Teaching and Learning Workshops

American Association of Philosophy Teachers Workshop-Conference on Teaching Philosophy
Group Projects in Philosophy Courses (June 2021, online)

This session addresses whether group projects are effective means of satisfying student learning outcomes. Participants will assess the value of assigning group projects in philosophy courses, including a discussion of the relevant advantages and disadvantages. The session will combine interactive and expository elements: Participants will draft a design for a group project in one of their own courses, informed in part by the results of an AAPT grant-funded study assessing the efficacy of group projects. The study involved analysis of institutional assessment data of student learning as well as information gathered from student surveys gauging their impressions of their group project. By the end of the session, participants will be able to appeal to qualitative and quantitative data, as well as reflections on personal experience, to determine whether group projects would be a good fit for their instruction.

Active Learning for Student Engagement (September 12, 2018 at 3pm, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning)

In this workshop, we will identify and practice using active learning strategies that increase student engagement and encourage a responsive classroom. Activities vary with respect to prep-time, level of student involvement, and predictability of outcomes, so there are many ways to prompt students to take ownership of their learning. We will also discuss how to implement active learning as troubleshooting in order to respond to classroom hiccups such as lack of participation, student confusion, and time management. Our overall focus will be on concrete strategies for increasing student engagement in our classrooms, including use of online technologies to facilitate participation. 

American Association of Philosophy Teachers Workshop-Conference on Teaching Philosophy
Fostering an Active Learning Environment in the Philosophy Classroom (July 26, 2018)

This session is designed to enable philosophy teachers to foster an active learning environment. Since students better learn material while manipulating it themselves, this session will equip you to use active learning strategies that increase student engagement and encourage a responsive classroom. You will learn how to effectively use a range of activities, including activities on web-based platforms, that vary with respect to prep-time, level of student involvement, and predictability of outcomes. We will also discuss how to implement active learning as troubleshooting in order to respond to classroom hiccups such as lack of participation, student confusion, and time management issues. By the end of the session, you will be equipped to incorporate a variety of active learning strategies in your classes that not only make your classes more engaging but also more effective.

Summer Pedagogy Series: Pedagogy Chats at the CETL

During each discussion-based session of this summer pedagogy series, we will focus on a different topic related to teaching our courses. The objective is to share our collective wisdom based on our experiences in the classroom and from our professional development and scholarship so we can be more effective teachers. Each session will be self-contained, and you are encouraged to come to individual sessions if you cannot attend the whole series. No advance preparation is required, but you are welcome to come with questions and/or personal experiences you would like to discuss. Bring your lunch and let’s chat! 

• Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 12-1:30pm - Designing and Introducing Our Courses

• Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 12-1:30pm - Classroom Engagement

• Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 12-1:30pm - Self- and Student Assessment

Rubrics: The Pedagogical and the Practical  (January 17, 2018 at 3pm; January 31 at 4pm. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning)

Rubrics can be effective pedagogical tools. They provide transparency to students about grading procedures and expectations, so students are equipped to complete high-quality work. Rubrics are also practical. They aid in evaluating assessments with consistency and efficiency, so your grading is fair and prompt. 

In this interactive workshop, we will discuss how to design an effective and fair rubric. We will discuss both the virtues and the shortcomings of rubrics and evaluate what kinds of assessments are best suited for grading with a rubric. Part of the workshop will be devoted to designing and implementing a rubric on Brightspace, demonstrating how to effectively use the rubric both for grading itself and for providing feedback to students. 

Rubrics Redux: Practice and Troubleshooting (February 28, 2018 at 3pm. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning)

Although well-designed rubrics aid in consistency and efficiency, an ineffective rubric can be constraining and confusing. During this interactive workshop, we will discuss the shortcomings of rubrics and whether we can avoid them. We will work together to practice designing effective rubrics and to troubleshoot related problems, including barriers to implementation on Brightspace. Come with rubrics you've started working on, ideas about how you'd like to use rubrics in your classes, and/or your rubric-related concerns.

Rubrics on Brightspace, April 30, 2018 (Spring Faculty Conference at GU)

Interactive workshop on effectively using Brightspace rubrics for grading and providing feedback
(A combination of Rubrics: the Pedagogical and the Practical and Rubrics Redux: Practice and Troubleshooting, see descriptions above)

Graduate Workshops

As the Pedagogy Chair for the Graduate Philosophy Organization from 2014-2016, I designed a series of workshops for the Graduate Students in the Philosophy department at the University of Illinois. I tailored the workshops to suit the unique needs of Philosophy instructors and help our graduate students offer high-quality discussion sections and independent courses. Some content covered in these workshops was inspired by workshops I attended while earning Teaching Certificates through the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

Workshops Offered:

• 16-week Graduate Teaching Workshop series (Fall 2016)

• Using Student Feedback (Summer 2014, Summer 2016)

• Rubrics for Fair and Efficient Grading (Spring 2016)

• Designing an Independent Course (Spring 2016)

• Blackboard as a Teaching Tool (Fall 2015)

• Small Group Activities in the Philosophy Classroom (Summer 2015, Fall 2015)

Professional Service

I serve on the Editorial Board at 1000-Word Philosophy. I often chair sessions and provide commentary at regional and national conferences.

 Recent Professional Service

• Editor and Contributor, 1000-Word Philosophy

• Commentary on “Self-Defense for Theists” by Blake Hereth at the APA Central, 2021

• Invited Speaker: History and Philosophy Convocation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019

• Commentary on “Measuring Ontological Simplicity” by Noël Blas Saenz at the Illinois Philosophical Association, 2019

• Session Chair at the Illinois Philosophical Association, 2019

• Session Chair at the Logos Conference, 2019

• Referee for Synthese, Ergo, the Philosophical Quarterly, Palgrave Macmillan, Journal of Philosophy, Oxford University Press