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How can a first-year writing course help to create 21st century STEM students with foundations for interdisciplinary inquiry? Could such as curriculum engage STEM students in knowledge production in ways that help to acculturate them as collaborative, ethical, and empathetic learners? Bringing together insights from writing pedagogy, work on critical science literacy, and science studies, this round-table is hosted by the collaborative team leading an effort to rethink the first year writing course required of all students at Lyman Briggs College, MSU's residential college for STEM students. A major goal of the curriculum redesign is to develop science studies-inspired writing assignments that foster reflective experiential learning about the nature of science. The purpose of this approach is not only to demonstrate the value of inquiry in science studies (history, philosophy, and sociology of science) to STEM students as they pursue their careers, but to foster diverse inclusion in science by demystifying key aspects of scientific culture and its hidden curriculum for membership. Following the guidance of critical pedagogy (e.g. bell hooks), we aim to use the context of first-year writing instruction as an opportunity for critical reflection and empowerment. The roundtable describes how the instructional team designed the first-year curriculum and adapted it to teaching online during the pandemic, and shares data on lessons learned by both the instructor team and our students. We invite participants to think with us as we continue to iteratively develop and assess the curriculum.To access a PDF version of the "Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies" poster, click here. Description of Poster:
Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies  
Marisa Brandt, HPS Lyman Briggs College & June Oh, English 
Project Overview: Reimagining LB 133 
Lyman Briggs College aims to provide a high quality science education to diverse students by teaching science in social, human, and global contexts. LB 133: Science & Culture fulfills the Tier 1 writing requirement for 80-85% of LBC students. Starting in F19, we implemented a new, collaboratively developed and taught cohort model of the LB 133 curriculum in order to take advantage of opportunity to foster a community of inquiry, inclusion, and curiosity.  
First year college writing and literacy courses aim to give students skills to communicate and evaluate information in their own fields and beyond. While teaching important writing skills, LB 133 focuses on developing students’ science literacy by encouraging them to enact a subject position of a socially engaged science professional in training. LB 133 was designed based on ideas of HPS. 
History, Philosophy, and Sociology (HPS) or “science studies” is an interdisciplinary field that studies science in context, often extended to include medicine, technology, and other sites of knowledge-production. LB 133 centers inquiry into relations of science and culture. One way HPS can help students succeed in STEM is by fostering inclusion. In LB 133, this occurs through demystifying scientific culture and hidden curriculum through authentic, project-based inquiry.  
Like WRAC 110, LB 133 is organized around five writing projects. Each project entails a method of inquiry into science as a social, human practice and teaches them to write first as a form of sense-making about their data. (Column 2) Then, students develop writing projects to communicate what they have learned to non-scientific audiences.  
Research Questions:  


How did their conceptions of science change?[Text Wrapping Break] 2. Did their writing improve?[Text Wrapping Break] 3. What did they see as the most important ideas and skills they would take from the course?[Text Wrapping Break] 4. Did they want more HPS at LBC?  


Data Collection:  
[Text Wrapping Break]1. Analysis of the beginning and end of course Personal Writing assessments. [Text Wrapping Break]2. End of term survey. [Text Wrapping Break]3. Answers to course reflection questions.  
Selected Results: See Column 3. 
Conclusions: The new model seems successful! Students reported finding 133 surprisingly enjoyable and educational, for many reasons. Many felt motivated to write about science specifically, saw communication as valuable scientific skill. Most felt their writing improved and learned more than anticipated. Most learned and valued key HPS concepts and wanted to learn more about diversity in scientific cultures, and wanted to continue HPS education in LBC to do so. 
Column 2 - Course Structure: Science & Culture 




Assessment 


Science Studies Content[Text Wrapping Break]Learning Goals 


Literacy & Writing Skills Learning Goals 




Part 1 - Cultures of Science 




Personal Writing 1: Personal Statement [STEM Ed Op-ed][Text Wrapping Break]Short form writing from scientific subject position.  


Reflect on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.   


Diagnostic for answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing. 




Scientific Sites Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of how a local lab produces knowledge.   


Understand scientific practice, reasoning, and communication in its diverse social, material, and cultural contexts. Demystify labs and humanize scientists. 


Making observational field notes. Reading scientific papers.  
Peer review. Claim, evidence, reasoning. Writing analytical essays based on observation.   




Part 2 - Science in Culture 




Unpacking a Fact Poster 
Partner project assessing validity of a public scientific claim. 


Understand the mediation of science and how to evaluate scientific claims. Identify popular conceptions of science and contrast these with scientists’ practices. 


