CMSE Curriculum Development Sprint 2026
Overview
The first-ever CMSE Curriculum Development Sprint is a collaborative work week taking place June 8—12, 2026 in STEM 1201 (with Zoom available as needed). Building on insights from two rounds of focus group discussions, the sprint brings together CMSE instructors, researchers, and graduate students for structured, hands-on sessions aimed at meaningfully improving our curriculum.
Sessions run 10:00 am — 4:00 pm each day and are organized around three potential axes of development:
- Classroom structure and pedagogical approaches — how we teach and engage students
- Course content and included topics — what we teach and why
- Technical implementation and accessibility — how materials are built and delivered
This is a low-stakes, high-impact effort. You are encouraged to attend as much or as little as your schedule allows — even partial participation is valuable. If you cannot join sprint sessions in person, there will also be opportunities to join a sprint team and continue this work through the summer.
Select sessions will also include dedicated professional development opportunities focused on instructional design and pedagogical approaches, giving participants practical tools and frameworks they can bring directly back to their teaching.
Participation in the sprint is designed to support your professional work in concrete ways:
- Documentable service — a clear indicator of commitment to the department’s teaching mission for annual evaluations
- Portfolio building — a mechanism to generate tangible materials (new modules, peer-reviewed pedagogy, or assessment tools) that can support reappointment, promotion, and tenure cases; graduate students can draw on this experience for future faculty job applications
Questions? Reach out to Devin Silvia or Sona Chitchyan.
Sprint Project Teams, Workspaces, and Communication
Each project team has a dedicated workspace for collaboration. These workspaces will be used to share resources, track progress, and coordinate efforts throughout the sprint.
You can find your corresponding workspace here (you will only have access to the one you are a member of):
- CMSE 201 Content Clean-up
- Community-driven AI Guidelines
- Out-of-classroom Support and Student Belonging
We also have a Slack team for real-time communication and collaboration, cmse-sprint.slack.com. Contact Devin or Sona for access.
Schedule
Sessions run Monday through Friday, June 8—12. Times are Eastern.
“PD” indicates sessions with dedicated professional development content.
| Day | 10:00—11:30 am | 12:30—2:00 pm | 2:30—4:00 pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 8 | Session 1: Focus Group Summary and Project Identification | Session 2: Backward design and Assessment (PD) | Session 3: Using backward design to guide project planning |
| Tuesday, June 9 | Session 4: Sprint Team Co-working | Free time | Session 5: Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility (PD) - Rescheduled for Friday morning |
| Wednesday, June 10 | Session 6: Sprint Team Update/Check-in + Co-work | Asynchronous development or in-person co-work1 | Asynchronous development or in-person co-work1 |
| Thursday, June 11 | Asynchronous development or in-person co-work1 | Asynchronous development or in-person co-work1 | Asynchronous development or in-person co-work1 |
| Friday, June 12 | Session 5: Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility (PD) | Session 8: Project Share-outs and Next Steps | Session 9: Final Wrap-up and check-ins, as needed |
Session Details
Session 1
Focus Group Summary and Project Identification
Monday, June 8 · 10:00—11:30 am
We will review the key themes and insights from the focus group discussions, and use these to identify specific projects for development during the sprint. This will include brainstorming potential improvements to our curriculum, as well as forming teams around shared interests and goals.
Shared summary and brainstorm document from the focus group discussions will be available for reference during this session.
Welcome and Project Kickoff slides: View HTML or Download PDF
Session 2
Backward design and Assessment (PD)
Monday, June 8 · 12:30—2:00 pm
We will explore the principles of backward design and how it can be used when engaging in curriculum development. We will also discuss best practices for designing assessments and provide actionable feedback.
Backward Design slides: View HTML or Download PDF
Creating Actionable Feedback slides: Download PDF
Session 3
Using backward design to guide project planning
Monday, June 8 · 2:30—4:00 pm
We will apply the principles of backward design to our identified projects. This will involve defining clear learning outcomes, determining appropriate assessments, and planning instructional activities that align with these outcomes.
Worksheet for applying backward design to project planning: View Worksheet
Session 4
Sprint Team Co-working
Tuesday, June 9 · 10:00—11:30 am
Sprint teams will have the opportunity to work together on their projects using their backward design plans as a guide. This will be a time for collaboration, brainstorming, and problem-solving as teams begin to develop their materials and approaches.
Session 6
Sprint Team Update/Check-in + Co-work
Wednesday, June 10 · 10:00—11:30 am
Sprint teams will have the opportunity to share updates on their projects, receive feedback from peers, and continue working together. This session will be a time for reflection on progress, troubleshooting challenges, and refining project plans.
Session 5
Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility (PD)
Friday, June 12 · 10:00—11:30 am
(Rescheduled from original time of Tuesday, June 9 · 2:30—4:00 pm)
We will discuss the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how they can be applied to create more inclusive and accessible materials. This session will provide practical strategies for designing materials that meet the needs of all learners.
Shared Google Drive folder with resources related to UDL and accessibility: View Folder
Session 7
Project Share-outs and Next Steps
Friday, June 12 · 12:30—2:00 pm
Sprint teams will share their projects with the larger group, providing an opportunity for feedback and discussion. We will also discuss next steps for continuing this work beyond the sprint, including making plans to continue this work through the summer. We will also discuss how to document and share the work that was done during the sprint with the broader CMSE community.
Details for share-out presentations are available in this shared document.
Session 8
Final Wrap-up and check-ins, as needed
Friday, June 12 · 2:30—4:00 pm
This will be an opportunity for any final project work and check-ins between sprint leads and facilitators, if needed.
Outcomes
The following projects were developed during the sprint. Each team presented their work at the showcase event on August 18, 2026. Presentation slides and supplementary material (as provided) are linked below.
CMSE 201 Content Refresh
Presentation slides: Coming soon
Community-driven AI Guidelines
Presentation slides: Coming soon
Supplementary materials: Generative AI Guidelines Drafts — community feedback is welcome!
Out-of-classroom Support and Student Belonging
Presentation slides: Coming soon
For questions, contact Devin Silvia or Sona Chitchyan.
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For these session blocks, sprint teams will have the option to meet synchronously for co-working or check-in, or to work asynchronously on their projects. This is intended to provide flexibility for participants who may have other commitments during that time. As this work progresses, please report your efforts via this progress reporting form. ↩↩↩↩↩