We found 95 results that contain "at&t awards"
Posted on: #iteachmsu
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
2024 Spring Conference on Teaching and Learning
A conference where MSU educators gather to share approaches, tools, and techniques that support teaching and learning.
Hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), the conference will be held over two non-consecutive days (and will require two separate registrations). The first day, which will be entirely online, is intentionally scheduled to better accommodate student participation; featuring sessions that include student co-presenters or that elevate student voices. The second day, which will be entirely in-person, stands distinct from day one and will feature a different selection of sessions. Each day of the conference will have a pedagogy track and an educational technologies track, and each day each track emphasizes a specific focus content area.
Please note, all links in this article open in new windows.
Day 1: April 19, 2024: Synchronous, Virtual [register]
Pedagogy Focus Content Area: Engagement
Educational Technology Focus Content Area: Accessibility
Day 2: May 1, 2024: In-person [register] Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center - 219 S Harrison Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824
Pedagogy Focus Content Area: Assessment
Educational Technology Focus Content Area: Generative AI
Keynote Speakers & Special Guests:
Day 1: April 19, 2024
Accessibility Stories: A Student Panel
Day 2: May 1, 2024:
Generative A.I.: An Educator Panel
#iteachmsu Educator Awards recognition by Interim Provost Thomas Jeitchsko
Conference Registration
As mentioned above, this year's conference will be held over two non-consecutive days to accomodate broader access to participation. You can register for the virtual day (April 19) here. If you would like to attend both conference days, please also register for the in-person day (May 1). The first 100 Spartans to register for the Spring Conference on Teaching and Learning will receive a #iteachmsu t-shirt! (one shirt per person)
Shout outs!Thanks to all who responded to this year's call for proposals! We're so excited to hear what you have to say.Guidebook - Conference AppCTLI will reach out with more information on accessing our event Guidebook where participants will be able to access information on sessions, build their personal conference schedule, and more closer to the event. Locations for individual session rooms, Kellogg Center maps, zoom links, and community connection opportunities will be available via the Guidebook App. Stay tuned!2024 Spring Conference Steering Committee:Jeremy Van Hof, co-chair Makena Neal, co-chairEllie Louson, in-person day leadJay Loftus, virtual day leadKaitlyn Andary, communicationsLeChele Parris, event managerInterested in volunteering at either day of the conference? Let us know by emailing teaching@msu.edu subject line: conference volunteer.
Hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), the conference will be held over two non-consecutive days (and will require two separate registrations). The first day, which will be entirely online, is intentionally scheduled to better accommodate student participation; featuring sessions that include student co-presenters or that elevate student voices. The second day, which will be entirely in-person, stands distinct from day one and will feature a different selection of sessions. Each day of the conference will have a pedagogy track and an educational technologies track, and each day each track emphasizes a specific focus content area.
Please note, all links in this article open in new windows.
Day 1: April 19, 2024: Synchronous, Virtual [register]
Pedagogy Focus Content Area: Engagement
Educational Technology Focus Content Area: Accessibility
Day 2: May 1, 2024: In-person [register] Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center - 219 S Harrison Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824
Pedagogy Focus Content Area: Assessment
Educational Technology Focus Content Area: Generative AI
Keynote Speakers & Special Guests:
Day 1: April 19, 2024
Accessibility Stories: A Student Panel
Day 2: May 1, 2024:
Generative A.I.: An Educator Panel
#iteachmsu Educator Awards recognition by Interim Provost Thomas Jeitchsko
Conference Registration
As mentioned above, this year's conference will be held over two non-consecutive days to accomodate broader access to participation. You can register for the virtual day (April 19) here. If you would like to attend both conference days, please also register for the in-person day (May 1). The first 100 Spartans to register for the Spring Conference on Teaching and Learning will receive a #iteachmsu t-shirt! (one shirt per person)
Shout outs!Thanks to all who responded to this year's call for proposals! We're so excited to hear what you have to say.Guidebook - Conference AppCTLI will reach out with more information on accessing our event Guidebook where participants will be able to access information on sessions, build their personal conference schedule, and more closer to the event. Locations for individual session rooms, Kellogg Center maps, zoom links, and community connection opportunities will be available via the Guidebook App. Stay tuned!2024 Spring Conference Steering Committee:Jeremy Van Hof, co-chair Makena Neal, co-chairEllie Louson, in-person day leadJay Loftus, virtual day leadKaitlyn Andary, communicationsLeChele Parris, event managerInterested in volunteering at either day of the conference? Let us know by emailing teaching@msu.edu subject line: conference volunteer.
Authored by:
Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Posted on: #iteachmsu
2024 Spring Conference on Teaching and Learning
A conference where MSU educators gather to share approaches, tools,...
Authored by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
Posted on: #iteachmsu
JUSTICE AND BELONGING
Inclusivity in the Classroom
The first 48 minutes the professor spoke only in Telefolmin, a language from a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea, says Jay Loftus, curriculum development specialist who shared the story of his own experience as an undergraduate student listening to a lecture on defining culture from a professor of Anthropology. “He wouldn’t respond to questions in English, and he ignored pleas from the class to ‘explain’ what he was doing. He drew pictures on the board to try to explain things to the puzzled audience and pointed at people and objects to help us make sense of what was going on. During the last minute of the class, the professor said something to the effect that it must be disturbing not knowing the language or the culture of your surroundings.”
Such an experience is an almost perfect inversion of the inclusivity practices MSU faculty strive for. MSU’s inclusion ideal is wide-ranging; inclusion isn’t limited to identity or history, but the multi-dimensional layers that create unique individuals. Pedagogy isn’t written with formulas and checkboxes to ensure we’ve covered every facet of human experience. Inclusion is awareness of what we know and acknowledgement of what we don’t know. It’s the human side of the work, that when done well still has the risk of causing unintentional harm, and when ignored can impede a learner’s progress and ultimately student success.
The Digital Pedagogy Lab (DPL) stresses the role that intentionality can play in mitigating negative impacts and empowering groups of learners often neglected by traditional approaches. The course Inclusive Design and Design Justice in Practice within the DPL uses the description, "Inclusive design is intentional and iterative design work aimed at supporting a range of human diversity. In education, inclusive design focuses on the creation of learning spaces and materials that support diverse learners and that help to counteract biased and exclusionary designs that pervade education.”
Those looking to center inclusivity in their pedagogy are not alone — a host of resources exists at the university to enable educators to bolster their inclusivity practices.
In the Classroom
“Every single person has their own lived experiences and truths that can be used to teach others,” said Jackie Heyman, director of the MSU Dialogues course. Student videos produced during an Integrative Studies in Social Science course highlight a few such perspectives. The “Free My Brothers” video by MSU student Naomi Johnson shares insights into the system of race and class that impact her family and many others. Dailin “James” Song provides a glimpse into “Garbage Sorting Guangzhou, China” and the change that resulted to the surrounding community. Anna Forest’s video entitled “The Blind Leading the Blind” discussed a world that so few people experience while educating them to better engage with the visually impaired population.
A shift in focus to digital accessibility and the move to captions for video, as well as digital artifacts that can be read with a screen reader, has seen improved comprehension in overall classroom performance when made available to the entire class. As educators, there are expansive resources and ideas to implement in the classroom. Below are a few examples followed by a long list of additional resources.
Start with the “Cultural Embeddedness in Learning” assignment, recommended Dave Goodrich. This assignment pairs students with someone they do not know to interview each other using the StoryCorps app on their phones and a pre-selected set of questions. They tend to find the assignment helpful for building an inclusive community of learning together in the class early on. When we first ran it, we didn’t have it at the beginning of class which we quickly learned was a much better place for it.
Use an intergroup dialogue model of sharing and learning to help students connect.
Consider authors and researchers used in the curriculum to offer a variety of identities that may relate to students in different ways.
Bring DEI to the forefront in a project-based way, using technology to create a visual digital story. Eddie Boucher, Assistant Professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Sciences and Hub Faculty Fellow, designed classes to complement the conversations and experiences 18-20-year-olds are already having, and to incorporate integrative studies and DEI into those experiences.
Consider using open-format for final assessments. In Ellie Louson’s HPS classes at Lyman Briggs College, MSU, students can choose to write a standard paper or select from a variety of other formats: podcast, photo display, video, painting, presentation, or any other creative format where they can apply themes from the class and demonstrate what they’ve learned. In her experience, students enjoy and are more engaged by these projects, they’re more comfortable working in their preferred format, and they describe feeling much less pressure at the end of the term.