Following sources upstream. Comparing sources.  
APA citation style.  
Visual display of info on a poster. 




Perspectives Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of a debate concerning science in Michigan. 


Identify and analyze how diverse stakeholders are included in and/or excluded from science. Recognize value of diverse perspective. 


Find, use, and correctly cite primary and scholarly secondary sources from different stakeholder perspectives. 
Learn communicating to a broader audience in an online platform. 




Personal Writing 2: Letter + PS Revision[Text Wrapping Break]Sharing a course takeaway with someone. 


Reflect again on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.   


Final assessment of answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing. 




Weekly Formative Assessments 




Discussion Activities Pre-meeting writing about the readings 


Reflect on prompted aspects of science and culture 


Writing as critical inquiry. 
Note-taking. 
Preparation for discussion. 




Curiosity Colloquium responses 
200 words reflecting on weekly speaker series 


Exposure to college, campus, and academic guests—including diverse science professionals— who share their curiosity and career story.  


Writing as reflection on presentations and their personal value. 
Some presenters share research and writing skills. 




Column 3 - Results  
Results from Personal Writing 
Fall 19: There were largely six themes the op-ed assignments discussed. Majority of students chose to talk about the value of science in terms of its ubiquity, problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, and the way it prompts technological innovation. 
Fall 21: Students largely focused on 1. the nature of science as a product of human labor research embedded with many cultural issues, and 2. science as a communication and how scientists can gain public trust (e.g., transparency, collaboration, sharing failure.)  
F19 & S20 Selected Survey Results 
 108 students responding.The full report here.  


92.5% reported their overall college writing skills improved somewhat or a lot. 


76% reported their writing skills improved somewhat or a lot more than they expected. 


89% reported planning to say in LBC. 


Selected Course Reflection Comments 
The most impactful things students report learning at end of semester. 
Science and Culture: Quotes: “how scientific knowledge is produced” “science is inherently social” “how different perspectives . . . impact science” “writing is integral to the scientific community as a method of sharing and documenting scientific research and discoveries” 
Writing: Quotes: “a thesis must be specific and debatable” “claim, evidence, and reasoning” “it takes a long time to perfect.” Frequently mentioned skills: Thesis, research skill (citation, finding articles and proper sources), argument (evidence), structure and organization skills, writing as a (often long and arduous) process, using a mentor text, confidence. 
What do you want to learn more about after this course? 
“How culture(s) and science coexist, and . . . how different cultures view science” 
“Gender and minority disparities in STEM” “minority groups in science and how their cultures impact how they conduct science” “different cultures in science instead of just the United States” “how to write scientific essays”  
 

 
 

 
According to the Residential College of Arts and Humanities (RCAH), "India Plough joined the RCAH in 2012. She teaches Language and Culture and is the director of the RCAH Language Proficiency Program. Her research interests and publications are in the areas of second language acquisition, language instruction, and test development and validation. India returns to her alma mater after almost 15 years during which time she worked in a variety of contexts from secondary and post-secondary institutions to the non-profit, foundation sector. In addition to giving invited talks in Peru and Greece, India has worked with students, teachers, and administrators in Brazil, China, Greece, Japan, Peru, South Africa, and the U.S. on collaborative projects including learner assessment, teacher training, and program development."
 
Dr. Plough has made a great impacts on the MSU community as an educator. Here's what four Spartans had to say about her: 

"The mission statement of MSU's Residential College in the Arts and Humanities states that "Through interdisciplinary study, imagination, and community partnerships, RCAH inspires and prepares graduates to be collaborative learners and visionary change-makers." I am forever thankful to India because that's precisely what she has done for me and the other graduate students in the interdisciplinary program she oversees. She has inspired and prepared us because she doesn't just deliver content or give orders. Instead, she provokes curiosities, encourages, provides resources, and listens. The consistency between what she says, her teaching, her research and how she treats people is something I aspire to emulate as a future faculty. ¡Muchas gracias, India!"
"I am thankful to India for always thinking for our graduate student language fellows' interests, for going out of her way to ensure our wellness and growth professionally and personally, for modeling positive attitudes, work ethics, and how to treat others with kindness and dignity, and for encouraging and acknowledging our contributions to the CLAC program."
"Professor Plough has been running the ILO program in RCAH. As a graduate fellow, I have to admit that her commitment to leading, energizing, and promoting the program is impressive. She is the kind of professor who carefully listens to people who work with her. Her leadership and teaching approach is unique by which ILO has successfully been running for many year." 
"Dr. Plough hired me to work in her CLAC program as a French language fellow in RCAH. Because of this and her leadership in the program, I am part of a dynamic, passionate team where we share and learn about collaborative, engaged teaching practices, as well as many thoughts and opinions. I have been able to grow so much in my teaching and as an intellectual because of this experience and the atmosphere and ambience she instills in this space. I have met other graduate students she has also hired on the team whom I call friends and dear colleagues. I love being part of a collaborative team comprised of diverse races, nationalities, languages, and disciplines, and my life is very enriched because of it. Grateful is the word for what I feel for the opportunity she has given me."

