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New Faculty Orientation
● Concurrent Session Abstracts
Scroll down to read descriptions of the session and workshop choices that are
available during each time slot. Please note the following abbreviations:
W = Workshop, P = Panel, IP = Interactive Presentation, R = Roundtable.
|
| Workshop 1 |
| Tuesday, August 18th ● 9:45 - 11:45 |
| |
| Option A: Problem-Based Learning, Part I
(W) |
| Facilitator: Dr. Sherri
Smith, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching
& Learning and Associate Professor of English (COLA) |
This is a two-part workshop; participants for this session must
also register for Part II on Wednesday, 8:45-10:45 (Workshop 5A).
According to Barbara Duch,
problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method that “challenges
students to ‘learn to learn,’ working cooperatively in groups to seek
solutions to real-world problems.” Instead of using problem solving as a
way to demonstrate learning that has already occurred (for example, by
taking an exam), students are presented with problem-scenarios before
they have learned something. These problem-scenarios engage student
curiosity from the outset and provide a context and purpose for pursuing
specific learning goals. This model of deep and engaged learning sets
the stage for students to identify what they need to learn (relative to
the problem), recognize their knowledge gaps, develop more sophisticated
information literacy skills, and begin to think critically about
evidence, argument, problem-complexity and knowledge-making. In this
two-part workshop, participants will collaboratively solve a PBL
problem, debrief about the process, and fashion workable problems
appropriate to specific courses and learning goals.
Participants should bring a course syllabus and a
list of learning outcomes/objectives for that course. |
|
| Option B:
Digital Storytelling Bootcamp: Learning the Basics of Using
Digital Photos, Audio and Video as a Precursor to
Incorporating Multimodal Assignments in the Classroom - Part 1 (W) |
| Facilitator:
Jennifer Sias, Associate Professor and Director of Research, Information Literacy
& Instructional Services (University Libraries) |
| Limited to 15 participants |
|
Multi-modal compositions and multi-genre assignments are being embraced
in higher education by faculty who are open to students demonstrating
their knowledge, understanding and mastery of concepts through multiple
literacies. Many
students flourish when they have opportunities to express themselves not
only in the written form but also through the visual arts, audio and
video and are capable of producing persuasive and moving works,
including public service announcements, podcasts, vodcasts (video
podcasts) and digital stories. While many students of this generation
seem adept in using (or at least have some familiarity with) various
forms of technology to produce these types of assignments, professors
who may not have a working knowledge of all things video, audio, etc.
may be reluctant to incorporate digital storytelling and other
multi-modal assignments in their courses. This workshop will be designed
to give participants hands-on experience in taking digital photographs,
recording digital audio and shooting digital video in teams to produce
mini digital stories. Professor Sias will then demonstrate how to
import participants’ digital photos, audio and video for basic editing
using widely available audio and video editing software.
This is a two-part workshop; participants for this session must
also register for Part II on Wednesday, 8:45-10:45 (Workshop 5B). |
| |
| Option C: Writing Objectively Scored Quiz &
Exam Items Effectively (W) |
| Facilitator: Dr. Thomas Klein, Professor of Education
(COEHS) |
|
Participants will be introduced
to the following types of objectively scored items:
completion, short-answer, matching, binary-choice, and
multiple-choice. Included in the
introduction will be group discussion about advantages and disadvantages
of each type of item. After being introduced to different types of
objectively scored items, participants of this session will break into
small groups to examine a list of objectively scored items for possible
flaws, attempt to identify the flaws in each item, and determine how to
improve each item. Whole-group discussion concerning the flaws of the
items will occur after each group has finished examining each item.