Resources
Academic Advancement Network resources on accessibility
MSU Technology accessibility site
Accessible Learning Conference
Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Anti-Racist Pathway resources
MSU Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology Medium blog
General Education with a Twist article
Student films from their perspectives
#iteachmsu Commons articles
LEAD - Digital Access & Inclusion, a compilation of MSU policy and resources by Nate Evans
Keeping Identity In Mind: A Teaching and Learning Story, playlist of articles by Maddie Shellgren
Cultivating Inclusive Classrooms: Inclusive Curriculum Design, article by Melissa McDaniels
Seven Tips Toward Linguistic Inclusion: article by Maddie Shellgren
Accessibility Considerations in Remote Teaching, playlist posted by Makena Neal
NATIONAL
Learning for Change - We provide free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors, and other practitioners. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued, and welcome participants.
SEISMIC - sustained multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary STEM education research and development collaboration. This collaboration is motivated by a clear-eyed, openly stated focus on equity and inclusion in large foundational courses as the central goal of the reform process, harnessing a higher level of collective passion from the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who participate. We will help to define a new standard for STEM reform projects: a class cannot be successful unless it is equitable and inclusive.
NCFDD - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity: an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. We are 100% dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. MSU has institutional access to the NCFDD that is available to educators. Learn more at AAN.
Such an experience is an almost perfect inversion of the inclusivity practices MSU faculty strive for. MSU’s inclusion ideal is wide-ranging; inclusion isn’t limited to identity or history, but the multi-dimensional layers that create unique individuals. Pedagogy isn’t written with formulas and checkboxes to ensure we’ve covered every facet of human experience. Inclusion is awareness of what we know and acknowledgement of what we don’t know. It’s the human side of the work, that when done well still has the risk of causing unintentional harm, and when ignored can impede a learner’s progress and ultimately student success.
The Digital Pedagogy Lab (DPL) stresses the role that intentionality can play in mitigating negative impacts and empowering groups of learners often neglected by traditional approaches. The course Inclusive Design and Design Justice in Practice within the DPL uses the description, "Inclusive design is intentional and iterative design work aimed at supporting a range of human diversity. In education, inclusive design focuses on the creation of learning spaces and materials that support diverse learners and that help to counteract biased and exclusionary designs that pervade education.”
Those looking to center inclusivity in their pedagogy are not alone — a host of resources exists at the university to enable educators to bolster their inclusivity practices.
In the Classroom
“Every single person has their own lived experiences and truths that can be used to teach others,” said Jackie Heyman, director of the MSU Dialogues course. Student videos produced during an Integrative Studies in Social Science course highlight a few such perspectives. The “Free My Brothers” video by MSU student Naomi Johnson shares insights into the system of race and class that impact her family and many others. Dailin “James” Song provides a glimpse into “Garbage Sorting Guangzhou, China” and the change that resulted to the surrounding community. Anna Forest’s video entitled “The Blind Leading the Blind” discussed a world that so few people experience while educating them to better engage with the visually impaired population.
A shift in focus to digital accessibility and the move to captions for video, as well as digital artifacts that can be read with a screen reader, has seen improved comprehension in overall classroom performance when made available to the entire class. As educators, there are expansive resources and ideas to implement in the classroom. Below are a few examples followed by a long list of additional resources.
Start with the “Cultural Embeddedness in Learning” assignment, recommended Dave Goodrich. This assignment pairs students with someone they do not know to interview each other using the StoryCorps app on their phones and a pre-selected set of questions. They tend to find the assignment helpful for building an inclusive community of learning together in the class early on. When we first ran it, we didn’t have it at the beginning of class which we quickly learned was a much better place for it.
Use an intergroup dialogue model of sharing and learning to help students connect.
Consider authors and researchers used in the curriculum to offer a variety of identities that may relate to students in different ways.
Bring DEI to the forefront in a project-based way, using technology to create a visual digital story. Eddie Boucher, Assistant Professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Sciences and Hub Faculty Fellow, designed classes to complement the conversations and experiences 18-20-year-olds are already having, and to incorporate integrative studies and DEI into those experiences.
Consider using open-format for final assessments. In Ellie Louson’s HPS classes at Lyman Briggs College, MSU, students can choose to write a standard paper or select from a variety of other formats: podcast, photo display, video, painting, presentation, or any other creative format where they can apply themes from the class and demonstrate what they’ve learned. In her experience, students enjoy and are more engaged by these projects, they’re more comfortable working in their preferred format, and they describe feeling much less pressure at the end of the term.
Resources
Academic Advancement Network resources on accessibility
MSU Technology accessibility site
Accessible Learning Conference
Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Anti-Racist Pathway resources
MSU Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology Medium blog
General Education with a Twist article
Student films from their perspectives
#iteachmsu Commons articles
LEAD - Digital Access & Inclusion, a compilation of MSU policy and resources by Nate Evans
Keeping Identity In Mind: A Teaching and Learning Story, playlist of articles by Maddie Shellgren
Cultivating Inclusive Classrooms: Inclusive Curriculum Design, article by Melissa McDaniels
Seven Tips Toward Linguistic Inclusion: article by Maddie Shellgren
Accessibility Considerations in Remote Teaching, playlist posted by Makena Neal
NATIONAL
Learning for Change - We provide free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors, and other practitioners. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued, and welcome participants.
SEISMIC - sustained multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary STEM education research and development collaboration. This collaboration is motivated by a clear-eyed, openly stated focus on equity and inclusion in large foundational courses as the central goal of the reform process, harnessing a higher level of collective passion from the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who participate. We will help to define a new standard for STEM reform projects: a class cannot be successful unless it is equitable and inclusive.
NCFDD - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity: an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. We are 100% dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. MSU has institutional access to the NCFDD that is available to educators. Learn more at AAN.
Posted by:
Erica Venton
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Inclusivity in the Classroom
The first 48 minutes the professor spoke only in Telefolmin, a lang...
Posted by:
JUSTICE AND BELONGING
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2024
Posted on: Catalyst Innovation Program
Catalyst Innovation Program Recipients - Spring 2023
The Catalyst Innovation Program funds creative and innovative uses of tools, technology, and pedagogical approaches for the purposes of allowing experimentation with the potential to enhance student learning experiences with just-in-time awards. This has helped to nurture a spirit of collaboration and creativity that is laying the groundwork for adoption of new technologies. So in true Catalyst fashion, we expect 2023 will be no different.So without any further adieu, it my pleasure to announce the first cohort for 2023:
Denice Blair and Amanda Tickner
MSU Museum and MSU LibraryHandheld 3D Scanner for Instruction and Use by MSU Students, Faculty, and StaffJada Phelps and Julie HelberEducational AdministrationClosing the Real-World Experience Gap for Future K-12 School & District Leaders: Innovating Pedagogical Opportunities through Branch Simulations.Keeleer SteelePhysiologyPilot Use of XR Devices to Expand Application of Hands-On Technology in Human Physiology Laboratory CourseKris DeAngeloCANR-FSHNBright Flexible Spaces: Piloting a H5P/D2L integrationKristy Cooper SteinEducational AdministrationUsing Immersive Observation Experiences to Support Future Principal Learning
Denice Blair and Amanda Tickner
MSU Museum and MSU LibraryHandheld 3D Scanner for Instruction and Use by MSU Students, Faculty, and StaffJada Phelps and Julie HelberEducational AdministrationClosing the Real-World Experience Gap for Future K-12 School & District Leaders: Innovating Pedagogical Opportunities through Branch Simulations.Keeleer SteelePhysiologyPilot Use of XR Devices to Expand Application of Hands-On Technology in Human Physiology Laboratory CourseKris DeAngeloCANR-FSHNBright Flexible Spaces: Piloting a H5P/D2L integrationKristy Cooper SteinEducational AdministrationUsing Immersive Observation Experiences to Support Future Principal Learning
Authored by:
Rashad Muhammad
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Robots Talking to Robots
Robots Talking to Robots
5 ways to fix online discussions
We have long touted the discussion board as a way to build community in virtual classrooms: Pose a question in a thread. Two points for a post, one point for a response. These perfunctory interactions are at most an assessment of knowledge, but hardly ever the critical analysis that leads to productive conversation.