Mark W. Hodginshodgins@msu.eduInstructional Technology and Development TeamResponsible for the instructional development of both video and computer-aided instruction. Joint coordination with other staff members within ITS and the Innovation HUB as well as other technical support people on campus. Technical consultant to the faculty, students and staff on the design/development/delivery of all forms of mediated instruction and administrative information systems.  Technical knowledge in the configuration and use of Learning Management Systems (i.e. Angel, Blackboard, and D2L) as well as Cloud services like Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps, Apple iCloud. Apple University and Kultura MediaSpace. Extensive experience in relational database system design and development.



Education:

Master of Arts in Educational Systems Development - Instructional Computing

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI


Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI


Associates of Applied Science (Digital Electronics)

Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI



Experience: 

Instructional System Designer - Michigan State University, IT Services | Instructional Technology and Development. Responsible for the instructional development of both video and computer-aided instruction. Joint coordination with other staff members within ITS and the Innovation HUB as well as other technical support people on campus. Technical consultant to the faculty, students and staff on the design/development/delivery of all forms of mediated instruction and administrative information systems.  2017 – Present
Training Program Developer III - Michigan State University, Health Information Technology. Responsible for the instructional development of both video and computer-aided instruction. Joint coordination with other staff members within HIT as well as other technical support people on campus. Technical consultant to the faculty, students and staff on the design/development/delivery of all forms of mediated instruction and administrative information systems.  2003 – 2017
Training Program Developer II - Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Responsible for the development of video and computer-aided instructional programs. Joint-coordination with other staff members of the Learning Resource Center and Interactive Computer Lab. Technical consultant to the faculty, students and staff of COM on the design/development/delivery of all forms of mediated instruction and administrative information systems. 1991 – 2003
Television Production Engineer - Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine. Responsible for the operation of the college’s media production facility. Co-supervisor of Media Services and Learning Resource Center and in charge of Technical Services. Involved in the design and production of instructional video programs for the college's faculty. 1981-1991
Technical Production Assistant - Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine. Assisted staff engineer on television studio operations.  Involved in A/V system designs and installations. Assisted program director with the production of educational videotape programs. 1978-1980

Attended Conferences 

Interactive HealthCare Conference & Exposition - Washington, D.C. 
Information Technology in the Health Sciences - Memphis, TN, Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA. 
Society of Applied Learning and Technology (SALT) -Orlando, FL 
Slice of Life Conference - Salt Lake City, UT, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Munich, Germany 
Campus Technology Syllabus Conference -San Jose, CA, Boston, MA.
Apple World Wide Developers Conference – San Francisco, CA

Published Research 

Lovell K, Haf J, Hodgins M. Development of neuropathology interactive videodisk instructional units. Teaching and Learning in Medicine 1991;3:156-8. 
Bean P, Lovell K, Hodgins M, Parkhurst P, Sprafka S. Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Interactive Videodisk Instructional Modules in Preclinical Neuropathology Education Teaching and Learning in Medicine 1993;5:3-9.
Oommen J Z, Hodgins M, Hinojosa R, et al. (June 21, 2021) Accuracy of Weight Estimation Using the Broselow Tape in a Peruvian Pediatric Population. Cureus 13(6): e15807. doi:10.7759/cureus.15807

Current Projects

Part of MSU's Institute for Global Health team working on curriculum revisions for the Armed Forces College of Medicine in Cairo Egypt.
Serving as an Instructional Technology Advisor for MSU's Global Health Studies Program.
Remediation of Medical Administrative Systems to integrate with MSU's new Student Information System.

International Travel

Travele extensively around the world to attend Instructional Technology conferences, conduct project site visits, as well as  pleasure trips to visit family.
Destinations include British Columbia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Egypt, France, Germany, England, and Ireland.

