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By the time you read this note, voting in the US midterm elections will have concluded. Many students (and staff and faculty!) may be experiencing heightened stress, distraction, uncertainty, or strong emotions about its outcome; indeed, they may have grave concerns about how the outcome will impact them in the coming months. Research on student experiences following collective disruptions suggests that faculty support is often most effective when it is simple, authentic, and connected to learning (Huston & DiPietro, 2007).
Instructors can do small things to acknowledge current events, including engaging with students about midterm elections, such as opening class with an acknowledgment of the moment. They can also offer flexibility with class attendance or with assignment deadlines when possible. Alternatively, bearing in mind your own level of comfort with addressing the elections (Boston College, Teaching After an Election, 2007), you may want to set a minute of silence in which students can pause, reflect, and decompress a bit; you might also encourage them to make use of the University Health & Counseling resources to help them process any uneasiness or anxiety they may be feeling. These approaches communicate care while maintaining academic focus.
Remember: As a faculty member or instructor, you do not need the "right" words, or a definitive solution to student fears in the moment; what these times call for, instead, is your presence, compassion, and a commitment to supporting learning during challenging times.
-Matthew Garrett, PhD, director
-Jenny Hadingham, PhD, associate director
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UCITE First Fridays: Pizza & Pedagogy
THIS Friday, November 6!
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Verifying Student Learning
in the Age of AI
Join us this Friday, November 6, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm in the Herrick Room in Allen Memorial Medical Library for Pizza & Pedagogy!
Part of AI Aware teaching and learning includes critical reflection of how teachers assess student learning. In this conversation, we will identify ways to observe the process of student learning that a) align with learning goals or objectives, and b) that support student growth through systematic feedback and measurement. Join us this Friday to learn more about assessment options, and how to measure the process of learning in the Age of AI. Register in advance to take advantage of a pizza lunch. Participants will be eligible to participate in a drawing for a free copy of the NEW Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching!
Register today on Campus Groups!
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AI in Praxis (Practical Application)
Sessions Continue for
CWRU Faculty and Staff
Did Google's campus training spark your curiosity? Keep the momentum going!
AI in Praxis is your monthly, hands-on collaborative sandbox to work with Google Gemini and Gemini Enterprise. In our next session on Friday, November 6 at 11:30 AM, participants will use Gemini to design robust, process-based assessments using images, slides, and smart prompting. This is not a passive lecture, but a dedicated, low-stakes hour to play, build, and learn together.
AI in Praxis is offered both in-person in the Herrick Room in Allen Memorial Library, or online via Zoom.
Learn more and register for the AI in Praxis monthly events through Campus Groups!
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NEW for 2027!
Civil Discourse Teaching Collaborative
How do you keep a dialogue, discussion, or debate of challenging or contested topics productive, respectful, and grounded in evidence? Explore that question with colleagues from across our campus in a new program from UCITE and the Office of the Provost.
Designed as a two-semester experience in the Spring and Fall of 2027, this educational development opportunity will feature a small cohort that will learn practical strategies, apply them in their own courses, and reflect together on what works. You'll leave with a redesigned course, tested discussion strategies, and colleagues across disciplines to support teaching and learning through civil discourse.
Who can apply?
Instructors in any school or appointment type who will teach a course in Fall 2027 (see website for complete eligibility details). Participants who successfully complete collaborative activities will receive a $2,000 stipend for academic purposes. Applications are open now through December 4th. Visit the program website for details and to apply.
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AIDE TLC in Spring 2027
Applications are now open for the AIDE TLC (Advancing Intentional Design for Engagement through a Teaching and Learning Collaborative). This program is designed to help faculty explore and apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in their teaching. Through cross-disciplinary conversations, shared reflection, and practical activities, participants will develop strategies for creativing more flexible, accessible, and engaging learning experiences that support the varied strengths and needs of all students.
AIDE TLC is open to all teaching faculty at CWRU. Meetings will take place on Thursdays from 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm, and will run from January 14 - March 18, 2027 (exact dates on our website). Participation in this interdisciplanary collaborative requires a commitment to engage with colleagues for all weekly seminars. Faculty who successfully complete AIDE will receive a $1,500 grant for academic purposes.
For more details, check out our website!
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UCITE AI-Aware Teaching and Learning Corner
"AI technologies are evolving too quickly for me to keep up!"
Faculty and students are all on a spectrum of "AI: Nay" and "AI: Yay," and learning amidst all of the technological change can be challenging. Two senior faculty colleagues recently reminded us, however, "Long before generative AI entered the classroom, psychological science had already identified core principles of learning that are remarkably stable across contexts, technologies, and generations of students" (Faculty Focus, 26 Oct. 2026).
Psychological Science provides a foundation for evidence-based teaching and learning strategies; many of which are embedded in UCITE programming and services. First, it may be helpful to remember that learning takes place in the mind of the learner and only by using a great deal of cognitive effort. Second, specific and constructive feedback correlates to successful learning and feedback timing matters. Third, reflective or metacognitive thinking plays a key role in our ability to understand how we are acquiring new knowledge and skills and when and where to apply to that learning.
How does this apply to me, as a faculty member? Our higher education colleagues, whom I mentioned earlier, suggested three sets of questions that may help our AI-Aware decision-making process beyond the inquiries of "Is AI good or bad?"
- Does the use of AI increase or decrease students' cognitive engagement with course material?
- Does AI support formative feedback and revision, or does it short-circuit those processes?
- Does it promote metacognitive awareness, helping learners understand what they know and do not know?
Researchers studying the impact of AI on student transfer, knowledge retention, and long-term skill development are in-process, and that process must be allowed time necessary to ensure rigorous results. In the meantime, however, faculty can lean into teaching and learning strategies from our Psychology colleagues to ensure we are asking better questions about faculty and student use of AI tools to deepen learning.
-Matthew Garrett, Professor and UCITE Director
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How do you UCITE?
Contact us for more information!
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University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education
Matthew Garrett, PhD, Professor and Director
Jenny Hadingham, PhD, Instructor and Associate Director
Hollie McGivern, BA, Department Administrator
Contact us:
case.edu/ucite
ucite@case.edu
216.368.1224
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