And now, with a quick copy and paste to an LLM, students can post and respond with even less effort.
In this post, I’ll give you five ways to implement human authentication to mitigate discussion posts becoming conversations between AI. Then, I'll address some general pedagogical considerations for online discussions.
Only Replies
The instructor initiates the discussion with an opening post. Students can only reply to the previous response, simulating a natural conversation. Each reply should conclude with a question or statement that encourages further dialogue.
Optional: Award points based on the engagement generated by each student's post.
Human Aspect: This approach makes it challenging to simply copy and paste responses. Students must carefully consider how their replies will stimulate ongoing discussion.
In our recent lecture on social stratification, we discussed the concept of social mobility. Consider the factors that influence upward social mobility in contemporary society. What role does higher education play in this process? You may only reply to subsequent replies. Try to end each reply with a question or a statement that others can respond to.
Source Search
The instructor provides a specific topic from class, and students must find a relevant source that meets given criteria.
Optional: Students can include a quote from their source and explain its connection to the topic.
Human Aspect: While AI tools can find sources, they often struggle with relevancy, accurate quotations, and may even hallucinate information.
Find a peer-reviewed article published in the last two years that discusses the impact of climate change on Michigan's freshwater ecosystems. Your post should include the article's title, authors, publication, and a brief summary of the findings. How do these findings relate to our recent field trip to the Red Cedar River?
Multimedia
Students post video or audio files in discussion threads instead of written responses.
Optional: Have students experiment with MSU supported tools like Flip, Mediaspace, or Camtasia.
Human Aspect: This format allows students to present their natural selves, showcasing personality and communication skills that are difficult for AI to replicate.
Create a one minute video response to today’s lecture, or post an audio response to another student’s video.
Learning Reflections
Students reflect on their progression through a concept or discuss aspects of the course they find challenging.
Human Aspect: These personal reflections on the learning process are unique to each student's experience and difficult for AI to authentically generate.
As we conclude our unit on stereochemistry, reflect on your learning journey. Discuss concepts you initially struggled with, moments of clarity, and areas where you still have questions. How has your understanding of molecular structure and its importance in organic reactions evolved?
AI Critique
The instructor posts an example provided by an LLM and asks students to critique the information.
Optional: Students use AI to critique AI-generated content, and then reflect on the patterns they observe.
Human Aspect: This exercise encourages students to analyze how generated text compares to their own work or the course material in general, fostering conversation about AI's capabilities and limitations.
“All news outlets should transition to fully AI-generated content. AI can produce articles faster and more efficiently than human journalists, covering a wider range of events without bias. This change would allow for 24/7 news coverage while significantly reducing operational costs.”
Analyze the above AI-generated statement about AI in journalism. Identify any biases, oversimplifications, or logical flaws. Then, use an AI tool of your choice to generate a critique of this statement. Compare your analysis with the AI-generated critique. What patterns or differences do you notice?
Why are We Using Discussion Posts Anyway?
At MSU, discussion forums on D2L Brightspace allow students to post and reply. This is an asynchronous discussion; an online bulletin board that simulates the same level of conversation as a Reddit post. But without a clear objective to link the activity, discussion posts just end up being public knowledge checks. Which begs the question, why not just have students submit an assignment?
It is an intimate thing to share our work, and students are more likely to turn to AI if their work is reviewed publicly. Consider then, that discussion posts do not build community, but a classroom community can use discussions to achieve collaboration-based objectives. Some examples of collaboration objectives include:
Practice giving and receiving constructive feedback.
Engage in peer-to-peer learning by responding to classmates' ideas.
Develop interpersonal communication skills through discussions.
Don’t ditch the discussion posts, just align them with a goal that will help students develop skills to engage with others. How do you run discussions in your class? Comment below or drop me a line at freyesar@msu.edu.Freyesaur out.
5 ways to fix online discussions
We have long touted the discussion board as a way to build community in virtual classrooms: Pose a question in a thread. Two points for a post, one point for a response. These perfunctory interactions are at most an assessment of knowledge, but hardly ever the critical analysis that leads to productive conversation.
And now, with a quick copy and paste to an LLM, students can post and respond with even less effort.
In this post, I’ll give you five ways to implement human authentication to mitigate discussion posts becoming conversations between AI. Then, I'll address some general pedagogical considerations for online discussions.
Only Replies
The instructor initiates the discussion with an opening post. Students can only reply to the previous response, simulating a natural conversation. Each reply should conclude with a question or statement that encourages further dialogue.
Optional: Award points based on the engagement generated by each student's post.
Human Aspect: This approach makes it challenging to simply copy and paste responses. Students must carefully consider how their replies will stimulate ongoing discussion.
In our recent lecture on social stratification, we discussed the concept of social mobility. Consider the factors that influence upward social mobility in contemporary society. What role does higher education play in this process? You may only reply to subsequent replies. Try to end each reply with a question or a statement that others can respond to.
Source Search
The instructor provides a specific topic from class, and students must find a relevant source that meets given criteria.
Optional: Students can include a quote from their source and explain its connection to the topic.
Human Aspect: While AI tools can find sources, they often struggle with relevancy, accurate quotations, and may even hallucinate information.
Find a peer-reviewed article published in the last two years that discusses the impact of climate change on Michigan's freshwater ecosystems. Your post should include the article's title, authors, publication, and a brief summary of the findings. How do these findings relate to our recent field trip to the Red Cedar River?
Multimedia
Students post video or audio files in discussion threads instead of written responses.
Optional: Have students experiment with MSU supported tools like Flip, Mediaspace, or Camtasia.
Human Aspect: This format allows students to present their natural selves, showcasing personality and communication skills that are difficult for AI to replicate.
Create a one minute video response to today’s lecture, or post an audio response to another student’s video.
Learning Reflections
Students reflect on their progression through a concept or discuss aspects of the course they find challenging.
Human Aspect: These personal reflections on the learning process are unique to each student's experience and difficult for AI to authentically generate.
As we conclude our unit on stereochemistry, reflect on your learning journey. Discuss concepts you initially struggled with, moments of clarity, and areas where you still have questions. How has your understanding of molecular structure and its importance in organic reactions evolved?
AI Critique
The instructor posts an example provided by an LLM and asks students to critique the information.
Optional: Students use AI to critique AI-generated content, and then reflect on the patterns they observe.
Human Aspect: This exercise encourages students to analyze how generated text compares to their own work or the course material in general, fostering conversation about AI's capabilities and limitations.
“All news outlets should transition to fully AI-generated content. AI can produce articles faster and more efficiently than human journalists, covering a wider range of events without bias. This change would allow for 24/7 news coverage while significantly reducing operational costs.”
Analyze the above AI-generated statement about AI in journalism. Identify any biases, oversimplifications, or logical flaws. Then, use an AI tool of your choice to generate a critique of this statement. Compare your analysis with the AI-generated critique. What patterns or differences do you notice?
Why are We Using Discussion Posts Anyway?
At MSU, discussion forums on D2L Brightspace allow students to post and reply. This is an asynchronous discussion; an online bulletin board that simulates the same level of conversation as a Reddit post. But without a clear objective to link the activity, discussion posts just end up being public knowledge checks. Which begs the question, why not just have students submit an assignment?
It is an intimate thing to share our work, and students are more likely to turn to AI if their work is reviewed publicly. Consider then, that discussion posts do not build community, but a classroom community can use discussions to achieve collaboration-based objectives. Some examples of collaboration objectives include:
Practice giving and receiving constructive feedback.
Engage in peer-to-peer learning by responding to classmates' ideas.
Develop interpersonal communication skills through discussions.
Don’t ditch the discussion posts, just align them with a goal that will help students develop skills to engage with others. How do you run discussions in your class? Comment below or drop me a line at freyesar@msu.edu.Freyesaur out.
Authored by:
Freyesaur
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Robots Talking to Robots
Robots Talking to Robots
5 ways to fix online discussions
We have l...
5 ways to fix online discussions
We have l...
Authored by:
Monday, Jul 8, 2024
Posted on: #iteachmsu
ASSESSING LEARNING
Online Test Security Issues
Unfortunately, it has become far too commonplace for students to “help each other out” by posting test questions and answers on websites. Try a google search for your course code and exam title and you may find sites listing your exam (e.g., Course Hero, Koofers, Chegg, and Quizlet). Also try a search of specific questions to see what’s out there. Most of these sites are meant to help students study and they post honor codes* but not all students will abide by them.
