We found 82 results that contain "behavioral intervention"

 Brief Project Description I conducted a field safety week for graduate students in the College of Natural Resources. Students come into the department with different levels of comfort in forested environments, and this training was designed to serve as a risk mitigation intervention and to give all students the basic skills they need to conduct fieldwork safely. The trainings included: 
 Field Safety Week Schedule 
June 21-25   
Monday, June 21: Auto safety day  
-Afternoon session: Hitching and backing a trailer w/ Bas Kimlinger, Michigan State Capital Facilities Team Member 
-Evening session: Safety concerns for field researchers from underrepresented backgrounds, CANR DEI Office 
  
Tuesday, June 22: Know before you go day  
-Morning session: Overview of field safety equipment w/ Alex White, MSU Forestry PhD student 
-Afternoon session: Snakes of Michigan w/ Brianna Mims, M.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology  
  
Wednesday, June 23: Wilderness First Aid Certification  
-All day w/ Great Lakes EMS Academy 
  
Thursday, June 24: Wilderness First Aid Certification  
-All day w/ Great Lakes EMS Academy 
  
Friday, June 25: In case of emergency day  
-Morning session: Land navigation w/ Kasey Wilson, MSU GIS Professional 
-Afternoon session: Self-defense w/ Officer Melvin, Lansing PD 
 
 
Reflection
Who did you work with (college administrators, key stakeholders, offices on campus, etc.) and what was their role in your project? 
I worked with Lauren Noel, Kelly Millenbaugh, and Laura Bix. Lauren supported me with logistics and registration. She helped me reserve a meeting room for the event and built a registration page. Kelly Millenbaugh committed funds to pay for the wilderness first aid training. Laura Bix supported project development. We’re still working together to make safety week happen again next summer. I also worked with the CANR Diversity Office to develop a training on the unique safety concerns faced by researchers from underrepresented backgrounds. I worked with individual presenters to develop and schedule sessions that met the needs of graduate student researchers. 
How did you manage relationships with key stakeholders in your college to achieve your project goals? 
I managed the relationships by setting up regular meetings on zoom and seeking input from these stakeholders. I kept them updated as I developed the project. 
What has been the impact of your project? Who was your target audience and what difference did your project make for them?  
My target audience was graduate students in natural resources. My project made them feel safer in the field. The students I spoke to did not have any formal safety training and were grateful for the opportunity. In my post event survey, student expressed an interest in participating in the training again. I hope that the training will help reduce injuries in the field. I intend to continue working on this project to develop more of a culture of field safety in the department. 
If someone were to continue your work in the future, what advice would you have for them?  
I would suggest that the person meet in person with students to get input on the types of training that they need. I had a zoom meeting with students but we couldn’t meet in person because of COVID. I would also suggests using the great resources that the university has and involving faculty and staff from the college. Everyone I worked with was excited to help and was very supportive of the project. With campus being open again, I think there are more opportunities to involve additional stakeholders. I would also suggest working on everything as early as possible. That helps to reduce stress and make the event go smoothly. 
How did this work contribute to your personal leadership development? 
This project gave me a chance to work with fellow graduate students to create a program that was helpful to them. I sought their input on the types of programming that they needed to be safer in the field. Doing this project involved working with peers, faculty members, and administrators. Working with faculty and staff gave me a chance to present ideas for improving the department. That was an important aspect, because I wanted to be respectful and gracious while also suggesting changes.  

This article provides an overview of example syllabus language for discourse, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the second part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
When considering classroom discourse and behavior, you will want to follow the same steps above. Below, we provide some pathways and examples. 
Intolerant of Intolerance Policy Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator values creating a classroom where harmful language is not allowed while also recognizing free speech concerns may arise.
Frame: An example framing could be, “We strive to build an academic community where we are tolerant and respectful, even if viewpoints differ. Freedom of speech does not mean we have freedom from consequences, and we are all responsible for the impact of our words, regardless of intention.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “In order to have a tolerant and safer classroom, we have to be intolerant of intolerance. While people do have the right to their own opinion, I will not tolerate disrespectful language or behavior. Disrespectful language includes, but isn’t limited to, micro/macroaggressions, violent, rude, insulting, and/or disparaging remarks/slurs. Disrespectful behavior includes, but is not limited to, talking when another person is talking as well as gestures that are violent and/or rude.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Potential outcomes could include (but are not limited to) having a conversation with me about the impact, being asked to leave class for the day, and/or referral to the MSU Office of Student Support and Accountability.”

