Category Archives: Online Learning

Exploring Teaching and Leaning Technology at CIT 2024

Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Classroom Technology, Creativity, Educational Technologies, Innovative Technology, Instructional Design, Learning Outcomes, Online Learning, Research, Student Experience, Uncategorized, Virtual Reality, VR

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

Last month, members of CELT traveled to Buffalo, New York to attend the SUNY Conference on Instructional Technology (CIT) hosted by the University at Buffalo to participate in the event as well as present some of the work that we have been doing. The CIT conference started in 1992 and since has provided faculty and instructional support professionals a space to share their experiences, delve into common issues, work towards finding solutions, and explore the many innovative avenues that allow instructors to enhance the learning environment through the use of technology. 

The theme of this year’s conference was: Creating Inclusive Innovation in Higher Education, and showcased engaging sessions from faculty and instructional support professionals focusing on topics such as course design, assessment strategies, artificial intelligence (AI), immersive technologies, and more. In addition to these sessions, there were also exhibits from sponsors including D2L, Lumen Learning, and Respondus, as well as other exhibitors showcasing products and other technologies that could be used in the classroom to enhance the learning experience as well as increase engagement.

The University at Buffalo sign and some trees.
The University at Buffalo was a great location for this year’s CIT 2024 conference.

During the conference, we presented at two different sessions. Our first session, Critical Conversation on Generative AI, focused on our response to the boom of AI tools to support teaching and learning in college classes at Stony Brook University. The session opened with the CELT AI Timeline, illustrating how CELT started with collaborations with the academic integrity office. CELT proactively communicated to the SBU faculty about the best practices on generative AI in their classrooms and provided ongoing support and training sessions. We stay abreast on the latest AI tools and explore the benefits, challenges, and potential use cases with interested faculty members at Stony Brook University. During the past one-and-a-half-year period, CELT hosted 22 AI events with 1,110 Attendees. The AI panel discussion series covers topics like academic integrity, AI best practices, AI ethics, student perspectives, creative AI in art education, AI, and research. Monthly AI talk sessions allow faculty to ask questions and share their experience. Generative AI in Higher Education workshop series focuses on AI tools training, AI guidelines, assessment redesign, and ethical and practical AI usage for teaching and learning. 

Ultimately, as AI tools continued to develop and become more capable it became clear that we would need to expand our offerings to meet the needs and demands of interested stakeholders which we have done over the past year.

During the second half of the session, we opened up the floor to respond to questions for the audience to join the discussion and share their thoughts. The audience shared both valuable insights and ideas regarding AI usage as well as valid concerns regarding the capabilities and rapid growth of the technology. We shared resources at the end of the session and were able to speak to some of the audience members who had additional questions or were interested in continuing the conversation.

Our second session, Exploring VR Applications in College Classes – An SBU Showcase, focused on the applications of virtual reality (VR) of faculty members at Stony Brook University.  They explored the capabilities of these types of tools and how they can fit into their course goals and enhance their overall instruction. We began by discussing how the effective utilization of VR can positively impact teaching and learning and discussed specific tools that provide diverse experiences in VR that can be incorporated into any course. This included 360° photo and video, WebXR tools such as FrameVR, and immersive VR tools used in simulation-based learning. We then discussed our collaborations with faculty and staff members at the university and how they are currently using or planning to utilize VR in their courses. This included the work of Mark Lang from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (SoMAS), Dr. Guleed Ali from the Department of Geosciences, Dr. Carol Carter from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Dr. Gary Marr from the Department of Philosophy in collaboration with Paul St. Dennis from the Department of Information Technology (DoIT). Then Dr. Guleed Ali presented via Zoom on VR virtual field trips as an inclusive pedagogy strategy  in his Geoscience class. 

The second part of our session was a hands-on immersive showcase, audience members could try on some of the VR applications we discussed. We set up three stations with Meta Quest headsets where audience members could see firsthand the diverse use cases of VR technology in the higher ed learning environment and familiarize themselves with working in VR. This also allowed us the opportunity to speak with audience members about their experiences with VR in the classroom, how they may be using VR in innovative and exciting new ways, and how they would like to be using VR in the classroom in the future. 

Members of CELT at the CIT 2024 conference.
CIT2024 was a great opportunity to gather insights and explore technology in teaching and learning!

