Higher Education and Teaching Commons^™

Research Remix: Teams, Tech, And Texts, Jaime Carbajal

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The pedagogical innovation that enhanced student learning in the Research Methodologies in Health Sciences course is described as Integrated Digital Collaborative Inquiry-Based Learning (IDCIBL). The IDCIBL approach leveraged digital tools (lecture videos, podcasts, recorded poster presentations, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms), integrated journal article analysis, utilized research-informed active learning, and included team-based learning activities. The combination of multiple innovative strategies into the IDCIBL model intentionally transforms the educational environment and optimizes the student learning experience, relating to the TLC priority area of teaching and assessments in the age of Gen AI.

Creating Open Educational Resources With Artificial Intelligence, Serena Scalzi

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The adoption of artificial intelligence is becoming widespread in higher education. AI-driven technology has the ability to support academic and administrative faculty in designing and delivering course content. As a Part-Time Instructor in the College of Education, I used AI to enhance my teaching practice by creating course resources for my class, CIT 647 Creating Online Learning Environments. These open educational resources, developed through a reflective teaching practice facilitated by the UNLV Teaching and Learning Commons, promote equitable, inclusive education.

Making Learning Engaging With Formative Assessment, Michelle A. Arroyo

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Benefits of formative assessment: increases student engagement, provides immediate feedback for teachers and students, helps differentiate instruction, encourages self-reflection and self-regulated learning, and improves overall student achievement.

From Generation To Judgment: A Structured Approach To Teaching Responsible Ai Use, Necole Leland, Lisa Nicholas, Jennifer Vanderlaan

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

A structured approach to teaching responsible use of generative AI in nursing education is critical. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into professional practice, students must move beyond simple AI content generation to critically evaluate and refining AI outputs. Using the RISEN prompting framework to guide learners in designing effective prompts while also emphasizing analysis of accuracy, relevance, bias, and ethical considerations in the output. Through classroom modeling and applied activities, students engage actively with AI as a tool for inquiry rather than passive consumption. This approach offers a practical and adaptable model for integrating ethical and effective AI use across …

Bridging The Divide Between Theory & Practice: A Framework For Fostering Relevant Learning Environments, Elsa Lopez-Martinez

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This poster presents a framework for bridging the gap between theory and practice in teacher education by designing relevant learning experiences that better prepare preservice teachers. Grounded in seminal teacher education literature, the approach explicitly connects coursework to professional applications while preserving the integrity of theoretical foundations. The framework emphasizes ongoing communication of purpose and alignment across courses. Additional strategies include integrating career-focused activities, facilitating reflective exercises, inviting practitioner perspectives, and providing applied assignments. Evidence from student feedback highlights increased engagement, confidence, and perceived relevance.

Transparency And Personalized Feedback Curb Ai Misuse In Asynchronous Online Biology, Elana A. Paladino

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The rapid expansion of generative AI (Gen-AI) has reshaped teaching and assessment in online, asynchronous introductory biology courses, creating new challenges for academic integrity and meaningful learning. This poster examines practical strategies to promote ethical AI use while maintaining student engagement. Transparency of instructions and timely, personalized feedback were found to curb AI misuse in online discussion posts. Structured use of AI tutors encouraged responsible engagement with Gen-AI, and surveillance methods for summative exams had mixed effects.

Culturally Responsive Tent: An Architectural Journey, Marcos Amado Petroli, Elmira Ebadi

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Culturally responsive teaching in architecture encourages students to connect design thinking with identity, culture, and lived experience. This studio assignment introduced the tent as an archetypal architectural form and weaving as a generative tectonic strategy, allowing students to explore how lightweight structures can respond to social needs, cultural narratives, and material expression.

