USU EmpowerEd Teaching

Thank you to Missy Kofoed for submitting this pre-recorded presentation for the 2026 ETE Conference!

Watch now: https://lnkd.in/enDr5A_P

Missy is a Senior Lecturer in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department on the Logan campus. She teaches a variety of online and face-to-face courses including general chemistry, introductory chemistry, and introductory biochemistry. She has won numerous awards including the 2024 USU College of Science Teacher of the Year.

While using AI tools in large-enrollment science courses, Missy has also encountered questions that extend beyond pedagogy, including the environmental cost and equity concerns. As she's shifted her approach toward using AI more indirectly, she reflects on what has worked and how her use of AI in the classroom continues to evolve.

Thank you to Jenny Willmore for submitting this pre-recorded presentation for the 2026 ETE Conference!

Watch here: https://youtu.be/bnHRtY0qP3A?si=_MOgqOt7GDI78cFR

In her current role as Online Teaching Coordinator with USU Online, Jenny develops and facilitates onboarding experiences and resources for new online. In this presentation, Jenny demonstrates how AI is reshaping online education by exposing a long-standing emphasis on imitation and uniformity of learning products in higher education. Rather than framing AI as a threat, Jenny positions it as an opportunity to strengthen the most human dimensions of teaching and learning.

𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙐𝙎𝙐 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛:

We've extended registration for the ETE Conference!
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬.

All conference details, including registration, the schedule, and presenter bios, can be found here: https://www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/events/conference/

Small changes, such as using headings, adding alt text, providing captions, and organizing content clearly, can make a meaningful difference to all students.

Presented by USU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) and Digital Accessibility Services (DAS), this session from last year's ETE Conference also explains accommodations, accessibility best practices, and how faculty and staff can help create a more welcoming learning environment across campus.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/k5_2PAk7wkk?si=4VETiBH_xfqfj8O_

Register for this year's ETE Conference by August 1 here: https://www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/events/conference/

How can we help students feel confident and excited about college before their first semester even begins?

Watch this session from the 2025 ETE Conference to learn how USU Tooele developed two innovative summer college immersion programs. One focused on building confidence through general education coursework. The other used hands-on criminal justice investigation to connect classroom learning with real-world careers. Discover lessons learned, successes, and ideas you can adapt for your own students.

🎥 Watch the full presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBllYBlY4hc

Don't miss out! Register for the 2026 ETE Conference by August 1: https://www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/events/conference/

What if feedback could become a conversation instead of a final judgment?

In this session from the 2025 ETE Conference, learn how immediate, dialogic feedback can increase student agency, encourage real-time reflection, reduce grading time, and create more meaningful learning experiences. Discover practical strategies that help students engage with feedback while shifting the focus from grades to growth.

🎥 Watch the session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQbk_fgHL6k

What ideas could you bring into your own teaching this semester?

Don't forget to register by August 1 for the 2026 ETE Conference: https://www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/events/conference/

We gave our team the same objective: "Create a duck from these LEGO pieces."

These were the results. Every duck looks different.
Here's the question: Did they all meet the objective?

In education, we sometimes mistake uniformity for success. If the objective is to create a duck, there are countless valid ways to demonstrate understanding. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) reminds us that learners benefit from multiple ways to express what they know.

Allowing multiple pathways to success encourages creativity, problem solving, and ownership.

How can we move beyond grades to foster real learning? In this candid and practical session from the 2025 ETE Conference, J.C. Sheen and Julie Stevens share lessons learned from over eight collective years of experimenting with ungrading in graduate and undergraduate courses. They reflect on what’s worked—and what hasn’t—as they’ve shifted the focus from point accumulation to purpose-driven, authentic learning.

Check it out: https://youtu.be/9jgV2XjskAk?si=jKPyyt2BMgoNvyLx

Have you explored the outstanding lineup of presentations for this year's ETE Conference?

Faculty, staff, and graduate students from across Utah State University will be sharing innovative ideas, practical teaching strategies, and research to inspire teaching and learning in the year ahead.

Register by August 1 to reserve your spot and guarantee a conference lunch. We look forward to seeing you at this year's conference!

https://www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/events/conference/

Check out these 40 ideas to help our students and ourselves become more productive learners.

Watch the presentation from last year's ETE Conference on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Q7fOAa4srkY?si=Y3Je5oaeFc3wxMn_