The experience of attending and presenting sessions at CIT in Buffalo this year was an exciting and informative experience for our team. It was great to network and collaborate with other colleagues in teaching and learning more about the future of technology in our discipline. Our team returned with many great ideas and approaches that we are excited to implement in our own work.

2024 CELT Teaching and Learning Symposium – Focusing on Innovative Pedagogy

Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Classroom Technology, Creativity, Educational Technologies, Equity and Inclusion, Innovative Technology, Instructional Design, Learning Outcomes, Online Learning, Student Experience, Uncategorized, Virtual Reality, VR,

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

On April 12th, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching held their annual Teaching and Learning Symposium. Over the years, the event has allowed educators, researchers, administrators, and more to come together to discuss various aspects of teaching and learning as well as celebrate teaching and learning practices and initiatives at Stony Brook University. The central theme of the day was Innovative Pedagogy which was at the center of conversations and various learning experiences held throughout the day. The theme illustrates the importance of finding new and exciting ways to engage with and include students in the academic environment as well as empowering students to pursue lifelong learning. Close to 100 faculty members, graduate students, staff, and administrators attended the day-long event held in Ballroom A of the Student Activities Center.

The event opened with words from Dr. Carl Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and then led into the keynote event of the day. Dr. Marsha Lovett presented an interactive workshop on innovative teaching and how practice and feedback can be an impactful practice in the classroom. Dr. Lovett is the Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University as well as a Teaching Professor of Psychology and former director of the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation. Her passion for combining teaching and research is illustrated in the book How Learning Works, which has been translated into multiple languages and is now in its second edition with the new subtitle: How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. 

Attendees at the 2024 CELT Symposium during the keynote workshop.
Dr. Marsha Lovett delivered an informative and engaging keynote workshop.

The workshop focused on the importance of incorporating opportunities for students to engage in “deliberate practice” where they are challenged appropriately and focus on clear and specific goals. These opportunities allow for observed performance where students would be able to receive targeted feedback that they would be able to use to improve their skills and apply in further practice. To provide targeted feedback, Dr. Lovett recommended incorporating rubrics into assignments as a grading tool where criteria for success is outlined and to remind students to utilize the rubric before, during, and after working on the assignment. 

To address the concern of allowing students to practice often without having a huge amount of grading, Dr. Lovett suggested incorporating opportunities for students to engage in active learning. She touched on many different examples of active learning strategies from shorter tasks to whole-class activities which provide students the opportunity to not only practice applying important skills but also allows students to receive feedback through the explanations of concepts and discussions that spark from active learning in the classroom.

Dr. Lovett closed with a discussion on how to provide effective SPACE (Specific, Prioritized, Actionable, Constructive, Expedient) feedback in a manner that is not only easy but also efficient and applicable to courses of all types and sizes. Her suggestions included framing your feedback in relation to your overall learning goals, highlighting priorities in the work, providing class-wide feedback on common pitfalls and errors, and developing a “key” or collection of frequently used comments to use during grading.

Following the keynote session were breakout sessions where Stony Brook University faculty and staff delivered sessions focusing on four different tracks highlighting major topics in teaching and learning today including Course Design, Student Engagement, Virtual Experiences, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). There were three breakout sessions where attendants had the opportunity to either stick to one particular track or attend sessions on different topics of interest. Faculty presenters from across both campuses discussed practical approaches and strategies to implement in classes and recounted their own observations with these innovative teaching practices.

Attendees at the CELT Learning Symposium 2024.
Faculty and staff participated in learning sessions and activities throughout the all-day event.

The 2024 Teaching and Learning Symposium was an exciting event that provided an open forum for faculty, TAs, and staff to engage in discourse related to teaching and learning with their colleagues. From using generative AI as a “junk generator” and having students critique its outputs to effective practices to foster inclusivity in the classroom environment, this event addressed many facets of teaching and learning to help students feel welcomed, engaged, and appropriately challenged in their coursework and overall experience at Stony Brook University. 

If you would like to learn more about how to make your courses effective, engaging, relevant, and inclusive, you can purchase a copy of How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Dr. Marsha Lovett at this Amazon link. Linked below is the Google Collaborative Note-Taking Document from the day’s events to catch up with session materials and notes from the various sessions offered.

Summer 2023 Online Teaching Course

Instructional Design, Online Learning, Uncategorized, , , ,

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. 
Decorative
Take the OTC this summer and work with our team of instructional designers.

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.

VR in Your Classroom

Classroom Technology, Educational Technologies, Innovative Technology, Online Learning, Uncategorized, Virtual Reality, VR

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.

