All posts by Carol Hernandez

About Carol Hernandez

Senior instructional designer and faculty developer in the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Stony Brook University. Research interests: inclusive pedagogy, women of color leadership in higher education, qualitative research, creative writing. View all posts by Carol Hernandez →

One Student’s Experience With Code-Switching

May 9, 2023Equity and Inclusion, Graduate Students, Hidden Curriculum, Social-emotional Learning, Student Experience, UncategorizedCarol Hernandez

By Bismi Biju
CELT Graduate Student Assistant

Have you ever noticed a difference in how you speak around your colleagues compared to how you speak with your friends and family? It’s likely that you unconsciously adjust your speech to fit professional settings, such as using more formal language and being more measured in your tone. Additionally, if you come from a place with a regional dialect, you may also adapt your speech based on the social context. For example, you may speak with a different accent or use different words or phrases depending on who you’re talking to.

decorative — Coming to campus can mean choosing new ways to speak and dress in order to fit in. Social scientists call that code-switching.

I find myself having to switch between dialects and slang when talking to professors on campus versus friends back home versus traditional family settings. As I spent my undergraduate career at Stony Brook, I naturally found myself changing tone and sentence structure to fit into the classroom setting better, especially in STEM courses. This is something that I didn’t consider in high school as everyone around me was familiar with regional slang words.

Linguists refer to this phenomenon as code-switching, which originally meant switching between two languages in a conversation (Gardner-Chloros, 2009). However, in today’s increasingly multicultural and multiethnic society, the term has evolved to describe how people shift between different cultures as they communicate with others. This can include choosing different communication styles, such as using different languages, adjusting your accent or tone, or adapting your behavior and dress.

There are many reasons why people use code-switching. Sometimes, it’s to fit in with a particular group or to convey thoughts and concepts that might be easier to explain in a specific language or communication style. Other times, it’s simply a force of habit or a way of expressing one’s cultural identity. However, the most common reason for code-switching is to identify with a particular social group, and most of the time, people don’t even realize they’re doing it (Myers‐Scotton, 2017). Code-switching happens subtly, and it’s not limited to bilingual speakers.

For example, when you leave your hometown for college, you may find yourself in a new cultural environment where you must navigate unfamiliar social structures while retaining your identity. This can involve cultural code-switching, which can include multiple aspects of one’s cultural identity, such as the type of clothing worn, hair style, speech, or behavior (Martin-Jones, 1995). Unfortunately, those from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities are more likely than their non-Hispanic White counterparts to say they feel the need to code-switch. A study found that 4 in 10 Black and Hispanic adults often feel the need to change the way they talk around others of different races and ethnicities, especially among non-Hispanic Whites. Additionally, 48% of Black professionals under age 50 see code-switching as a career necessity (McCluney, et al., 2021).

Expertly navigating another culture isn’t a rejection of where you come from or a signal that you are any less authentic. Especially in the American culture that too often demands assimilation or marginalization, it matters that academic and corporate spaces are embracing people of all backgrounds. If it isn’t intentionally inclusive, it is unintentionally excluding. Therefore, flexibility and awareness is necessary in these circles to make sure everyone feels heard and empowered. Those that are in the majority have less code-switching and less adaptation required when in these settings, so it is important to bring awareness to the issue.

References:

Gardner-Chloros, P. (2009). Code-switching. Cambridge University Press.

Martin-Jones, M. (1995). Code-switching in the classroom: Two decades of research. One speaker, two languages: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on code-switching, 90-111.

McCluney, C.L., Robotham, K., Lee, S., and Durkee, M. (2019). The costs of code-switching. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-costs-of-codeswitching

Myers‐Scotton, C. (2017). Code‐switching. The handbook of sociolinguistics, 217-237.

2023 CELT Symposium, ‘Transitions’ in Teaching

April 11, 2023Assessment, Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, TA/Postdocs, Virtual Realityconference, symposiumCarol Hernandez

By Luis Colon and Jenny Zhang
CELT Instructional Designers
luis.colon@stonybrook.edu and yi.zhang.13@stonybrook.edu

Participants at the CELT Symposium. — CELT Symposium on Teaching and Learning: Faculty, graduate students, staff and administrators attended the day-long event in the Student Activities Center.

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) held a Teaching and Learning Symposium on March 24. The theme for this year’s conference was Transitions. The theme reflects how we navigate across multiple changes, such as those with technologies, learning modalities, and in our teaching practices as we strive to provide a more inclusive environment for students. Close to 100 faculty, graduate students, staff and administrators attended the day-long event in the Student Activities Center. Participants from across the university attended sessions that explored transitions and discussed how to best navigate transitions as we are going through them while also anticipating and preparing for future transitions in higher education.