As the instructor, you can ask these study sites to remove your material when you find it.
Here are some ways to minimize issues when using the D2L Quiz tool, while also promoting honesty and learning.
Recommendations to reduce cheating
Limit the opportunity to use outside sources by enforcing a time-limit.
Add a mandatory academic honesty question at the beginning of the exam, asking students to certify that the test represents their independent work.
Create large question pools (reword questions and choices each semester so they cannot be easily searched).
Randomize the question sequence and/or answer choices.
Display one question per page, or at least fewer questions per page. This makes it harder for students to take a screenshot of the questions in bulk.
Craft questions that require critical thinking: Avoid straightforward identification questions, where students can answer through a quick search.
Ask students to select all of the correct answers (use multiple-select type and change the setting to "correct answers" to award partial credit).
Provide limited views of results upon submission. Limiting the viewing window does not prevent copying but it can reduce the ability to go back later to copy.
Use remote proctoring opens in new window for high-stakes exams. The downside can be technical obstacles, cost, and privacy issues (e.g., use of webcams).
Time limits on exams/quizzes
If you are giving an online exam, time-limits help to both reduce cheating and encourage more studying. See The Value of Time Limits on Internet Quizzes opens in new window.
"Time limits on exams are associated with better learning and exam performance because they reduce the opportunity to look up answers in lieu of learning the material."
There is also a setting in D2L quizzes to disable right-click. This prevents students from doing a quick copy of the whole question in order to search for answers in another window.
Another potential issue: Submission Views
If the submission view shows all of the questions and what they got right and wrong as soon as they submit it, this can easily be copied and sent to another student without you seeing it posted on the internet. Random selection helps to make this less of an issue but it would be better to have clear end-dates with restricted submission views. Keep the default submission view as "score only" and then don’t show the other details until after the end-date.
Here are recommended Submission View settings.
DEFAULT VIEW
Date: immediatelyShow Questions? NoStatistics: none(Saying "No" to Show Questions means students will only see a score)
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
Display right/wrong answers after the due dateDate: ##/##/####Show Questions? Yes, Show all questions with user responsesShow question answers: NoStatistics: none (or show statistics - your preference)
Back to score only at end of courseDate: ##/##/####Show Questions? NoStatistics: none
Bring the second additional view back to “score only” at the end of the semester so that views are not left open when you copy the course to a new semester.
Reviewing Quiz results
To review quiz activity, go to Assessments > Quizzes and select "Grade" on the pull-down menu by the quiz title. Go to the attempts tab, and click on individual attempts to review results by student. Click on "Attempt Logs" to see the quiz entry and completion for each student.
Use the pull-down menu next to a Quiz title in the Quiz list view, and select Statistics to view Quiz/Question stats (view each tab).
Also, watch student activity within your course content to understand patterns that may alert you to issues. Look at Table of Contents > related tools > view reports > users tab, to compare quiz results with content views to discover potential issues.
Here are the recommendations from the D2L Brightspace Community to help prevent cheating:
On the Edit Quiz page, in the Optional Advanced Properties area, select Disable right click.
Select Disable Email, Instant Messages and alerts (but only if there is an enforced time-limit). Students will not be able to use D2L email in any of their courses while the quiz is pending.
Incorporate question pools into your quizzes to distribute unique sets of questions to users.
In the Quiz Questions area, select Shuffle questions at the quiz level.
If Sections are used, select Shuffle questions in this section.
Note: You can shuffle within sections rather than shuffling questions at the quiz level if you would like to present auto-graded items first (MC, M-S, T/F) and then present essay (WR) questions later.
*Examples of honor codes
MSU Academic Integrity (PDF) opens in new window
Spartan Academic Pledge opens in new window
Course Hero honor code opens in new window
Chegg Honor Code opens in new window
Quizlet Honor Code opens in new window
Koofers Terms of Use opens in new window
Go to Brightspace D2L Documentation for more on creating and managing quizzes opens in new window.
As the instructor, you can ask these study sites to remove your material when you find it.
Here are some ways to minimize issues when using the D2L Quiz tool, while also promoting honesty and learning.
Recommendations to reduce cheating
Limit the opportunity to use outside sources by enforcing a time-limit.
Add a mandatory academic honesty question at the beginning of the exam, asking students to certify that the test represents their independent work.
Create large question pools (reword questions and choices each semester so they cannot be easily searched).
Randomize the question sequence and/or answer choices.
Display one question per page, or at least fewer questions per page. This makes it harder for students to take a screenshot of the questions in bulk.
Craft questions that require critical thinking: Avoid straightforward identification questions, where students can answer through a quick search.
Ask students to select all of the correct answers (use multiple-select type and change the setting to "correct answers" to award partial credit).
Provide limited views of results upon submission. Limiting the viewing window does not prevent copying but it can reduce the ability to go back later to copy.
Use remote proctoring opens in new window for high-stakes exams. The downside can be technical obstacles, cost, and privacy issues (e.g., use of webcams).
Time limits on exams/quizzes
If you are giving an online exam, time-limits help to both reduce cheating and encourage more studying. See The Value of Time Limits on Internet Quizzes opens in new window.
"Time limits on exams are associated with better learning and exam performance because they reduce the opportunity to look up answers in lieu of learning the material."
There is also a setting in D2L quizzes to disable right-click. This prevents students from doing a quick copy of the whole question in order to search for answers in another window.
Another potential issue: Submission Views
If the submission view shows all of the questions and what they got right and wrong as soon as they submit it, this can easily be copied and sent to another student without you seeing it posted on the internet. Random selection helps to make this less of an issue but it would be better to have clear end-dates with restricted submission views. Keep the default submission view as "score only" and then don’t show the other details until after the end-date.
Here are recommended Submission View settings.
DEFAULT VIEW
Date: immediatelyShow Questions? NoStatistics: none(Saying "No" to Show Questions means students will only see a score)
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
Display right/wrong answers after the due dateDate: ##/##/####Show Questions? Yes, Show all questions with user responsesShow question answers: NoStatistics: none (or show statistics - your preference)
Back to score only at end of courseDate: ##/##/####Show Questions? NoStatistics: none
Bring the second additional view back to “score only” at the end of the semester so that views are not left open when you copy the course to a new semester.
Reviewing Quiz results
To review quiz activity, go to Assessments > Quizzes and select "Grade" on the pull-down menu by the quiz title. Go to the attempts tab, and click on individual attempts to review results by student. Click on "Attempt Logs" to see the quiz entry and completion for each student.
Use the pull-down menu next to a Quiz title in the Quiz list view, and select Statistics to view Quiz/Question stats (view each tab).
Also, watch student activity within your course content to understand patterns that may alert you to issues. Look at Table of Contents > related tools > view reports > users tab, to compare quiz results with content views to discover potential issues.
Here are the recommendations from the D2L Brightspace Community to help prevent cheating:
On the Edit Quiz page, in the Optional Advanced Properties area, select Disable right click.
Select Disable Email, Instant Messages and alerts (but only if there is an enforced time-limit). Students will not be able to use D2L email in any of their courses while the quiz is pending.
Incorporate question pools into your quizzes to distribute unique sets of questions to users.
In the Quiz Questions area, select Shuffle questions at the quiz level.
If Sections are used, select Shuffle questions in this section.
Note: You can shuffle within sections rather than shuffling questions at the quiz level if you would like to present auto-graded items first (MC, M-S, T/F) and then present essay (WR) questions later.
*Examples of honor codes
MSU Academic Integrity (PDF) opens in new window
Spartan Academic Pledge opens in new window
Course Hero honor code opens in new window
Chegg Honor Code opens in new window
Quizlet Honor Code opens in new window
Koofers Terms of Use opens in new window
Go to Brightspace D2L Documentation for more on creating and managing quizzes opens in new window.
Authored by:
Susan Halick & Casey Henley
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Online Test Security Issues
Unfortunately, it has become far too commonplace for students to “h...
Authored by:
ASSESSING LEARNING
Monday, Nov 16, 2020
Posted on: Spring Conference on Teaching & Learning
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
In-Person Details: Parking, Food, and Registration
Location and Map
All in person sessions on May 10th are taking place at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility [642 Red Cedar Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824]. A map is attached to this email with rooms, presentation times and corresponding topics.