  1. 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

  1. 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!

  1. 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

  1. 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

 

 

 

Inclusive Teaching: From Exposure to Commitment

Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, Online Learning, Research, STEM, TA/Postdocs

By Hyunjin Jinna Kim Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction
Postdoctoral Associate
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
hyunjin.kim.4@stonybrook.edu

Practicing inclusive teaching, especially in the STEM fields, is recognized as a challenge.  A 2017 study by Oriana Aragón and colleagues found that an instructor’s values provide a clue as to their ability to implement pedagogies that embrace equity.

In the article Colorblind and multicultural ideologies are associated with faculty adoption of inclusive teaching practices, which ran in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, researchers investigated the relationship between faculty beliefs and the adoption of inclusive teaching practices in STEM. Results demonstrated higher adoption of inclusive teaching practices from those who endorsed multicultural ideology compared to the endorsement of a colorblind ideology. 

Using survey data from 628 attendees of the National Academies Summer Institutes on Undergraduate Science Education, the study measured faculty ideologies and the influence on inclusive teaching adoption processes. In terms of ideologies, the study measured colorblind and multicultural ideologies as opposing viewpoints. The colorblind ideology refers to beliefs that emphasize sameness and equal treatment with no attention to students’ differences. The multicultural ideology, on the other hand, is a set of beliefs that embraces differences and seeks to support underrepresented or marginalized students. The measurement of adopting equitable teaching practices included instructor actions such as adopting diverse teaching methods, reducing implicit biases, or providing classroom content with contributors from diverse backgrounds.  

The Summer Institute curriculum was designed based on an EPIC model: Expose, persuade, identify, and commit. In the study, educators were exposed to inclusive teaching practices; then persuaded by personal values, a sense of duty to the organization, and the negative consequences of not implementing them. Next, educators identified with the inclusive teaching practices by seeing the compatibility of the practices with their teaching approaches. Commitment is the final step where educators implemented new teaching practices. This  was measured by asking participants to indicate the inclusive teaching practices they applied to their teaching as a result of the Summer Institute.

The data collection started in October 2014, when a request to respond to a survey was distributed to all who attended the National Academies Summer Institutes between 2004-2014. The Summer Institute was sponsored by the National Academies and funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and ran annually  from 2004 to 2015. Typically, the program is a 4-day intensive training where participants focus on active learning, assessment, and inclusive teaching practices. Results of the study showed a higher rate of changes in the implementation of inclusive teaching practices after attending the Summer Institute. 

The results are important to educators as they suggest that critical self-awareness is key for faculty who seek to eliminate exclusion of traditionally underrepresented students in STEM courses. Despite the self-report biases and the well-intended faculty who committed their time to attend the Summer Institute, it is critical to recognize that faculty ideologies and orientations could potentially affect efforts in implementing inclusive practices. The good news is that faculty can play an active role in reviewing their own biases regarding their teaching ideologies and in revising their teaching practice.

What are your thoughts on this study? On making your own teaching practice more inclusive? Leave a comment below.

Reference

Aragón, O. R., Dovidio, J. F., & Graham, M. J. (2017). Colorblind and multicultural ideologies are associated with faculty adoption of inclusive teaching practices. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(3), 201-215. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000026

Online Teaching Certificate (OTC) Course: Summer 2022

Instructional Design, Online Learning, Updates,

Happy Summer! Join the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for one of our Online Teaching Certificate (OTC) multi-week courses:

Please register in advance.

springtime with flowers
Larisa Koshkina, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Birthday and Happy National Distance Learning Week!

Online Learning,

Happy Birthday to our Blog!

A year ago today, CELT launched its blog during National Distance Learning Week. I would like to thank the CELT staff and the faculty who have contributed to the blog over the past year. A big thank you to our readers as well!

Later today, at noon, you can join us for the CELT panel discussion: Gender Inclusivity and the Teaching Practice.

In this session, panelists discuss ways to acknowledge, incorporate, and include gender identity and sexuality in course design, readings, assignments, and assessments. In terms of gender, we include trans and nonbinary identities, the use of pronouns, and how our disciplines are adapting to gender inclusion. Panelists discuss how they incorporate these topics into their teaching practice and why. We also weave in online delivery for National Distance Learning Week.