The event opened with a statement from Dr. Carl Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and promptly launched into the keynote event. Dr. Kelly Hogan and Dr.Viji Sathy presented a highly interactive workshop on Inclusive Teaching that modeled concepts, strategies, and activities that instructors can adopt in their own teaching practice. Both Hogan and Sathy are award-winning instructors from the University of North Carolina who are deeply passionate about student success, equity, and inclusive teaching. They have been featured in national publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, and others. Their recently published book, Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom, analyzes ways that instructors can design their courses and their teaching practice to help students feel that they are welcome and that they can succeed in the academic space.

The workshop started by bringing attention to how inequities can manifest within the learning environment. To address these inequities, Hogan and Sathy provided practical skills and strategies, saying, “It’s our job to ensure that all students have the ability to succeed.” Concrete examples included: “Provide [lecture] notes with blanks, so students can be prompted to recall and fill in the blanks. Use subtitles, visual prompts, and microphones. Pause in time to give people a chance to construct their ideas.”

Throughout the session, participants were encouraged to reflect on their own teaching experiences and to consider how they could use what they took from this session to reduce inequities in their own courses. Hogan and Sathy kept the workshop interactive by utilizing polling, think-pair-share, and other learning strategies to model the value to engaging learners and to keep the audience focused on the learning objectives of the session. The audience responded positively and many continued discussions later on as the event progressed.

Session One, titled Supporting Students Through Transitions, was led by Dr. Kristin Hall of CELT as well as Brandon Bjertnes, Jennifer Poma, and Jennifer Rodriguez of U-RISE. This session focused on the deluge of changes that higher education has experienced over the years and specifically addressed how to best support the next generation of students as they re-learn how to navigate the in-person learning environment in post-pandemic times. The presenters discussed how the definition of the “traditional college student” has changed as the next generation of college students bring more diversity to higher education institutions nationwide. This session provided strategies to address the different learning needs of these students by understanding how they learn best and prioritizing their success. The presentation combined local university data and research-backed practices to ensure that attendees would be equipped with new strategies that could make a difference in their teaching as soon as they would be implemented.

Following the first session were the Food for Thought concurrent table sessions where attendees would have lunch and the opportunity to seek out a table in the ballroom that would be focusing on a research topic of interest related to teaching and learning. The topics ranged from active learning, the utilization of virtual reality and/or augmented reality, TA training and assessment, and more to provide a space for attendees to delve deeper into topics that were of interest to them and would help them to develop their own practice further. Attendees that I spoke with expressed excitement at the opportunity to have time for discussions with others interested in similar topics and said it was a great experience to either learn new skills or reframe and refine old ones.

Virtual Reality

The CELT virtual reality team showcased the potential of virtual reality (VR) for enhancing education and collaboration through a captivating VR demo session. Held in the Student Activity Center (SAC) 302, the event drew faculty members who were eager to explore various VR applications for teaching and learning. Three interactive stations were set up, offering immersive experiences using 360 videos, WebXR Framevr, and Horizon Workrooms.

Station 1: 360-Degree Video

Mark Lang, a 360-degree video and photo expert at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), has been revolutionizing education through immersive experiences that enhance student engagement, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark’s collaboration with Dr. Darcy Lonsdale led to a virtual field trip to the Rocky Intertidal Zone at Crane Neck Point on Long Island Sound, allowing students to explore marine ecosystems remotely, and learn from Dr. Lonsdale’s narrative at the same time. Mark’s ingenuity in customizing equipment for challenging marine environments has improved the quality of the videos. His station attracted many interested faculty. In that demo, they were transported to a realistic sense of presence, observing the ecosystem through the Oculus headset. Faculty were thrilled to learn how this technology could be utilized to take their students on virtual excursions, making remote and inaccessible locations easily reachable for educational purposes.

A person wearing a virtual reality headset. — The CELT virtual reality team showcased the potential of virtual reality (VR) for enhancing education and collaboration through a captivating VR demo session.

Station 2: WebXR Framevr

The second VR station introduced WebXR Framevr, an innovative platform for creating and sharing immersive content. Here, participants took a guided tour of a virtual CELT classroom, complete with interactive whiteboards, 3D objects, and multimedia resources. The experience was not only engaging but also demonstrated how virtual learning environments could help break down geographical barriers and foster collaboration between students and educators from all around the world. The WebXR virtual classroom can be accessed through VR headsets, computers, or tablets, making it a most sustainable VR solution.

Station 3: Horizon Workrooms

The third station allowed faculty to experience Horizon Workrooms, a virtual collaboration tool designed for remote meetings and team building. Participants who donned the Oculus headset or computers can join a virtual business meeting. The immersive environment enabled seamless communication and collaboration, showcasing the potential of VR to revolutionize how we work and learn together.