Participants will leave the session having learned ways to write better
objectively scored items, including writing items without vague words,
providing specifics when needed concerning the type of answer requested,
avoiding giving clues to the
correct answer, avoiding assessing trivial facts, and avoiding trying to
trick students.
|
| |
| Option D: Simulations and Games (W) |
| Facilitators: Dr. Dallas Brozik, Professor of
Finance and Economics (LCOB); Dr. Christopher Cassidy, Associate
Professor of Management & Marketing (LCOB) |
|
The use of games, simulations, and role-playing situations has been and
is becoming more popular at the college level. Simulations and games
allow the testing of theories and create artificial situations that can
be used in the classroom to examine alternative social structures;
making it possible to convey difficult concepts in an interesting and
effective manner.
Drs. Brozik and Cassidy have significant experience in the design and
application of simulations and experiments for the classroom. In this
workshop, faculty will be introduced to the potential of using
simulations and games in the classroom. After an initial discussion of
the general structure of experiential exercises, attendees will
participate in a well-established simulation that can be used in many
applications and will be shown how it can be used in the classroom.
Participants will be provided with materials that will allow them to use
the simulation in their own classes. |
| |
 |
| |
| Session 2 |
| Tuesday, August 18th ● 1:00 - 2:15
|
| |
| Option A: Methods for
Fostering Critical Thinking (P) |
| Panelist: Dr. Larry Stickler, Professor of
Music (COFA) |
|
"'You don't have to jump into the deep end': A Presentation
Dealing with Introducing Yourself and Your Students to Critical Thinking
in the Classroom without Drowning" |
|
There is no reason to jump blindly into the deep end
of the pool of critical thinking.
There is no reason for a teacher or a student to jump into water
over their heads and lose their sense of direction.
There are steps at the shallow end of the pool that gently lead
teacher and student into the pool and eventually they will all be
swimming through the pool like fish.
The key is to lead the student down the steps to the water rather than
just pushing them into the deep end of the pool.
Dr. Stickler will
discuss methods of incorporating critical thinking assignments into an
existing course. Methods to be discussed include Socratic
questioning and role-playing.
|
| |
| Panelist: Dr. Christopher LeGrow, Associate
Professor of Psychology (COLA) |
|
"The Development of Critical Thinking Skills through an Analysis
of Paranormal Phenomena" |
|
Dr. LeGrow will focus on the
development of critical thinking skills in 30 students enrolled in an
undergraduate Paranormal Psychology course.
Assessment will focus on changes in students’ paranormal beliefs as well
as students’ ability to: (a) examine a claim of paranormal activity from
multiple perspectives (b) design sound scientific methodologies to test
paranormal claims and (c) identify the flaws in logic and/or research
design associated with pseudoscientific methodologies used to support
paranormal claims.
|
| |
| Option B:
What Cognitive Psychology Can Tell You about Maintaining Your Memory and
Improving That of Your Students (IP) |
| Presenter: Dr. Steven Mewaldt, Professor of
Psychology (COLA) |
|
Why do we forget and how do we remember? What do our students know
about memory that is wrong and how does that hurt their success in
school? Cognitive psychologists have long studied how people remember
things and ways to improve our ability to recall important information.
In this workshop, Dr. Mewaldt will review how memory works, and discuss
strategies that should be useful to both students and teachers. In
addition, he will discuss health and life style issues that can affect
memory, especially for those of us past our 30s. (Bring pen and paper.
There will be memory activities.) |
| |
| Option C: Revealing your Student's
Thinking: How to find the FACTs: Formative Assessment Classroom
Techniques (IP) |
| Presenters: Dr. Tina Cartwright, Assistant
Professor of Education (COEHS); Katie
McDilda, June Harless Center 21st Century Fellow |
|
How often to do you ask a question in your classroom and yet see the
same students raise their hands to answer?
What about the rest of the class?
How do you know if they “got it”?
How do you know if they understand?
What are their ideas?
Formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) are an important way
to reveal student thinking in the college classroom.
Formative assessment probes should be used in the college classroom so
teachers can continuously gather information on student thinking and
learning in order to make data-informed decisions to plan for and adjust
instructional activities.