Parking Information
Parking on-campus will operate as normal. If you have an employee permit, you can park in all designated employee parking spaces. If you do not have an employee permit, you can purchase a virtual daily parking pass for $10 at permits.police.msu.edu or park in pay-by-plate lots and metered spots for $2/hour. If you have any questions regarding parking, contact the MSU Parking Services at (517) 355-2221 or email info@police.msu.edu within their operation hours Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.
MSU Spot On app can help make parking at pay-by-plate locations easier. Enter your information in the app ahead of time.
Check-In
The Registration Desk (located at the entrance to the STEM building), will be open from 8:15 AM to 9:00 AM on Wednesday, May 10th. Attendees will find their name tags pre-printed at this station along with your welcome package.
We invite you to connect with colleagues during our breakfast and coffee hour prior to the Keynote Session at 9 AM.
Beverages and Meals
Continental breakfast will be provided by MSU bakers along with coffee and water throughout the allotted time for registration.
Lunch will be provided by Woody’s Oasis during our mid-day lunch/awards. If you have dietary restrictions and did not indicate them on your registration, please contact teaching@msu.edu as soon as possible.
A mid-afternoon snack will also be provided between sessions.
Special Accommodations
If you have any special accommodations and did not note them when you registered, please email teaching@msu.edu with any arrangements you may require.
If you cannot attend for any reason, please let us know. Space is limited and we want to allow the opportunity for others to participate in the in-person day if you are unable.
Photography Statement
Michigan State University staff may photograph, record, or otherwise document this event. Multimedia content gathered from this event may be published on MSU social media, websites, and other platforms. By participating in this event, you acknowledge and agree that the audio, video, film and/or print images may be edited, duplicated, distributed, reproduced, reformatted, and/or translated into other languages in any manner without payment of fees, in perpetuity. If your likeness is to be used for commercial purposes (paid advertising and print materials), you will be contacted to sign a release prior to use.
All in person sessions on May 10th are taking place at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility [642 Red Cedar Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824]. A map is attached to this email with rooms, presentation times and corresponding topics.
Parking Information
Parking on-campus will operate as normal. If you have an employee permit, you can park in all designated employee parking spaces. If you do not have an employee permit, you can purchase a virtual daily parking pass for $10 at permits.police.msu.edu or park in pay-by-plate lots and metered spots for $2/hour. If you have any questions regarding parking, contact the MSU Parking Services at (517) 355-2221 or email info@police.msu.edu within their operation hours Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.
MSU Spot On app can help make parking at pay-by-plate locations easier. Enter your information in the app ahead of time.
Check-In
The Registration Desk (located at the entrance to the STEM building), will be open from 8:15 AM to 9:00 AM on Wednesday, May 10th. Attendees will find their name tags pre-printed at this station along with your welcome package.
We invite you to connect with colleagues during our breakfast and coffee hour prior to the Keynote Session at 9 AM.
Beverages and Meals
Continental breakfast will be provided by MSU bakers along with coffee and water throughout the allotted time for registration.
Lunch will be provided by Woody’s Oasis during our mid-day lunch/awards. If you have dietary restrictions and did not indicate them on your registration, please contact teaching@msu.edu as soon as possible.
A mid-afternoon snack will also be provided between sessions.
Special Accommodations
If you have any special accommodations and did not note them when you registered, please email teaching@msu.edu with any arrangements you may require.
If you cannot attend for any reason, please let us know. Space is limited and we want to allow the opportunity for others to participate in the in-person day if you are unable.
Photography Statement
Michigan State University staff may photograph, record, or otherwise document this event. Multimedia content gathered from this event may be published on MSU social media, websites, and other platforms. By participating in this event, you acknowledge and agree that the audio, video, film and/or print images may be edited, duplicated, distributed, reproduced, reformatted, and/or translated into other languages in any manner without payment of fees, in perpetuity. If your likeness is to be used for commercial purposes (paid advertising and print materials), you will be contacted to sign a release prior to use.
Posted by:
Rashad Muhammad
Posted on: Spring Conference on Teaching & Learning
In-Person Details: Parking, Food, and Registration
Location and Map
All in person sessions on May 10th are takin...
All in person sessions on May 10th are takin...
Posted by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Monday, May 1, 2023
Posted on: #iteachmsu
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation Summit Detailed Engagements Report (01/14/22)
Summary of CT&LI Summit Engagements
This report summarizes data gathered from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CT&LI) Kick-off Summit [held on Jan. 14, 2022] and following asynchronous engagement opportunities, as well as concurrent discussions within the center about space and services to directly address the questions in our charge. To read more about the Kick-off Summit, check out "Reflecting on the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation Kick-off Summit".
What factors should we consider when deciding where responsibility lies?
Aligning what is already in place; what units / local-level are already doing well.
How the Center and IT (particularly Academic Tech unit) work together.
How to ensure best use and highest purpose for any given resource.
What are the greatest areas of priority for increased collaboration and focus with regard to teaching and learning?
Development of service portfolio and communicating broadly/transparently (adjusting according to ongoing listening/feedback from users + assessment)
What are the demands/needs of educators? What are current/proposed services in the network? Evaluate gaps relative to current staffing.
Developing “the network” across campus
Developing and maintaining directories of available people, resources and services. Making opportunities for affiliation with the center explicit.
What are our highest areas of need for investment in new skills and expertise, regardless of where those skills are placed
Needed investment in distributed staffing to meet the needs of faculty in colleges/departments/units that may not be as robustly staffed as others in areas/services that the center will not be able to cover (e.g. course assistance).
Evaluation, assessment, feedback, and educational research.
Educator development programming and instructional consultative practitioners.
What models would you see as most effective for increased local support in those colleges or units that currently would not be able to participate in a networked model?
Liaison model, assigning center staff to units, if we add/repurpose positions.
Joint appointments and fellowships, if the center is willing to co-sponsor.
Sponsored work or partial buy-out of educators to augment center staffing.
What design engagements might come after the summit? For instance, to determine the center’s services, design its space, or develop a collaborative model for the network?
Faculty (in process), instructor, and additional educator stakeholder engagement via surveys, interviews, or focus groups.
Evaluation of available center skills, capabilities and available capacities.
Service design exercises specific to individual service portfolio items.
Engagement with IT to coordinate and co-design shared client experience.
Possible direct engagement with MSU students or student-educators (GTAs & ULAs)
Data Highlights
Services and Support Portfolio
Services
Responsive, point-of-need support, including individual consultations
Curriculum and program development
Course design / reform support and incubation
Development and training on various topics at various levels
Catalog of what to get where, and a directory to find people/expertise
Formal structure for online/hybrid course/program development and support
Space
Spaces that support delivery of training, hosting events, social gatherings
A place with presence to host and build the community of educators
Classroom space to experiment, innovate, and create digital experiences
“faculty can do one offs in a space to try something different with a class”
“technology to check out to use in classrooms (like VR or other tools)”
“space for recording teaching and support for editing”
Additional notes on physical space (data in evaluation re: Hub spaces not 1/14 Summit)
Dedicated desks for center staff, with mix of hot-seating / hotelling
Allows clients to meet with center consultants in semi-private settings
Variety of co-working spaces that enables part-time projects teams to gather
Small-group meeting spaces, high-flex tech enabled for remote participants
Individual booths to isolate noise from remote meetings from clients / coworkers
Connection and Collaboration
Hosting of events for collegiality, fellowship, networking and community building
Collaborative programming
Discipline specific or with faculty experts in certain pedagogies or approaches
With other central parties, e.g. MSU IT, DEI, Academic HR, student success, etc.
With faculty learning communities or administrative groups (e.g. online programs)
Sponsored institutional memberships and global virtual conference access for campus
Hosted and invited outside experts, presenters, and seminars or workshops
Fellowships for faculty with benefits for center, network, and the faculty fellow
Fellowships for graduate students that help them develop and gain hiring advantage
Opportunity for faculty/staff to affiliate with the center to encourage boundary-spanning
Teaching and Learning in Practice
Advocacy, leadership narratives, and communicative storytelling that elevate the importance of teaching and learning excellence at every level
Assessment, visibility, and recognition of teaching and learning
Emphasis on and recognition of teaching and learning in tenure and promotion
incentivizing teaching and learning efforts and allocation of time and talent
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
Additional Data Details (optional)
Wouldn’t It be Fantastic If (WIFI)
Description of Activity
In this activity the participants were asked to identify blue sky ideas to ultimately group into common themes and inform shared vision for the Center, Network, Teaching and Learning. Participants individually answered the prompt “Wouldn’t it be fantastic if (WIFI) … as many times as they could. Then in small groups, organized statements to show what might be influenced, controlled or created by the Center, Network, or Teaching and Learning.
