We found 47 results that contain "textbook affordability"

Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Anne Violin-Wigent, Matt Kanefsky
Abstract:
In recent years, there has been a push to supplement a communication-based approach to language teaching with a systematic inclusion of cultural content and cultural literacy. Most textbooks, however, fail to do so and restrict culture to a page or two at the end of each chapter or cultural vignettes sprinkled throughout, while remaining focused on grammar. For this project, Matt Kanefsky and I decided to develop teaching material that uses culture as the source and context for all learning. In addition, we seek to represent the diversity of the French-speaking world, to include material from and about various countries, and to give voices to minorities groups telling their stories. This is done in particular through the development of online learning activities since our program is hybrid/flipped.In this presentation, we will share how we chose to implement our focus on culture and diversity in deliberate, systematic, and cyclical ways in each aspect of the course. We will share a list of questions we used as guiding principles to make sure that we reach our goals and provide a truly inclusive representation of French speakers. Lastly, we will share preliminary experiences and feedback from both instructors and learners.
 

Studying and Learning
Study Tips for Open Book and Take Home Exams
Study Through Active Recall
How to Read Your Textbook More Efficiently
Study Less, Study Smart
How to Motivate Yourself to Study
How to Study by Subjects
How to Study for Any Test or Exam
How to Improve Your Memory: A Comprehensive, Science-Backed Guide
How-To Videos
How to Learn Faster with the Feynman Technique
How to Make Effective Flash Cards
How to Remember More – Spaced Repetition
How to take Better Notes: The 6 Best Note-Taking Systems
How to Make Studying Fun
How to Deal with Essay Questions on Exams
How to Improve Your Grades on Multiple Choice Tests
How to Overcome Test Anxiety – 5 Strategies that Work
How to Create a Study Schedule for Final Exams
Confidence Tracking: A Brain Hack for Improving Your Exam Grades
How to Recover from a Failure
 
Math Resources
mathTV.com
Khan Academy
Worksheets (Kutasoftware)
Online Graphing Calculator (Desmos)
Print Your own Graph Paper:
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Polar
Science Resources
Biology Online
Chemistry Resources
Virtual Organic Chemistry Textbook
Physics Resources
In-House Guidelines
Academic Planning Calendars
Instructions for Academic Planning Calendars
Strategies and Tips for Online Learning
Getting the Most Out of Mathematics
Post-Test Evaluation (Math)

The following is a proposed system of “Generative AI Use Codes” (GAUC) for academic assignments to provide clearer communication between instructors and students. These can be used to communicate the allowed level of generative AI assistance and desired degree of citation in academic tasks. The codes are meant to be simple and easy to use, reminiscent of the approach of Creative Commons licenses. There are two parts to the code: Part 1 communicates the role of AI in the task, and Part 2 communicates the desired attribution of the work requested.
Part 1: Generative AI Use Codes (GAUC)
GAUC-0: No Generative AI Allowed

Symbol: AI 🚫
Description: Students are not permitted to use generative AI in any capacity for the assignment. 

GAUC-1: Generative AI for Brainstorming Only

Symbol: AI ⛈️
Description: Students can use generative AI for brainstorming ideas, but the final content must be entirely their own. 

GAUC-2: Generative AI as a Reference

Symbol: AI 📚
Description: Students can use generative AI as a reference, similar to how one might use a textbook. However, direct output from the AI should not be included verbatim in the final assignment. 

GAUC-3: Generative AI for Editing and Refinement

Symbol: AI ✍️
Description: Students can draft their own work and use generative AI tools to edit, refine, and polish their content. The initial ideas and content must originate from the student. 

GAUC-4: Collaborative Creation with Generative AI

Symbol: AI 🤝
Description: Students can collaborate with generative AI to create content. While students should be actively involved in the creation process, they can interweave their own content with content generated by the AI. 

GAUC-5: Unrestricted Generative AI Use

Symbol: AI 🌍
Description: Students can use generative AI in any capacity, including generating the entirety of the assignment with the AI. They’re encouraged to experiment and innovate using the technology.

Part 2: Generative AI Attribution Codes (GAAC)
N: No Attribution Required

Symbol: 🆓
Description: Students are not required to provide any citation or acknowledgment for using generative AI, irrespective of the extent of AI’s contribution.

S: Source Attribution Required

Symbol: 🔗
Description: Students are required to mention the AI tool or platform they used (e.g., OpenAI’s GPT-4), but no specific citation format is mandated.

C: Comprehensive Attribution Required

Symbol: 📝
Description: Students should provide a comprehensive citation, detailing not just the AI platform/tool, but also specifying parameters, prompts, or any other specifics of how the AI was utilized.