This presentation will focus on engaging
participants in hands-on activities with discussions centered on the
following learning goals: explaining the three core principles from the
How People Learn
report supporting formative assessment, differentiating the three
types of assessments and the role of formative assessment probes, and
demonstrating examples of FACTs. Participants will be provided
with a list of 75 FACTs suitable for a variety of classrooms. |
| |
| Option D: Designing and Implementing
Student Conferences as a Teaching Tool (R) |
| Moderators: Dr. April Fugett-Fuller, Assistant
Professor of Psychology (COLA); Dr. Whitney Douglas, Assistant Professor
of English (COLA) |
|
Many faculty feel pressed for time in their teaching,
with a substantial amount of material to cover and a finite amount of
time in a semester.
Cancelling class sessions to conference with students can feel
transgressive, but the facilitators have seen how the benefits far
outweigh the costs.
One-on-one conferencing with students can be a critical course
component for maximizing their engagement with course material and
enhancing their learning experiences.
Through conferences, teachers can establish productive working
relationships with their students, clarify assignments, elaborate on
instructions, and answer student questions in a supportive environment.
Conferences also help teachers to support diverse learning
styles. Each conference can
be tailored to the individual student, and in one-on-one sessions with
their students, teachers learn more about the student population in a
given course and can adjust assignments and in class activities to
foster constructive learning experiences.
Finally, conferences ask students to be responsible for
preparation and learning outside “normal” classroom parameters, guiding
them to take ownership of their education by being more reflective,
self-directed learners. Conferences can be treated the same as a
lecture or assignment, requiring time, planning, and a set agenda.
In addition to examining the outcomes and effectiveness of
conferencing, the moderators would like to discuss the development and
implementation of conferences, exploring different ways conference time
can be used to support student learning.
|
|
|
| Option E: Undergraduate Research as an
Instructional Methodology (R) |
| Moderators: Michael Castellani, Professor
of Chemistry (COS); Martin Laubach, Associate Professor of Sociology
(COLA); Elmer Price, Professor of Biological Sciences (COS);
Chris Green, Associate Professor of English (COLA);
Karen McComas, Associate Professor of Communication Disorders
(COHP) |
|
The moderators will each briefly discuss how research can be an
effective learning tool for undergraduates in their respective
disciplines. Research by undergraduates has been demonstrated as an
effective technique for improving student learning and performance. For
many the perception exists that this research cannot be of high quality
or generate results important to the disciplinary field. The
facilitators wish to engage faculty in a discussion on how to increase
student and faculty participation in such projects and to increase
outside dissemination of the results. |
| |
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| |
| Session 3 |
| Tuesday, August 18th ● 2:30 - 3:45 |
| |
| Option A: Making Time for Active Learning
(IP) |
| Presenters: Dr. Sherri
Smith, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching
& Learning and Associate Professor of English (COLA); Dr. David
Hatfield, Associate Professor of English (COLA) |
|
As academics, we use critical thinking skills every day. In fact, it
would be impossible to do the work of our respective disciplines without
living in the upper stories of Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive learning.
But when we walk into the classroom—especially lower division
courses—how often do we ask our students to do the work of the
discipline? Aren’t we more likely to simply ask them to observe
our doing?
Active learning environments are clearly the key to improving students’
critical thinking skills. Yet faculty who wish to integrate more
student-centered pedagogies into their repertoires are often faced with
the dilemma of finding enough class time. The “coverage” model is still
very compelling, and some faculty fear that by devoting more class time
to active learning, students will not acquire an adequate knowledge base
to prepare them for the next class or even for working in the field
after graduation. This interactive presentation will offer strategies for making time for
active learning without sacrificing knowledge-based course content. Drs.
Hatfield and Smith will illustrate how online technologies and
collaborative learning techniques ensure that students take more
responsibility for acquiring basic knowledge outside of class, leaving
more class time for active learning and critical thinking. |
| |
| Option B: Attracting Students to the
Sciences (P) |
| Panelist: Dr. Maria Babiuc-Hamilton, Assistant
Professor of Physics (COS) |
|
"Female Students in Physics: A Study
on Performance and Representation" |
|
Reports show that females are underrepresented in physics, and their
average scores are lower than males.