Evaluating The Benefits Of “Science Of Learning To Learn” In Foundational Undergraduate Biology Courses, Kathryn M. Rafferty, Jenifer Utz, Christy Strong, Matthew Bernacki

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Our objective was to foster increased retention of freshman student and subsequent progression into upper division coursework by incorporating learning skill development and motivational activities into the Introductory Biology courses (BIOL190/191). Enhancement of the introductory biology courses at UNLV has the potential to improve the educational experiences of thousands of students, since about 600 to 800 students enroll in the introductory biology courses each semester. We have previously developed a multimedia learning skill intervention called "The Science of Learning to Learn" which covers the importance of self-testing, spacing out and scheduling study sessions, and managing one's goals, habits, and learning …

Using “Ticket Out” To Create A Continuous Feedback Loop For Student Learning, Jacob D. Skousen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This presentation highlights the use of a brief end-of-class “Ticket Out” to create a continuous feedback loop for student learning. Students reflect on learning targets and provide feedback on the class experience, which is then analyzed and used to guide instructor response, follow-up communication, and instructional adjustments. The practice supports reflective teaching, student voice, and timely, responsive instruction.

Playing To Learn: Game-Based Maternal-Newborn Review Using "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-Style), Nikki Rose Ty-Albright

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

TEACHING PRACTICE & NEED IT ADDRESSES Prelicensure nursing students often struggle to translate medical terminology into patient-friendly language (Rodrigues & Moreira, 2022) Gen Z learners frequently disengage from traditional post-conference lecture formats (Thi, 2025) "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-style) game used during post-clinical conference to bridge this gap in an engaging way Students explain maternal-newborn concepts in jargon-free language while avoiding forbidden words on a card

Sparking Engagement: Using "Lightning Debates" To Transform Dry Policy Into Dynamic Learning, Minnie Wood, Ericka Yelle, Necole Leland

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

To address a gap in health policy application among nursing undergraduates, we piloted Lightning Debates, a high-energy teaching strategy that replaces passive lecture with active learning. Students are assigned Pro or Con stances on contentious local policies, using role-play and improvisation to present evidence-based arguments in five-minute sprints. This asset-based approach leverages student creativity to deconstruct complex fiscal and clinical issues. Results demonstrate significant impact: 87.5% of students reported an improved ability to analyze policy, and the percentage of graduates feeling prepared to apply policy knowledge rose from 57% to 77%. This session provides scalable implementation tips for fostering critical …

The Importance Of Relational Teaching In Introductory Statistics, Nathan Matthew Slife

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This poster presents relational teaching strategies for introductory statistics courses.

Counseling Skills For Educators, Craig Hall

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is touted as a diverse campus. Indeed, students represent a wide range of demographics concerning race, gender, identity, socioeconomics, physical and mental ability issues, as well as non traditional students and those the intersectional representation of multiple demographic groups. It is incumbent upon educators to provide safe spaces for all students. This is an equitable practice. How can educators be more equitable? By using counseling skills in their education such as: empathy, active listening, belief in the capabilities of students, and avoiding labeling students. It must be noted that the use of counseling skills …

Why Ask That? Low Stakes Questions Build Engagement, Van Whaley

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

A few low-stakes questions during the term build engagement, encourage persistence, and can improve learning outcomes.

During labs, students work together to learn Anatomy & Physiology… plus answer these Engagement Booster Questions.

The Need
/="/">Students need to meet classmates. After two years of online-only education, returning to in-person labs is a new experience many students find uncomfortable and challenging.

The Existing Resources
/="/">Students in the same lab have several similarities that include enrolling in the same lecture section, similar schedules, the same completed prerequisites, similar majors, and career aspirations.

The Goal
/="/">Building engagement between students should help …

Instructional Methods That Improve Outcomes For Unlv Students In The Virtual Classroom, Tiffiany Howard

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The demand for online education programs has resulted in the expansion of course and degree offerings, and a steady increase in online student enrollment nationwide (U.S. News, 2016). While the goal of online education is to improve access to higher education, historically underrepresented groups experience lower course completion rates and poorer grade performance in online classes, when compared to underrepresented students enrolled in hybrid and in person courses.

