Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

Credits Earned, Credits Due: Forging New Degree Completion Pathways For Post-Traditional Students With The Aid Of Prior Learning Assessment Portfolios, Patrick Guilbaud, Greg Oakes

Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of adult students who have expressed interest in returning back to school to complete their undergraduate degrees. Research, however, shows that many adult students who start degree completion programs do not complete them.

An oft-cited roadblock to degree completion by adult students is lack of recognition of prior learning obtained on the job or through other means. As a result, prior learning assessment (PLA) has now become an important tool used by colleges and universities to facilitate access to higher education by adult students.

The Council for Adult & …

"Can We Talk?": Strategies For Successful Classroom Discussion, John Bird

Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

We all recognize the value and importance of class discussion for student learning and engagement, but we have probably had uneven results when we try to hold discussions in class. Sometimes it goes great, but sometimes it fails, miserably. In this workshop, we will examine some of the problems with class discussion: students who won’t talk, students who talk too much, students who go off topic, silent classes, and so on. Then we will explore and practice some techniques that can solve those problems, including more effective question design, effective questioning techniques, the use of writing as discussion starters, and …

All Aboard, All Attuned And All Involved: Fostering Learner Engagement And Teamwork With Clickers In An Introductory Computer Science Course At Winthrop University, Patrick Guilbaud, Michael Whitney

Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

Modern education technology tools and learning systems provide the means for faculty to develop courses that offer connected and engaging learning opportunities. However, many courses, particularly those in the sciences and engineering disciplines, are not often designed to encourage collaboration, cooperation and teamwork.

Given the presence of a global and interconnected economy, it is critical for students to interact with classmates who hold diverse perspectives, experiences and opinions. Moreover, research shows that students who have had the opportunity to participate in learning activities with heterogeneous teams --early in their college life-- are more likely to develop lasting relationships with classmates …

Critical Reading, Critical Research: Practical Strategies To Develop, Amanda L. Hiner

Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

Perhaps no other skill affects students’ intellectual achievement more profoundly than the skill of critical reading. The analysis and assessment of written texts requires specific, learned skills in unpacking a text’s meaning, understanding its claims and implications, assessing its logic and coherence, evaluating its evidence, and drawing logical conclusions based on its claims. Both anecdotal evidence and qualitative research suggest that these skills are lacking in many high school and college students, and though teachers are intuitively aware of how crucial such skills are in the research and writing process, they often struggle to help students practice and apply critical …

Faculty Achievements, February 2016, Otterbein University

Faculty Achievement Reports

No abstract provided.

Spectators Or Patriots? Citizens In The Information Age, Amrita Dhawan

Publications and Research

In theory, a strong democracy rests on robust citizen participation. The practice in most democracies is quite different. This gap presents a challenge, which can be narrowed by augmenting civic education to bring it up to date with the current information environment and thus give citizens the opportunity to participate. Robert Dahl’s work on democracy provides a model that looks at this problem structurally. He writes about the ideals and the actual institutions necessary for a democracy and if we situate his model in the modern information environment we get a better idea of how to improve civic education. Successful …

A Peer Training Model To Promote Digital Fluency Among University Faculty: Program Components & Initial Efficacy Data, Linda Samek, Robin M. Ashford, Gloria Doherty, Debra S. Espinor, Anna A. Berardi Phd.

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The Digital Fluency Initiative: A faculty-led peer mentoring program integrating education technologies and complementary pedagogies to facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes.

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Notes - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task Force on …

Table Discussion Final Summary - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task …

Table Discussion Notes - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural interactions outside …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural …

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to meet …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final Summary from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to …

Welcome & Keynote Address By Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, Wim Wiewel, Sona K. Andrews, Brad Hansen, Kevin P. Reilly

Winter Symposium

Our keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, President Emeritus and Regent Professor with the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System, having served as President from 2004-2013.

Dr. Reilly will address what society is asking of higher education in the 21st century, and will stimulate a discussion on global issues, evolving higher education delivery formats, and the ongoing conversations on utility and utopia as Provost Andrews published in her blog. His experience leading the Wisconsin University System and perspective on current issues in Wisconsin higher education, work on the Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues for the …

Fostering An Inclusive Stem Workforce, Cary A. Supalo Dr.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The following keynote address was delivered by Dr. Cary A. Supalo at the 2015 Training Workforce and Development and diversity conference which is one of the divisions that is part of NIH’s general medical sciences. This conference was attended by over 500 program directors from all of the T32 sponsored projects in 2015. This presentation discussed the importance of a full inclusive STEM workforce that includes persons with disabilities

Digital Distractions In The Classroom Phase Ii: Student Classroom Use Of Digital Devices For Non-Class Related Purposes, Bernard R. Mccoy

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

A 2015 survey of American college students examined classroom learning distractions caused by the use of digital devices for non-class purposes. The purpose of the study was to learn more about Millennial Generation students’ behaviors and perceptions regarding their classroom uses of digital devices for non-class purposes. The survey included 675 respondents in 26 states. Respondents spent an average of 20.9% of class time using a digital device for non-class purposes. The average respondent used a digital device 11.43 times for non-class purposes during a typical school day in 2015 compared to 10.93 times in 2013. A significant feature of …

6.0.B Discussion Historical Idea Of Heat As Substance, Christopher F. Bauer

Day 06 Feb 10 Gas properties and laws. Historical ideas about heat.

