{"id":212713,"date":"2025-08-25T12:28:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T16:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/csam\/?p=212713"},"modified":"2025-08-25T12:37:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T16:37:03","slug":"teaching-commons-csam-launches-with-innovative-workshop-on-assignment-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/csam\/2025\/08\/25\/teaching-commons-csam-launches-with-innovative-workshop-on-assignment-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Commons @ CSAM Launches with Innovative Workshop on Assignment Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

The College of Science and Mathematics has launched a new faculty development initiative, Teaching Commons @ CSAM – Hosted by PRISM<\/strong>, with an energizing first workshop focused on reimagining class assignments for impact and equity.<\/p>\n

The CSAM Class Assignment Revision (CAR) Workshop, facilitated by Dr. Elliot Hu-Au<\/a> (School of Computing) and Dr. Nina Bailey<\/a> (Department of Mathematics), brought faculty and instructional staff from across the College together to reflect on their teaching practices and redesign assignments through the lenses of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Principles for Effective and Equitable Teaching in Undergraduate STEM.<\/p>\n

The workshop blended theory and practice. Participants explored how assignments can move beyond passive information transfer and instead foster active engagement, learner agency, and a sense of belonging. Faculty reviewed example projects, including a human-centered design project in computing and a TikTok-style math project on fractions, to see how creative, student-centered tasks can increase motivation and achievement. They then applied UDL and NASEM frameworks to their own assignments, revising course activities to become more inclusive, transparent, and responsive to student needs.<\/p>\n

Faculty who attended expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to learn with peers. Many indicated plans to try strategies such as \u201creflect and revise\u201d activities, alternate grading models, and clearer communication of course goals and expectations. Requests for future sessions included dedicated workshops on un-grading, alternate assessment approaches, and the use of AI in teaching and learning.<\/p>\n

Click on an image below to enlarge photo.<\/p>

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