Dr. Babiuc-Hamilton will share the results of her study on
the performance and representation of female students in physics, which
tested
three different pedagogical approaches to teaching introductory level
physics courses: (1) the traditional lecture-based method, (2) the
technology enhanced lecture-based method, and (3) active learning
laboratories.. She will also discuss a set of
recommendations for attracting females into the study of physics, which
resulted from her research.
|
| |
| Panelists: Dr. William Niemann, Associate
Professor of Geology (COS); Dr. Aley El-Shazly, Associate Professor of
Geology (COS) |
|
"The
Hedrick Field Geology Course: An Unconventional Approach to an
Introductory Level Science Course"
|
| Drs. Niemann and El-Shazly will discuss the findings
of a pilot course focused on field geology. This pilot course was
supported by the 2007 Hedrick Grant for Teaching Innovations and was
innovative in its focus on field over classroom activities and for
exposing new geology students to upper-level content much earlier than
they would have been previously.
The anticipated result was that freshman-level and sophomore-level
students would gain uncommon awareness and enthusiasm for geology both
as an academic discipline and career option.
The centerpiece of the course curriculum was a 7-day field tour
through West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Drs. Niemann and El-Shazly will share several
conclusions based on student assessments.
|
| |
| Option C: Techniques for Case Method
Teaching (IP) |
| Presenters: Dr. Dallas Brozik, Professor of Finance
& Economics (LCOB); Dr. Christopher Cassidy, Associate Professor of
Management & Marketing (LCOB) |
|
Most teaching techniques are oriented towards
positive learning, but just as there are two sides to every coin, it is
possible to have positive learning results through negative performance.
Teaching by using cases gives students the opportunity to experience
real world situations in a controlled, risk-free environment. This gives
students the opportunity to fail and learn from those failures. The
opportunity to fail is one of the key concepts underlying case method
teaching.
The effective use of failure as a positive learning experience requires
that the instructor takes a different role in the educational process.
Rather than focusing on successes, the instructor must be able to
identify failure and show the students how to turn the perceived failure
into a positive experience.
Drs. Brozik and Cassidy both have extensive
experience in teaching using the case method, and each has a different
approach to the problem. This presentation will focus on the various
techniques that can be used in case method teaching and include
discussion on how the technique can be used in the various academic
disciplines. |
| |
| Option D: Teaching Difficult Texts (P) |
| Panelists: Dr. Calvin Meyer, Program Director for
Elementary and Secondary Education (GSEPD); Doctoral Students;
Keith Butcher, Tracy Chenoweth, Sumeeta Patnaik, Jenny Santilli, Anita
Stephenson, Hannah Toney, Mary Ann Triplett, Brenda Tuckwiller, Joycie
Wawiye, John Whiteley, Kristy Wood, Christina Wright |
Textbooks are often judged for
readability and for content, but in this day of needed critical
thinking, the term “difficult text” is often dismissed as non relevant.
Conceptualization of an idea requires us to not only think within the
“box” but also outside of it. Dr. Meyer will discuss how difficult texts
can be the initiation of analysis; and in so being, challenge us to look
beyond our own constructivistic experiences. Dr. Meyer will
discuss how he used a difficult text, as determined by the
students, to generate analysis of curriculum theory. The panel will be
supported by the ideas of the instructor and twelve doctoral students
who were a part of the learning with the instructor.
Discussion will evolve around the following questions:
1. How
was the learning structured with the book?
2. What were the
desired outcomes?
3. How were the
outcomes reached?
4. What were the
initial fears in using the book?
5. Were the fears
added stress or new challenges?