After testing the different VR experiences, faculty members engaged in discussions about the various features of each technology, as well as the hardware and software setup required. They also brainstormed practical applications for their own classes and considered how to integrate VR into their curriculums best to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Following the break for lunch, participants continued to Session Two, The Rebound After Remote: How Teaching Online has Transformed Current Instruction. This part of the program featured a panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Carol Hernandez and Jenny Zhang of CELT, where faculty discussed what they learned and how they grew professionally as a result of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel featured Dr. Anne Moyer from the Department of Psychology, Dr. Daniel Amarante from the Department of Chemistry, Dr. Sohl Lee from the Department of Art, Dr. Kevin Reed from SoMAS, and Anthony Gomez III, who is a PhD candidate in English Literature. The session not only provided a wealth of experiential knowledge but included inspiring anecdotes and stories as the panel shared what kept them motivated during the early days of the pandemic and how the experience allowed them to reflect and adjust their instructional approaches to meet their student’s needs. For the panelists, the time spent learning and growing during the era of remote learning would continue to be valuable to them to this day as many still use these strategies in their current teaching practice.

Session Three, Brightspace: Lessons Learned, was led by Diana Voss and Jennifer Adams of the Division of Information Technology and focused on some of the most impactful teachable moments that they have experienced as the university has shifted to using D2L Brightspace as the learning management system for Spring 2023 and beyond. The session was informative and useful as faculty, TAs, and staff were provided with some of the most useful and popular features in D2L Brightspace to help enhance the learning experience, create an inclusive classroom environment, collect student data, and more. The Q&A section of the presentation allowed the attendees to engage with the presenters and discuss some of the challenges that they have encountered throughout their transition to D2L Brightspace. Attendees either had their questions answered or were able to set up a time where they could consult with someone from the Division of Information Technology to find solutions to these challenges as soon as possible.

Overall, the 2023 Teaching and Learning Symposium delivered on its promise to address transitions in teaching and learning at the higher education level in an environment that celebrated growth and professional development for all. The event provided an open space for faculty, TAs, and staff to engage in discourse related to teaching and learning with their colleagues in a constructive manner. On the topic of education, theologian John Cotton once said that, “Those who teach, must never cease to learn.” That sentiment is as true today as when it was first written. Events such as the CELT symposium ensure that professional learning never ceases and that today’s educators become better each day.

If you’d like to learn more about the CELT Symposium, here is the Google Collaborative Note-Taking Document from the day’s events. If you have notes to share, please feel free to edit and add your notes. Also, here is a reference sheet from the keynote speakers Dr. Kelly Hogan and Dr. Viji Sathy that they shared after their session.

Teaching as Performance

April 4, 2023Creativity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning Outcomes, Uncategorizedaudience, engagement, eye contact, humor, improvistaion, performance, teachingCarol Hernandez

By Devon Coutts
Ph.D. Candidate, Philosophy
Devon.coutts@stonybrook.edu

It can be especially difficult for university faculty members to develop effective teaching skills. While we all invest a great deal of time and energy in learning our respective disciplines, many, if not most, of us are not given any kind of guidance for how to pass on learning to our students. Perhaps surprisingly, such guidance need not come from traditional educational theory; there is a lot we can learn about teaching from the performing arts.

Actors on a stage. — What can educators learn from actors who portray a role, a scene, or a concept to an audience?

That was certainly the case for me when I taught a class for the first time. I approached preparing my classes the way I would have approached preparing for a performance. I wrote out detailed scripts for myself and rehearsed giving lectures. I included “stage notes” for myself to indicate slide transitions, points of emphasis, the questions I planned on asking the students, and the questions that I anticipated students would ask me as we went along. While this method of preparation helped me to feel more confident going into the classroom, it was rare that a class ever played out exactly the way that I had envisioned it. This is because I assumed that my students would be a model audience, when in fact, I should have been thinking about them as my fellow actors. In my experience, the most effective and engaging classes were the ones in which students took an active role in guiding the lesson: where they asked questions, responded to one another, and made new connections within and beyond our course readings.

Comparisons between teaching and the performing arts have been around since at least the 1960’s. In his 1968 article, “Qualitative intelligence and the act of teaching,” Elliot W. Eisner writes, “Teachers, like actors, attempt to communicate to groups of people in an audience-like situation . . . both the actor and the teacher employ qualities to enhance communication [and] must be able to control their actions in such a way as to capture the attention and interest of those to whom their message is directed.” In other words, for both teachers and actors, the mode of delivery is as important as the content being expressed. Although the goals of acting and teaching differ greatly, both employ similar means toward achieving them.

