The Academic Commons is a teaching and learning support department for Jefferson faculty. We assist at every stage of academic experience, from building course syllabi, mapping curriculum, and discovering new teaching tools, to scholarship and publishing. Check out the Academic Commons website to learn more about our services or schedule a 1-on-1 consultation with members of our team.
We offer faculty workshops in a hybrid (in-person or Zoom) setting. Topics range from effective PowerPoint designs to bolster learning to AI in education to various writing retreats. Visit the Academic Commons calendar to view all upcoming workshops.
Check out the list below to see some highlights for the upcoming semester.
Decoding AI: Empowering Students to Ask the Right Questions
Thursday, September 11, 11-11:50AM, Scott Memorial Library 200A/Virtual
This workshop will help you build a greater understanding of generative AI, its capabilities, and ethical considerations – especially for classroom applications. Gain skills to effectively teach AI literacy to your students so that they can confidently approach using these tools.
Finding Non-federal Funding Opportunities
Friday, September 19, 11-11:50AM, Scott Memorial Library 200A/Virtual
Learn from presenters at the Jefferson Libraries and Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) about tools and strategies to identify non-federal funding opportunities to support your own research or to teach your students engaged in career development or program planning projects.
Leveraging AI for Instructional Innovation: Chatbots, Agents, and Beyond
Wednesday, September 24, 12-12:50PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A/Virtual
We’ll review current research on the educational use of generative AI and customizable agents, demonstrate practical examples of classroom applications, and examine emerging tools beyond Microsoft Copilot. Whether you're exploring AI for the first time or looking to refine your implementation, this workshop will offer research-informed insights and practical strategies to guide your instructional design.
Data Articles - Use your Data to Create Multiple Articles
Thursday, September 25, 2:30-1:30PM, Virtual
Learn what data articles are, how to create them, and how to get them published in journals devoted to data articles (such as Scientific Data and Data in Brief). We’ll also discuss the ethical considerations involved and offer tips to help you decide if it is appropriate to publish a data article.
Writing Retreat - First Fridays
Friday, October 3, 9AM-12PM, Virtual
Make time for your scholarly writing during this monthly Zoom group. Participants provide accountability and support by sharing goals and reporting out completed milestones. On hand for support are a research librarian to help find literature and an editor to give manuscript feedback.
“I Thought You Already Learned How to Do This” – How to Give Students a Quick and Easy Citation Refresher
Thursday, October 16, 12-1PM, Gutman Provost Suite/Virtual
We will discuss what your students tend to struggle with most when it comes to citations, and match those struggles to the most helpful solutions, based on expertise provided by the Jefferson Libraries and the Writing Assistance program within the Academic Success Center. This workshop is geared towards those who teach undergraduates, but all are welcome to attend.
Spring (Semester) Cleaning: Applying File Organization Best Practices to your Canvas Course
Friday, December 12, 10-11AM, Virtual
Learn best practices for file organization so that both you and your students can easily find your course content in Canvas. Bring a spring semester course and leave the session with a plan to update your Canvas course files.