6. Upon
completion, what was the view of the students toward their learning? |
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| |
| Session 4 |
| Tuesday, August 18th ●
4:00 - 5:15 |
| |
| Option A: iSkills: Problem-Based Assessment
for Information & Computer Literacy at Marshall University (IP) |
| Presenter: Dr. Monica Brooks, Assistant
Vice-President of Information Technology for Online Learning and
Libraries |
|
For a few years now, many of our colleagues have been working to refine
an innovative general studies curriculum that emphasizes critical
thinking across disciplines. Meeting new needs required breaking some
traditional library molds. To become active players within the
information and technical literacy thinking domain, four librarians took
a dramatic risk by re-tooling positions, re-thinking roles, and
completely re-vamping user education. In the spring of 2008 they formed
a new unit entitled, the Digital Learning Team. The team facilitates
campus-wide information literacy programming and collaborates with the
teaching faculty to provide embedded librarian experiences in a variety
of courses. Addressing curricular change from a theoretical standpoint
has merit; however, the librarians also felt a method to assess
student learning within the classroom environment was needed. In
conjunction with campus-wide assessment efforts, they selected the
Educational Testing Service (ETS) iSkills™ core and
advance examinations to provide benchmark and longitudinal data for
student abilities with information and communication technical literacy
(ICT) in the digital environment. Dr. Brooks will describe the outcomes
of the benchmarking efforts along with the results of an embedded pool
of students in the hope that trends related to ICT curriculum
development and lesson planning can be identified. |
| |
| Option B: If I'm the professor, why do I
have so much homework?: Assessment, Feedback, Grading, and Student
Ownership for Critical Thinking in the 21st Century (IP) |
| Presenter: Dr. Christina Huhn, Assistant Professor
of Modern Languages (COLA) |
|
With the shift in education towards critical thinking and the 21st
century learning initiatives, a change in the way we approach classroom
assessment is a predictable effect.
Dr. Huhn will discuss how classroom assessment
can be used to further student learning, foster a more effective
learning environment, and shift the responsibility for learning so that
it is shared equally by student and instructor
--
an essential component
of education for the 21st century. Topics will include
a discussion of the use of grading rubrics as a grading and
communication tool, the use of peer feedback
and commentary, and personal reflection, and other ways to and
help shift student mindsets from
“I just need to get
this done” towards a focus
on -- and optimistically, appreciation for -- what they’ve learned.
Additionally, this session will discuss ways to turn your exams into
more than just a tool to see if students can remember the material long
enough to take an exam. Some of the items discussed will include exam
writing styles, student contributions to exam content, exam rewriting,
and exam feedback. |
| |
| Option C:
Sharing Strategies
for Creating Active Learning Experiences (R) |
| Moderators: Dr. Dallas Brozik, Professor of
Finance and Economics (LCOB); Dr. Elena Ermolaeva, Associate Professor
of Sociology (COLA) |
| Drs. Brozik and Ermolaeva will discuss their
experiences co-teaching the honors course "Developing a Society: The
Paradise Islands." This simulation course,
in which students
created policies and developed ways to implement them to support a
fictional emerging society, exposed the differences
between two very distinct teaching strategies and raised important
questions as to the efficacy of those strategies.
Drs. Brozik and
Ermolaeva would like to discuss the strategies, to determine which was
most beneficial during the early, formative part of the course in terms
of stimulating active learning and critical thinking. |
|
| Option D: How to Engage Students: A Panel
by Pickens-Queen Award Winning Faculty (P) |
| Panelist: Dr. Natsuki Anderson, Assistant Professor
of Modern Languages (COLA) |
| "Ways of Building a Community of Learners in
Undergraduate Classrooms" |
| Dr. Anderson will address one
challenge many instructors face; creating an engaging classroom without
imposing on some students' desire to fit in. Some students do not
seem comfortable sharing opinions or making mistakes. Building
rapport as a member of a community of learners is one way to solve this
problem. Drawing concepts from educational anthropology and
discourse analysis, Dr. Anderson analyzed previous studies and students'
classroom evaluations, surveys, and comments about the classroom and
course design from her experience. To build a community of
learners, Dr. Anderson suggests the following; have a mutual
understanding of classroom expectations throughout the semester, let
students discuss the meaning of taking the particular course, create
opportunities for learning in and outside the classroom, and introduce
life-long learning strategies. This presentation will help new and
experienced graduate students and instructors rethink the definition of
the undergraduate classroom atmosphere. |
| |
| Panelist: Dr. George
Davis, Assistant Professor of Political Science (COLA) |
|
"Political Science as if the World Mattered: Engaging Students in
Disciplinary Knowledge?" |
|
Too often, undergraduate classes attempt to build on a foundation of
disciplinary knowledge, bombarding students with themes and concepts
important to their respective disciplines, hoping students apply those
themes and concepts to the real world. Perhaps this is the wrong
approach. Dr. Davis argues that disciplinary knowledge is not a
pre-given set of categories, easily stamped onto the real world; in
fact, it is just the opposite. Disciplinary knowledge represents the
various ways scholars and practitioners reflect on the world around
them. Disciplinary concepts are the names we give to things.