November is here and with this time of year, we often see an increase in messaging around gratitude, appreciation, and giving thanks. Gratitude is something I’ve always found great value in, and touted anecdotal benefits of. In 2015, I wrote ‘Tis the season of giving thanks: Why gratitude is important in leadership for MSU Extension. Then later, in 2018, I founded MSU’s Thank an Educator Initiative. I saw the invaluable work that people across roles were doing to support students and MSU’s teaching and learning goals. Not only did I see important work, I saw educators making huge impacts on learners' lives and experiences. Simultaneously, I noticed the sheer size (and let’s face it- siloing) at MSU as huge barriers to a) educators being celebrated for their work, and b) educators being about to learn with and from one another. So I started the “Thank an Educator” initiative. 
Thanking an educator is super simple. Any Spartan can visit the Thank an Educator page on the #iteachmsu Commons. At the page, folx will see a brief form where they enter the information on the educator they’d like the thank, and then a short story/sentiment of thanks. That’s it! #iteachmsu does the rest. Every person who is recognized will receive a personalized message via email thanking them for their important work (the submitted story is included here). Then at the end of the academic year, all of the educators submitted for Thank an Educator are also recognized by the Provost with a #iteachmsu Educator Award. Since its initial conception, the Thank an Educator initiative has recognized educators over 550 times! We care about and are committed to celebrating and elevating the work of educators, and know that these efforts make an impact.
In January of 2020, when my son was born, I stopped working in person as a Graduate Assistant on the #iteachmsu Commons. During this parental leave I also moved to the west side of Michigan. The plan was to be remote for the remainder of my GA contract after returning from leave in March. Little did I know, I wouldn’t be alone. I returned to work (and continued as a Postdoc and now Academic Specialist) to meet all my colleagues online! Then reality hits (and continues to keep throwing punches). I couldn't access daycares for my infant because they were shut down. My partner’s business- the one we moved for- also shut down. My family unit’s makeup and health history made us high risk for infection; so ultimately we were first time parents, in a new place, in a vacuum. The isolation was terrible and both my partner and I struggled with the impacts of anxiety and depression. During this same time, I watched as colleagues and fellow educators at Michigan State (while dealing with many, if not all and more, of the same challenges as myself) rose to the occasion. Instructors switched to teaching online. Advisors innovated the ways they held appointments. Graduate students began co-working virtually via zoom. Administrators made extra efforts to transparently share the goings on of the university in personal ways that built community. New programs and training were created to support educators. Events were hosted completely online. In the 13+ years I’ve been at Michigan State, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more glaring example of “Who will? Spartans Will.”
We're still "in it". The circumstances have continued to change, but educators are still constantly being kept on their toes, challenged to dodge, dive, and duck around barriers; all the while still supporting student success, still serving the teaching and learning mission of the university, still prioritizing health and safety… I’ve observed the toll this constantly changing, uncertain, and sometimes downright scary time has taken on myself and my colleagues. People seem to be yearning for personal connection, time to really see one another, but packed schedules and increasing demands on capacity make it feel challenging to take that time. 
Now, maybe even more than ever, you all - MSU’s educators- deserve to be recognized for the phenomenal work you continue to do, despite extremely challenging circumstances. I know time is in short supply. I know people are burnt out. But please… submit someone to Thank an Educator. The process takes only a handful of minutes (I timed myself and it literally took me 5 minutes) but makes a huge impact. Every single day, I interact with individuals who are doing high impact work to support MSU’s teaching and learning, student success, and outreach mission. I’d guess you do too. Thank them. 
If you need even more convincing, consider the research on practicing gratitude:

Emmons and McCullough (2003) showed that counting your blessings seems to be a much more effective way of enhancing your quality of life than counting your burdens.
Bartlett and DeSteno (2006) found that small acts of gratitude can cause ripple effects that reach farther than you would imagine.
Sheldon and Lyubomirsky (2007), found the regular practice of gratitude and/or positive visualization can lead to a higher quality of life, measured by affect.

Looking for even more? Check out the Greater Good Science Center (UC-Berkley) and all their tools, resources, research, and more!

