TEACHx 2025: Full Schedule

3:40pm CDT

Kindred Spirits: Collaborating Across Multiple Universities to Enhance Digital Accessibility

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:40pm - 4:25pm CDT

Recent updates to the Department of Justice digital accessibility regulations mandate that all public institutions comply with WCAG 2.1AA standards by April 2026. This has prompted universities to find swift and effective ways to ensure all their digital materials meet these standards. For many institutions, this is a daunting task that is challenging to tackle alone.

Although these updated regulations do not yet apply to private institutions such as Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, they are anticipated in the future. Both universities aim to be well-prepared when the regulations take effect. As similar institutions located in the Chicago area, Northwestern and the University of Chicago have formed a collaborative partnership to share successful strategies for improving digital accessibility on their campuses.

This presentation will explore the approaches, tools, and outcomes related to ensuring the accessibility of Canvas course sites and documents at both institutions. It will also highlight how their collaboration has facilitated the implementation of effective accessibility solutions.

Speakers

Jim Stachowiak

Accessible Technology Strategy and Operations Lead, Northwestern IT Teaching & Learning Technologies

Emily Baker

Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist, University of Chicago

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:40pm - 4:25pm CDT
Arch Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject Accessibility and UDL

8:30am CDT

GEST: A Card Game to Reinforce Music Theory Terminology

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Arch Room

During the spring 2024 quarter, a PhD candidate and music theory professor teamed up to conduct a teaching experiment across four sections of 2nd year music theory (including two sections taught by graduate students). The question: Could a card game improve students' retention and recall of music theory terminology definitions? This digital poster will describe the terminology card game, present the process and results of our teaching experiment, and outline plans for future modification/implementation.

Speakers

Jaz Thomasian

PhD Candidate, Bienen School of Music

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Arch Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject Graduate Instructor Track

10:45am CDT

Software Instruction to Support Digital Fluency in General Chemistry

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

Arch Room

Fluency in software is often assumed before students enter a course, but when students are challenged to perform concrete tasks, they struggle to work independently. In general chemistry lab courses we prioritize learning Microsoft Excel for data analysis and visualization early in the first quarter. While many students report prior experience with Excel, they struggle to execute the tasks required in a science lab course. To better support all students, we have integrated an in-class "data analysis" lab that allows them to gain fluency in the software with the support of their peers and teaching assistants. This requires some class time is devoted to active learning of the software; it also requires adequate training of the TAs. In this presentation, we will detail how we prioritize what tasks are done in class and what is expected to be independent work. While our example is in the teaching of Microsoft Excel, we aim to discuss objectives more generally to help participants assess their own relationship to the software of their choice. Bring your laptop!

Speakers

Veronica Berns

Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Veronica Berns (she/her) earned her BA in Chemistry at Northwestern University in 2009 before her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2014. Her doctoral thesis focused on the way atoms pack together in solids, specifically in compounds with multiple... Read More →

Katherine Gesmundo

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Arch Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

TEACHx 2025

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