In this presentation, Dr. Davis asserts that what students already know
should be the foundations on which we build: I start from the point of
view that most students, in one way or another, are reflective of the
world around them. They witness various aspects of political life, and
they reflect accordingly, even if they are not motivated to action. The
teaching approach Dr. Davis offers builds on students’ prior reflection.
He believes his job is to help them come to terms with the phenomena
they already understand and to grasp this world through the terms
political scientists use to explain it. |
| |
| Panelist: Dr. Wendy
Williams, Assistant Professor of Psychology (COLA) |
| “'Talkin’
Bout A Revolution': Using Service Learning to Engage Students and to
Foster Social Justice" |
|
How can faculty revolutionize how students engage with classroom
material, as well as with the world around them? Dr. Williams’
presentation will cover a discipline reflective model of service
learning that can be used to increase both students’ understanding of
course material and their desire to implement their knowledge through
social action. Drawing from the experience of teaching a Psychology of
Women and Gender course, this presentation will focus on how students
and communities can (and have) benefited from service learning. It will
also cover the rewards and challenges of bridging the academia/community
divide, with the goal of encouraging other faculty to utilize service
learning in their courses. |
| |
| Option E: Using the One Book in UNI
101 (R) |
| Moderators:
Dr. Frances Hensley, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs;
Michelle Duncan, Director of University College; Dr. Whitney Douglas,
Assistant Professor of English (COLA) |
|
Join your
colleagues in this roundtable discussion of strategies you can use to
incorporate My Sister’s Keeper in your UNI/HON 101 class. Topics
include critical thinking exercises, class discussions, extracurricular
activities, journals, etc. |
| |
|
|
| |
| Workshop 5 |
| Wednesday, August 19th
●
8:45 - 10:45 |
| |
| Option A: Problem-Based Learning, Part II
(W) |
| Facilitator: Dr. Sherri
Smith, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching
& Learning and Associate Professor of English (COLA) |
|
Participants for this session must also register for Part I on Tuesday,
9:45-11:45. See abstract above. |
| |
| Option B:
Digital Storytelling Bootcamp: Learning the Basics of Using
Digital Photos, Audio and Video as a Precursor to
Incorporating Multimodal Assignments in the Classroom - Part II (W) |
| Facilitator:
Jennifer Sias, Associate Professor and Director of Research, Information Literacy
& Instructional Services (University Libraries) |
| Limited to 15 participants |
|
Participants for this session must also register for Part I on Tuesday,
9:45-11:45. See abstract above. |
| |
| Option C: Designing Effective Writing
Activities to Enhance Learning, Thinking, and Communicating in Any
Discipline (W) |
| Facilitators: Dr. Shirley Lumpkin, Professor
of English (COLA) and Director of Writing Across the Curriculum; Dr.
William Price, Associate Professor of Chemistry (COS); Dr. Susan Gilpin,
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies (COLA); Dr. Karen Mitchell,
Professor of Mathematics (COS); Dr. Cheryl Brown, Professor of Political
Science (COLA); Dr. Laura Boswell, Associate Professor of Education
(COEHS); Dr. Vicki Stroeher, Associate Professor of Music (COFA); Dr.