Sources:
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 84, 377-389. 
Bartlett, M. & Desteno, D. (2006). Gratitude and prosocial behavior helping when it costs you. Psychological Science. 17. 319-25. 
Sheldon, K.M. & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006) How to increase and sustain positive emotion: The effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1:2, 73-82

A few weeks ago, Microsoft renamed its AI powered search engine, Bing Copilot to just Copilot, which can now be accessed by all MSU accounts on the Microsoft 365 browser. 
“To improve the user experience and streamline our tools that empower creativity, Bing Image Creator is now Designer and Bing Chat is now Copilot. Create wow-worthy images with your words and AI with Designer, and try Copilot, your AI-powered search assistant for the web.”
Besides making fun of the constant nomenclature issues that generative AI applications seem to face, I want to walk through how our access to Copilot works, what it can be used for, and how it holds up to other AI tools.
MSU Access to Copilot
Instructors, staff, and students can access Copilot by signing on to Microsoft 365 on the browser. Once logged in using your single sign on credentials, you can select “more apps” to find the Copilot app, or visit https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/ 
As of today, we do not have access to Copilot features in other Microsoft applications, like Word or Excel.  
We are limited to the use of (Bing) Copilot, which, as I’ll explain shortly, is not as advanced as other AI tools.
In terms of security and data privacy, Copilot is covered under the same enterprise data protection as the rest of our Microsoft subscription. And while the university advises against putting sensitive data into AI tools, Copilot falls under Microsoft’s FERPA compliance, so it can handle student data.  
Copilot is not “training” on any of your data, because it’s not an LLM, however Microsoft can use anonymized data for product design and improvements, so it’s a grey area when AI tools say they are not using your data for training. Copilot even asked me if I wanted to give it feedback:
Using Copilot
Copilot functions much like other generative AI chats: You can prompt it for information, ask it to solve problems, and get feedback on your work. At the end of each response, the app includes footnotes with links to websites where it sourced the information from, and suggested follow up prompts. There is a 30-message limit per conversation, which is probably to optimize the context window. Copilot also provides access to Designer, an image generator. I was most impressed with the image generator, which provides two options for generated images to use from your prompt.
Copilot Vs Other AI Tools
I find Copilot to be less robust than a Large Language Model like ChatGPT or Claude. One of the main issues is that Copilot is actually Microsoft’s integration of its search engine, Bing, with an API connection to an LLM.*  
When you use Copilot, you are receiving responses that combine real-time search results from Bing with text generation from an LLM. This layering of search and AI-generated content provides a mix of up-to-date web data and language model outputs. There are also layers of guardrails that actively work to prevent what Microsoft might deem as misuse. And those guardrails don’t always work the way we expect.
Moreover, Bing itself has only 5% of US Search traffic, making its results worse than other engines, like Google. And the converse is true: when you ask ChatGPT 4.o to search the web, it uses an API of Bing to do so. I've noticed that ChatGPT is especially bad at providing relevant search results, because Bing is bad at providing relevant search results. So, when you use Copilot, you’re getting a watered-down version of an old LLM, plus the mediocre search results of Bing, and a layer of undisclosed guardrails that majorly limit usage. 
So, how does Copilot fair against other AI tools? 
Badly. On the one hand, if you are looking to introduce students to AI tools, they already have access to Copilot, so it is less of a barrier. But on the other hand, an LLM tool like ChatGPT or Claude can provide a broader range of capabilities, including complex problem-solving, deeper contextual understanding, and the ability to engage in more nuanced conversations.   
If you’ve been using Copilot, or have other insights to share, as always, I’d love to hear from you.  
Freyesaur out. 
 
* While it’s generally understood that OpenAI’s GPT-4 architecture powers the system, the exact LLM and the parameters governing its use are not always transparent. In the past, Microsoft advertised that Copilot in “Creative Mode” used ChatGPT 4.0. However, the new Copilot does not have the “Creative Mode” option, and I couldn’t find any documentation that it still indeed uses ChatGPT 4.0. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State University, like many universities, closed its on-campus offerings and hastily moved to remote learning in March 2020. In addition to moving all classes online, students were asked to leave on-campus housing if possible. As COVID-19 cases continued to increase through the summer, plans to reopen in the fall were halted and most institutions announced they would continue offering instruction through remote learning. At the start of the spring 2020 semester, we collected data from MSU students enrolled in introductory economics courses about their grade expectations and views of economics as a major. In order to understand how students responded to the disruption generated by the pandemic, we began collecting additional data about the direct effects of the pandemic on their learning environment, including changes to living arrangements, internet access, studying behavior, and general well-being. Survey data were collected at the beginning and end of the spring, summer, and fall terms of 2020. Supplementing this survey data with administrative data on demographic characteristics and actual grade outcomes, we investigate how the pandemic affects students and how students' final grades in their economics course relate to their responses to the pandemic and virtual learning. We find the effects vary with student background characteristics (including race, gender, GPA, and first-generation college status) and final grades are related to internet connectivity, stress, and anxiety. These unique data allow us to provide a descriptive analysis of students' reactions to an unprecedented disruption to their educational environment.