For instance, one professor, Aaron Langille, who teaches in mathematics and computer science at Laurentian University, shared six strategies that he uses in his classroom teaching:

Voice dynamics: Practice projecting techniques, and varying tone and intonation to convey enthusiasm.
Eye contact: Rather than reading from notes or slides, this helps you to connect with your students.
Audience involvement: Build in ways of inviting students to share their ideas or generate their own examples in every class.
Pop culture: Try to bring in relevant examples, either by asking students directly or by giving them ways to bring what’s important or interesting to them to class discussions. For example, Langille creates meme threads for students to post memes relevant to the course material.
Humor: Remember to tread with caution when it comes to humor: keep things light, try to avoid excessive sarcasm, and always be willing to laugh at yourself.
Improvisation: Try the “yes, and . . .” strategy, remember to go with the flow, stay flexible and open to surprises or new avenues of thinking that may pop up.

Langille reported that by working on his vocal dynamics and improvisation in particular, he was able to communicate his course material more effectively and with genuine enthusiasm. Bringing these certain performance elements into his teaching thus also helped him show care and concern for his students as learners, which in turn invited them to become “actors” guiding their own learning.

Some professors take the “teaching as performance” idea even further. As Noha Fikry writes in this first person article published on the website for the Society for Cultural Anthropology. Fikry quotes her former professor from the American University of Cairo, AbdelAziz EzzelArab (“Zizo”), who says: “Teaching is all about performance . . . it takes passion and performance skills.” For her mentor, Zizo, teaching “requires an active engagement with every muscle of your body, along with full and undivided attention through which a teacher plays with and builds on student engagements to inform class content and discussions.” The actual content of the lessons, for Zizo, take on secondary importance, but his dedication to his students seems to ensure that learning does not suffer as a result. Reflecting on her own experience of being Zizo’s student, Fikry writes, “Zizo’s intense passion, overwhelming presence, and wholesome engagement in class . . . captivated my entire being to remain fully focused.”

It might not be possible for all of us to embody our teaching as fully as Zizo, but we can all benefit from incorporating certain performance techniques in the classroom. Even something as simple as making eye contact, rather than reading from notes, and trying out variations in tone and pace while giving a lecture can make a huge difference to how students respond to the material, the instructor, and to one another. What is more, bringing in techniques of improvisation helps to make space for students to become like actors themselves, and to take an active role in guiding their own learning.

References

De La Vega, V. (2019). Teaching as performance. Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. The University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://ctlt.ubc.ca/2019/10/30/teaching-as-performance/

Eisner, E. W. (1963). Qualitative intelligence and the act of teaching. Elementary school journal, 63(6), 299-307.

Fikry, N. (2022). Teaching as performance: On scripts, preparing for classes, and teaching with passion. Society for Cultural Anthropology. Retrieved from https://culanth.org/fieldsights/teaching-as-performance-on-scripts-preparing-for-classes-and-teaching-with-passion

Summer 2023 Online Teaching Course

March 21, 2023Instructional Design, Online Learning, Uncategorizedinstructional design, learning, online, pedagogy, teachingCarol Hernandez

By Carol Hernandez, Ed.D.
Senior Instructional Designer
CELT
carol.hernandez@stonybrook.edu

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching offers the Online Teaching Course (OTC) multiple times a year with two options: OTC and OTC Accelerated. These multi-week online courses will provide you with basic pedagogical, research-based practices specific to the online space and will assist you in planning instructional activities for your course. We will not focus on how to use Brightspace, but rather how to best use technology to meet your pedagogical goals. These courses will be delivered asynchronously online with one optional synchronous session.

OTC: This is a 5-week asynchronous course. Plan on spending 3-4 hours per week with assignments due weekly. We suggested logging on 4 times aweek during this course.
OTC Accelerated: This is a condensed, 2.5- week version of the OTC. Plan on spending 6-7 hours weekly with assignments due every 2-3 days. We suggest logging in daily during the course.

OTC: 2.5 week or 5 week in Brightspace

Registration link: https://forms.gle/XDAfydMiDQ4xt4ms7

Summer Dates:

(5-week) Monday, May 22 to Monday, June 26, 2023
(2.5-weeks) Wednesday, July 12 to Friday, July 28, 2023

If you are an instructor who has already taken the OTC fairly recently, and you need assistance in Brightspace, you can request a one-on-one consultation by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/Wn2qY4CrwyocW61J9

If you are an instructor new to teaching online, take the OTC and after that, start meeting with an instructional designer.

If you are an instructor who is only revising a course, you can request a one-on-one instructional design consultation by emailing: CELT@stonybrook.edu.

Got questions? Email us: CELT@stonybrook.edu.

Gamified Learning

March 7, 2023UncategorizedCarol Hernandez

By Luis Colón
Instructional Designer
luis.colon@stonybrook.edu

When we think of “games,” many of us think of activities that we normally spend our free time doing. We might think of playing sports, dusting off a board game and getting competitive with family and friends, or even the times we’ve spent in front of a new video game. These activities may seem like a “waste of time,” but instead, the concept of gamification helps us reframe playing as learning. It might be difficult to see the connection between playing games and learning because for so long the activities have served different roles in our lives. Is it possible for effective learning to occur while playing games?