Classroom Disruptions Policy Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator values students’ right to protest, but does not want their classroom to be that site as it’s not related to course content. The educator hopes to consider all students’ needs in the process.
Frame: An example framing could be, “The classroom is a space for open dialogue and the respectful exchange of ideas. While freedom of expression is encouraged, it must not infringe on the rights of others.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students are expected to engage respectfully in class activities and discussions. Disruptive behavior – including interrupting to protest, inciting speech for social media, and unauthorized recording – is not tolerated. Electronic devices should be used for class-related activities only, and recording of class sessions requires prior permission from the instructor.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Immediate responses will address any disruptions, and repeated or severe disruptions may result in disciplinary action.”

Acknowledging This Semester Example 

Reflect: In this example, this educator, whose class does not touch directly on topics related to the possible happenings of this semester, still wants to acknowledge the potential happenings in this upcoming semester and offer expectations and resources.
Frame: An example framing could be, “The semester may have a lot occur, such as significant events, protests, lived experiences, and more.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “While our course does not specifically address current events, there are many campus resources to support you as we navigate these times.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Sometimes, I may notice signs of concern or distress in students. At times, if the circumstances warrant it, I have an obligation to report those to the appropriate university resources.”

Continue to read more about in the next article, “Syllabus Policy Examples: Attendance,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.

Below is a list of resources that promote student success. All links provided are direct links (ONE CLICK) connecting you to contact information or an educator who can respond to your questions and/or help your students who have missed class or have experienced trauma. Thank you for helping our students achieve their goals.
BTAT (Behavioral Threat Assessment Team) / Green Folder
Center for Survivors Services for survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence
MSU Safe Place  Provides services to anyone who has experienced, or is experiencing, an abusive or controlling relationship
Prevention Outreach and Education Department Promotes safety and improves quality of life by educating members of the MSU campus community on sexual assault and relationship violence

Project Title: iMotions in Interior Design StudioElevator Pitch: Integrating eye-tracking gadget in the interior design studio will give the opportunity to students to learn about the impact of their own design on users. Does their proposed interior promote well-being? Does it follow interior design principles and standards? Does it trigger positive emotions, if yes, what are they? Does it trigger negative emotions, if yes, what are they? Students traditionally received feedback from their own instructors. Sometimes they perceive such feedback as being subjective, some might perceive it as harsh. This tool is objective and will give them the opportunity to learn and become better designers.Team Bios: Dr. Linda Nubani and Dr. Eunsil Lee are members of the Interior Design program and specialize in Environment-Behavior Research.What are some of the successes?I received the tools in late May after the semester ended. We are taking the summer to design the research and to apply for IRB approvals.



What are some of the challenges that you have experienced on this project?None so far

Introduction
A Tale of Two Tests:
Imagine that you are a student and you have to take two tests for different classes.
Test 1: For this test, you will be given a typical multiple choice question exam.  You can take the test home, fill it out, and give it back to your instructor the next day. The exam will determine your entire grade for the course, so the instructor tells you not to look at other materials.
Test 2: For this test you are asked to name the seven dwarfs of Snow White, but to do this, you have to install special software, show your id to prove your identity, document your environment to show you have no outside help, find a specific location for your computer that is level, quiet, and where you will not be interrupted. You will only have 2 minutes to answer this question, and this will determine 1% of your grade in this course.
From these examples, hopefully you can see that neither one makes sense in that there is a mismatch among factors such as the importance of the exam, its integrity, and burden placed on the learner.  
To create better testing experiences than these examples, we hope that in this lesson, you will be able 


to weigh multiple considerations to decide whether or not to have your digital assessment proctored and 


to identify some approaches you might use to better prepare your students.  


It should be noted from the onset, that no practical system of assessment prevents 100% of academic dishonesty.  The goal for this document is to make recommendations that will help you to choose reasonable options for your context.  As these will differ from course to course, you should explain to students what is allowed during exams with regards to collaboration and the use of information sources.  It is not necessarily intuitive especially given new modalities of course delivery.


Be clear about the expectations of what students can and cannot do for exams based on the technology and pedagogy you are implementing.


Background information 
At MSU, we have 3 main methods that faculty are using to increase the academic integrity of their multiple choice question (MCQ) exams:

using features that are built into D2L (without video proctoring) vs.