Stakeholders raised a variety of needs, which were categorized as ed-tech support, resources, staffing, space, as well as coordination/planning. Building a network for these services seems to be something participants hope for, such as a “shared list of experts across campus to make finding the right person to ask easier”. Additionally, this item “explicit partnerships and shared services between the teaching center and other key support units,” speaks to the network.. When it comes to specific services, support for DEI in instruction, fostering innovative practices, instructional design, and pedagogy were among those most frequently mentioned. Consulting, training and events are delivery formats most often associated with the center.
The most common themes can be found here: WIFI Themes
What the Center should provide: Services, Space, Coordination
Services: Consulting, special projects to solve common problems, access to experts, and intramural grants / sponsorships.
A space to provide access to services and resources, and invite educators to gatherings.
Coordination of services and facilitation of collaboration between units and people.
E.g. Educator showcase, repository/ a knowledge-base, and events calendar for all offerings across the university
Opportunities for part-time affiliation to center, as fellows, or to staff services or projects.
Classroom space to innovate and create digital experiences
“where faculty can do one offs in a space to try something different with a class”
“technology to check out to use in classrooms (like VR or other tools)”
“space for recording teaching and support for editing”
What the Educator Network should provide: Coordination, Collaboration, Networking
Coordinate the Educator Network with participation of center and other stakeholders
Allow for collaboration and self-organizing
Recognition to colleagues who contribute
Functional network, depended on by clients (needs) and university (commissioned work)
Maintain a “list of experts”, make it easier to find “the right people” to ask.
Opportunities for learning space experimentation, in prototype classrooms and digital.
What the whole University should support in T&L: Services, Pedagogy Practices, EdTech
In this section, some participants understood Teaching and Learning as how it is viewed and supported by the administration, while others provided more specific ideas around teaching resources and services
Services and resources should be shared in a variety of ways and rather than being siloed all units should work together bringing the following together as shown in this quote “More collaboration and breaking down silos”
Creating a Network of experts coming from all units
Have connection points to colleges and “cross-college work” and working groups
Provide university funding for projects, “awards, innovation grants” for T&L.
“Both/And approach to broad everyone should know AND specific ideas in the disciplines or colleges”, perhaps with the center being more active in the former and the college more active in the latter such as DBER.
All educators may contribute and share pedagogy/best practices in peer-support.
Other supports include and may recognize needs of stakeholders: quality standards, DEI (including opportunities and accessibility), educational technology, and sponsored research such as SoTL, and those not typically included in educator support.
There should be tangible appreciation of the work of educators in Teaching and Learning, including leadership narratives and recognition for RPT.
What I need from you…
The What I Need From You (WINFY) activity asked participants to assume one of five roles, randomly assigned. These included Academic Unit Administrators, Faculty and Instructors, Center Affiliated Staff, College Affiliated Staff, and University-Wide Staff.
Each group was asked to outline what they needed from each of the other four groups to be successful in their roles. The following themes emerged from each of the groups, pointing to commonalities among groups about what each would like to see from the Center.
Services and Support Portfolio
A clear and concise services and support portfolio emerged as a major theme. All five groups said that services and support portfolio was what they needed- both as stakeholders in the center, as center staff working with those stakeholders, and those who were potential partners and patrons of the center. The services and support portfolio -of what the Center provides, what it can offer to help with course design, instructional design, and various other activities, and how to contact and use the center was foundational for all five groups.
Participants in the WINFY activity wanted to have clear definitions of roles and resources of the center; clearer collaboration with college faculty and staff on projects and programs; a better understanding of what types of questions can be referred to the center; and ad hoc but nimble service support. Specific requests included consultations, development and trainings for various comfort levels of instructors, a clear catalog of what to get where, cooperation with local support, a list of resources.
Connection and Collaboration
Another dominant theme across all five groups was the need for and understanding of connection and collaboration. Primarily, participants from the groups wanted other units to be collaborative with the center, to figure out how to connect across boundaries, and how to leverage and build relationships. Four of the groups mentioned more collaborative work with staff in the colleges who are currently working on teaching and learning initiatives. Three of the five groups mentioned collaborative program opportunities, and two of the five groups mentioned a networked approach.
Teaching and Learning in Practice
The third theme that all five groups mentioned was what we are calling teaching and learning in practice. This encompasses a number of things, including teaching and learning in tenure and promotion, incentivizing teaching and learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. There was again the need for collaborative programming, this time with discipline specific colleges and with faculty who are experts in certain pedagogies or approaches. One group wanted to know what teaching and learning capabilities are available to help other educators, while another said that assistance with aligning course level objectives, assessments, and curricula with the institutional practices and the resources of the center would be useful. The Academic Unit Administrator and the Faculty group both had incentivizing teaching and learning as something they’d like to see from the center and center staff. There also was an overarching theme of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) but none of the groups made it their top priority-it did emerge as a theme though, so important to highlight here.
Minimum Viable Product Reviews
The “minimum viable product” activity was framed as a Yelp review session. Participants were paired in teams of two and asked to take on the perspective of an educator who had worked with the Center for T&LI and had a positive experience. Throughout the 17 combined Center “reviews” the following were the top ten most mentioned themes/services. Within each of these areas, participants in the 01/14/2022 Kick-off Summit mentioned a range of examples (i.e. Center experiences [per activity instructions]). High level captures of examples for each are included below.
Coaching/Consultation (Feedback, Support, Emotional Support)
Almost 65% of the reviews mentioned some version of coaching or consultation (including additional keywords such as feedback, support, guiding, and helping). Some examples of topics and underlying services within this category include: restructuring programs, refining crouse design, and reviewing curriculum; developing formative and summative assessments, transitioning to different feedback models, and integrating student voice; and finally combining theory and practice, integrating technology and pedagogy, as well as course alignment and student engagement.
Pedagogy (Student Voice)
Over half of the reviews related to methods and practices for engaging in teaching. Examples of experiences and services related to this topic include but are not limited to: support and guidance for strategies, envisioning difference learning experiences, participating in design experiences to try new approaches to teaching and learning; integrate research and teaching; focus on student experiences, create supporting and effective learning experiences, create inclusive and welcoming spaces.
Restructure/Redesign (Modality, Curriculum)
41% of reviews specifically called out redesign as a service of the Center. Examples of restructure and redesign (including topics of modality and curriculum) in the experience reviews include but are not limited to: moving face to face courses online (and planning for possible future transitions) and adapting class to a different structure (i.e. rubric or flipped models, competency-based learning outcomes, trauma informed teaching, asset based practices, etc.).
Student Experience (Engagement, Student-Centered)
41% of reviews mention the Center supporting them in ways that positively impacted student experience, student engagement, and student-centered design. Examples of this theme include: creating welcoming, supportive, and effective learning environments; reviewing curriculum and developing rubrics with respect to student engagement (and adjusting as necessary); and learning about theories of improving student connections to engage with them more effectively.
Confidence (Empowered)
35% of reviews specifically denote improvements in educator confidence and empowerment after working with the Center. Topics where educators had this improved sense of ability and agency included student centered teaching and learning practices, creating supportive and effective learning environments, initiating collaborative partnerships, and general teaching and learning experimentation and implementation.
Collaboration/Partnerships
35% of reviews emphasized the importance of collaborative partnerships with the Center across units. This ranged from individual consultations with faculty to full-scale curricular and program developments. The nature of these partnerships in terms of scope and focus varied in the reviews, but what remained consistent was the value that is derived from these relationships with the Center.
Connection/Community
18% underscored the importance of connection to a network of educators through the Center and the community that is derived from it. This was mentioned in the context of relationships built with Center staff along with events where networking takes place. Sometimes, educators connecting with other educators can make a huge difference in their teaching as it provides essential opportunities for sharing what is being done and learned in one context to another.
Assessment
Assessment was mentioned by 18% of the reviews as being an important piece of expertise that the Center can offer to faculty and programs at MSU. Of course, assessment comes in a myriad of forms and faculty are often seeking ways to improve on their assessment strategies and design.
