Past Events

Canvas APIs, LTIs, Data and more!

Learning Data & AnalyticsLearning Data & Analytics Affinity Group

Canvas APIs, LTIs, Data and more!

Wednesday, July 14, 2021: 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST
Watch event recording

Thank you to all who attended our kick-off meeting and provided ideas for future meetings. We are excited to welcome Gabe Abrams, Senior Software Engineer at DCE who will discuss Canvas APIs, LTIs, Data and more! Following his 20 minute presentation, we will have 10 minutes for Q&A, 10 minutes for networking in breakout rooms, followed by a wrap-up and any announcements.... Read more about Canvas APIs, LTIs, Data and more!

“Addressing food insecurity and nutritional quality during the pandemic”

Tuesday, July 13, 2021: 5:00pm to 6:00pm EST

Both food and nutrition insecurity are significant problems in the United States despite recent declines in food insecurity and the abundance of food produced and available across the country. Suboptimal eating patterns are contributing greatly to rising rates of chronic disease, obesity and high blood pressure and even premature death. Diet-related chronic diseases, including heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, and diabetes, are now the leading causes of death. Black, Latinx, and Native Americans, as well as people living in rural and lower-income counties suffer the greatest disparities in food and nutrition insecurity. Beyond effects on health, food and nutrition insecurity create enormous strain on productivity, health care spending, and military readiness.  A number of significant steps have been taken to promote healthier eating patterns and racial equity during the pandemic. This panel will focus on a variety of recent federal actions to strengthen food security, drive down hunger, and put a greater emphasis on the importance of nutrition as well as evidence of impact.... Read more about “Addressing food insecurity and nutritional quality during the pandemic”

“COVID-19, US health inequities, and the long reach of history”

Wednesday, June 30, 2021: 5:00pm to 6:00pm EST

Professors Evelynn Hammonds (FAS) and Nancy Krieger (HSPH) will engage in a conversation focused on the intertwined sociopolitical and socioeconomic drivers of racialized health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This talk will draw on the professors' distinct and overlapping expertise in relation to history of science, social epidemiology, and a shared commitment to understanding and addressing societal health inequities from the past to the present. The conversation will be moderated by Michael Jeffries, Professor of American Studies & Dean of Academic Affairs, Wellesley College.... Read more about “COVID-19, US health inequities, and the long reach of history”

Learning Analytics Reboot

Learning Data & AnalyticsLearning Data & Analytics Affinity Group

Learning Analytics Reboot

Wednesday, May 19, 2021: 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST
 

This will be a chance to hear what others are doing (or wondering about) with respect to learning analytics at Harvard, and of course networking! In preparation for this meeting we encourage you to read the latest EDUCAUSE 2021 Teaching and Learning Horizons Report.

Distracted: Using the Science of Learning to Cultivate Student Attention

Research-Informed Teaching & LearningResearch-Informed Teaching & Learning Affinity Group

Distracted: Using the Science of Learning to Cultivate Student Attention

Friday, May 7, 2021: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Access resources from all events on the Canvas instance (HarvardKey Required)

It often seems that the current generation of students is more distracted than ever, especially given the proliferation of technology at our fingertips. In the face of ever-present distractions, how can we cultivate students’ attention in order to foster deep learning? In this first meeting of the Research-Informed Teaching and Learning (RITL) Affinity Group, we will share research-based insights from James Lang’s new book Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It (2020) and collectively brainstorm applications to our own work as educators. (No need to read the book beforehand!) We will also make time to discuss future directions for this affinity group.

For updates on future events and resources, sign up for the RITL listserv here.

"I Learn Best When" | Centering Student Voices

2020 HILT Conference Capstone Event

"I Learn Best When" | Centering Student Voices

Thursday, April 29, 2021: 4:15pm - 5:30pm

A panel of students from various Harvard Schools will share their experiences as learners. Through the lens of inclusivity and equity, what approaches have they seen work well? What advice do they have for when models or structures don't work so well? The panel will be co-moderated by Sherri Charleston, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (ODIB), and Alta Mauro, Associate Dean of Students for Inclusion and Belonging (Harvard College). All Harvard students are welcome to join the conversation. All Harvard faculty and staff are welcome to attend, learn from our students, and ask questions.

This event is a follow-on to the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching (HILT) annual conference, "Championing Equitable Instruction and Inclusive Classrooms." Learn more about the 2020 HILT Conference on our website at hilt.harvard.edu/annual-conference.... Read more about "I Learn Best When" | Centering Student Voices

Student Success Initiatives

Learning Design logoLearning Design Affinity Group

Student Success Initiatives

Wednesday, April 28, 2021: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Watch the recording on Panapto

Among the myriad hardships of the past year, learners of all ages rapidly adjusted to distanced educational environments, including student support services outside of the classroom. Such changes across Harvard University required swift and decisive work by faculty, instructors, and staff as it became necessary for schools and programs to pivot away from familiar formats and routines.

