left col

IMPACT Certificate

right col

left col

Description of and requirements to earn these certificates listed below

Spring 2026 Offerings

Promote and Foster Creativity and Critical Thinking in Your Classroom Through "Transfer Exercises"
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Monday, February 2, 2026 | 11:30am-11:45pm (In-Person)

Encouraging students to participate and think creatively in the college classroom can be a challenge. This session will outline an engaging activity that can be used in any content area to increase student participation, critical thinking, and creativity in a safe and encouraging classroom environment. Other benefits include encouraging outside-the-box thinking, fostering on-task behavior, relating real life situations be subject matter of the class, using and accessing prior knowledge effectively, encouraging students to be to class on time, and creating a positive social and academic environment during the class.

Assessment Strategies for the College Classroom
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 2:00pm-3:15pm (In-Person)

Teachers must be prepared for many things in the classroom including writing lesson plans and lectures, managing materials, and assessing and grading the performance of the students in the class. While evaluation is ongoing throughout the semester, varied assessments that are valid and reliable form the foundation of our grading system at set points in time. This seminar will examine a variety of approaches to assess you students in various modalities allowing them to “show what they know” in ways you may not have considered before.

Creating Clear and Useful Rubrics for Student Assessment in the College Classroom
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 12:30pm-1:45pm (In-Person)

A rubric is a powerful tool for assessing student performance in your classroom. But it can also be used to focus and guide student progress toward mastery. Students who can clearly understand educational outcomes are more likely to work toward and achieve those outcomes with focus and clarity. This session will examine how to work backwards from your specific educational course objectives to create clear rubrics that describe what students will do to achieve a certain grade, and we will create several rubrics during the session that you can use in your classes.

Creating Meaningful Discussions in Your Classroom
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | 12:30pm-1:45pm (In-Person)

It has been posited that discussion, as a classroom teaching technique, is the most difficult pedagogical teaching tool to administer well. Research has shown that teachers can mistake quizzing and classroom conversation for true "discussion." This seminar will examine discussion as a teaching tool, clarify what should not qualify as functional classroom discussion, and examine how the questions we use in our classroom can greatly affect how students think, react, and participate in our college classrooms.

Creating a Positive Classroom Environment that Encourages Students Engage in Subject Matter
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 2:00pm-3:15pm (In-Person)

In the college classroom we often think about content over classroom management. But the same techniques that encourage students to engage positively in a high school classroom also work in the higher education setting. This seminar will be a "classroom management" refresher that will refresh your understanding of the things that students need to feel safe and confident in your class while encouraging them to achieve in your specific subject area.

Strategies for Mixing Up Your Teaching Approach to Foster Learning and Engagement
Facilitated by Christopher Peterson

Monday, May 4, 2026 | 10:30am-11:45am (In-Person)

All teachers can find themselves falling into teaching patterns that feel comfortable, but that do not encourage students to connect strongly with subject matter. This seminar will examine specific techniques to vary your classroom teaching approach to help make your classes more interesting, multi modal, and connected to your subject matter.

Workshop Flyer

Click to enlarge

right col

left col

Certificate Descriptions and Requirements

IMPACT (Intentional and Meaningful Pedagogy to Achieve Classroom Transformations) Certificate

This certificate addresses the basic pedagogical elements that make high-impact practices so transformative and guides you to apply high-impact practices to a new course or an existing course that you want to improve. By completing the certificate, you will:

Strengthen your ability to apply pedagogical principles recommended as effective practice for decades
Understand several high-impact practices - particularly ones you may not have experienced as a student
Engage with like-minded colleagues who want to energize their teaching
Develop a plan for incorporating high-impact practices in your teaching
Document your professional development efforts as part of the faculty evaluation cycle

To complete the IMPACT certificate, take any 4 workshops tagged "IMPACT" on the weekly FDC Newsletter. Then submit a list of courses, along with a completed IMPACT Reflection . Answers must demonstrate reflective thought and provide examples. Workshops and written reflection must be completed and submitted within a two-year timeframe.

IMPACT2 (IMPACT SQUARED) Certificate*

The purpose of this certificate is to further develop knowledge of high-impact practices and to discuss types of application. Participants will continue on their path of learning by completing Learning Option 1 or Learning Option 2, and must also complete one of the written activities below.

*Participants must complete the IMPACT certificate before starting the IMPACT SQUARED certificate. Workshops completed in this certificate must be additional workshops completed after completing the IMPACT certificate.

Learning Option 1

3 additional workshops labeled IMPACT beyond those taken to complete the initial IMPACT certificate
1 Lunch and Learn labeled IMPACT
Completion of the Written Submission assignment described below

Learning Option 2

4 additional workshops labeled IMPACT beyond those taken to complete the initial IMPACT certificate
Completion of the Written Submission assignment described below

The Written Submission is required for all participants. After completing the other requirements, complete one of the following:

Submit a classroom assignment that has been created or changed, demonstrating the application of IMPACT material
Submit teaching methods (lecture, discussion, activity) that have been created or changed, demonstrating the application of IMPACT material
Submit an alternative creative idea demonstrating the application of IMPACT material (this must be pre-approved by the FDC in order to fulfill this requirement). To complete this, email fdc@fullerton.edu for approval of creative idea before starting your written submission.

Submit a list of courses, along with a completed Written Submission through the IMPACT Squared Submission Form. Written submissions will be reviewed and feedback will be sent back. To be awarded an IMPACT SQUARED certificate, your submissions must demonstrate reflective thought and details.

Workshops and Written Submission must be completed and submitted within a two year time frame.

Outcomes

By participating in the Faculty Development Center's IMPACT (Intentional and Meaningful Pedagogy to Achieve Classroom Transformations) Certificate courses, faculty will be able to:

Implement engaging classroom activities that encourage students to think critically and creatively, relate subject matter to real-life situations, and enhance participation in a positive and supportive classroom environment.
Develop and apply diverse assessment strategies to evaluate student learning across different modalities, enabling students to demonstrate their knowledge in innovative and meaningful ways.
Construct detailed assessments aligned with course objectives to provide students with clear guidelines for success, ensuring transparency and consistency in grading while promoting targeted progress toward mastery.
Identify and employ effective questioning techniques to lead purposeful and impactful classroom discussions, fostering deeper engagement and critical thinking among students.
Apply classroom management strategies to create a safe, inclusive, and encouraging environment where students feel confident to engage with the subject matter and achieve academic success.
Diversify teaching approaches to create dynamic and engaging learning experiences, leveraging multimodal strategies to connect students more deeply with the subject matter.
Use innovative teaching tools and strategies to promote on-task behavior, punctuality, and active participation, ensuring students remain engaged and invested in their learning experience.
Integrate practices that prioritize student needs, such as clear communication of expectations, collaborative learning opportunities, and creative problem-solving exercises, to empower students as active participants in their education.

Eligibility

IMPACT workshops, activities, and resources are open and available to all who are interested in applying and/or participating, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other protected status.

right col

left col