Inclusion
18% of the reviews made mention of how consultative relationships with the Center could help them improve their efforts around accessibility and inclusion in their classrooms and digital learning environments.
Research/SOTL (Scholarship of Teaching & Learning)
12% of the reviews mentioned various ways they envisioned that the Center staff could help them with their research and scholarship efforts. Examples were not provided in the reviews specifically, but we know that the approaches to research in the scholarship of teaching and learning in particular at MSU are vastly different from college to college and that the Center staff have a great deal of experience and expertise in these areas.
This report summarizes data gathered from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CT&LI) Kick-off Summit [held on Jan. 14, 2022] and following asynchronous engagement opportunities, as well as concurrent discussions within the center about space and services to directly address the questions in our charge. To read more about the Kick-off Summit, check out "Reflecting on the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation Kick-off Summit".
What factors should we consider when deciding where responsibility lies?
Aligning what is already in place; what units / local-level are already doing well.
How the Center and IT (particularly Academic Tech unit) work together.
How to ensure best use and highest purpose for any given resource.
What are the greatest areas of priority for increased collaboration and focus with regard to teaching and learning?
Development of service portfolio and communicating broadly/transparently (adjusting according to ongoing listening/feedback from users + assessment)
What are the demands/needs of educators? What are current/proposed services in the network? Evaluate gaps relative to current staffing.
Developing “the network” across campus
Developing and maintaining directories of available people, resources and services. Making opportunities for affiliation with the center explicit.
What are our highest areas of need for investment in new skills and expertise, regardless of where those skills are placed
Needed investment in distributed staffing to meet the needs of faculty in colleges/departments/units that may not be as robustly staffed as others in areas/services that the center will not be able to cover (e.g. course assistance).
Evaluation, assessment, feedback, and educational research.
Educator development programming and instructional consultative practitioners.
What models would you see as most effective for increased local support in those colleges or units that currently would not be able to participate in a networked model?
Liaison model, assigning center staff to units, if we add/repurpose positions.
Joint appointments and fellowships, if the center is willing to co-sponsor.
Sponsored work or partial buy-out of educators to augment center staffing.
What design engagements might come after the summit? For instance, to determine the center’s services, design its space, or develop a collaborative model for the network?
Faculty (in process), instructor, and additional educator stakeholder engagement via surveys, interviews, or focus groups.
Evaluation of available center skills, capabilities and available capacities.
Service design exercises specific to individual service portfolio items.
Engagement with IT to coordinate and co-design shared client experience.
Possible direct engagement with MSU students or student-educators (GTAs & ULAs)
Data Highlights
Services and Support Portfolio
Services
Responsive, point-of-need support, including individual consultations
Curriculum and program development
Course design / reform support and incubation
Development and training on various topics at various levels
Catalog of what to get where, and a directory to find people/expertise
Formal structure for online/hybrid course/program development and support
Space
Spaces that support delivery of training, hosting events, social gatherings
A place with presence to host and build the community of educators
Classroom space to experiment, innovate, and create digital experiences
“faculty can do one offs in a space to try something different with a class”
“technology to check out to use in classrooms (like VR or other tools)”
“space for recording teaching and support for editing”
Additional notes on physical space (data in evaluation re: Hub spaces not 1/14 Summit)
Dedicated desks for center staff, with mix of hot-seating / hotelling
Allows clients to meet with center consultants in semi-private settings
Variety of co-working spaces that enables part-time projects teams to gather
Small-group meeting spaces, high-flex tech enabled for remote participants
Individual booths to isolate noise from remote meetings from clients / coworkers
Connection and Collaboration
Hosting of events for collegiality, fellowship, networking and community building
Collaborative programming
Discipline specific or with faculty experts in certain pedagogies or approaches
With other central parties, e.g. MSU IT, DEI, Academic HR, student success, etc.
With faculty learning communities or administrative groups (e.g. online programs)
Sponsored institutional memberships and global virtual conference access for campus
Hosted and invited outside experts, presenters, and seminars or workshops
Fellowships for faculty with benefits for center, network, and the faculty fellow
Fellowships for graduate students that help them develop and gain hiring advantage
Opportunity for faculty/staff to affiliate with the center to encourage boundary-spanning
Teaching and Learning in Practice
Advocacy, leadership narratives, and communicative storytelling that elevate the importance of teaching and learning excellence at every level
Assessment, visibility, and recognition of teaching and learning
Emphasis on and recognition of teaching and learning in tenure and promotion
incentivizing teaching and learning efforts and allocation of time and talent
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
Additional Data Details (optional)
Wouldn’t It be Fantastic If (WIFI)
Description of Activity
In this activity the participants were asked to identify blue sky ideas to ultimately group into common themes and inform shared vision for the Center, Network, Teaching and Learning. Participants individually answered the prompt “Wouldn’t it be fantastic if (WIFI) … as many times as they could. Then in small groups, organized statements to show what might be influenced, controlled or created by the Center, Network, or Teaching and Learning.
Stakeholders raised a variety of needs, which were categorized as ed-tech support, resources, staffing, space, as well as coordination/planning. Building a network for these services seems to be something participants hope for, such as a “shared list of experts across campus to make finding the right person to ask easier”. Additionally, this item “explicit partnerships and shared services between the teaching center and other key support units,” speaks to the network.. When it comes to specific services, support for DEI in instruction, fostering innovative practices, instructional design, and pedagogy were among those most frequently mentioned. Consulting, training and events are delivery formats most often associated with the center.
The most common themes can be found here: WIFI Themes
What the Center should provide: Services, Space, Coordination
Services: Consulting, special projects to solve common problems, access to experts, and intramural grants / sponsorships.
A space to provide access to services and resources, and invite educators to gatherings.
Coordination of services and facilitation of collaboration between units and people.
E.g. Educator showcase, repository/ a knowledge-base, and events calendar for all offerings across the university
Opportunities for part-time affiliation to center, as fellows, or to staff services or projects.
Classroom space to innovate and create digital experiences
“where faculty can do one offs in a space to try something different with a class”
“technology to check out to use in classrooms (like VR or other tools)”
“space for recording teaching and support for editing”
What the Educator Network should provide: Coordination, Collaboration, Networking
Coordinate the Educator Network with participation of center and other stakeholders
Allow for collaboration and self-organizing
Recognition to colleagues who contribute
Functional network, depended on by clients (needs) and university (commissioned work)
Maintain a “list of experts”, make it easier to find “the right people” to ask.
Opportunities for learning space experimentation, in prototype classrooms and digital.
What the whole University should support in T&L: Services, Pedagogy Practices, EdTech
In this section, some participants understood Teaching and Learning as how it is viewed and supported by the administration, while others provided more specific ideas around teaching resources and services
Services and resources should be shared in a variety of ways and rather than being siloed all units should work together bringing the following together as shown in this quote “More collaboration and breaking down silos”
Creating a Network of experts coming from all units
Have connection points to colleges and “cross-college work” and working groups
Provide university funding for projects, “awards, innovation grants” for T&L.
“Both/And approach to broad everyone should know AND specific ideas in the disciplines or colleges”, perhaps with the center being more active in the former and the college more active in the latter such as DBER.
All educators may contribute and share pedagogy/best practices in peer-support.
Other supports include and may recognize needs of stakeholders: quality standards, DEI (including opportunities and accessibility), educational technology, and sponsored research such as SoTL, and those not typically included in educator support.
There should be tangible appreciation of the work of educators in Teaching and Learning, including leadership narratives and recognition for RPT.
What I need from you…
The What I Need From You (WINFY) activity asked participants to assume one of five roles, randomly assigned. These included Academic Unit Administrators, Faculty and Instructors, Center Affiliated Staff, College Affiliated Staff, and University-Wide Staff.
Each group was asked to outline what they needed from each of the other four groups to be successful in their roles. The following themes emerged from each of the groups, pointing to commonalities among groups about what each would like to see from the Center.
Services and Support Portfolio
A clear and concise services and support portfolio emerged as a major theme. All five groups said that services and support portfolio was what they needed- both as stakeholders in the center, as center staff working with those stakeholders, and those who were potential partners and patrons of the center. The services and support portfolio -of what the Center provides, what it can offer to help with course design, instructional design, and various other activities, and how to contact and use the center was foundational for all five groups.