To access a PDF of the "Learning in the Time of COVID-19" poster, click here.Description of the Poster 
Learning in the Time of COVID-19 
Andrea Chambers, Stacy Dickert-Conlin, Steven J. Haider, and Scott A. Imberman 
Introduction 
This study provides a snapshot of how students were experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic in the month following the abrupt shift to online instruction and how students have adapted to the experience of remote learning more long term. It contributes to the concerns that the mental well-being and academic performance of students has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 
Research Questions 


What demographic and academic factors are associated with student responses to questions about internet access, ability to focus, feelings of anxiety, and their financial situation? 


How are students’ final grades in their economics course related to their responses to the pandemic and virtual learning? 


Methodology 

Surveyed students enrolled in introductory economics courses from one large, public research university during three semesters (Spring, Summer, and Fall) of 2020. 
Students completed surveys at the beginning and end of the semester. 
Supplemented these data with administrative data on demographic characteristics and actual grade outcomes. 
Conducted multiple regression analyses of student characteristics on student perceptions and final semester grades. 

Survey 
The Two Surveys: 

Initial Survey – General information and grade students expected to earn in the class 
Final Survey – Students’ reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning  

Response Rate: 


Of the 6,665 eligible students, 3,445 students (52%) answered at least one of the COVID-related questions. 


COVID-Related Statements: 


My internet connectivity is sufficient to complete my economics coursework. 


My final grade in my economics course will be unaffected. 


My overall semester GPA will be unaffected. 


My time available for studying has increased. 


My ability to focus on my studies has declined. 


My anxiety about my studies has increased. 


My financial situation has worsened.  


Sample Descriptives 


Female: 47.3%, Male: 52.7% 




White: 71.5%, Black: 4.2%, Hispanic/Latinx: 4.7%, Asian: 6.6%, 2 or more Races: 2.7%, Other or Not Reported: 1.5%, International: 8.7% 


1st Year at MSU: 37.5%, 2nd year at MSU: 38.5%, 3rd Year at MSU: 16.5%, 4th Year or Later at MSU: 7.6% 


First-Generation College Student: 18.5% 


Results 
Image: A stacked bar chart detailing the percent of students who strongly agree and agreed with each COVID-related statement on displayed on top of the percent of students who strongly disagreed, disagreed, or neither agreed nor disagreed with each COVID-related statement. 
Title: Figure 1. Responses to COVID-Related Questions for Spring, Summer, and Fall 2020 
Details of image: 

My internet connectivity is sufficient: 83.3% strongly agree/agree and 16.7% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My econ course final grade will be unaffected: 36.0% strongly agree/agree and 64.1% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My overall semester GPA will be unaffected: 31.2% strongly agree/agree and 68.8% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My time available for studying has increased: 46.9% strongly agree/agree and 53.1% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My ability to focus on my studies has declined: 69.0% strongly agree/agree and 31.0% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My anxiety about my studies has increased: 74.0% strongly agree/agree and 26.0% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 
My financial situation has worsened: 36.3% strongly agree/agree and 63.7% strongly disagreed/disagreed/either agreed nor disagreed. 

Research Question 1: What demographic and academic factors are associated with student responses to questions about internet access, ability to focus, feelings of anxiety, and their financial situation? 
Empirical Strategy: where  is an indicator for whether the student agrees or strongly agrees with the statement. 
Ability to Focus 


April 2020: 83% of students report their ability to focus on their studies has declined.  


December 2020: 61.5% of students state feeling their ability to focus has declined.  


During the initial reaction to the pandemic and remote instruction, we do not see statistically significant differences across student characteristics such as gender, race/ethnicity, or first-generation college status. However, when we look at the continued response in the summer and fall semesters, female students are more likely to state their ability to focus on their studies has declined relative to their male peers by 9 percentage points. 


Anxiety about Studies 


Over 70% of students in the sample report an increase in anxiety about their studies in April 2020 and through Summer and Fall 2020. 




Female students are more likely to report an increase in anxiety relative to their male peers of around 8 percentage points in the Spring 2020 and 16 percentage points during Summer and Fall 2020.  


Financial Situation  


April 2020: 48.6% state that their financial situation has worsened. 


This condition was felt more by first-generation college students, women, and lower performing students compared to their respective peers.  


December 2020: 30% state their financial situation has worsened and first-generation college students during Summer and Fall 2020 are still more likely to experience a worsened condition. 


Research Question 2: How are students’ final grades in their economics course related to their responses to the pandemic and virtual learning? 
Empirical Strategy: 
where is a vector of COVID-related questions and  are the student background characteristics, year in college, GPA, and expected grade at the start of the semester. 