Click this link to see considerations for D2L Quiz settings


implementing Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor (video proctoring) or

Click here for a short overview video of Respondus


using Zoom and student’s iphones (video proctoring)

Click here for a panel discussion of Texas A&M faculty about how to use Zoom for proctoring



In making a determination of what to use, there are four main considerations that you might take into account before choosing an approach:


The anxiety induced by the testing environment you create


The importance of the exam


The technology available to students, and resources available to instructors


The privacy of your students


Test Anxiety
Increases in anxiety affect student performance on exams.  At lower levels anxiety can increase student performance, but at higher levels it can impact both cognitive and academic performance.  Anxiety can be caused by the actual exam and course content, but if we look at just the components of a test environment there are factors that can increase anxiety, they can include:


Finding and maintaining a quiet, uninterrupted space, with adequate internet bandwidth


Increased technology complexity needed to complete tasks


Being observed 


Students feeling they must limit normal physical behaviors that might be seen as academically dishonest (e.g. looking off screen) when in reality it may be a behavior used for processing information or to reduce stress.






Allow students to take the test at times that they are able to find that best meets their lifestyle and context (e.g. after kids are put to bed or when there are not multiple people using the internet),

Offer students the opportunity to try out proctoring technology to make sure it works on their system and to familiarize them with the software interface, and
Work with students to accommodate their test taking behaviors and not jumping to conclusions about observed behaviors representing academic dishonest.



For more on this read
Kolski, Tammi, and Jennifer Weible. "Examining the relationship between student test anxiety and webcam based exam proctoring." Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 21.3 (2018).
Exam Stakes
The test itself can generate anxiety, again at low levels increasing student preparedness for an exam, but at higher levels it can be demotivating as well impacting cognitive ability.  As a test has higher stakes (i.e. becomes more important for the student as a gatekeeper to success either in the class or future career) the more likely you will see academic dishonesty.  
Similarly, the more a test is not an authentic task to what is being trained, the more likely you will have academic dishonesty.  For example, MCQ exams rarely match performance expectations in a job (i.e. you rarely take quizzes or MCQ exams to get hired or a raise, although exceptions to this exist).  To improve authenticity of exams, please review the other section of this site: Approach 1: Assessment Options Beyond the Exam: High-impact Assessment Design.



Offer multiple lower stakes exams that are delivered in less stringent environments.  It can reduce the stress and prepare students for larger stakes exams where proctoring might be used.



Technology and Resources Available
Technology available to students is one potential barrier to plans for using video proctors. Even though proctoring is free for faculty to implement, students may lack the needed equipment or environment. In a recent survey asking about students household environment, 


43% said they did not have a quiet, safe space to study


And 7% said they lived in a different time zone than East Lansing.


 
In looking at students’ technology capabilities


14% lacked a reliable internet connection


6% lacked a reliable smartphone


11% lacked a webcam for their computer 


All of these factors could impact a students’ ability to participate effectively in an online proctored exam. Click here to see the full report.


Have an alternative approach for your assessment delivery and 
Use a practice exam and have students test their hardware, this can lower students anxiety of the technology and help you identify students who may need to take advantage of your alternate approach. 


Privacy
There are many reasons for why students may not want to turn on their webcam to participate in classroom discussions.  Some of those reasons may revolve around showing their home environments to others or giving over control of their computer's recording devices and some information to an entity not of their choosing. 
These concerns may impact their ability and willingness to take exams.  Even though the University is providing options for proctoring, you should consider whether or not the benefits outweigh a student's concern for privacy. Of our three methods, D2L quiz settings do not impact privacy, Respondus Monitor only reveals student environments to course staff but collects data on students, and Zoom proctoring does not collect student data but may reveal student environments to both course staff as well as other students.
The recordings that are captured by Respondus and/or Zoom are considered academic records and will need to handled according to FERPA requirements.  Be transparent with students about who will see these recordings and how those records will be handled.  Sample syllabus language and additional points can be found in the Overview of FERPA concerns link below.


Click here to see an overview of FERPA concerns with video recordings at MSU
Click here to see Respondus' data privacy policy


Technology Comparison





Approach


Description


Pros


Cons




D2L Quiz features


Use D2L settings such as limit number of questions per page, randomize questions/answers, use pool of questions, etc.



Can be done asynchronously.
Does not impact privacy.
Lower environment anxiety.




Hard to limit collaboration on exams or referencing outside material





Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor

Used in conjunction with D2L Quizzes the system uses students' webcams and video analytics to record student identities and "flag" potential cheating incidents.


Can be done asynchronously.
Does not reveal student environment to other students.
Automatically records student ID, environment, and flags potential incidents of academic dishonesty.