Donna Sullivan, Associate Professor of Sociology (COLA); Dr. Marcia
Harrison, Professor of Biological Sciences (COS); Dr. Stephen Cooper,
Associate Professor of Communication Studies (COLA);
Dr. Kateryna Schray, Professor of English (COLA) |
|
A team of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)
certified faculty at Marshall University, headed by the WAC Director,
Dr. Shirley Lumpkin, will conduct an interactive workshop on using low,
medium, and high stakes writing activities to enhance learning,
thinking, and communicating in any discipline. Low, medium, and
high stakes writing assignments can be designed to create high levels of
student engagement with the subject, to provide needed and repeated
practice in analytical and problem-solving skills specific to a
particular discipline, to improve disciplinary reading, and to develo0p
appropriate disciplinary communication skills. Marshall WAC
certified faculty will present samples of effective low, medium
and high stakes writing assignments from their classes and what they
accomplished. Then workshop participants will have the opportunity
to design some for their own courses. Throughout the workshop, the
team will facilitate discussion of the challenges of using these kinds
of writing and of participants' sharing their good assignments, in
addition to providing time for assignment design and sharing with a
partner or partners in order to get feedback. Workshop
participants are encouraged to bring course syllabi and assignments to
the workshop, but that is not required.
|
| |
|
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| |
| Session 6 |
| Wednesday, August 19th
●
11:00 - 12:15 |
| |
| Option A: Strategies for Successful
Team Teaching (IP) |
| Presenters: Dr. Cheryl Brown, Professor of
Political Science (COLA); Dr. Camilla Brammer, Professor of
Communication Studies (COLA) |
|
This presentation is based on a co-authored paper
previously presented at the National Social Science Association Spring
2009 meeting. The authors studied the complexities of
offering interdisciplinary classes, using their own experience as a
guide. The
paper examined eight strategies for team teaching interdisciplinary
graduate level courses.
Topics covered include the planning and structure of the course;
choosing a partner; determining assignments and outcomes; anticipating
possible problems; and evaluation of the experience.
The article discussed the post analysis of the team teaching
experience and
identified some of the often over looked issues in a team taught class
such as choosing textbooks, grading papers and assignments, and
communication between the teaching team and the students. Additionally,
the use of a technology enhanced classroom proved useful for teachers
and students alike. The authors conclude that team teaching in an
interdisciplinary environment is rewarding, but also should be
approached with caution. The
authors will discuss their paper, and then lead an audience discussion
and respond to questions. |
| |
| Option B: Getting Addicted to Service Learning (R) |
| Moderators: Dr. Kimberly DeTardo-Bora, Associate
Professor of Criminal Justice (COLA) and Director of the Service Learning
Program; Dr. Sherri Smith, Executive Director of the Center for the
Advancement of Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of English
(COLA) |
|
As nationally renowned service-learning expert Edward Zlotkowski tells
the story, he was converted to the service learning pedagogy in the late
1980s when he grew weary of teaching perpetually disengaged, apathetic
students. After integrating service learning into his courses for the
first time, he discovered that service learning profoundly transformed
his students’ attitudes and academic performance—and that their newfound
engagement with both the curriculum and the community also energized
him. Perhaps you, too, have tried service learning but without the
kind of success that Zlotkowski describes. Perhaps you were overwhelmed
by the extra prep time, the endless logistical issues, or unexpected
expressions of student dissatisfaction?
