Summer Teaching Intensive
Each August, the Summer Teaching Intensive consists of seven modules led by Emory faculty and staff. All faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and staff are welcome. You can come for one module or come for them all.
CFDE Summer Teaching Intensive 2025
Some sessions in person, some on Zoom
Wednesday, August 6- Friday, August 8
The CFDE is once again hosting our three-day Summer Teaching Intensive. Morning sessions are in person and afternoon sessions are on Zoom. The intensive consists of six sessions led by Emory faculty and staff. All faculty, graduate students, post docs, and staff are welcome. In person space is limited. You can come for one session, or you can come for them all. Session descriptions and a schedule are attached. You will also find the session descriptions in the sign up form below.
Questions? Contact Donna Troka or Cecilia Gómez
Wednesday, August 6 | Thursday, August 7 | Friday, August 8 | |
9:30-11:00 (in person) | Session 1 “Supporting International Graduate Students: Strategies and Resources” by Grace Song and Katy Leonard | Session 3 “Fundamentals of POGIL” by Patrick Cafferty | Session 5 “Well-Being in the Classroom: Practical Approaches That Make a Difference” |
11:00-1:00 | Break | Break | Break |
1:00-2:00 pm | Session 2 “Panel: Generative AI and the Student Experience” by | Session 4 “Liberating Structures” by | Session 6 “Keep it Simple in Canvas” by Matthew Aron and Kathy Hayes |
Session Descriptions
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Session 1: (9:30 am- 11:00 am) (In person only)
Supporting International Graduate Students: Strategies and Resources
Katy Leonard, Assistant Dean, Professional Development and Career Planning; Grace Song, Assistant Director, English Language Support Program
Teaching graduate students? Then you’ll be working with international students; they comprise approximately 50% of the incoming Laney Graduate School class.
In this interactive session, we explore how international students shape the graduate school experience for all involved, noting opportunities and challenges for both students and faculty. We offer strategies and resources—based on principles of Universal Design—to promote student flourishing in their study and their teaching. Participants are invited to share their ideas and experiences.
Session 2: (1:00-2:00 pm) (on Zoom only)
Generative AI and the Student Experience
Wes Longhofer, Director, CFDE, Andy Kamaza, & Omar Rodríguez-Víla
The advent of Generative AI is already having a transformative impact in many fields, including education. However, its promise to enhance the student experience is matched by its threats on human learning and academic integrity. In this session, the new CFDE Director Wes Longhofer will guide a discussion with professors Omar Rodrìguez-Vìla (GBS) and Andy Kazama (ECAS) on recent methods and approaches taken by them to embrace the potential of GenAI in augmenting the student experience.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Session 3: (9:30 am - 11:00 am) (hybrid: In person and on Zoom)
Fundamentals of Process-oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) for student engagement
Patrick Cafferty, Teaching Professor, Department of Biology
Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a student-centered, group-learning instructional strategy and philosophy developed through research on how students learn best. Although POGIL has been widely used in some STEM fields (e.g., chemistry, biology), it can be implemented in all disciplines. This workshop will present some of the pedagogical principles of this approach and recommendations for how to implement them in the classroom.
Session 4: (1:00-2:00 pm) (on Zoom only)
Liberating Structures
Liesl Wuest, Director, Learning Design & Technology, CFDE
Liberating structures are facilitated activities that help a person or group think with reflection, creativity, and purpose. This session will introduce liberating structures in general and then lead participants through one that could be used to rethink how you might design a course or activity, or used in your class to help students engage with ideas and material. This will be an interactive Zoom session that uses breakout rooms so please be ready to participate and have fun!
Friday, August 8, 2025
Session 5: (9:30 am-11:00 am) (In person only)
Well-Being in the Classroom: Practical Approaches That Make a Difference
Megan Brown, Executive Director, Center for Student Wellbeing
Student well-being isn’t separate from academic success—it’s deeply connected to learning, engagement, and even faculty satisfaction. This interactive session explores current data trends in student well-being and introduces simple, evidence-informed strategies that support both students and faculty. Together, we’ll reflect on how to meaningfully integrate well-being practices into your teaching in ways that align with your course goals and disciplinary context—no major overhaul required. You’ll leave with practical tools, ideas from peers, and a clearer understanding of how tending to well-being can enrich the classroom experience for everyone involved.
Session 6: (1:00-2:00 pm) (on Zoom only)
Keep it Simple in Canvas
Matthew Aron, Director, Teaching and Learning Technologies & Kathy Hayes, Educational Analyst III, Teaching and Learning Technologies
Canvas and the suite of tools supported by Teaching & Learning Technologies create a powerful and flexible ecosystem to help faculty and students succeed. But the list of features and options can become overwhelming. This session will consider strategies instructors can use to design a Canvas course for simplicity while still taking advantage of high-impact new features.