LASER Institute Summer Workshop

INVITATION ONLY

The Summer Workshop is an intensive 5-day summer training program. Each workshop takes place in July with pre-workshop preparation for participants beginning earlier in the spring. To attend to the needs of participants with varying degrees of expertise in LA, the workshop provides both a beginner and an advanced track to support faculty development, with approximately half of the participants in each track.

• • Pre-Institute Preparation. Prior to the Summer Institute, participants will complete a needs assessment to identify their teaching interests, experience with software packages, and skills and knowledge in relation to LA and advanced methods. This assessment will be used to help guide the content, structure and sequence of their 5-day professional development and assign tutorials to completed prior to the workshop.
  • Module Sessions. Module sessions are conducted in small groups and differentiated for participants in the beginner and the advanced track based upon the needs assessment administered prior to the Summer Institute. These sessions will focus on the instructional materials from which participants will both learn from and use to train learners at their home institutions. Additionally, module sessions will be offered in an online format through workshops in the fall.
  • Pedagogy Sessions. These whole group sessions designed to support participants in adapting materials for use in their own instructional programs. Sessions focus on the nuts and bolts of teaching the LASER curriculum, including topics such as tools and approaches for facilitating in-person and online discussion, assessment and grading of assignments, and logistics for instructional delivery.
  • Design Sessions. Each day includes whole and small group activities facilitated by the project to assist participants in designing a customized instructional plan at their home institutions. These session focus on how to 1) incorporate curriculum resources into their own contexts, 2) select relevant modules and activities, effective teaching methods (pedagogy), and suitable technology, and 3) tailor instruction to address the unique needs and preferences of their learners.
  • Community Building. Each day includes identity-affirming activities to help participants learn more about each other and create a sense of community. By sharing their backgrounds, interests, and experiences, participants identify personal and professional commonalities and differences. This will create a space for participants to learn from each other and build on each other’s strengths.