Higher environment anxiety
Some student data is collected by company.
You need review flagged videos and student ID which may increase time





Zoom Proctoring

Using Zoom on student phones or other devices,  instructors and/or TAs will monitor a group of students.  May be used in conjunction with a students computer.


Can be used with a myriad of software, not just D2L.
Students and faculty are familiar with the software.
No data collected on students.




Higher environment anxiety.
Students have to share their environment with others.
Requires students have both computer and cell phone or other device
Has to be done synchronously.






Weighing these concerns, what proctoring method will you choose?  How can you prepare students to succeed on your assessments?

"Being a part of the Learning Communities at MSU has been a wonderful experience. Within our community we have had the opportunity to share ideas, brainstorm solutions to challenges commonly faced, and expand our thinking with individuals from a wide variety of departments. I have deeply appreciated being a part of this new campus-wide community and having a space to connect with faculty and academic staff in similar positions to my own. Seeing what the other Learning Communities are doing has helped with inspiration for our own progress," said Mary-Anne Reid co-facilitator of the Sharing Process Improvement Tools in Undergraduate Internships and Experiential Education Learning Community. 
Learning Communities are self-organized, safe, and supportive spaces for faculty and academic staff to address complicated questions of curriculum and pedagogy. Michigan State University has supported these initiatives since 2004 and continues to do so through a funding program administered by the Academic Advancement Network in collaboration with the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology.
See what Learning Communities are available
 
Different Aims, Different Practices
Dr. Michael Lockett, the program Director, is quick to point out that the word “safe” is crucial to that statement of purpose, as it conveys the agency members and facilitators of Learning Communities enjoy. 
“Once a community is funded, our interventions in their work only take place at the most basic administrative level,” says Lockett. “It’s a space we designed to maximize autonomy and academic freedom.”
Learning Communities at MSU are free to propose their own topics and determine the structures that best support their interests. Accordingly, communities tend to vary greatly in their practices and topics. All communities, however, share three things in common: they meet at least eight times across the academic year, explore important educational themes, and welcome all members of MSU’s instructional staff, regardless of rank or discipline.
“We have approximately thirty communities running. That means approximately three hundred faculty members are contributing to and benefitting from the program.  Given that scale, there’s tremendous diversity in terms of topics and methods,” says Lockett. “Broadly defined, the conversations all connect back to ideas of education, teaching, and learning, but not necessarily in a formalized curricular context. We don’t limit their purview to credit-bearing courses at MSU and some communities are invested in educational topics that transcend this campus, or this country, or even this era.”
 
Dialogues Characterized by Freedom and Safety
Although many Learning Communities do not discuss fraught topics, some do.  “Because some groups explore topics related to critical pedagogy, they may require particular community structures,” says Lockett. “Which is to say the community is not closed but carefully defined.  All communities are inclusive. But the facilitators (those members responsible for the administration and protocol within the Community) determine the structure and it’s fair for them to ask their membership to commit to certain protocols.”
Some Communities only meet the required eight times during the academic year and encourage members to drop in or out at their discretion. Other Communities are working on highly complex questions of critical pedagogy, and require regular attendance, as the associated dialogues must be sustained and reflected upon. Ultimately, the facilitators decide the protocols for each Community. 
The conversations held in the Learning Communities might also involve very personal pedagogical experiences; those kinds of conversations require time, trust, and a sense of open inquiry to make the dialogue supportive and generative. The AAN strives to provide that atmosphere by respecting the autonomy of the facilitators and working diligently behind the scenes to design flexible administrative structures that can support diverse methods. Lockett says, “although it’s not necessarily their primary role, Learning Communities can be therapeutic spaces. There’s an emotional dimension to teaching, particularly in high-pressure contexts. These communities can become a place where people find support, where they can share and hopefully resolve some of the challenges they’re encountering, teacher-to-teacher.”
 
Why Learning Communities?
Variations on the Learning Communities program exist on many campuses. “Questions of curriculum and pedagogy are always complicated and often best addressed face-to-face,” says Lockett. “You can do a lot of important work through dialogue.  When colleagues get together to discuss curriculum and pedagogy, their conversations become nuanced and empathetic and situated in a way they can’t through other discursive forms.  They can also be highly creative and generative places where good ideas disseminate swiftly.”
 