R: Reflection on AI Use

Symbol: 💭
Description: Beyond merely citing the tool, students need to include a short reflection or description of how the AI was used, its influence on the outcome, and any human-AI collaborative dynamics involved.

Implementation:
Example: On assignment sheets or syllabi, faculty can employ both the GAUC and GAAC codes side by side, for instance, “GAUC-3-C” or “AI✍️📝”. This would indicate that students can use generative AI for editing and refinement, and they need to provide comprehensive attribution for the AI used.
Educational Materials: In addition to the code, it would be beneficial to provide students with a brief guide or overview of the GAUC system, explaining each code and its implications. This could include examples of how to cite or reflect on AI use appropriately.
Honor Code Integration: The concept of proper attribution, even to AI tools, should be ingrained in academic integrity guidelines. Stressing the importance of honest and transparent communication regarding AI assistance aligns with principles of academic honesty.
Faculty Discretion: While these codes provide a structured approach, faculty should retain the discretion to make specific clarifications or exceptions based on the nature of the assignment or the objectives of the exercise.
GAUC – 4S – OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Aug 3rd version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

The Zoom meeting size limit is 300 students, and webinar licenses are maxed out at 500 but in some cases MSU has courses that have more students enrolled than that. So, while each person has access to both a 300 student space and a 500 student space, that may not always be enough. This article provides alternatives to synchronous Zoom classes that may help not only solve the license challenges, but also help you navigate teaching a large course fully online. 
Berry (2009) notes that teaching a large course online “requires a shift in focus from teaching to learning (p. 176).” While 2009 was a full 11 years ago and the technologies driving online course delivery have advanced greatly, this fundamental idea remains as true today as it was then. Lynch & Pappas (2017) highlight the challenge that faculty-student interaction presents in large-enrollment courses, whether they be fully online or completely face-to-face. How can a single faculty member effectively communicate with 600 students? In this case, technological affordances are our friend – and Zoom is not necessarily the answer. 
Some Non-Zoom Solutions 
MediaSpace or Camtasia videos and D2L Discussion Forums 
I know this may not seem like the most exciting solution, but it can be an effective and efficient one. Picture this: 

Record a 20-minute video discussing your insights on the week’s content, focusing on what students won’t necessarily glean for themselves in their own review. 
Did you know you can request free captioning services from MSU IT on videos 20 minutes or less?

Click here for more information on getting started with the MSU Crowd Sourced Closed Captioning Program. 


Save the video to Mediaspace and share it with your students in D2L. Give them a few questions to think about while they watch it. 
Guide students to the D2L discussion forum where discussions will happen. Configure the discussion forum to require that they post their response before they can see the responses of others. 
Learn more about ways to configure your discussion forum here 
Grade the discussion forum using the D2L Quick Discussion Grader tool. 
Learn how to use the D2L Quick Discussion Grader tool here 

Half on, half off 
You can split your course in half. What if you had two smaller large courses? Consider inviting half of your students to Zoom, while the others engage in an asynchronous assignment such as a discussion forum or a low-stakes knowledge-testing quiz that’s automatically graded by D2L. Then, use your Zoom time together to discuss what students can only get from you – instructor-student interaction! 

Asynchronous activity idea: Try setting up a discussion forum and have your students work on an applied case together based on the content. 
Asynchronous activity idea: Ask students to collaboratively build a study guide for the exam based on the week’s content. 

Peer Review using Eli Review 
Eli Review is a peer review tool that is free for faculty and students at Michigan State University. Here, you can configure peer review writing exercises, automatically sort students into groups, and provide them with a clear series of writing, review, and revision tasks. You can see analytics for completion, helpfulness, and more.  
As stated on the tech.msu.edu page for Eli Review, "many writing instructors have found using Eli for small assignments (i.e., a thesis statement, annotated bibliography) works better than for entire papers. Smaller assignments make it easier to focus on one specific set of criteria and goals. Students stay more engaged with a small task and can move forward in an assignment when the core elements are properly set up." 
Since Eli Review is an online platform, students can use it any time, allowing instructors flexibility in assigning reviews. Eli has a feature to accept or decline late work, so students are responsible for the online homework just as in-class homework. 
Need more help? 
Hopefully some of the ideas shared here have helped you think about some alternatives to pursue should Zoom not be an option for your courses. The instructional technology and development team in MSU IT is happy to consult with you on how you can leverage academic technologies to make your large course experience feel smaller. We can help you think about how to live without Zoom and embrace the asynchronous teaching life if you choose.
 
