Events

Upcoming Events:

Donuts & Discussion

This informal discussion series provides a chance for faculty and instructors to connect with colleagues and share teaching strategies throughout the semester. Please join us for coffee, a donut, and conversations about education, pedagogy, best practice, current trends, and more!

Audience: Faculty, Instructors, Instructional Staff, TAs.

Location: All events for Spring 2025 will take place in Campus Center (CTR) 235

Spring 2025 Schedule (Click on the date to add it to  your Google calendar):

• 2/4/25 (Tuesday), 12:30-1:30pm- “Audits, Probes, and Podcasts: Critical AI in the Classroom,” lead by Dan Estrada
  • This session will present some strategies and classroom activities designed to foster active and critical student engagement with AI services (and discourage plagiarism). From discussion prompts to simple probing exercises to full-scale AI audits, these activities can be adapted to fit a variety of learning contexts and give students hands-on experience with the possibilities and limitations of generative AI.
• 2/18/25 (Tuesday), 12:30-1:30pm- “Reimagining the Final Presentation: Introducing the Digital Pitch Poster,” lead by Kathy Naasz
  • The Final Presentation is the main vehicle used at the end of the semester to convey project learnings, but is it the best approach from a learning perspective? Are your students engaged or bored watching their classmates deliver their final presentations? Introducing the Digital Pitch Poster, where the project essentials are on a poster in a digital format and rather than serial final presentations, a showcase format is employed that allows for dynamic interactions between students, their peers, and outside guests. The benefits are that students deliver their pitch multiple times rather than once, the format also requires them to switch roles and act as reviewers themselves, the energy is high and interactive, and time is saved due to the parallel approach. This experience was implemented in an Introduction to Entrepreneurship class and was heightened by the inclusion of angel investors as judges and the awarding of “Most Likely to Succeed” Startup. Additionally, from a university perspective, this format allows entrepreneurship to fit as a track within a research showcase, where they may not have been included prior.
• 3/4/25 (Tuesday), 12:30-1:30pm- “Strategies to Support and Strengthen Learning for Underprepared Students,” lead by Megan LeLay
  • Explore strategies to help underprepared students develop greater independence and succeed in your courses. We will discuss activities designed to support students with diverse academic skills. 
• 3/26/25 (Wednesday), 12:00-1:00pm- "Using Index Cards to Encourage Participation and Collect Meaningful Feedback," lead by Adam Spryszynski
  • This session will present how collecting student feedback on index cards can be used to enhance the learning experience. This simple activity can encourage participation, provide opportunities for reflection, and allow instructors to gain meaningful insights. Examples of specific scenarios and methodologies for analysis will be provided.  The discussion will explore new contexts and applications for this activity.
• 4/9/25 (Wednesday), 12:00-1:00pm- “Active Learning in Graduate Courses: Teaching Students or Training Scholars?” lead by Jonathan Jaquette
  • Beyond gaining proficiency within their field of specialization, a central aim of doctoral education is teaching students how to conduct independent academic research. Courses incorporating active learning would seem to be exceptionally well suited for accomplishing this aim; however, most STEM programs largely teach their graduate classes in a lecture format. This Donuts & Discussion will explore uses of active learning in graduate education, as well as common pitfalls and concerns.
• 4/23/25 (Wednesday), 12:00-1:00pm- “Active Learning Strategies for First-Year Engineering Design: Engaging Students Through Real-World Applications and Collaborative Problem-Solving,” lead by Swapnil Moon
  • Presentation and discussion of active learning strategies applied in a first-year mechanical engineering design course. These were designed to actively engage students through hands-on, collaborative projects that bridge theory and practice by fostering critical skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and design thinking.

CEIE Spring Symposium

Inclusive Teaching in Action: Practical Approaches for Faculty  

Join us for a dynamic, interactive symposium on inclusive teaching, co-hosted by the Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence (CEIE) and the Office for Inclusive Excellence. This session will provide faculty and instructors with a foundational understanding of inclusive teaching, challenge common misconceptions, and offer practical, research-based strategies to create more equitable and engaging learning environments.

The session will begin with an overview of what inclusive teaching is (and what it isn’t), addressing common concerns and misunderstandings. Participants will then engage in discussions and hands-on activities to reflect on their current teaching practices, explore strategies for fostering student belonging, and develop concrete action steps to implement in their courses. By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with evidence-based tools and approaches they can immediately apply to enhance accessibility, foster diverse perspectives, and support all students’ success. Whether you are new to inclusive teaching or looking to refine your approach, this workshop will provide valuable insights and resources for every instructor.

RSVP by March 3rd  to reserve your seat! Space is limited.

Previous Events:

The Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence (CEIE) hosted a Kick-Off Event, a full day dedicated to celebrating the launch of NJIT’s new hub for advancing teaching and learning. The day featured inspiring talks and presentations on educational innovation, followed by an interactive AI Exploration Experience, where attendees engaged in hands-on activities showcasing cutting-edge AI technologies and their transformative use-cases. Please see a highlight reel of the day thanks to NJIT's MTSS department.