Monopoly game pieces on a game board. — Playfulness can be sparked in the process of learning.

Gamification, or the application of elements commonly found in games to other topics and activities, is something that most of us have actually experienced before. In fact, many well-known companies have incorporated elements of gamification into their business model. One example is Starbucks, which has an app where customers gain points and rewards that can be redeemed on purchases. Another example is Nike and its Nike Run Club app, which give users incentives such as award badges and achievements for reaching fitness goals and important milestones. These are just some ways that companies use elements commonly found in games to attract new customers and keep them as engaged and excited as possible.

If businesses can incorporate elements of gaming into their approach, could the same be done with teaching and learning? Absolutely! In fact, gamified learning is gaining popularity and results have shown that learners are more invested and likely to engage with learning content when a gamified approach is taken. For example, a 2018 systematic review of the literature study conducted by Subhash and Cudney at the Missouri University of Science and Technology found that in many cases the adaptation of a gamified framework led to an improvement in attitude, engagement, performance, and retention among learners.

Two people playing a game where they stack wooden blocks into a tower. — Fun and games and learning?

A more recent 2022 study used the theory of disruptive innovation to explore student satisfaction in 18 college courses that used gamification and a social media- like platform. Participants in the study reported feeling engaged, welcomed feedback, and said they enjoyed the communication and collaboration that the platform allowed. One of the most popular examples of a gamified learning experience is the Duolingo app which is used for language learning. Users are awarded experience points after each lesson and, rewarded for streaks of consistent engagement. The competitive leaderboard displays the top score and keeps players engaging to stay at the top.

So, how can you add gamified elements to the learning experience? Miller et al. (2021) discuss multiple additions and/or adjustments that can be made to a course or course content to give it a more gamified look and feel in their book, Game Based and Adaptive Learning Strategies. Some of these include:

Modify the Vocabulary – In some cases, much of what is already done in a course can be renamed in a way that will be more game-like. A module can be a level or world. Grades can serve as XP (experience points) or currency. An assignment sounds way more exciting when it’s called a quest.
Provide Context – Some of the best games of all time are not only fun but are great examples of storytelling as well. Consider what the overall goal is and what you want learners to do. Will your learners be superheroes trying to thwart an evil villain or explorers on a mission to space? Whatever it is, be sure to have a strong and consistent story throughout the learning experience.
Create Diverse Assignments – No matter how much fun a game is, eventually it can become repetitive and cause the player to lose interest. By planning and creating different types of assignments and learning experiences, you can keep learners engaged and on their toes for what might come next.
Be Prompt and Consistent – In a game, we often know where we stand as soon as the level is over, which gives us a sense of accomplishment. We can carry that into our teaching practice by providing useful feedback, updating grades, and offering assistance as often as possible to keep learners motivated.

Taking the time to incorporate some of these tweaks to your course content can be a great way to add a new and exciting dimension to your teaching. Gamification is everywhere in our everyday lives and with a growing amount of research to support its effectiveness in the learning environment, it is clearly a strategy to keep in mind when organizing and developing dynamic and exciting learning experiences.

References

Ensmann, S., & Whiteside, A. (2022). ‘It helped to know I wasn’t alone’: Exploring student satisfaction in an online community with a gamified, social media-like instructional approach. Online Learning, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i3.3340.

Subhash, S., & Cudney, E. A. (2018). Gamified learning in higher education: A systematic review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 192-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.028

Miller, C. L. and Batsaikhan, O. (Eds). (2021). Game-Based and Adaptive Learning Strategies. Mankato, MN: Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/gamebasedlearning/. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License CC BY 2021.

Time for Tea with Luis

February 21, 2023Instructional Design, Meet CELTCarol Hernandez

Luis Colón

CELT Instructional Designer, Luis Colón

Welcome Luis Colón, a new instructional designer at the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at SBU. Read on to learn a little more about him.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job so far is working with a great team who have been extremely welcoming and supportive of my growth. I also love working on engaging learning content and being a part of the learning process for students, faculty, and staff.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?
I started my career as a middle school English teacher where I taught 8th grade. I taught courses such as English 8, Intensive Reading, Creative Writing, and more. I also worked with students to develop multimedia for the school for school productions as well as for the weekly video announcements.

Coffee or tea?
I don’t drink coffee at all, only tea. There’s so many different kinds of tea to try!

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?
I would love to visit Japan at some point in my life. I have always wanted to go ever since I was really young and I enjoy learning about its culture and history.

What was the last book you read?
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

Are You Creative?

