Summer 2026 CIRTL Network Programming

This summer CIRTL is offering 7 workshops, one short course, one full course, and two teaching institutes for graduate students and postdocs interested in teaching careers in higher education, in addition to our year-round self-paced courses. You can read detailed descriptions of this programming below, and at the bottom of this page you can find a matrix showing how each offering addresses CIRTL’s learning goals:

• Goal 1: Develop evidence-based teaching knowledge
• Goal 2: Connect with community to enhance teaching
• Goal 3: Cultivate teaching skills through reflective improvement
• Goal 4: Prepare for an impactful career

We will announce programming schedules and registration dates by late April/early May. Anyone can register to attend programming, but participants from CIRTL member institutions and alumni will receive priority when registering for programming with limited seats; capped programming typically reaches capacity within a week of registration opening.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive programming updates. Questions? Contact CIRTL’s help desk at registration@cirtl.net.

Workshops

Stimulating Student Engagement and Motivation By Asking the “Right” Questions

This one-part workshop focuses on practical strategies for designing effective questions that deepen engagement, critical thinking, and meaningful learning in AI-supported classrooms. This workshop takes place in Zoom on Wednesday, June 10th at 8-9pm Gulf / 12-1pm Eastern / 11am-12pm Central / 9-10am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate/advanced
• No cap; registration opens on Monday, May 25th at 10am CT

Moving Beyond Efficiency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In this one-part workshop, examine the ethical, cognitive, and interdisciplinary implications of AI and learn how to encourage purposeful use that promotes creativity, critical reflection, and human-centered innovation. This workshop takes place in Zoom on Wednesday, June 24th at 8-9pm Gulf / 12-1pm Eastern / 11am-12pm Central / 9-10am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate/advanced
• No cap; registration opens on Monday, June 8th at 10am CT

Pedagogies of Care: Accessible Teaching, Systemic Barriers, & Care in Your Discipline

How can educators sustain care for themselves and their students amid growing institutional pressures, shifting technologies, and increasing demands on their time and attention? In this one-part workshop for educators with some teaching experience, participants will reflect on what care looks like in their classrooms, what gets in the way of practicing it, and how their disciplines shape (or neglect) its meaning. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate/advanced
• Cap: 25; registration TBD.

Growing as Reflective and Iterative Inclusive Practitioners: The Faculty Inclusive Teaching Survey (FITS) Guidebook

This 2-part workshop is meant to to share and synthesize research results from the Inclusive STEM Teaching Project (ISTP) into a practical, integrated FITS Guidebook that contains validated scales, resources, and recommendations to create reflective and inclusive practitioners that embrace ongoing growth and development. Participants will learn to utilize the FITS Guidebook to: (1) develop as iterative, reflective, and inclusive practitioners by engaging in deep, reflective prompts and peer-peer learning focused on ISTP research results; (2) examine the lived experiences of your learners (e.g., students, faculty members) and campus constituents that impact and influence the development of inclusive instructors; and (3) advance an inclusive teaching action plan. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate
• No cap; registration TBD

Handling Difficult Dialogues In the Classroom

Join us in this one-part workshop for a discussion about planning complex dialogues and handling difficult moments in the classroom, drawing from scholarly frameworks such as Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) and reflective teaching. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: introductory/intermediate
• No cap; registration TBD

Classroom Ethics in Higher Education: Navigating Dilemmas with Intention

In this two-part workshop, instructors and future instructors in higher education are invited to participate in a classroom ethics “bootcamp” that will prepare them for exploring the inherent tensions that arise in the classroom, from issues of fair student assessment to facing controversial topics in discussion. Most instructors teach how they were taught – this workshop will take the first steps in breaking the pattern of status-quo instruction, preparing instructors to practice critical reflection and ethical deliberation. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: introductory/intermediate
• Cap: 45; registration TBD.

Critical AI Literacy for Teachers and Students: Prompting, Evaluating, and Ethically Using Generative AI

Surprised by how fast AI is developing, yet still cautious about trusting it? Already using AI but wondering how to encourage students to remain critical of its outputs? As generative AI reshapes the educational landscape, developing critical AI literacy becomes essential for responsible AI use and critical evaluation. This two-part workshop explores critical AI literacy across various disciplines, with particular focus on AI prompt literacy, critical evaluation of AI outputs, and ethical disclosure practices. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: introductory/intermediate
• Cap: 60; registration TBD

Courses

UDL + AI Design Studio

The UDL + AI Design Studio is a 6-week redesign studio where instructors improve one real teaching challenge using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—a widely recognized, research-grounded framework for designing learning experiences. This studio reframes UDL as a practical design cycle that makes redesign manageable and actionable. AI functions as a design partner, helping instructors apply UDL more efficiently to refine activities and assessments with clarity and precision. Participants leave with a ready-to-implement artifact and a clear plan to pilot it. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate/advanced
• Cap: 15; registration TBD

Planning Your Teaching-as-Research Project

Jumpstart your plans for a Teaching-as-Research (TAR) project in this 6-week flipped course designed to guide participants through developing a research question, identifying project methods and outcomes, and more. Each week, students will watch videos, read articles, and complete assignments on their own time; in weekly sessions, students will refine their work with peer review, work through sticking points with instructors, and build community to sustain their work. This course takes place in Zoom on Tuesdays at 7-8:30pm Gulf / 11am-12:30pm Eastern / 10-11:30am Central / 8-9:30am Pacific/Arizona from June 16 to July 21.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3
• Learning level: intermediate
• Cap: 25; registration opens on Monday, May 11th at 10am CT

Teaching Institutes

Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute (in person)

The Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute is a multi-day in-person teaching institute designed to help doctoral students and post-docs become successful and confident classroom teachers. The in-person version of this institute meets daily at the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, MD from Wednesday, May 27 through Friday, May 29. Participants can see a detailed schedule upon registration.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 15 CIRTL participants; read more and register

Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute (online)

The Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute is a multi-day online teaching institute designed to help doctoral students and post-docs become successful and confident classroom teachers. Daily sessions take place in Zoom from Monday, June 8 through Friday, June 12 at 5-8:30pm Gulf / 9-12:30pm Eastern / 8am-11:30am Central / 7-10:30am Mountain / 6-9:30am Pacific/Arizona. Participants can see a detailed schedule upon registration.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 15 CIRTL participants; read more and register

Summer Programming & CIRTL Learning Goals

All programming aligns with CIRTL’s 4 learning goals at introductory, intermediate, or advanced levels. Here, you can see how our fall programming provides different learning experiences for each learning goal.