Internet Connectivity: Students who did not have sufficient internet connection earned lower final grades.  


COVID-Related Stress: In April 2020, students who strongly agree their ability to focus has decreased and students across all semesters who strongly agree their anxiety has increased earned lower final grades.  


Financial: Students who state their financial situation has worsened earned lower final grades in the summer and fall semesters. 


Discussion & Conclusions 


As many students in this study report feeling their ability to focus has declined and anxiety has increased, findings suggest women, first-generation college students, and lower performing students may be particularly vulnerable to these feelings and experiences.  


Survey results suggest financial situations worsened for first-generation college students, which could lead to food or housing insecurity for these students, issues which could lead to increased stress and anxiety, lower grades, and possibly prevent students from persisting in higher education.  


Requiring access to instruction via online learning has showcased the need for quality internet access. 




The coronavirus pandemic has raised a lot of questions about the future of online education, it is important to keep in mind the ways in which students are impacted by such a move. 

In Fall 2020, the My Spartan Story team launched campus-wide My Spartan Story and the Spartan Experience Record, MSU's new co-curricular record. This session will explore successes and challenges in launching a new initiative during the pandemic, and will also explore introductory data on how we have been able to expand recognition of co-curricular learning and engagement of undergraduate Spartans.To access a PDF of the "Lessons Learned Launching a University-Wide Initiative in a Remote Environment" poster, click here.Description of the Poster
Lessons Learned Launching a Campus-Wide Initiative in a Remote Environment Poster Outline 
Introduction 
My Spartan Story, Michigan State University’s new co-curricular record, planned to launch to undergraduate Spartans and the MSU community in a traditional campus environment for the 2020-2021 academic year. Significant strategy, resources, and collaboration defined a launch that soon became incongruent to the campuses needs pivoting to remote learning. The My Spartan Story Team shifted strategy to solely virtual methods to grow awareness and education of My Spartan Story and the Spartan Experience Record (a new customizable record displaying learning in non-credit bearing experiences that can be requested alongside the transcript through the Registrar’s Office). Several tactics planned had to be eliminated, and communications and programming methods rethought. Thankfully, time spent investing in website updates, resources and guides, and other methods simply became more invaluable.   
Methods 
All 

Email communications sent to faculty, staff, administrators, and undergraduate students co-created with Provost Communications Team. 
Downloadable resources and guides created to assist with workflows and utilization of the My Spartan Story platform. 

Faculty/Staff 

Strategic outreach to campus community, presenting at unit meetings, and large monthly meetings such as Undergraduate Assistant/Associate Deans and Directors of Undergraduate Affairs (UGAAD). 
My Spartan Story Faculty/Staff Workshops held 2-3 times monthly, welcoming organic connection to My Spartan Story. 

Students 

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts created; posts organized through Hootsuite. Content regularly shared by campus colleagues and students. 
My Spartan Story 101 Workshops offered as well as Registered Student Organization Workshops in partnership with MSU Student Life. 
My Spartan Story Week held in collaboration with platform partners Undergraduate Research and Center for Community Engaged Learning. 
Contests and giveaways promoting engagement with the My Spartan Story platform held throughout the year. 
Regular emails sent to students with a validated position on their Spartan Experience Record. 
Virtual attendance at events such as Sparticipation and Spartan Remix. 

Results 

Within Fall 2020, 87 new positions were submitted for review and inclusion in My Spartan Story, an 89% increase from Fall 2019 (46 positions). 
9% of positions (8) received were represented by two new colleges and one new division that previously did not have any submissions. 
91% of Fall 2020 submissions received from colleges/divisions we had an established relationship through 2019-2020 soft launch. 
The potential number of students who could have a position validated to their Spartan Experience Record increased by 137.5% compared to Fall 2019 (1497 to 3556). 
Increased engagement on social media platforms, with nearly 700 collective followers. 

Successes 

Within Fall 2020, 87 new positions were submitted for review and inclusion in My Spartan Story, an 89% increase from Fall 2019 (46 positions). 
9% of positions (8) received were represented by two new colleges and one new division that previously did not have any submissions. 
91% of Fall 2020 submissions received from colleges/divisions we had an established relationship through 2019-2020 soft launch. 
The potential number of students who could have a position validated to their Spartan Experience Record increased by 137.5% compared to Fall 2019 (1497 to 3556). 
Increased engagement on social media platforms, with nearly 700 collective followers. 

