outcomes and opportunities for refinement.
  • Identify ways to integrate GenAI intentionally into learning activities to promote deeper understanding, creativity, and reflection.

This is a required session for the Teaching and Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence digital badge.  Register

Tuesday, October 13, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty and staff to make campus more supportive of students in recovery from substance use disorder. Learn to: confront myths and stigma about substance use disorder; use and model acts of allyship in everyday interactions; and identify, access, and direct people to recovery resources at USC.

The Recovery Ally workshop is presented in a flipped-classroom model that includes a self-paced video module as prework (estimated 20 minutes) and an in-person session. Please review the recorded content prior to your workshop session.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency Register

Wednesday, October 14, 12:00pm - 12:50pm - Webinar

The Active Learning & Technology Community of Practice (AL&T CoP) welcomes faculty, staff, and graduate students interested in engaging tools and technological innovation for more interactive teaching and learning. The community explores the integration of software and hardware for both in-person and online classrooms, focusing on new platforms, best practices, and effective student engagement. 

The AL&T CoP provides opportunities to:

  • Attend presentations on innovative experiences and share your own projects and research.
  • Brainstorm with peers who are effectively integrating new hardware and software to increase student engagement.
  • Collaborate with members from diverse departments.
  • Get involved in active learning events on campus through learning and volunteer opportunities  Register

Monday, October 19, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar

Do you want to learn techniques for involving your learners in your course? In this session, you will discuss strategies for active learning and student engagement that will help advance learning for everyone, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). You will engage with small teaching strategies to design learning activities that can enhance engagement as soon as your next class! Register

Tuesday, October 20, 11:40am - 12:55pm - In-Person

Learn to question your assumptions about what students know and explicitly identify the knowledge and skills you want them to acquire when completing library research assignments. In this session, participants will explore common challenges students face when conducting library research and identify best practices for designing assignments that require or encourage the use of library resources. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about ways in which faculty can partner with librarians to support student success. By creating research assignments with specific learning outcomes that are clear to your students, you can improve the experience for everyone involved.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library.  Register

Tuesday, October 20, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

We all hear the importance of active learning and group work, but how do we grade group projects and participation in a way that seems fair and simple to us while also feeling fair to students? Should we give one grade for all, have them self-grade, use attendance, or keep checklists of who talks? In this webinar, we will discuss best practices for assessing student learning in project, discussion, or active learning situations. Register

Friday, October 23, 8:15am - 3:15pm - In-Person

The 17th Annual Oktoberbest Symposium celebrates teaching success at USC, actively engages attendees in professional development sessions that enhance innovative teaching practices, and establishes and fosters meaningful connections. The Oktoberbest agenda features engaging sessions, led by your USC colleagues, on innovative approaches to teaching, assessments, course design, and creative student learning opportunities.

Oktoberbest is free to all who teach or support teaching at USC, but is not open to the general public. Register

Tuesday, October 27, 11:40am - 12:55pm - Webinar

A teaching philosophy statement provides a concise description of an instructor’s teaching approach, methods, and experience. Colleges and universities request a teaching philosophy statement from applicants for faculty positions, and this document is an important part of your application package.

What is your teaching philosophy? What should you write or include? What if you have limited teaching experience? This webinar will help you begin to articulate your teaching and learning philosophy through reflecting on your own values and experiences in different instructional settings. We will discuss the statement’s purpose, different aspects of your teaching experiences that should be included, and best practices and strategies for composing the statement.

This is a working webinar, requiring that you do some reflective writing in advance, so that the webinar itself can include individual writing, group discussion, and feedback. Participants will leave with an outline of their statement, written components, and guidance to continue crafting it.  Register

Tuesday, October 27, 1:00pm - 2:30pm - Webinar

Join us for a virtual session exploring how Generative AI tools can support research workflows and academic writing. We will highlight practical strategies for building a GenAI research toolbox, including brainstorming, literature discovery, data analysis, and drafting, while emphasizing responsible and ethical use. Participants will also learn about support available through Digital Research Services and engage in a guided discussion about how AI is shaping scholarly work across disciplines. Register

Wednesday, October 28, 1:10pm - 2:00pm - Webinar

Assessments just got a major upgrade! This webinar explores how Generative Artificial Intelligence can transform your assessments from rote memorization exercises to engaging experiences that promote deeper learning. Discover how to generate assessments that align with your course learning outcomes to foster creativity, critical thinking, and personalized learning experiences.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between traditional assessment methods and generative AI-powered assessments.
  • Apply prompt writing in the context of assessments.
  • Design effective assessments that measure student mastery and promote meaningful learning outcomes.