February 7, 2023Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Instructional Design, STEMCarol Hernandez

By Carol Hernandez, Ed.D.
Senior Instructional Designer
carol.hernandez@stonybrook.edu

A coffee cup in a analog clock display — Is creativity a skill you want to increase in your teaching practice?

Perhaps we all in some way, strive to be creative and to use creativity in our teaching and learning practices. But have you stopped to think about how creativity is defined and measured? How is it taught?

Creativity is a critical skill as identified by the 21st Century Skills Framework, which focuses on a comprehensive list of abilities, skills, and attitudes that young people around the world will need to be successful in their personal, professional, and civic lives. This is becoming increasingly important as each day we are witnessing artificial intelligence and other technologies showing up to help us do our work. While at the same time, there is no end to the number of wicked problems we are faced with in every aspect of our lives, which may feel increasingly complex.

Complexity on its own, is not inherently good or bad. But it does present us with an opportunity to be creative in our teaching practice. In the 30s and 40s, Ellis Paul Torrance was a teacher in Georgia who noticed that some of his students had off-beat ideas, but were not necessarily fitting into the traditional classroom structure. He believed that creativity and standard intelligence tests were not measuring the same thing. He wanted to explore and measure creativity on its own, which led him to create the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. He is now considered the Father of Creativity Research. And you can learn more about his ideas here. As defined by Torrance, creativity is (1966, p. 6):

A process of becoming sensitive to problems, deficiencies, gaps in knowledge, missing elements, disharmonies, and so on;
identifying the difficulty;
searching for solutions, making guesses, or formulating hypotheses about the deficiencies;
testing and retesting these hypotheses and possible modifying and retesting them;
and finally communicating the results.

Using this definition, how could you adjust your teaching practice to help your students be more creative? If you’d like to test your own creativity, there are a number of free tests online. Here is one offered by AULIVE, an online resource for creativity and innovation.

References

Alabbasi, A. M. A., Paek, S. H., Kim, D., & Cramond, B. (2022). What do educators need to know about the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.

Torrance, E. P. (1966). Torrance tests of creative thinking—norms technical manual research edition—verbal tests, forms A and B—figural tests, forms A and B. Princeton: Personnel Pres. Inc.

ChatGPT: Friend or Foe?

January 26, 2023Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Classroom Technology, Educational Technologies, Equity and Inclusion, Virtual RealityCarol Hernandez

By Yiren Kong, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
yiren.kong@stonybrook.edu

A robot hand reaches out to a human hand. — How will human beings ultimately choose to harness the power of ChatGPT and AI?

You have probably heard the word ChatGPT thrown around recently. It is the new trending artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can do a lot of things. One of the most well known features of ChatGPT is to produce content based on the prompt you give to it. As an example, I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about Stony Brook University and here is what it composed:

Beneath the sun and sky so blue,
Stands Stony Brook, a sight to see.
Where knowledge grows, and dreams take flight,
A place where students shine so bright.

With halls of learning, and fields of green,
A place where one’s true self is seen.
Where diversity and inclusivity thrive,
And the future is shaped by those who arrive.

From science to arts, and engineering too,
Stony Brook has something for me and you.
With professors who inspire and guide,
And opportunities that cannot be denied.

A place of growth, and a place of pride,
Stony Brook is where we reside.
With memories made and friendships true,
Stony Brook, we’ll always carry you.

Pretty impressive, right? So what is ChatGPT exactly? ChatGPT is an AI Chatbot developed by the company OpenAI. It was released in November 2022. GPT stands for Generative Pre-training Transformer. Essentially, ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) which relies on the probability distribution of word sequences. Simply put, ChatGPT is trained with a large amount of text inputs, as explained in this video. It summarizes, predicts, and generates new information based on the information that was given. It is smart enough to not use nonsensical or grammatically incorrect word sequences (due to low probability) and instead to produce content that is more human-like.

ChatGPT is indeed a critical step forward for AI and technology. However, what does it mean for higher education? Is it easier for students to cheat on assignments and exams now? I believe a lot of us are worried about the impact of ChatGPT and AI on education.

A recent study published by professor Christian Terwiesch at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School documented how well GPT-3, an earlier version of ChatGPT, could do in the final exam for one of the courses in the school’s MBA program. It turned out that GPT-3 performed pretty well on certain questions and not so well on others. Surprisingly, GPT-3 made mistakes on simple calculations while perfectly answering more complex questions such as those on process analysis. In the meantime, GPT-3 showed the ability to learn and adapt. Once GPT-3 was given more hints by the instructors, it was able to rectify the once incorrect answers. In the end, GPT-3 was able to receive a B to B- grade on this exam.