Participants in the WINFY activity wanted to have clear definitions of roles and resources of the center; clearer collaboration with college faculty and staff on projects and programs; a better understanding of what types of questions can be referred to the center; and ad hoc but nimble service support. Specific requests included consultations, development and trainings for various comfort levels of instructors, a clear catalog of what to get where, cooperation with local support, a list of resources.
Connection and Collaboration
Another dominant theme across all five groups was the need for and understanding of connection and collaboration. Primarily, participants from the groups wanted other units to be collaborative with the center, to figure out how to connect across boundaries, and how to leverage and build relationships. Four of the groups mentioned more collaborative work with staff in the colleges who are currently working on teaching and learning initiatives. Three of the five groups mentioned collaborative program opportunities, and two of the five groups mentioned a networked approach.
Teaching and Learning in Practice
The third theme that all five groups mentioned was what we are calling teaching and learning in practice. This encompasses a number of things, including teaching and learning in tenure and promotion, incentivizing teaching and learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. There was again the need for collaborative programming, this time with discipline specific colleges and with faculty who are experts in certain pedagogies or approaches. One group wanted to know what teaching and learning capabilities are available to help other educators, while another said that assistance with aligning course level objectives, assessments, and curricula with the institutional practices and the resources of the center would be useful. The Academic Unit Administrator and the Faculty group both had incentivizing teaching and learning as something they’d like to see from the center and center staff. There also was an overarching theme of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) but none of the groups made it their top priority-it did emerge as a theme though, so important to highlight here.
Minimum Viable Product Reviews
The “minimum viable product” activity was framed as a Yelp review session. Participants were paired in teams of two and asked to take on the perspective of an educator who had worked with the Center for T&LI and had a positive experience. Throughout the 17 combined Center “reviews” the following were the top ten most mentioned themes/services. Within each of these areas, participants in the 01/14/2022 Kick-off Summit mentioned a range of examples (i.e. Center experiences [per activity instructions]). High level captures of examples for each are included below.
Coaching/Consultation (Feedback, Support, Emotional Support)
Almost 65% of the reviews mentioned some version of coaching or consultation (including additional keywords such as feedback, support, guiding, and helping). Some examples of topics and underlying services within this category include: restructuring programs, refining crouse design, and reviewing curriculum; developing formative and summative assessments, transitioning to different feedback models, and integrating student voice; and finally combining theory and practice, integrating technology and pedagogy, as well as course alignment and student engagement.
Pedagogy (Student Voice)
Over half of the reviews related to methods and practices for engaging in teaching. Examples of experiences and services related to this topic include but are not limited to: support and guidance for strategies, envisioning difference learning experiences, participating in design experiences to try new approaches to teaching and learning; integrate research and teaching; focus on student experiences, create supporting and effective learning experiences, create inclusive and welcoming spaces.
Restructure/Redesign (Modality, Curriculum)
41% of reviews specifically called out redesign as a service of the Center. Examples of restructure and redesign (including topics of modality and curriculum) in the experience reviews include but are not limited to: moving face to face courses online (and planning for possible future transitions) and adapting class to a different structure (i.e. rubric or flipped models, competency-based learning outcomes, trauma informed teaching, asset based practices, etc.).
Student Experience (Engagement, Student-Centered)
41% of reviews mention the Center supporting them in ways that positively impacted student experience, student engagement, and student-centered design. Examples of this theme include: creating welcoming, supportive, and effective learning environments; reviewing curriculum and developing rubrics with respect to student engagement (and adjusting as necessary); and learning about theories of improving student connections to engage with them more effectively.
Confidence (Empowered)
35% of reviews specifically denote improvements in educator confidence and empowerment after working with the Center. Topics where educators had this improved sense of ability and agency included student centered teaching and learning practices, creating supportive and effective learning environments, initiating collaborative partnerships, and general teaching and learning experimentation and implementation.
Collaboration/Partnerships
35% of reviews emphasized the importance of collaborative partnerships with the Center across units. This ranged from individual consultations with faculty to full-scale curricular and program developments. The nature of these partnerships in terms of scope and focus varied in the reviews, but what remained consistent was the value that is derived from these relationships with the Center.
Connection/Community
18% underscored the importance of connection to a network of educators through the Center and the community that is derived from it. This was mentioned in the context of relationships built with Center staff along with events where networking takes place. Sometimes, educators connecting with other educators can make a huge difference in their teaching as it provides essential opportunities for sharing what is being done and learned in one context to another.
Assessment
Assessment was mentioned by 18% of the reviews as being an important piece of expertise that the Center can offer to faculty and programs at MSU. Of course, assessment comes in a myriad of forms and faculty are often seeking ways to improve on their assessment strategies and design.
Inclusion
18% of the reviews made mention of how consultative relationships with the Center could help them improve their efforts around accessibility and inclusion in their classrooms and digital learning environments.
Research/SOTL (Scholarship of Teaching & Learning)
12% of the reviews mentioned various ways they envisioned that the Center staff could help them with their research and scholarship efforts. Examples were not provided in the reviews specifically, but we know that the approaches to research in the scholarship of teaching and learning in particular at MSU are vastly different from college to college and that the Center staff have a great deal of experience and expertise in these areas.
Authored by:
Makena Neal, Jessica Sender, Dave Goodrich, Brendan Guent...
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation Summit Detailed Engagements Report (01/14/22)
Summary of CT&LI Summit Engagements
This report summarizes data...
This report summarizes data...
Authored by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2022
Posted on: #iteachmsu
MSU IT Street Trivia: Cybersecurity Edition
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we're putting Spartans' cybersecurity knowledge to the test with MSU IT Street Trivia. Join us weekly in October to see how you measure up: go.msu.edu/trivia23.
Cyber scams and phishing
As technology progresses, so does cybercriminals’ creativity. While their attempts can be tough to spot, they’re not impossible. Bad actors tend to use times or themes of uncertainty, as we’ve seen with global events, like the crisis in Ukraine or the coronavirus pandemic, or more locally, student loan reimbursements surrounding the beginning of a new semester.
Understanding standard cybersecurity practices is the best way to #SecureState and safeguard against potential cyber threats. Even if you don’t think you have sensitive information to steal, cyber attackers could use your accounts or devices as an open door to MSU.
Scammers use emails, texts, and calls to try to steal your personal info. Follow these tips to avoid their tricks:
Beware of any request for your personal information, like your social security number, passwords, bank or credit card details, or multifactor security codes
Unexpected offers for employment, student loans or grants, and awards winnings
Watch out for messages with a sense of urgency, poor grammar and spelling, and strange email addresses or phone numbers
Forward any suspicious email to your MSU account to abuse@msu.edu (don’t click the links!)
Get help
If you suspect any of your accounts have been compromised, immediately change your password and contact MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200
If you’re not sure if it’s spam, consider calling the source directly using the phone number from their website to verify the info (never click the links or call numbers in a suspicious email)
Learn more about phishing and the best ways to #SecureState at secureit.msu.edu.
Cyber scams and phishing
As technology progresses, so does cybercriminals’ creativity. While their attempts can be tough to spot, they’re not impossible. Bad actors tend to use times or themes of uncertainty, as we’ve seen with global events, like the crisis in Ukraine or the coronavirus pandemic, or more locally, student loan reimbursements surrounding the beginning of a new semester.
Understanding standard cybersecurity practices is the best way to #SecureState and safeguard against potential cyber threats. Even if you don’t think you have sensitive information to steal, cyber attackers could use your accounts or devices as an open door to MSU.
Scammers use emails, texts, and calls to try to steal your personal info. Follow these tips to avoid their tricks:
Beware of any request for your personal information, like your social security number, passwords, bank or credit card details, or multifactor security codes
Unexpected offers for employment, student loans or grants, and awards winnings
Watch out for messages with a sense of urgency, poor grammar and spelling, and strange email addresses or phone numbers
Forward any suspicious email to your MSU account to abuse@msu.edu (don’t click the links!)
Get help
If you suspect any of your accounts have been compromised, immediately change your password and contact MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200
If you’re not sure if it’s spam, consider calling the source directly using the phone number from their website to verify the info (never click the links or call numbers in a suspicious email)
Learn more about phishing and the best ways to #SecureState at secureit.msu.edu.
Posted by:
Aaron Michael Fedewa
Posted on: #iteachmsu
MSU IT Street Trivia: Cybersecurity Edition
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we're putting Spartans...
Posted by:
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023