This is a required session for the Teaching and Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence digital badge. Register

November 2026

Wednesday, November 4, 3:30pm - 4:20pm - Webinar

Do you have a desire to help your learners become more motivated to do well and persist through challenges? Join us to learn how to leverage motivation and emotion to create positive, engaging learning environments. You will analyze motivational theories and strategies to determine what might be able to best help your learners in your context. Register

Thursday, November 5, 10:05am - 11:20am - Webinar

Engaging in conflict is challenging whether you are an experienced instructor or new to your role. A common strategy is to ignore the behavior due to our own discomfort, concern over retaliation or fear that our intervention may cause more harm or disruption. We will identify what our fears are about classroom disruption and use case study examples to practice strategies to stretch participants' comfort zones. This workshop will also explore Gerald Amada's research from Coping with Misconduct in the College Classroom and provide participants with tangible strategies to prevent and respectfully address disruptive behavior.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments.  Register

Thursday, November 5, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

Over 20% of USC students identify as first-generation (first-gen). With the launch of the First-Generation Center and First-Generation Living and Learning Community in fall 2024, a heightened emphasis has been placed on first-generation student success. This interactive session will present both national and USC-specific data, along with effective strategies and best practices for supporting first-generation students.

Enjoy a lively discussion with colleagues and students.

This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Understanding USC Student Populations and Experiences.  Register

Tuesday, November 10, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty and staff to make campus more supportive of students in recovery from substance use disorder. Learn to: confront myths and stigma about substance use disorder; use and model acts of allyship in everyday interactions; and identify, access, and direct people to recovery resources at USC.

The Recovery Ally workshop is presented in a flipped-classroom model that includes a self-paced video module as prework (estimated 20 minutes) and an in-person session. Please review the recorded content prior to your workshop session.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency.  Register

Tuesday, November 10, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - in-Person

In this introductory workshop, participants will learn how publishing models affect students’ abilities to access affordable course materials and how libraries can acquire learning resources for the classroom. Workshop facilitators will demonstrate how to use the library to provide affordable and equitable access to course materials through e-reserves, purchasing, video streaming, and open educational resources.

This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library. Register

Wednesday, November 11, 12:00pm - 12:050pm - Webinar

The Active Learning & Technology Community of Practice (AL&T CoP) welcomes faculty, staff, and graduate students interested in engaging tools and technological innovation for more interactive teaching and learning. The community explores the integration of software and hardware for both in-person and online classrooms, focusing on new platforms, best practices, and effective student engagement. 

The AL&T CoP provides opportunities to:

  • Attend presentations on innovative experiences and share your own projects and research.
  • Brainstorm with peers who are effectively integrating new hardware and software to increase student engagement.
  • Collaborate with members from diverse departments.
  • Get involved in active learning events on campus through learning and volunteer opportunities.  Register

Wednesday, November 11, 2:20pm - 3:10pm - In-Person

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) community of practice provides an intentional space for discussion regarding accessibility in teaching and learning at the university. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to join. Register

Thursday, November 12, 11:40am - 12:55pm - Webinar

A teaching philosophy statement provides a concise description of an instructor's perspective on teaching, student learning, methodologies, and implementation, and institutions typically request a teaching philosophy statement from applicants for faculty positions and as part of the tenure and promotion process.

What, then, is your teaching philosophy? What aspects should you reflect upon, write, or include? And importantly, how has the writing of this document changed as a result of ChatGPT, both in your perspective on this fundamental shift in higher education as well as document construction assistance? This will be a working webinar, where we will discuss strategies for composing the statement, incorporating time for personalized theme development, and tips for using ChatGPT prompts in writing it. Participants will leave with a thematic outline and components of their statement, and guidelines to continue crafting it.

NOTE: For you and other participants to benefit the most in the time available, this webinar requires that you do some reflective writing in advance of the session.

This is a required session for the Teaching and Learning with GenAI digital badge. Register

Tuesday, November 17, 1:00pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

As Generative AI becomes more integrated into higher education, it raises important questions about how thinking, learning, and work are changing. This session explores how AI may reshape cognitive effort, reasoning, and independence across teaching, research, and student support. Register

Thursday, November 19, 2:50pm - 4:05pm - Webinar

Many educators think of games in the classroom as busy work or merely fun activities to catch students' attention, but game-based learning is a researched and valuable aspect of active learning that can expand students' abilities to engage in critical thinking about your course content. In this workshop, we will discuss various gaming strategies to understand how, when used thoughtfully, serious play can increase student retention of materials.  Register

 


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