MSU IT offers a number of valuable tools and services that can help you create an experience that facilitates student success regardless of bandwidth, time zones, or class size. To make an appointment with an instructional technologist, fill out the appointment form located at https://tech.msu.edu/service-catalog/teaching/instructional-design-development/ or e-mail the MSU IT Service Desk at ithelp@msu.edu and request a consultation with Instructional Technology and Development. If you prefer the phone, you can also contact them at (517)432-6200. 
References 
Berry, R. W. (2009). Meeting the challenges of teaching large online classes: Shifting to a learner-focus. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 176-182. 
Boettcher, J. (2011). Ten best practices for teaching online. Quick Guide for New Online faculty. 
Lynch, R. P., & Pappas, E. (2017). A Model for Teaching Large Classes: Facilitating a" Small Class Feel". International Journal of Higher Education, 6(2), 199-212. 

1. Consider how AI technology might compel you to revise your course assignments, quizzes, and tests to avoid encouraging unethical or dishonest use of generative AI.  



Design For Generative AI: Sample Syllabus Language
Design Around Generative AI: Sample Syllabus Language



2. Develop and integrate a generative AI course-level rules throughout the all course materials/resources:  



Provide clear definitions, expectations, and repercussions of what will happen if students violate the rule.  
Explain the standards of academic integrity in the course, especially as related to use of AI technologies, and review the Integrity of Scholarship and Grades Policy.  






Be clear about what types of AI are acceptable and what versions of the technology students can use or not use.  
Put this rule into D2L and any assignment instructions consistently.  



3. Discuss these expectations when talking about course rules at the beginning of the course and remind students about them as you discuss course assignments:  



Take time to explain to students the pros and cons of generative AI technologies relative to your course. 
Explain the development of your course-level rules and make clear the values, ethics, and philosophies underpinning its development.  






Explain the repercussions of not following the course rules and submit an Academic Dishonesty Report if needed.  



4. If you want to integrate AI in the classroom as an allowed or required resource:  



Consult with MSU IT guidance about recommendations for use and adoption of generative AI technology, including guidelines for keeping you and your data safe.  
Determine if MSU already has access to the tools you desire for free, and if not available through MSU, consider the cost and availability of the resources you will allow or require, and go through MSU's procurement process.   
If you want to require students to use an AI technology that comes with a cost, put the resource into the scheduling system as you would a textbook, so students know that is an anticipated cost to them.  



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This week, we are featuring Dr. Sandro Barros, an Assistant Professor of Multilingualism, Curriculum & Instruction in MSU’s Department of Teacher Education.  Dr. Barros was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Dr. Barros’ perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses!


You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? Share with me what this word/quality looks like in your practice?
Whenever I think about what being an educator entails, I think about the Latin roots of the English word “education:” educare, which means 'to train or to mold' and educere, which means 'to draw out'. While the two meanings are quite different, they are both represented in the ethical activity of the educator. But to me, educere is more appealing because it suggests  a particular attention to intelligence as equal in human beings. We differ biologically and intellectually from one another. So, it is only natural to expect that our intelligence will manifest differently. 
Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
Thinking about the task of educators in connection with educere helps me deconstruct pernicious ideas around notions of intelligence as something that our system encourages as quantifiable. It also keeps me on my toes regarding how I must model to students the kind of deep listening society so sorely needs to heal itself as it deals with misinformation. 
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students. (Aka, where do you work?)
I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education program and advise dissertations on subjects related to the Educational Humanities, Multilingualism, and Curriculum Theory. I am also affiliated with the Second Language Studies program and Latin American and Caribbean studies.  
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role?
Although I have been teaching for decades, listening deeply and mindfully to students is something I struggle with to this day. I am not sure if the level of listening I am describing here is what you would consider a “best practice.” Teaching is both artful and directive, so it responds to different criteria depending on whom you ask and where you find yourself. All I know is that teaching is a mysterious activity done in communion and through communicative means. Accordingly, it can introduce new possibilities to see, think, and feel the world in different ways. 
Throughout my life, I’ve had great teachers who performed the type of attentive listening to which I aspire. Their listening afforded me the necessary space to think for myself out loud and work out problems without interferences that felt oppressive or traumatizing. If there’s a generative practice associated with teaching, listening is it, mainly as we think about how our listening interventions can bring out greater intellectual clarity. Having experienced from my teachers the effect of the power of listening deeply and authentically, I know such a skill can be cultivated as a habit. 
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
I feel most “successful” when the relationships I build with students allow for transparency of commitments and expectations that will enable them to develop their intellectual curiosity as well as my own. As I mentioned earlier, deep listening is crucial. 
What topics or ideas about teaching and learning would you like to see discussed on the iteach.msu.edu platform? Why do you think this conversation is needed at msu? 
I would like us to engage in a serious conversation about mental health. And I would like this conversation to take place away from the toxic positivity discourse that highlights meritocratic perseverance. We struggle a lot, and we fail a lot. The kind of “personal conquest narrative” we see in education today is imbued with banal sentimentality and hope.  would do well to bear in mind that hope, in particular, without criticism, detracts us from epistemic and structural injustices. Being more open about our struggles and failures and being honest with ourselves and each other requires difficult conversations, and compassion is an essential practice to achieve that goal. But for that to occur, we need to develop a culture that activates our dispositions to cooperate instead of competing for limited resources. The toll that social inequalities spilling over higher education takes in our psyches is grave. To heal forward, we need to tend to our wounds collectively so that we may have the kinds of difficult conversations we need to; not despite our incommensurable differences but precisely because of them.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) this semester?
I am teaching TE908 Sociocultural Foundations of English Learning. I am also involved in a project on transnational heritage language activism inside and outside school settings. I am interested in the mundane strategies people employ to demonstrate new models of linguistic citizenship within diasporic cultures, thereby challenging nationalist and essentialist views of language and culture. I am primarily concerned with the activism of teachers, artists, and public intellectuals around language and citizenship issues as forms of public pedagogy. I hope this work can give us some clues as to how to imagine more desirable solutions to problems caused by nationalism’s enduring presence in education—namely, how we approach minoritized students’ education vis-a-vis identity politics and strategic essentialism. My scholarly work has taught me that these options have not served marginalized students very well. In addition to a core course I teach at the undergraduate level, these activities keep me pretty busy, but I very much enjoy them.



Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature!

2023 Educator Seminars are presented by MSU Libraries, the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), MSU IT Educational Technology, the Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative (EDLI) and MSU IT Training​. 
Day 1: August 23, 2023
Instructions: Click on the registration link and sign-up for the sessions you're interested in. After completing your registration you will receive an email with the Zoom link for the session.

9:00 - 9:30 am Opening Remarks (All Teams)
Join us for a session to kickoff the 2023 Fall Educators Seminars. This is your chance to meet representatives from the teams presenting the seminars. Each will provide an overview of the sessions offered over the three-day schedule and explain the services they provide to campus.
View the MediaSpace Recording 

9:30 - 10:30 am     Introduction to Quality Matters: Ensuring Excellence in Online Education
Facilitators: Dave Goodrich & Jay Loftus (CTLI)
The Introduction to Quality Matters (QM) session is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the QM framework and its significance in ensuring excellence in online education. This session serves as a starting point for educators, instructional designers, administrators, and anyone involved in developing and delivering online courses to familiarize themselves with QM and its core principles.
By the end of this Introduction to Quality Matters session, participants will have a solid foundation in the QM framework, enabling them to integrate best practices in online course design, promote learner engagement, and ensure the delivery of high-quality online education experiences.
View the MediaSpace Recording

10:30-11:30 pm       Introduction to Your Classroom Technology 
Facilitators: Rhonda Kessling & James Bender (IT & D)
This session is an interactive overview of the classroom technology, explaining the varying layouts, hardware and software available. Using this information, we will explore the affordances and constraints for blended and face-to-face courses. 
View the MediaSpace Recording

11:30am - 1:00pm      BREAK

1:00-2:00pm      Mid-semester Course Feedback 
Facilitator: Jeremy Van Hof (EDLI)
Student feedback can be a helpful tool for making course changes during a semester to allow students to meet course learning goals. This session will cover why and how to collect mid-semester feedback from students in ways that provide educators with actionable results.
View the MediaSpace Recording

2:00-3:00pm      Introduction to the MSU Libraries 
Facilitator: Holly Flynn (Libraries)
Enhance your teaching and research by learning about the Libraries’ extensive collections, services, spaces and expertise.
View the MediaSpace Recording

3:00-4:00pm      Spartan 365 Overview 
Facilitators: Michael Julian & Todd Ring (IT: Training)
This live Virtual Instructor-Led Training session will introduce learners to the suite of software that will help users store data, collaborate, and work efficiently. Spartan 365 has powerful tools that allow users to get more done with Microsoft apps like Outlook, Forms, OneNote, and OneDrive. Also learn how to work remotely with Microsoft Teams, the hub for teamwork.
View the MediaSpace Recording

Updated text accessible any time via the Registrar's Office. Also, visit the HR Faculty Handbook for more policy information. posted 08/19/2021Satisfaction of teaching responsibilities by instructional staff members (herein referred to as instructors) is essential to the successful functioning of a university. This University conceives these responsibilities to be so important that performance by instructors in meeting the provisions of this Code shall be taken into consideration in determining salary increases, tenure, and promotion.