Surely, there is a sense of uncertainty and fear when we face something that seems so shiny and powerful. But do educators need to panic yet? In my honest opinion, probably not. As we have learned so far, ChatGPT relies heavily on learned information. It can produce “original” content but that does not equal “original” thoughts. If we grow more mindful towards the assignments and exams that we design, asking questions that elicit more meaningful and sophisticated answers, it will be very difficult for ChatGPT or AI in general (in its current form) to follow. Meanwhile, the anti-cheating AI technology to detect what is created by AI is also developing and that will greatly help combat the misuse of technology like ChatGPT. In addition, having more learning activities that require personal communication (i.e., presentations, group work) will also offset the potential negative effects on learning that may be brought by AI technology.

On the other hand, the power of ChatGPT can also be used by instructors in various ways to enhance their teaching strategies. For example, ChatGPT can answer straightforward questions about basic course requirements for the instructors so they have more time to answer content questions. In other instances, instructors can use ChatGPT to generate prompts for classroom activities or use it with students to brainstorm.

So-called new technologies can push us to reassess what we are doing and why. For example, there is an interesting quote by Socrates in the Phaedrus (274b-277a). Plato mentioned that his teacher once said, “[writing] will implant forgetfulness in their souls. They will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.” But today, writing has become a routine and indispensable part of our life and helps us in numerous different ways. Similarly, let’s take a deep breath and take some time to truly understand what ChatGPT and AI means to us. After all, the most important thing is how we, the human beings, ultimately choose to harness the power of ChatGPT and AI.

Do you want to find out more? Do you have ideas for how to embrace or deter the use of ChatGPT as part of your teaching practice? Sign up for the CELT panel discussion: Trends and Tips: Assessment in the Classroom. Email CELT@StonyBrook.edu to sign up for our listserv and get the latest updates about this and more!

Inclusive Teaching

January 3, 2023UncategorizedCarol Hernandez

Do you have an example of an inclusive teaching practice, assignment, assessment, or other strategy that you would like to share with instructors across the State University of New York system?

The SUNY FACT2 Inclusive Teaching Task Group is interested in learning more about faculty engagement and experience with inclusive teaching and learning practices.

They are looking for faculty who are using inclusive teaching techniques and are willing to share their success across SUNY, so that other faculty might be inspired to engage in new inclusive teaching techniques in their own courses. The Task Group will be creating an online repository of these examples and highlighting a few in the FACT2 Inclusive Teaching Webinar Series coming in Spring 2023: April 6, 13, 20, 27 at 1-2 p.m. ET.

Some examples of this could be:

Inclusive Syllabus – examples of faculty on campus using the syllabus to set the tone for diversity and inclusion to create a welcoming environment for students.
Teaching the Controversy – examples of faculty on campus integrating diversity-related controversy in the field/discipline as part of the course content and/or learning activities.
Social Justice Assessment – examples of faculty on campus that are using social justice platforms for assessment techniques to determine student learning in the course.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. We are really looking for any innovative ways faculty are incorporating and assessing inclusive teaching practices into their students’ learning.

Please complete the Inclusive Teaching Survey and/or share the names of 1-2 faculty on your campus who are using innovative methods to be inclusive and, where appropriate, forward this information to individuals who are champions of inclusive teaching.

While it is anticipated that this form will remain running, if there is interest in being considered as part of the FACT2 Spring Inclusive Teaching Webinar series, please respond to the survey by Friday, March 3, 2023.

Thank you for your time,

Carlos R.A. Jones and Audeliz (Audi) Matías,

Co-chairs of the FACT2 Inclusive Teaching Task Group

Survey: https://forms.gle/PyxsBCnLQspm3Wgk9

VR in Your Classroom

December 6, 2022Classroom Technology, Educational Technologies, Innovative Technology, Online Learning, Uncategorized, Virtual Reality, VRvirtual realityCarol Hernandez

By Jenny Zhang, M.S.
Instructional Designer
yi.zhang.13@stonybrook.edu

Why VR?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, which can be either a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world (Mandal, 2013). The particular features of VR are immersion, interactivity, and presence (Lin, 2020) .

To be more precise, there are four virtual technologies, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Extended Reality (XR). Here are some brief descriptions:

AR adds digital elements to a live view.
VR implies a complete immersion experience that shuts out the physical world.
In the MX experience, which combines elements of both AR and VR, real-world and digital objects interact.
XR is an umbrella term that covers AR, VR, and MR. Often the term XR is used interchangeably with VR to describe the above-mentioned technology.

Person wearing a virtual reality headset. — CELTT can work with you to design your VR project based on learning objectives and subject matter, provide tutorials, and integrate VR components with your Brightspace course.

