Online discussion boards have long been a staple of asynchronous courses, yet many instructors and students question whether they still foster meaningful learning and authentic interaction in today's educational landscape. Since designing the first fully online section of PUBH 201: Introduction to Public Health in 2019, Julie Grubaugh, Senior Lecturer & Undergraduate Health Program Director in the Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences, has continuously refined online discussion activities in response to student feedback, evolving technologies, changing classroom dynamics, and the emergence of generative AI. Rather than presenting a single "best" approach, Julie will share lessons learned through six years of continuous course improvement—including successes, missteps, and ongoing questions. Participants will leave with practical design principles for creating online discussions that promote student connection, belonging, meaningful engagement, and achievement of course learning outcomes.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

Online discussion boards are rarely thought of as spaces of joy. In this session, Melissa DeWitt, Instructional Designer in the College of Professional Studies at the University of Denver, explores how humanizing pedagogies, instructor presence, and thoughtful prompt design can transform discussion boards into sites of connection, creativity, and meaning-making. Participants will leave with practical strategies for cultivating joy within online discussions.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

Are you a graduate student or postdoc looking for a credential that shows your proficiency in developing and teaching online courses? This hybrid course is a great place to start! Digital Learning and Teaching and Learning Innovation (TLI) are teaming up to offer the Introduction to Online Teaching Seminar for Graduate Students and Postdocs in Fall 2026. Over six weeks, participants will engage in asynchronous learning activities, complemented by four synchronous Zoom workshops. Topics include assessment strategies, student engagement, content creation, universal design for learning, and generative AI in teaching and learning.” By the end, you’ll have a framework for creating engaging online courses that will support you throughout your career. It’s a great way to strengthen your teaching toolkit and prepare for future online course opportunities. This seminar includes four synchronous workshops held on Zoom on Wednesdays from 2:30 – 4:00 PM EST. Participants are expected to attend at least three of the four scheduled workshops and complete all deliverables to earn their certificate of completion. Participants should expect to spend around 2-3 hours on weekly activities.

You're invited. We're throwing a party, and your online course is the guest of honor. Every good host makes a few small, deliberate choices that turn a room from quiet to alive. That approach works just as well in your online course. Come as you are, leave with something to use.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

TBA

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

Your Canvas course is already baked...but is it decorated? In this hands-on 45-minute session, we'll demystify HTML and show you how a handful of simple tags can transform your pages, discussions, and announcements from plain sheet cake into something your students want to dig into. We'll walk through the essential ingredients (HTML code you can use) and send you home with practical, copy-paste-ready examples you can drop straight into your course. Whether you've never touched the HTML editor or you've peeked at it once and promptly closed it, no prior coding experience is needed. Just bring your Canvas course and an appetite to make it better.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

Join the February OPC meeting to learn more about Digital Learning’s online student success efforts. We’ll share how our team supports fully online learners from admission confirmation through program completion, what resources are available to online students, and how we collaborate across the institution to improve engagement, retention, and student outcomes. This session is ideal for anyone who works with or supports online students. The session will be hosted by Digital Learning’s Director of Online Student Success, Donald B. Scott.

“Class is boring.” “All I do is read and take a quiz.” These student comments echo across disciplines and modalities, reflecting a growing disconnect between traditional instructional approaches and the expectations of Gen Z learners. As educators and instructional designers, we are increasingly challenged to rethink what engagement actually means and how to design for it intentionally rather than reactively. This session draws on a recent practitioner-informed literature review examining Gen Z undergraduate learners, faculty perceptions of engagement, and the role of innovative pedagogies in shaping meaningful participation in higher education. While Gen Z students are often described as digitally fluent and engagement-driven, the research and our experience reveals a more complex reality: students may request “engaging” experiences yet resist pedagogies that require active participation, collaboration, or accountability. At the same time, faculty frequently express uncertainty about how to adapt their teaching without sacrificing rigor or overhauling their courses entirely. In this session, Participants will examine how pedagogical approaches such as active learning, flipped classrooms, gamification, social media integration, and generative AI can support Gen Z engagement when aligned with clear learning goals and thoughtfully scaffolded implementation. ============================================================================= Dr. Heidi Watson-Held is an Instructional Designer in the eLearning Design Innovation Group in the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University. Heidi has worked for the Pennsylvania State University for 26 years in program design, development, and delivery in a variety of capacities. She completed a D.Ed. in Administration and Leadership – Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012. She received her M.Ed. in Adult Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2004. Heidi has been teaching adjunct since 2016 at Purdue University and the University of New England since 2026. Heidi enjoys teaching and learning with AI, designing courses, creating video shorts, and working on assessments. When she is not working or teaching, she is involved in gardening, painting, taking care of the family, or writing stories. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-watson-held-69803114 Emilee Spokus is an Instructional Technology Specialist in the Office of Digital Pedagogies and Initiatives in the College of the Liberal Arts at The Pennsylvania State University. Emilee has worked for The Pennsylvania State University since 2008, with the last decade focused on digital pedagogy and faculty support in instructional technology, media production, and course design. She earned her B.A. (with honors) in Digital Media from Juniata College in 2007and her M.S. in Learning, Design, and Technology from Pennsylvania State University in 2023. Emilee also co-developed and teaches LA 83 – Liberal Arts First-Year Seminar. Emilee enjoys learning how to integrating AI into teaching and learning, designing courses, creating media and video content, and advancing accessibility in digital spaces. When she is not working, she enjoys hiking, gardening, learning to be a handyman, and competing with her golden retriever in obedience, rally, tracking, and scent work. She also volunteers as a trainer with Mt. Nittany Dog Training Club. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilee-spokus-55443314/

Digital Learning has two lecture capture rooms, a 1200 sq ft studio space, and a professional team of video producers, interactive & graphic designers to help you create unique media elements to help enhance your course. Please note,the space is a working studio, so various sets and projects may be on display during tours.   Located in the Kingston Pike Building, 2309 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN

Digital Learning’s multimedia studio hosts a wide range of technologies to support faculty in developing online course materials, including lecture capture rooms, 360-degree cameras, 3D scanners, and augmented and virtual reality. Visit the studio to see demonstrations and receive consulting for future courses from Digital Learning’s instructional design, video production, and interactive development teams. The studio is located at 2309 Kingston Pike. Parking is available in front of the building.