Course content:  Instructors shall be responsible for ensuring that the content of the courses they teach is consistent with the course descriptions approved by the University Committee on Curriculum and the University Council. Instructors shall direct class activities toward the fulfillment of course objectives and shall evaluate student performance in a manner consistent with these objectives.
Course syllabi:  Instructors shall be responsible for distributing a course syllabus (either in print or electronic form) at the beginning of the semester. The syllabus shall minimally include:(a)    instructional objectives;(b)    instructor contact information and office hours;(c)    grading criteria and methods used to determine final course grades;(d)    date of the final examination and tentative dates of required assignments, quizzes, and tests, if applicable;(e)    attendance policy, if different from the University attendance policy and especially when that attendance policy affects student grades;(f)     required and recommended course materials to be purchased, including textbooks and supplies; and(g)   any required proctoring arrangements to which students must adhere. 
Student Assessment and Final Grades:  Instructors shall be responsible for informing students, in a timely manner so as to enhance learning, of the grading criteria and methods used to determine grades on individual assignments.  Instructors shall be responsible for assessing a student’s performance based on announced criteria and on standards of academic achievement. Instructors shall submit final course grades in accordance with University deadlines. Assessment methods should be appropriate to the learning objectives of the course. In that context, instructors are expected to take reasonable steps to create an assessment environment that promotes academic integrity. When proctoring or other security measures are necessary to ensure integrity of assessments, then such measures should be administered in a manner consistent with the design and delivery of the course.
Testing Documents:  Instructors shall be responsible for returning to student's answers to quizzes, tests, and examinations with such promptness to enhance the learning experience.  Instructors shall retain final examination answers for at least one semester to allow students to review or to retrieve them.  All testing questions (whether on quizzes, tests, or mid-semester or final examinations) are an integral part of course materials, and the decision whether to allow students to retain them is left to the discretion of the instructor.
Term Papers and Comparable Projects:  Instructors shall be responsible for returning to student's term papers and other comparable projects with sufficient promptness to enhance the learning experience.  Term papers and other comparable projects are the property of students who prepare them.  Instructors shall retain such unclaimed course work for at least one semester to allow students to retrieve such work.  Instructors have a right to retain a copy of student course work for their own files.
Class Meetings:  Instructors shall be responsible for meeting their classes regularly and at scheduled times.  To allow units to take appropriate action, instructors shall notify their units if they are to be absent and have not made suitable arrangements regarding their classes.
Applicability of  the Code of Teaching Responsibility to Student Assistants:  Instructors of courses in which assistants are authorized to perform teaching, grading, or other instructional functions shall be responsible for acquainting such individuals with the provisions of this Code and for monitoring their compliance.
Instructor Accessibility to Students:  Instructors shall be responsible for being accessible to students outside of class time and therefore shall schedule and keep office hours for student conferences.  Office hours should be scheduled at times convenient to both students and instructors with the additional option of mutually convenient prearranged appointments for students whose schedules conflict with announced office hours.  Each teaching unit shall determine the minimum number of office hours for instructors in that unit.  Instructors who serve as academic advisors also shall be responsible for maintaining appropriate office hours before and during enrollment periods.  In addition to office hours, instructor accessibility through e-mail and other means is encouraged.
Commercialization of Course Notes and Materials:  The University prohibits students from commercializing their notes of lectures and University-provided class materials without the written consent of the instructor.  Instructors may allow commercialization by including permission in the course syllabus or other written statement distributed to all students in the class.

Hearing Procedures

Students may register complaints regarding an instructor's failure to comply with the provisions of the Code of Teaching Responsibility directly with that instructor.
Students may also take complaints directly to teaching units' chief administrators or their designates. If those persons are unable to resolve matters to the student's satisfaction, undergraduate students may request a formal grievance hearing before the University Academic Grievance Hearing Board (see SRR Article 7. III). Unsatisfied graduate students may request a formal grievance hearing before their department hearing board (see GSRR Article 5). Before doing this, all students are encouraged to meet with the University Ombudsperson.
Such complaints must normally be initiated no later than the middle of the semester following the one wherein alleged violations occurred. Exceptions shall be made in cases where the involved instructor or student is absent from the University during the semester following the one wherein alleged violations occurred.

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