CELT Programs and Initiatives

In these workshops, we discuss strategies to create inclusive and accessible learning environments focusing on development of syllabi, assessments and instructional content, Universal Design for Learning and digital accessibility. 

Active Learning Community and Classroom Training at Stony Brook University aims to transform your teaching approach. Start with a hands-on workshop that explores active learning strategies and classroom technologies that foster student engagement and participation. You'll experience activities like think-pair-share, jigsaw, and fishbowl, and receive training on leveraging active learning classroom features.

This can be followed by a field trip to an Active Learning Classroom(ALC) to test classroom technologies and brainstorm how to apply them to your class. Other workshops cover formative assessment techniques, VR/XR immersive learning, and group work integration to enhance collaboration and critical thinking among students. Equip yourself with innovative tools to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

You can also join our Active Learning community group to stay updated with the latest technologies and teaching practices. Email us at celt@stonybrook.edu if you are interested in joining the ALC group.

The landscape of Generative AI is changing daily.  Keep up with the latest technologies, tips and strategies through our Generative AI in Higher Education Workshop Series, which includes the following topics:

• Generative AI in Higher Education: A Crash Course for Faculty and Staff
• Generative AI in Higher Education: A Deep Dive into Assessment Redesign
• Generative AI Bootcamp: How Can AI Make Your Life as a Professor Easier
• Generative AI in Higher Education: Solutions for Asynchronous Courses

We also offer two to three Generative AI panel discussions each semester on a range of topics such as ethics, academic integrity, and the student perspective. These events bring together our community to explore and learn about generative AI together.

Assessment-focused workshop topics offered to the SBU community at large rotate each semester, with at least one workshop on assessment fundamentals offered every academic year. Additional topics offered include but are not limited to designing and using rubrics, authentic and innovative assessment strategies, writing effective multiple choice test questions, and classroom assessment techniques. Custom workshops are also available upon request for specific departments or groups.

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) workshop is designed specifically for Stony Brook University faculty. This workshop will provide faculty with the tools and strategies to integrate global collaboration into the curriculum, enhancing student engagement and cross-cultural understanding.

Learn how to design and implement COIL projects, connect with international partners, create meaningful learning experiences that transcend borders, as well as assess student intercultural competence and academic learning objectives, ensuring that your COIL initiatives are both impactful and measurable.

Offered in partnership with the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE), the College Teaching Seminars is a bi-weekly series of 8 seminars designed for graduate students and postdocs, divided between Fall and Spring semesters.

In each 1.5 hour session you will explore relevant topics in college teaching such as inclusive pedagogy, student engagement, learning and teaching in STEM, and AI in the classroom. The sessions are a mix of interactive sessions, presentations, and panel discussions, facilitated by CELT staff and faculty guest speakers. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in activities that will help you apply the practices to your own discipline.

If you attend 6 or more sessions in one academic year, this can count as one piece of your College Teaching Basics Milestone. 

CELT provides various events and opportunities to explore academic excellence in learning and teaching through inclusive pedagogy. Our inclusive teaching offerings are designed to empower educators and help them create a learning environment where diversity is celebrated and every learner can thrive.

We currently offer the following courses focusing on topics in inclusive pedagogy:

• Inclusive Pedagogy Course (IPC)
• Inclusive Climate Course (ICC)

Our department also hosts three inclusive pedagogy panel discussions each semester. The discussions provide diverse perspectives from field experts and provide best practices and resources for inclusive teaching. Topics that we have covered in the past include language justice, imposter phenomenon, affordability, ableism, anti-racist pedagogy, etc. 

CELT offers continued training in online teaching and learning. 

Online Teaching Course (OTC): The Online Teaching Course (OTC) is an introduction to teaching online. This training is designed to give you the experience of an online student while learning about evidence based strategies for effective and engaging online learning environments. Each training is faciliated by a member of the CELT team and is held in Brightspace.

Online Teaching Course Refresher (OTC-R): Need a refresher? Online education is constantly changing at a fast pace. This short self-paced course is designed to keep you up to date on the latest evidence based strategies for effective and engaging online learning environments. This course is for those who completed the OTC prior to September 2021.

The CELT Teaching and Learning Symposium aims to bring together educators throughout campus to engage in meaningful discussions about innovative teaching and learning practices. This event is held every spring semester and features a distinguised keynote speakers and several breakout sessions throughout the day. To learn more visit the CELT Symposium webpage for the most up to date information. 

The Teaching Milestone Program is a CELT initiative that offers a diverse range of workshops, courses, and experiences that provide teaching development for faculty and instructional staff.

Each Milestone focuses on a key topic in teaching and learning. They aim to inspire thoughtful conversations and foster collaboration among educators from our diverse academic disciplines. Completing these milestones will enrich your teaching methodologies, leading to effective learning experiences for your students.

Go to the Teaching Milestone webpage to learn more about each milestone in Active Learning,
Assessment, College Teaching Basics, Inclusive Pedagogy and Online Teaching.

In the past year, CELT has launched an initiative that aims to investigate and promote the use of virtual reality (VR) to support teaching and learning at SBU and beyond. As part of this effort, CELT has organized several VR workshops both within SBU and at SUNY CIT conference to introduce VR and relevant VR learning tools situated in different disciplines within  higher education.Additionally, we are also collaborating with interested faculty members on research projects that shed light on the effectiveness of VR learning.

CELT has also built a VR studio which we envision to be a collaborative space for instructional designers and educational researchers at CELT to work with faculty members to explore the use of VR technology and develop VR learning activities and modules for different classroom contexts.