Panelists include:

  • Mei Lin (Ete) Chan, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
  • Chris Tanaka, Assistant Director of LGBTQ* Services
  • Andrew Rimby, Ph.D. Candidate and Queer Activist, English Department

Facilitators:

  • Carol Hernandez, Senior Instructional Designer, CELT
  • Catherine Scott, Assistant Director for Faculty Development – Testing, Assessment & Evaluation, CELT

Please register in advance to attend this Zoom meeting.

National Distance Learning Week, 2021 

This week is National Distance Learning Week (NDLW). If you would like to participate in NDLW, both SUNY and the United States Distance Learning Association are offering webinars:

We appreciate all the time you spend with us. If you have any suggestions for upcoming posts or if you would like to write a guest post, please reach out to us at CELT@stonybrook.edu

 

Copyright and Teaching Online

Online Learning,

Carol Hernandez  Carol Hernandez, Senior Instructional Designer

copyright image
Image by U.S. Copyright Office: https://www.copyright.gov/title17/

The pandemic forced many, if not all instructors, to move their courses online or to a hybrid format. In that shift, questions of copyright have come up. In order to help instructors navigate through these questions, the SBU Librarians have created a newly updated Copyright Guide, a comprehensive resource that includes information specific to online teaching and learning.  

Start with the copyright basics page to get a foundational understanding of U.S. copyright law, what is protected, and how. Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects original works of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture (U.S. Copyright Office, n.d.). Copyright protects both published and unpublished works. One or more authors or creators of the work hold the copyright except in cases where there is a “work-for-hire” agreement or a “collective work” where the authorship is transferred. 

Instructors may want to know more about how and when they may legally and ethically use copyrighted works as part of their course materials without obtaining permission from the copyright holder. There are circumstances when this can be done under Fair Use. These include teaching, research, criticism, commentary, and news reporting. However, it is important to do a self-check to assess whether your intended use of the material falls under Fair Use. Consider these four factors: 

  1. What is the purpose and character of the use?
  2. What is the nature of the original work?
  3. What is the amount of the work you plan to use as compared to the work as a whole? 
  4. What is the effect of using the work or part of the work when on the protected work’s market or value?

What if you must ask for permission to use a copyrighted work? This guide walks you through the process. Keep in mind that you might not need to ask for permission if: 

If you are teaching online, you may want to become familiar with the “Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act” (the TEACH Act) of 2002. TEACH is significant because it explicitly addresses the terms and conditions by which accredited, nonprofit educational institutions in the United States are able to use copyright protected materials for distance education, which includes websites and digital forms, without needing permission from the copyright owner or the payment of royalties. 

What if you are already following copyright laws for your in-person course? Do you need to do something different for your online course? Fortunately, there is not too much difference in the way that copyright guidelines are applied. So as long as an instructor was following copyright laws for their face-to-face course materials, they will likely be in good shape for online course materials as well. 

What is not covered by copyright law that I may be using online? Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, logos, ideas, concepts, systems or methods of doing something. For those items, you may want to look at trademark law, which is also a form of intellectual property law (Prakash, 2020). 

The SBU Libraries will continue to update the copyright research guide, so it is a good idea to bookmark the site and visit it often. If you have any questions, you can send them to:  library_copyright@stonybrook.edu

 

References 

Prakash, P. (2020). What’s the difference between copyright and trademark? Copyright vs. trademark–learn the difference between these two types of property protection and what they cover. Retrieved from https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/trademark-vs-copyright

U.S. Copyright Office. (n.d.). What does copyright protect? Retrieved from https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

 

Teaching Tuesdays

Assessment, Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, Online Learning, TA/Postdocs, Updates, , , , ,

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has always been dedicated to the belief that excellent teaching in all its forms is vital to student success. Recently, to better align with our mission, we have been moved to the Office of the Provost under Elizabeth Newman, PhD, Vice Provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Education. 