Getting Involved
The Learning Communities at MSU grew over 150% last year, from 12 to 30 groups. Lockett credits the passion of the facilitators and the leadership of Drs. Grabill and Austin (Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, and Interim Associate Provost for Academic Staff Development, respectively).  He also applauds the work of his predecessor, Dr. Patricia Stewart, who advocated for the program’s continued existence and provided a vision of success. “We wouldn’t be seeing this level of engagement and success without Patti’s leadership and dedication to the program,” he says.
A full list of Learning Communities and the contact information of their facilitators is available below and on the Academic Advancement Network website, in addition to information on proposing new communities.
"As a co-facilitator of the ANS TLC the past few years, I have been impressed with our cohort’s desire to continue to become better educators. Our learning community focuses on presenting and supplying tools to our members that address their reported concerns of education, including but limited to instruction, assessment, and student engagement. Since the pandemic has rendered our instruction to be “survival mode”, the ANS TLC has reached out to provide tips and tricks to its members for better classroom experiences, in whatever platform is being used. We look forward to hosting monthly “Chitter-chatter What’s the Matter” discussions alongside our continual scaffolding of the ANS curriculum for the Fall 2020 semester." said Tasia Taxis, co-facilitator of the Department of Animal Science Teaching and Learning Community (ANS TLC) Learning Community.
 

If you read the article on backward design, you might already have a list of inspiration to develop your learning outcomes for your course. To help you draft refined outcomes for your learners, let's dive into student learning outcomes! 
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes help students (and us!) to know what students will be able to demonstrate in knowledge, skills, and values upon completing a module or course. Clear outcomes provide the foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning. 
There are three essential components of a measurable learning outcome:

Student learning behaviors
Assessment methods
Student performance criteria

Student Learning Behaviors
Focus on student behavior by using specific action verbs that are observable. This should focus on what the student will be able to demonstrate. This is the student-facing side of the objectives so that students know what their goals are for the module or course to self-reflect and track their own progress towards goals. Examples include:

Students will be able to identify and apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines to their current teaching context.
Students will be able to evaluate and create accessible content.
Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.

To help you identify measurable verbs, you can reference this Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs resource.
Assessment Methods
Select appropriate assessment methods. You will likely consider multiple assessment methods. You should select the method that allows you to best determine the extent to which the stated learning outcome is achieved. We recommend employing a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. 
Example assessment methods:

Exit slips
Multimedia projects
Quizzes
Lab reports
Presentations
Essay
Tests
Practicum/internship feedback from field instructor or employer
Discussions
Student-produced videos
State, national, and international standardized assessments for licensing, etc.

You will learn more about assessment opportunities and practices on Day 3. For now, you might consider browsing this list from Iowa State University.
Student Performance Criteria
Select and clearly communicate the criteria that students will be evaluated with. Performance criteria express specific and measurable terms that are acceptable in your course. Here are a few examples of criteria for success based on a few standard assessment methods:

Scoring rubric: All students will score an average of 8.5/10. None will score less than 7.0. 
Survey: 85% of students surveyed will demonstrate an increase in their understanding of UDL. 
Test:75% of all students will score at or above the average across sections of the course. No more than 25% will score lower than one standard deviation from the section average.

Putting it all Together
Once we've identified the three essential components for the learning outcome, we can piece it together for our records and to guide our assessment of teaching and learning taking place in our course. Here is one example of how this might look:

Module objective (what the student sees): Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.
Add in the assessment method: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design. 
Add in the performance criteria: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design and 100% of students will complete all categories for that unit in the template provided.

If you're writing measurable learning outcomes for the first time, it can be tricky to get into the swing of things. Arizona State University has developed an Objectives Builder Tool that can assist you in developing your skills.
 
SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick

Playlist to help find resources to help students
Counseling and Psychiatric Services [CAPS]

Who to Contact for What Service   
Faculty and Staff Resources including the Green Folder- who to contact and how to help students in distress
Staff Contact Information 


Addressing Student Mental Health Concerns in Online Courses
BTAT (Behavioral Threat Assessment Team) / Green Folder
Center for Survivors Services for survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence
MSU Safe Place  Provides services to anyone who has experienced, or is experiencing, an abusive or controlling relationship
Prevention Outreach and Education Department Promotes safety and improves quality of life by educating members of the MSU campus community on sexual assault and relationship violence
Trauma Informed Practice: Resources for Best Practices in the Classroom
Talking to students about mental health

Kognito for Faculty: Online simulation tool that allows educators to practice having challenging conversations with students through role-play.


Mindfulness for Better Living from MSU ExtensionStress can take a serious toll on your physical, mental and emotional health. MSU Extension's mindfulness programs can help you manage your stress and live a better, healthier life.