Category Archives: Uncategorized

Advice for Writing Your Teaching Statement

Graduate Students, TA/Postdocs, Teaching Dossier, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

By Kimberly Bell, Ph.D.
Teaching Assistant Development Specialist
kimberly.bell@stonybrook.edu

As you start to think about next steps in your academic and/or professional career, you may find that you will be asked to either write or revise a teaching statement or a statement of teaching philosophy. A teaching statement, or statement of teaching philosophy, is a reflective essay that often includes what you value as an educator and why this is important to you, a description of how you would teach, the justification for why you teach that way, and evidence of how you have been effective. 

Ball Point Pen on Opened Notebook
Teaching statements are more common these days and have become a largely important part of academic life.

The first time writing a statement like this can be a bit daunting, confusing, and often leads to questions on how to write an effective statement. Here are some questions I often hear: 

What if I don’t have much teaching experience?

You probably have more than you think. Informal teaching experiences can also inform
your statement. Some examples include training students in your lab (protocols, data analysis, etc.), summer students, mentoring student assistants in work environments, working with Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UGTAs), or participating in teaching professional development, such as CELT workshops. If you have been a graduate TA, can your course director give you some feedback on your teaching? Can you guest lecture in the course your PI or a colleague teaches? In absence of any of the above, you should show that you have thought intentionally about what you value as an educator, how you would achieve this in the classroom, and how you would tell you were effective. 

How do I stand out from other applicants in the statement? 

Hook your readers right at the start. Your opening sentence should be strong and reflect personal experiences that have made a large impact on your philosophy. Avoid cliche terms and academic jargon to engage your readers. Instead, focus on how you can not only “tell” your reader about your experiences but “show” them by bringing specific stories from your teaching experiences into your writing. Ultimately, an honest account of your experiences and passion towards your work in the field is going to be more impactful to your audience than a general statement.

Are detailed technical approaches in the classroom required in the statement?

The more specific you can be with examples and evidence, the stronger your statement will be. Different positions will weigh the teaching statement differently, such as research intensive vs. teaching intensive, but either way, the more specific details about your experiences that you can include in your statement the better. Your examples should be concise, however, as there is typically a 2-page limit for the statement. If you are applying for a teaching focused position, citing the learning sciences literature the same way you would in your research is recommended. 

Should I include DEI elements in my teaching statement?

If you and the institution you are applying to similarly value DEI then yes, include specific elements of inclusive teaching in your statement. You may also be asked to write a separate diversity statement which would rely less on teaching and more on your lived experiences, mentoring, and community engagement. You don’t want the specific examples in the statements to overlap. 

Can I incorporate positive comments received about my teaching in the statement?

Yes! You would not want this to take up a lot of text in your statement, so use sparingly and concisely, and be sure they speak to specific skills and successes that you have been recognized for (not: “they were a great teacher!”). This is another great way to incorporate evidence of your teaching effectiveness in your statement.  

When your personal statement is relevant and authentic, it communicates the passion that you have for the work in your field clearly and confidently. Personal writing can be difficult but following the guidance from these common questions when writing your statement can put you in a great position to write an impactful statement!

One Student’s Experience With Code-Switching

Equity and Inclusion, Graduate Students, Hidden Curriculum, Social-emotional Learning, Student Experience, Uncategorized

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.

 

 

Teaching as Performance

Creativity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning Outcomes, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

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

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.

Gamified Learning

Uncategorized

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Inclusive Teaching

Uncategorized

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

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

 

 

 

Writing to Learn in STEM

Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, Learning Outcomes, Measurable learning, Panel Discussion, Research, Uncategorized, , , ,

By Kimberly Bell, Ph.D.
Teaching Assistant Development Specialist
kimberly.bell@stonybrook.edu

Writing to Learn (WRL) is a pedagogy approach that incorporates short low-stakes written assignments, peer-review, and feedback to help students gain conceptual understanding. A literature review of more than 200 studies that reported using WTL strategies in STEM courses summarizes that this approach has been shown to help students meet learning objectives related to content knowledge, conceptual understanding, scientific method, critical thinking, effective communication, metacognition, and professionalization (Reynolds et. al., 2002). Despite the evidence, WTL is still not as widely used as it could be.
Join us this Wednesday for a panel discussion with faculty that have used WTL in their STEM courses. 

Writing to Learn in STEM Panel Discussion
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022 at 1 p.m. ET.
In person: CELT Faculty Commons E1332 Melville Library and Zoom

Register today!

(Coffee and cookies provided in the Commons.)
You can also join us on Zoom.

Panelists:

  • Mona Monfared, Associate Professor of Teaching, Molecular & Cellular Biology, UC Davis
  • Ginger Shultz, Associate Professor, Chemistry, University of Michigan
  • Joi Walker, Associate Professor, Chemistry, East Carolina University

Research from Ginger Schultz’s group provides advice for implementing WTL widely in high enrollment introductory STEM courses (Finkenstaedt-Quinn SA, 2021). 

Student in a lab coat with a microscope and taking noets.
Research shows that using Writing to Learn strategies in STEM courses helps students gain communication and critical thinking skills.

References

Finkenstaedt-Quinn SA, Petterson M, Gere A, Shultz G. Praxis of Writing-to-Learn: A Model for the Design and Propagation of Writing-to-Learn in STEM. Journal of chemical education. 2021;98(5):1548-1555. doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01482

Reynolds JA, Thaiss C, Katkin W, Thompson RJ Jr. Writing-to-learn in undergraduate science education: a community-based, conceptually driven approach. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2012 Spring;11(1):17-25. doi: 10.1187/cbe.11-08-0064. PMID: 22383613; PMCID: PMC3292059.

60 Seconds With CELT

Uncategorized

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

The CELT team has expanded and relocated. Come see us in our new office suite located in Melville Library, W-3519.

We have some new team members, new areas of research and new ways to apply teaching and learning excellence to your instruction. Watch the video and get to know us. Reach out  by email: CELT@stonybrook.edu.

60 Seconds With CELT

How can we collaborate with you? Here are a few ways:

  • Syllabus review: Are your learning outcomes measurable? Do they align with your assignments and assessments?
  • Active learning: Are you getting students engaged with the course content and each other?
  • Inclusive teaching: Are you creating opportunities for learners to feel that they belong and can succeed in an academic space?
  • Online teaching: Are you building a community where students feel that learning is a team effort?
  • Teaching with technology: Do you know how to pick the right tools for your teaching goals?
  • Virtual learning: How can you harness the virtual space to take your students to places and experiences that go beyond the physical limitations of space and time?
  • Research of teaching and learning? Got an idea that you want to work on for publication? We can work with you!

Creating Community in the Online Classroom

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By Carol Hernandez, Ed.D.
Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
carol.hernandez@stonybrook.edu

Teaching online requires a reconceptualization of how you will design and deliver your course.

CELT can walk you through all the steps to get your course ready for the online platform. And we can show you ways to create a sense of community where students interact with you, the course content, and (perhaps most importantly) with each other. In a well-designed and well-delivered course, both you and your students will walk away feeling seen, heard, and engaged.

A man drinks coffee and works with a woman who is typing on a computer.
Building a great online course takes some time, but CELT can help.

Join us for the Online Teaching Certificate Course, which starts October 11. You can take it in the 5-week format or the accelerated 2.5-week format. Both are live facilitated by the CELT team members. 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 Blackboard or 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 suggest logging on 4 times/week during this course.
  • OTC Accelerated: This is a condensed, 2 1/2-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.

Review the OTC Syllabus (subject to change)   |   Sign up for an upcoming workshop!

Have you taken the OTC? Have any questions? Leave a comment below.