Teaching Tuesdays This semester, we are excited to begin a new initiative: Teaching Tuesdays. During these sessions, CELT experts will discuss evidence-based practical strategies and reflective questions aligned with the research expertise of staff in our department. Please join us at 11:15am in the Faculty Commons (Melville Library E1332) for any of the following topics:

  • Using Critical Self-Reflection to Catalyze Inclusive Pedagogy with Carol Hernandez on October 5th 
    • The pandemic has made clear that social identities, both those of our students as well as our own, shape not only how we are experiencing the fallout of the crisis, but also how we experience teaching and learning. Our session will address how reflecting on the intersection of our identities is a crucial catalyst to improving an educator’s inclusive teaching practice.
  • Grading for Teaching Assistants (TAs): Reducing Bias and Time-Saving Tips with Kimberly Bell, PhD on October 19th 
    • Grading and assessment are an integral part of any teaching experience. In addition to the technical details of entering and submitting grades, time management and biases also play an important role in grading and assessment, and these are often more challenging to overcome. Join this workshop to hear more about time saving tips and strategies for reducing bias in your grading and assessment.
  • Supporting Students’ Self-Regulation Skills in Your Course with Kristin Hall on October 26th 
    • In this workshop, we will go over the importance of self-regulation skills and how they are linked to academic achievement and academic success.  We will also discuss how to model and help students develop these skills in your course. 
  • Designing Courses for all Students with Jennifer Jaiswal on November 2nd
    • Not all students learn in the same way. Creating courses that allow for diversity in how we interact with the content helps students to find different ways to engage and to connect with the course material. In this course we will discuss Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and redesign a course activity to be more inclusive.
  • National Distance Learning Week: Regular and Substantive Interaction: Reflections Based on the Updated Distance Education and Innovation Federal Regulations with Rose Tirotta, EdD on November 9th 
    • In July of 2021, the US Department of Education updated the Distance Education and Innovation Federal Regulations to align with updated pedagogical research and technological capabilities. This session will review these changes in parallel with evidence-based practices to reflect on future and current course development and organization. 
  • Ideation as a Teaching Strategy with Jennifer Jaiswal on November 16th 
    • How can you help your students craft new ideas in their area of study, create new products, or design new models for problem solving? Ideation is the process of creating many new ideas using generative thinking strategies. Ideation takes advantage of creativity to create new ways of thinking about problems and creating solutions. In this session we will cover generative thinking,  project models that can be applied and take on a design challenge.
  • Designing a Logic Model for Your Grant Evaluation with Catherine Scott on November 23rd 
    • Logic models are often required when submitting grant proposals. So what are they? Why do you need one? And how can you create your own? Join this workshop to have these questions answered and leave with a template to help you create your own.
  • Jump Start Engagement with Active Learning with Kimberly Bell, PhD and Rose Tirotta, EdD on November 30th 
    • Active learning can improve student outcomes and keep students engaged during and in-between your class meetings. Getting started incorporating active learning, implementing it, and assessing its effectiveness can seem challenging. Join this workshop to hear more about why active learning works and strategies you can implement and assess easily in your courses right away.

Please register prior to the session using the links above and email us if you have any questions.

2020-2021 COVID Teaching Hero Award: Congratulations to Dr. Georges Fouron

Equity and Inclusion, Online Learning, ,

Rose Tirotta  Rose Tirotta, Ed.D., Associate Director of Teaching Excellence

Dr. Georges FouronOn May 6th, 2021, Dr. George Fouron won the 2020-2021 COVID Teaching Hero Award at CELT’s Celebration of Teaching. 

Despite the challenges involved in moving to a remote teaching environment, Dr. Fouron displayed grace under pressure as he adapted to teaching over Zoom where he demonstrated compassion and empathy for his students while maintaining academic rigor and teaching effectiveness. In referring to the educator John Dewey, Dr. Fouron remarked that teachers “shouldn’t be strangers to the realities of students’ lives.” Teaching during the pandemic taught him that students are resilient in the face of difficulties, and often says that he is not interested in having students agree with his views, but rather he wants students to be able to articulate their own perspectives as both teachers and learners.  His calm and determined demeanor throughout a difficult semester was inspiring not only to his students but to all of us here in CELT.  

I had the opportunity to sit in on two of Dr. Fouron’s courses and was impressed by the way he facilitated his courses. Dr. Fouron consistently asked for student feedback and, most importantly, asked students to share their stories. Dr. Fouron also had many interesting and powerful stories, which addressed race, gender, and class, among other issues. Any questions that were asked were addressed positively and I felt like his class formed a strong community with each other, overcoming the challenges that COVID pressed upon them. Starting each class he also addressed the students saying that this class was for them, that every student had a voice, and that voice had the right to be heard. 

What I think was the most powerful is that Dr. Fouron, after being a target of some horrible “Zoom-bombing” experiences, was able to accept me (and others) into his class for the semester and meet synchronously. He continued to teach Socratically and support his students during this difficult time (COVID) which provided them a sense of  community.

Thank you Dr. Fouron, and congratulations!