Challenges 

Within Fall 2020, 87 new positions were submitted for review and inclusion in My Spartan Story, an 89% increase from Fall 2019 (46 positions). 
9% of positions (8) received were represented by two new colleges and one new division that previously did not have any submissions. 
91% of Fall 2020 submissions received from colleges/divisions we had an established relationship through 2019-2020 soft launch. 
The potential number of students who could have a position validated to their Spartan Experience Record increased by 137.5% compared to Fall 2019 (1497 to 3556). 
Increased engagement on social media platforms, with nearly 700 collective followers. 

Future Steps 

Within Fall 2020, 87 new positions were submitted for review and inclusion in My Spartan Story, an 89% increase from Fall 2019 (46 positions). 
9% of positions (8) received were represented by two new colleges and one new division that previously did not have any submissions. 
91% of Fall 2020 submissions received from colleges/divisions we had an established relationship through 2019-2020 soft launch. 
The potential number of students who could have a position validated to their Spartan Experience Record increased by 137.5% compared to Fall 2019 (1497 to 3556). 
Increased engagement on social media platforms, with nearly 700 collective followers. 

Figure Descriptions 

Position increase chart 
3,556: Potential students who can have a validated position on their record by end of 2020-2021 academic year from Fall 2020 submissions  
Social media platforms have significantly driven student engagement, specifically tagging students and organizations in posts. 
Colleges & Divisions with Opportunities in My Spartan Story as of Fall 2020 

Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning and Technology 
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education 
Associate Provost for University Outreach & Engagement 
College of Agriculture & Natural Resources 
College of Arts & Letters 
College of Communication Arts & Sciences 
College of Education 
College of Engineering 
College of Natural Science 
College of Osteopathic Medicine 
College of Social Science 
Division of Residential & Hospitality Services 
Eli Broad College of Business 
Executive Vice President for Administration 
Honors College 
International Studies & Programs 
James Madison College 
Libraries 
Office of Civil Rights & Title IX Education & Compliance 
Provost & Academic Affairs 
Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies 
Vice President for Student Affairs & Services 

This week, we are featuring, Kate Sonka, Assistant Director of Inclusion & Academic Technology in the College of Arts and Letters. Kate was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Kate's perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by Kate's responses!

In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? 
Connection
Share with me what this word/quality looks like in your practice? 
This looks like connections between educators and students, connections between learners and course content, connections among students, connections among faculty, and so forth. In that way, I continually keep these possibilities for connections and collaborations in my mind as I work to support teaching and learning in the College of Arts & Letters (CAL) and the broader MSU community. Some of this appears through faculty professional development opportunities I help create and facilitate and it also appears through the grad and undergrad courses I teach. And in a broader sense, it very much features in the work I do as Executive Director of Teach Access.
Have your ideas on this changed over time? if so how? 
If anything each day I find more and expansive ways to connect people to ideas and to each other. I’m definitely a life-long learner myself, so as I take in and learn new information or new pedagogies I want to share those out.
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students.
I’m situated in the CAL Dean’s office and I report to both the Assistant Dean for Academic and Research Technology AND the Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration. Beyond that, I spend a lot of my time working with colleagues in a variety of colleges and units across MSU.
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? 
A challenge I experience is one we all face – how do we meet students where they are and ensure we’re creating inclusive learning spaces for everyone in our class.
Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this? 
Making sure we take the time to actually listen to students. I always include surveys to collect anonymous feedback before the semester, mid-way through, and at the end asking about how inclusive (or not) I’ve been as an educator and recommendations on how to help them meet their learning goals. And wherever I can, I try to incorporate that feedback while I still have students in the class, and/or use that feedback to improve the course the next time I teach it.
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator? 
Certainly the student surveys I mentioned above help me understand if I’m being successful, but also any sort of additional feedback I can get from students or colleagues also helps.
What topics or ideas about teaching and learning would you like to see discussed on the iteach.msu.edu platform? Why do you think this conversation is needed at msu? 
I would love to see more conversations about how people are creating accessible learning environments and how considering students with disabilities improves their overall teaching practice. We’ve made some progress in this area since I’ve been at MSU, but the more we could share with each other, the more I think other educators would be energized to try in their own classes.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester? 
I’ve been doing more work with the CAL Inclusive Pedagogy Initiative, and we were just considering a two-part workshop series on topics of inclusion. Excited to see how this work expands in our college and beyond!
 
Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature! Follow the MSU Hub Twitter account to see other great content from the #iteachmsu Commons as well as educators featured every week during #ThankfulThursdays.