In recent years, Meta introduced the more affordable headset, Oculus Quest 2, which makes it feasible for higher education institutions to use VR in their classrooms, online or onsite. VR can improve student engagement, social interaction, community building, immersive learning, group activity, and inclusiveness. Many universities have already used VR for lab simulations, virtual field trips, virtual museums, language learning sessions, creative studios, and online avatar-based activities. Research shows using VR in higher education can be beneficial and when well-implemented, can support student engagement and success (Majchrzak et al., 2022). The immersive VR learning experiences can spark student interest, motivation, and engagement (Flynn & Frost, 2021).

The 2022 Global Market Report on Virtual Reality in Education indicates VR in the education market is projected to increase from $6.37 billion in 2021 to $8.66 billion in 2022. (Virtual Reality In Education Global Market Report 2022, n.d.). The growing demand for immersive learning for students shows an increasing interest in adding VR into college classrooms.

CELT’s Pick

In the beginning of Fall 2022, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) held a VR open house titled “Teaching Tips and Treats with CELT: Immersive VR demo,” in which we showcased four VR tools that we handpicked, and provided our audience with the chance to try them out in person. Here is a summary of the four VR tools.

Quick and Easy Solution for Virtual Field Trip – 360° ° photos

The first and easiest one to implement is the 360° photo. This technology has been around for a while, and the equipment (360° camera) and hosting platform are readily available and affordable. The 360° video creates an immersive static learning environment for students, ideal for demo classrooms, museums, labs, art galleries, campuses, or any worldwide location. The instructor can take a 360° photo and upload it to a web platform, and share the link with students easily. There are also existing 360° photo resources available, like 360° cities. Students access the web link through a web browser using their computers or tablets/phones or view it with a VR headset. If you are interested in using it for your class, CELT would gladly help you capture your 360° photos and embed them into your Brightspace course.

Check out the embedded 360° photos: CELT and Faculty Commons VR Tour

Cross-platform 3D social learning space – Framevr.io

Framevr.io is like a 3D version of SecondLife; it is a cross-platform 3D space for VR headset users, computer users, and smartphone users. The frame is the easiest way to create an interactive virtual reality classroom. Instructors can demo their 3D models, upload files (videos, pdfs, slides, images, and audio), share their screens, stream their live lectures, use a collaborative whiteboard, add a poll, and chat via text or voice. It even has a live closed caption feature. Students can control their avatars to walk around, chat with other students, write on the whiteboard, and play basketball games with peers.

Capacity: 30 people per frame
Cost: free

Please visit CELT at FrameVR and have some fun!

Mixed Reality 3D virtual design powerhouse – Gravity Sketch

Gravity Sketch is an intuitive 3D design platform for cross-disciplinary teams to create, collaborate, and review in an entirely new way. It integrates images & 3D assets with textures and materials. The app works cross-platform with iPad and computer. Students can collaborate with 3 other people synchronously.

Capacity: individual mode or 4 people collaborate mode
Cost: free

Virtual Reality Meeting Room – Meta Horizon Workrooms

Horizon Workrooms is a collaboration platform that allows teams to gather in a virtual space, using VR or the web, and engage in productive activities through whiteboards, VR workstations, calendar apps, file sharing, chat, and other virtual replicas of office tools. The function and user interface of Workrooms are quite sophisticated, and it can integrate seamlessly with computers and keyboards.

Capacity: 16 people in VR, or up to 50 using a combination of VR and video chat
Cost: free

There is a plethora of VR technologies available, so how do you pick and choose the VR tech tools that suit your needs? We would recommend the following rules of thumb:

Does the technology serve your learning objectives?
Does the technology allow group activities and collaboration?
Is it user-friendly, accessible, and inclusive?
Is it cost-effective?

Based on that, we picked up four VR-related technologies for demonstration.

How to get involved?

If you are interested in exploring the use of VR in your classroom or simply want to experience VR, CELT is here to help. We can work with you to design your VR project based on learning objectives and subject matter, provide tutorials, and integrate VR components with your Brightspace course. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in initiating and/ or collaborating on research projects in VR. If you have any questions, we can be reached at celt@stonybrook.edu.

Moreover, join our Yammer CELT VR community for more conversation on VR!

References:

Flynn, C., & Frost, P. (2021, April 16). Making VR a Reality in the Classroom. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/4/making-vr-a-reality-in-the-classroom

Lin, Q. (2020). Application and development of virtual reality technology in artificial intelligence deep learning. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 740(1), 012151. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/740/1/012151

Mandal, S. (2013, April). Brief introduction of virtual reality & its challenges. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 4(4). https://docslib.org/doc/7170081/brief-introduction-of-virtual-reality-its-challenges

Majchrzak, T. A., Radianti, J., Fromm, J., & Gau, M. (2022). Towards routinely using virtual reality in higher education. ScholarSpace, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/79341

Virtual reality in education global market report 2022. (n.d.). The Business Research Company- Global Market Report. https://www.reportlinker.com/p06244974/Virtual-Reality-In-Education-Global-Market-Report.html?utm_source=GNW