Rutgers University

January 15-16, 2026

Facilitators: Julie Bartley, Anne Egger, Catherine Riihimaki

Workshop goals

By the end of this workshop, you will:

  • Develop a vision for your introductory course(s) that reflects your departmental goals and the nature of your students;
  • Reflect on your use of equity-focused teaching strategies and determine where you can incorporate them;
  • Learn about strategies for incorporating more productive discussions and activities that build students' identities as scientists into your teaching practices;
  • Work together to develop an action plan for transforming your introductory course to achieve your vision.

Program

The full program with presentation files and session documents can be accessed by participants at the original Traveling Workshop Programs workshop website (limted access).

Thursday, January 15

9:30 Introductions and icebreaker

Session I: Envisioning your introductory courses

9:45 Developing a common vision for your introductory course(s)

  • Review of homework responses
  • Discussion of vision

10:15 Gallery tour: goals and challenges

11:00 Break

11:15 Principles of equitable and effective teaching and research on learning

12:00 Action Planning Part 1: Setting goals for transforming your course. Action planning form

12:30 Lunch (provided)

Session II: Facilitating discussions for learning

1:15 Discussion about discussions - why use them?

2:00 Modeling group discussion and analyzing what we did

2:45 Break

3:00 Action Planning Part 2: Integrating more discussion. Action planning form

3:45 Report out from action planning

4:00 Wrap-up, road check, and homework assignment

Homework

To prepare for our activities tomorrow, please review the TIDeS curriculum development rubric. As you review the rubric criteria, think about how they apply to your own teaching and think about the following questions:

  • What do you think you are already doing well?
  • What do you feel like you could use more support to integrate into your teaching?

You may also find it helpful to explore the TIDeS teaching materials that were developed according to the rubric guidelines.

Friday, January 16

9:30 Results of roadcheck and thoughts about the rubric and materials

Session III: Attending to Equity

9:45 Equity-focused teaching

  • Equity-focused Teaching Strategies Reflection
  • Discussion about reflection

10:45 Break

11:00 Attending to equity in your syllabus

  • For a rubric-based approach to syllabus review, use Palmer et al.'s valid and reliable syllabus rubric (see guidelines and 1-page blank rubric).
  • For the less rubric-oriented reviewer, Reimagining Your Syllabus uses broad characteristics of a learning-centered syllabus to help you reflect on the framework of a syllabus.
  • For review: Syllabus 1, Syllabus 2, Syllabus 3

11:45 Action Planning Part 3: Where do you need to attend to equity the most? How can this help you achieve your vision? Action planning form

12:15 Report out from action planning

12:30 Lunch (provided)

Session IV: Strategies for implementation

1:15 Presentation of strategies for implementing these big ideas

2:00 Talking in small groups about strategies to implement

2:30 Break

2:45 Action Planning Part 4: Laying out what will happen beyond the workshop. Action planning form

3:30 Report out from action planning and sharing additional resources

3:50 Wrap-up and end of workshop evaluation

Resources

Teaching with Investigation and Design in Science project

National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). (2025). Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education: Supporting Equitable and Effective Teaching. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/28268

University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. (2021). Equity-Focused Teaching. Retrieved December 13 from https://crlt.umich.edu/equity-focused-teaching/principles-strategies-resources (the reflection we did was adapted from this)