Please join the HILT Learning Design affinity group on April 28th at 12PM ET for a webinar on recent student success initiatives featuring colleagues from across the Harvard University community. Each of the panel’s presenters will share experiences from the past year... Read more about Student Success Initiatives

"Time, Money, and Happiness"

Wednesday, April 21, 2021: 5:00pm to 6:00pm

There's an 80 percent chance you're poor. Time poor, that is. Four out of five adults report feeling that they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. These time-poor people experience less joy each day. They laugh less. They are less healthy, less productive, and more likely to divorce. In one study, time stress produced a stronger negative effect on happiness than unemployment. How can we escape the time traps that make us feel this way and keep us from living our best lives? Award winning Harvard Business School Professor Ashley Whillans discusses the relationship between time, money, and happiness, and answers questions about her new book Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time, & Live a Happier Life alongside two distinguished panelists.... Read more about "Time, Money, and Happiness"

"Confronting Climate Change: Diverse Perspectives on the Path Forward"

Thursday, March 25, 2021: 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Read the Harvard Gazette write-up, "Finding a Way Forward on Climate Change."

Climate change is modifying weather patterns, raising sea levels, disrupting ecosystems, and threatening human health. To reduce the impacts of climate change and to manage the impacts that are unavoidable, profound changes in the world's energy systems are required. These changes will affect nearly every aspect of our daily life. From the different perspectives of science, policy, health and business, the panelists will share their perspectives on the way forward.... Read more about "Confronting Climate Change: Diverse Perspectives on the Path Forward"

Virtual Harvard: Using 3D imaging to support learning space planning

Learning SpacesLearning Spaces Affinity Group

Virtual Harvard: Using 3D imaging to support learning space planning

Monday, March 22: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

While many of our campus spaces have been empty, the Virtual Harvard team has been hard at work, capturing high-resolution 3D scans of building interiors. Rus Gant from the Harvard Visualization Lab will show us some examples of what the team is capturing and how they’re doing it, and Cara Noferi from the FAS Office of Physical Resources and Planning will share how the scans are beginning to be used to support planning and projects in FAS learning spaces.... Read more about Virtual Harvard: Using 3D imaging to support learning space planning

"When the Safety Net Pays for Itself" with Nathan Hendren

Tuesday, February 23, 2021: 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Via Zoom Webinar

What types of policies most improve societal well-being? This talk seeks to answer this through an analysis of 133 economic policy changes in the US over the past half century. Hendren will show direct investments in low-income children have historically had the highest returns, in many cases paying for itself in the long run.... Read more about "When the Safety Net Pays for Itself" with Nathan Hendren

Module 0, Preparing students for online learning success

Learning Design Affinity Group

Tuesday, February 10, 2021: 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Learning Design logoWhat is Module 0? It depends on who you ask. When it comes to helping our students get started with a course, every school has a different way to do that. Some programs focus on helping students access and use technology by providing policy and procedure guidelines, technical training and support. Other programs want to make sure the students have the appropriate incoming knowledge to succeed in the course they are about to begin. Join us to learn about what “Module 0” means at Harvard. Video Recording (HarvardKey Required).... Read more about Module 0, Preparing students for online learning success

"How to Talk About Far-right Extremism and Disinformation in the Classroom” with Joan Donovan

Tuesday, February 9, 2021: 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Via Zoom Webinar

 

It’s always difficult to talk about pressing social issues in the classroom, especially as political polarization, disinformation, and extremism take over public conversations. Students often rely on social media, particularly YouTube and Tik Tok, to form their opinions on these topics, which is why educators should be aware of the range of discussions happening on these contentious topics. Even knowing how to talk about social functions of conspiracies or media practices, like news gathering and sourcing, can help diffuse difficult classroom situations. At this event, Joan Donovan will speak about her experiences teaching media manipulation, white supremacist extremism, and disinformation and provide some tips for addressing it.... Read more about "How to Talk About Far-right Extremism and Disinformation in the Classroom” with Joan Donovan

“The Events of January 6th and the Future of American Democracy”

Wednesday, January 27, 2021: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Via Zoom Webinar

Speakers:

  • Erica Chenoweth, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs (HKS); Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute
  • Ryan Enos, Professor of Government (FAS)
  • Richard Fallon, Story Professor of Law (HLS)
  • Claudine Gay, Edgerley Family Dean (FAS); Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African American Studies (FAS); Senior Fellow of the Society of Fellows (FAS)
  • Harvey C. Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government (FAS)
  • Daniel Ziblatt, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government (FAS)

At this roundtable, leading social scientists will discuss how we understand the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol and the implications of the attack and aftermath for the future of democracy in the United States.... Read more about “The Events of January 6th and the Future of American Democracy”

Teaching in Unprecedented Times: A Fall 2020 Showcase

Learning to Adapt, Adapting to Learn

A University-wide virtual event series: January 12-14, 2021
Program Agenda
Resources and video recordings
Teaching Innovations Gallery

Teaching in Unprecedented Times logo

The Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, in partnership with Teaching and Learning Centers, hosted a University-wide virtual event series, "Teaching in Unprecedented Times: A Fall 2020 Showcase," to acknowledge this unprecedented semester and honor the efforts of our faculty, staff, and students; surface some of the most impactful teaching innovations that have occurred, and how some of the most nagging challenges have been addressed; and inform and inspire for the future. More information about participating speakers and sessions can be viewed here.... Read more about Teaching in Unprecedented Times: A Fall 2020 Showcase

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