This is a student focused workshop and students are given enrollment priority.

As online learning grows at UT Knoxville, we have the opportunity to better understand who our students are and how we can support them What insights can we glean from these students? What do we know about their stories, motivations, and goals? Join Amy Lambert, Director of Marketing Insights, and Perrin Anderson, Director of Earned Media in Digital Learning as we share insights from recent quantitative and qualitative studies on our online student population, providing us with rich detail that can further our collective strategies to support adult learners. Zoom: https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/81205086084

Are you interested in promoting quality online learning at UT? Are you looking for opportunities to either enhance the quality of your online course through a peer review, or support a colleague with valuable feedback? We are hosting three drop-in information sessions for those interested in learning more about Digital Learning's Engaged Online Course review process. Bring your questions regarding becoming a Peer Reviewer or having your course reviewed. Join UT’s Engaged Online Course Coordinator for one of these 30-minute sessions.

This intensive one-week bootcamp is designed to prepare you to teach asynchronously this fall. We will guide you through creating essential course components, managing expectations and communication, fostering engagement, and providing efficient feedback. With courses launching next week, this workshop is highly practical. The readings, discussions, and assignments are intentionally designed to produce components that you can use directly in your fall Canvas course(s). This bootcamp is ideal for instructors who are new to online teaching or new to UTK.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

Grow your skills in online classroom management with our Online Course Delivery training, part of the Online Teaching and Learning Certificate Series. In this facilitated, asynchronous two-week course, you will be empowered to effectively teach online, addressing common challenges associated with online teaching. You will explore social presence and engagement strategies, leverage instructional technologies for better course management and communication, and strategies for providing meaningful feedback to foster student success. By the end of the course, you will be ready to teach an interactive, inclusive, and well-managed online course. This course runs from November 9 to 20

Transform your online course(s) with our Online Course Design training, part of the Online Teaching and Learning Certification series. In this facilitated, asynchronous two-week course, you’ll master the Backward Design framework, craft clear learning outcomes, and practice developing assessments and learning activities with the assistance of Generative AI. Join us to apply these essential design principles to create impactful, well-structured online courses. This course will run from September 8 to 18.

Elevate your online courses with our Online Course Development training, part of the Online Teaching and Learning Certificate series. In this facilitated, asynchronous three-week course, you’ll explore practical strategies and tools to build a dynamic Canvas course that captivates and supports your students. Develop engaging materials that enhance the online learning experience with the assistance and expertise of an Instructional Designer from Digital Learning. Join us and transform your course content into an interactive and impactful journey for your students. This course runs from September 28 to October 16

Teaching with Generative AI is an introductory three-week, asynchronous course designed to help educators build practical skills for using generative AI tools in their teaching. In this course, you will explore the basics of Generative AI (GenAI), examine real-world examples of its use in education, and gain hands-on experience with tools that can support both teaching and learning. The course also addresses key ethical, privacy, and academic integrity considerations, helping you make informed decisions about incorporating AI in your courses. In addition, you will learn strategies for guiding students in the appropriate and responsible use of AI within academic contexts. This course runs from October 19-November 6.

This is an instructor focused workshop and only faculty/staff or GTAs may enroll.

In response to popular demand and the rapidly evolving world of Generative AI (GenAI), Digital Learning is launching a GenAI-focused Community of Practice for UTK online instructors. This community will provide a space for faculty, staff, and instructors to come together, share their experiences using GenAI, and learn from one another. Whether you want to show how you’re using GenAI in creative ways or are simply curious about how others are incorporating it into their teaching and professional work, this is the place for you. Join DL staff and your peers to explore unique use cases, exchange ideas, and discover new possibilities. The main goal of this community is “show and tell.” Come prepared to share how you have used, or attempted to use GenAI, and hear from colleagues who are experimenting with GenAI. Each session lasts 45 minutes.

In response to popular demand and the rapidly evolving world of Generative AI (GenAI), Digital Learning is launching a GenAI-focused Community of Practice for UTK online instructors. This community will provide a space for faculty, staff, and instructors to come together, share their experiences using GenAI, and learn from one another. Whether you want to show how you’re using GenAI in creative ways or are simply curious about how others are incorporating it into their teaching and professional work, this is the place for you. Join DL staff and your peers to explore unique use cases, exchange ideas, and discover new possibilities. The main goal of this community is “show and tell.” Come prepared to share how you have used, or attempted to use GenAI, and hear from colleagues who are experimenting with GenAI. Each session lasts 45 minutes.

Join the April OPC meeting, Online Programs and Out of State Students. Jennifer Gramling, Digital Learning’s Executive Director of Online Programs, will lead this session exploring important considerations for out-of-state students in online degree programs. Discussion topics will include state authorization compliance, federal regulations for programs leading to licensure, and the reporting of out-of-state learning placements.