Visualization For Spatial Comprehension, Gabriel Judkins

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Mapping and understanding spatial data are fundamental necessities for geographers, yet challenging for many students (Rapp et al. 2007)

Enhancing Students' Learning With Word-Games: A Case Of Hospitality Ob Class, Cass Shum

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Learning a new subject involves learning and memorizing a new set of vocabulary (Parry, 1995), a challenge for an increasingly international student population (e.g., Barron & Arcodia, 2002; McDowell, 1998; Zimmermann, 2009).

Are Dogs Better Than Cats?: Teaching Oral & Written Persuasion Skills, Sara Mathis

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

First generation students often come into UNLV underprepared for the rigors of speaking and writing. Student’s success in their courses and future careers depend on their abilities to persuade through oral and written skills.

Agile Instructional Design For Learning: A Case Example Of Agile Master Course (Amc) Development, Yeonsoo Kim, Heather Whitesides

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Today’s higher education institutions need to “produce quality and relevant learning materials, capable of being reused and adapted in different learning situations” (Arimoto & Barroca, 2015). Agile principles and practices are being used by instructional design teams and are geared toward being adaptive and creative.

Working Groups As Classroom Management Style, Emma Frances Bloomfield, Kathryn Rafferty

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

There is a need at UNLV to improve student retention across disciplines, which can be done by improving students’ confidence in their performance, improving their satisfaction with classes and their major selections, and providing welcoming and open spaces for participation and inclusion.

A Teaching Method That Boosts Unlv Student Retention, Celeste Calkins, Mary-Ann Winkelmes

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Nationally, underserved students are half as likely to graduate in 4 years as their white and Asian peers (US DoE 2014, Tough 2014, Ishitani 2006). UNLV proudly claims the most diverse undergraduate university population in the nation (US News 2017), including many first generation and low-income students. The majority of UNLV students fall into this underserved category, and our retention rates (re-enrollment rates after the 1st year) indicate that roughly ¼ of our 1st-year students do not re-enroll the subsequent year.

Self-Assessment In The College Curriculum, Joe Ervin

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The use of self-assessment in the college curriculum is an extensive and wide-reaching endeavor. In essence, through a variety of pedagogical and curricular methods, students are given the opportunity to think about themselves.

Volunteering In The Community: Combining Service And Learning, Elena Gandia Garcia

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Most of the patients who use the services offered by the Lied Pediatric Clinic are minorities (70%), and half of those patients are Hispanic. The clinic lacks of professional interpreters to help monolingual doctors and residents to communicate with their patients.

Developing A Teaching Philosophy Statement, Steve Hayden

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

In the college of education it is common practice for students to write multiple versions of a concise and direct teaching philosophy statement (1,000-1,500 words).

Interior Architecture’S Use Of Rotating Teams, Dak Kopec

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The inclusion of health conditions within the process of environmental modification for design students requires concurrent learning outcomes related to research, brainstorming, and ideation that can only be achieved through team projects.

Lecture Capture / Flipping / Clickers, Darrell Lutey

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Student Success – UNLV needs to improve retention

Instructors Learn From Homework, Too: Streamlining Data Collection To Facilitate Reteaching Before The Test, Erica J. Marti

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Whether it’s for accreditation or simply as a good teaching practice to inform future instruction, gathering and analyzing data can be time consuming. This is especially true for large classes. How can you streamline the process for quick evaluation?

Photo Assignments: An Exploration Of Student Retention Rate, Lawrence Mullen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

In an attempt to increase student retention and graduation rates, many colleges and universities have some sort of freshman course, or first-year seminar that serves to introduce students to college life. The course also helps students transition from high school.

Tea-Searching With Undergrad & Grad Students: Moving Beyond The Stem Fields, Kim Nehls

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Tea-searching is a blend of teaching and research in the college classroom. It is learning by doing with in-class exercises and assignments designed to study complex problems, collect and analyze data, and discuss findings – all to varying levels at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. In the past decade, research on these student experiences has revealed the extensive array of professional and personal benefits.

Creative Student Engagement, Robyn Raschke

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Many students do not feel comfortable asking questions in front of the whole class and stay quiet during class.