Classroom Innovations in IIGE Fall Faculty Retreat

Faculty in the Global Honors Program and Minor in Innovation and Design gathered in the Global Innovation and Design Lab Hall (MLG 203) on October 4, 2024, to share their syllabi, describe favorite readings, and discuss innovations in the classroom. The Fall Faculty retreat is an especially meaningful space as it draws faculty from across majors and Schools who teach in the IIGE's interdisciplinary academic pathways. It is a space to build community, deepen empathy for the faculty experience across ranks and fields, and unite in the commitment to student success in global learning.

A key theme was a "Year of Impact," as the Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement (IIGE) rolled out its 10th year and celebrated 20 years of its anchoring Global Honors Program. Faculty discussed ways to demonstrate impact through a redesigned faculty webpage that showcased their research and through faculty-student panels at the May 21, 2025 Global Engagement Conference. The most critical space for impact is the classroom, faculty agreed, which opened up an inspiring discussion of favorite and most innovative exercises that drew out both personal experiences and global issues.

Associate Professor Ji Hyun Ahn shared her favorite exercise--prompting students to talk about the story behind their name – this helps draw out a larger story about the person and helps students learn much more about each other.

Associate Teaching Professor Leighann Chaffee asked her students about an approachable topic such as their favorite food, which doubled as both a conversation starter and a subject that could be pivoted into important conversations about food and nutrition in her Biopsychology courses. Professor Ben Meiches took essay assignments and modified them into public speaking assignments, allowing his students to approach “writing” from a new perspective and practice invaluable public speaking skills. Professor Tom Koontz incorporated board games into his teaching, always starting his students’ quarter off with a game of Deep-Sea Adventure.

The retreat provided a glimpse into how innovation can broaden thinking in the classroom. From restructuring assignments, to asking students to share their stories, to using games to introduce new concepts – UW Tacoma faculty are constantly finding new and creative ways to encourage their students to view course material from different perspectives, making their learning experiences richer.