While service learning can be a bit daunting at first (or even the
second time around), it is one of the best methods of experiential,
integrated, and civic learning that we can offer our students. Yet
because service learning involves messy real-world problems in the
community, both faculty and students are sometimes ill prepared to cope
with the added difficulties. This round table will address strategies
that faculty can use to turn these and other “hiccups” into significant
learning opportunities. After a brief introduction by the moderators,
participants who have used this pedagogy will be invited to share
examples of community experiences gone awry, and we will collectively
address ways to take adverse situations and turn them into positive
learning experiences. In the end, the value of a service learning course
comes from students who make meaningful academic, moral, and social
connections with their community projects; it is this part of service
learning that is most rewarding and, as more seasoned faculty have
found, quite addictive. We hope you too will get hooked! |
| |
| Option C: Strategies for New
Instructors (IP) |
| Presenter:
Dr. Kateryna Schray, Professor of English (COLA) and Winner of the
2008-2009 Marshall and Shirley Reynolds Outstanding Teacher Award |
|
This session is geared primarily toward new faculty and teaching
assistants preparing to teach their first undergraduate courses. The
first half of the presentation will cover basic classroom strategies,
semester planning, and learning styles; the second half will consist of
a virtual tour of innovative teaching ideas from across the humanities
and social sciences. |
| |
| Option D:
The Millenials Go to College: A Roundtable
Discussion of the Characteristics (and Implications) of This Newest
Generation (R) |
| Moderators: Dr. Frances Hensley, Associate
Vice President for Academic Affairs; Mr. Steve Hensley, Dean of Student
Affairs |
|
The Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, are the latest
generation of students arriving on our campus. Who are they? How are
they different from previous generations? Why are their parents so
involved in their lives? And, most importantly, what does all of this
mean to you as a faculty member? Join us for this roundtable
discussion of the implications of Millennials’ (and their parents’)
characteristics and expectations as they relate to the college
environment. |
| |
| Option E: Trials and Triumphs Using Wimba: Three Perspectives (P) |
| Panelist: Dr. Martin Laubach, Associate
Professor of Sociology (COLA) |
| According to Dr. Laubach, barriers to classroom-based education often
make travel to campus difficult for people who want to continue their
educations. Dr. Laubach will discuss his attempt to provide distant
students with a classroom experience despite such barriers, by using
Wimba LiveClassroom as a platform for a blended class of both Huntington
campus students and students at a satellite location. The
nature of the class required that the students be able to view videos
simultaneously, participate in discussions, as well as make and react to
student presentations. The LiveClassroom tool was selected to pilot this
use because of its robustness in dealing with multimedia and file
sharing, its integration with the Blackboard Vista content management
system, and its potential for real-time communication. He will
share successes as well as technical and organizational obstacles to
implementation. |
| |
| Panelist: Dr. Tracy Christofero, Associate Professor
of Technology Management (CITE) |
| During the Spring 2009 semester, Dr. Christofero initiated a "boundaryless
education" experiment within the Technology Management program, using
Wimba technology to address the geographic constraints of students in
the program. Each week students decided if they wanted to 1) attend the
instructor-led class; 2) attend from any Marshall campus through
poly-com connectivity to the instructor-led classroom; 3) attend
real-time through the Wimba collaborative learning application; or 4)
review the recorded class session online via the archived Wimba
recording. In an informal attendance preference survey, the Wimba option
ranked first, followed by instructor-led and poly-com, and then online.
Wimba accolades were abundant. Dr. Christofero will share her
experiences using Wimba in a technology driven course in which she was
also able to use the technical implementation issues to provide her
students with first-hand experience with the trials and triumphs of a
software rollout from the user's perspective. |
| |
| Panelist: Dr. Karen Mitchell, Professor of
Mathematics (COS) |
| According to Dr. Mitchell, online mathematics instruction must confront
many obstacles in order to afford students with an environment that will
encourage learning. In History of Mathematics, the first course in an
alternate certification program for practicing math teachers, Dr.
Mitchell integrated Blackboard Vista and Wimba LiveClassroom technology
to create a virtual classroom. Each week participants completed and
returned assignments and assessments, sent and received email, and
engaged in discussions through Blackboard. Twice a week participants
met in real-time in a virtual Wimba classroom. For these sessions all
participants had access to a headset or a microphone and speakers, and
engaged in discussions about mathematical concepts. These discussions
were enhanced by the use of a shared whiteboard, by interactive slides,
and by shared computer applications. Dr. Mitchell will discuss both
resolutions and additional barriers to students’ efforts to better
understand new mathematical concepts in this online environment. |
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