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

6.0.C.1 Hands-On Phase Properties Of Gases, Christopher F. Bauer

Day 06 Feb 10 Gas properties and laws. Historical ideas about heat.

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

6.0.A Daily Outline, Christopher F. Bauer

Day 06 Feb 10 Gas properties and laws. Historical ideas about heat.

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

6.0.C.2 Hands-On Phet Phase Properties, Christopher F. Bauer

Day 06 Feb 10 Gas properties and laws. Historical ideas about heat.

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

Talking About Writing Across The Secondary And College Community, Michelle Cox, Phyllis Gimbel

Secondary Education and Professional Programs Faculty Publications

Many have commented that higher education is becoming increasingly fragmented, leading to the overspecialization of scholars, disciplinary discourses that are opaque to those outside the field, and lack of cross-pollination among disciplines (Kerr). WAC has long been seen as a movement that creates connections among disciplines. In fact, these connections are often created through the workshop, the quintessential WAC experience, as it “bring[s] faculty together around the same table”—bringing together people who may work at the same institution but, in practice, work worlds apart (Cox 317). More recently, this movement to bring people around the same table has come to …

Are We Teaching Them Anything?: A Model For Measuring Methodology Skills In The Political Science Major, Christi Siver, Seth W. Greenfest, G. Claire Haeg

Political Science Faculty Publications

While the literature emphasizes the importance of teaching political science students methods skills, there currently exists little guidance for how to assess student learning over the course of their time in the major. To address this gap, we develop a model set of assessment tools that may be adopted and adapted by political science departments to evaluate the effect of their own methods instruction. The model includes a syllabi analysis, evaluation of capstone (senior) papers, and a transcript analysis. We apply these assessment tools to our own department to examine whether students demonstrate a range of basic-to-advanced methodological skills. Our …

The Myth Of Mobile Learners, Matt Farrell

Faculty & Staff Publications - Language & Liberal Studies

An emerging body of literature suggests that there are benefits to incorporating mobile learning into higher education (Jacob & Issac, 2007; Mehdipour & Zerehkafi, 2013). Moreover, teaching and learning resources implore faculty to incorporate mobile learning into their classrooms (Baran, 2014). Despite the apparent momentum, mobile learning is far from being widely adopted. This presentation will discuss a recent research project at Fanshawe College that explored student and faculty attitudes about mobile learning. The project found little appetite for an expanded use of mobile learning approaches. While mobile learning could provide more creative opportunities for engaging with course material, significant …

"But I Already Know All About Sex!" Distinguishing Beliefs From Empirical Facts When Teaching Sex, Gender, And Sexuality, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

This slide presentation addresses teaching the biological aspects of human sexuality in psychology courses, and encourages instructors to create a safe environment to help student differentiate between beliefs and empirical facts about sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Encourages using visuals that help organize information and using real-world examples, providing examples of both.

Art Education/Aesthetics Citation Network Data, Robert Z. Selden Jr., Cala Coats

CRHR: Archaeology

This dataset includes the first iteration of citations and interactive citation networks generated for an ongoing analysis of scholarship within the field.

3d Scan Data For Selected Artifacts From Blackwater Draw National Historic Landmark (La3324), New Mexico, Usa, Robert Z. Selden Jr., George T. Crawford

CRHR: Archaeology

Between February 8-11, 2016, selected artifacts from the Blackwater Draw National Historic Landmark (LA3324) were scanned in advance of a grant proposal to digitally aggregate the Clovis-era artifacts from the Clovis type site. These data were collected using a NextEngineHD running ScanStudioHD Pro, and were post-processed in Geomagic Design X 2016.0.1. All data associated with this project have been made publicly available (open access) and are accessible in Zenodo under a Creative Commons Attribution license, where they can be downloaded for use in additional projects and learning activities. These data have the capacity to augment a variety of research designs …

The Embedded Librarian As Graduate Coach, Pamela Dennis

Dover Library Faculty Professional Development Activities

In a time when more classes are being offered online and in-person reference desk questions are dwindling, it is even more crucial that librarians to seek out students where they are. One way of doing that is by befriending teaching faculty in discipline areas. Whether at the freshman or doctoral level, literature indicates that students prefer one-on-one interaction with librarians. But librarians undersell themselves and find themselves in a world of anonymity. It’s hard to be valued when you are invisible. By collaborating with the faculty, the librarian has the opportunity of embedding in online classes, co-instructing, receiving invitations to …

Shooting Down The Gold Star: Using The Power Of Feedback And Assessment To Draw Students Through The Threshold, Natalie Bishop, Holly Mabry

Dover Library Faculty Professional Development Activities

The ACRL Framework presents librarians with the opportunity to develop a deeper, more effective learning environment that encourages students to go beyond simply achieving the gold star. Measuring students’ mastery of threshold concepts for information literacy instruction presents a challenge to our assessment and accreditation-driven culture. Learn how librarians can use targeted student learning outcomes to develop innovative assessment initiatives to overcome the “making the grade” mindset, which can be an obstacle for both one-shot and for-credit information literacy instruction.

In this workshop, presenters will provide a brief overview of their institution’s for-credit research skills course, identify some of the …