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The Academy is an intensive cohort-based developmental experience that happens every spring semester. The vision of the Academy is to create a learning community of engaged scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds who will apply theories and principles of leadership to their current contexts and beyond.
Participants will begin by identifying their own strengths and growth areas as leaders. They will attend professional development workshops, engaging with advancedleadership concepts through discussions with leaders on campus and in the community.  Participants will work on teams that will design and execute leadership development projects. Projects in the past have focused on improving or creating Graduate Student Organizations, organizing service projects, researching leadership development opportunities on campus, and working to overcome personal barriers to leadership. (Picture: Speaker Vivek Vellanki facilitating a session at the 2019-2020 Leadership Academy).
Examples of past projects:

Organize forums for graduate students to disucss the intersection of DEIJ principles and graduate student life
Hosting a mock conference for graduate students to practice presenting in an informal setting
Hosting weekly, informal gatherings with graduate students, post docs, and grad school faculty
Creating and distributing surveys regarding… 

International students and mental health
Recycling and sustainability practices among grad students

This week, we are featuring Julie Strachota, Assistant Professor of Health Programs in Large Animal Clinical Sciences, within the College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU. Julie 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 initiative) regularly!
Read more about Julie’s 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?  
Passion
What does this word/quality looks like in your practice? Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so how?
I believe that being an educator requires passion for those that you are educating.  I strive to be empathetic while creating excitement and enthusiasm within the classroom and/or clinic.  Educators are constantly learning as well in order to keep up-to-date on the cutting edge material in their topic of specialization. 
Tell us 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 an assistant professor within the Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department at the College of Veterinary Medicine.  I am also the Director of Clinical Education for the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). I have the pleasure of working with veterinary students and veterinary nursing students throughout their 4 years at the CVM.   
I am a boarded theriogenologist and teach animal reproduction and equine primary care topics within the CVM curriculum. On the clinic floor, I run the large animal theriogenology service within the Veterinary Medical Center at MSU.  I also moderate two clinical clerkships for equine-focused students in equine primary care and equine theriogenology. 
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
One challenge that I experience is getting students excited to learn about the topic that I am teaching.  My solution for this is to make the classroom fun and exciting.  I try to teach clinically applicable topics and give examples of how students will see this topic in clinical practice. 
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
I try to continually improve the student experience within the classroom by adding hands-on experiences and clinically applicable topics.   
I truly care about the students and want them to succeed.  When I am teaching, I am 100% focused on those students and the task at hand.  I let all other stresses or obstacles pause during my time in the classroom.   
I am passionate about the topics that I teach which helps me be successful as an educator.  If you love what you do and what you teach, it is easy to go to work everyday and share that passion. .
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester?
I am excited for my new role as Director of Clinical Education.  I hope to make a positive impact on veterinary and veterinary nursing students by continuing to improve clinical opportunities. I am excited to continue to teach veterinary students at different points throughout their journey in veterinary education. I hope that I am a role model for veterinary students both in the classroom and on the clinic floor. 

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! 

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

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

Faculty/Staff 

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

Students 

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

Results 

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

Successes 

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

Challenges 

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

Future Steps 

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

Figure Descriptions 

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

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

This week, we are featuring Dr. Dustin De Felice, Associate Professor and Director of MSU’s English Language Center. Dr. De Felice 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 Dustin’s 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? 
One word = Language. I added my CV and resume into a WordCloud generator (https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/) and both generations put that word in the center. I believe that it reflects my focus in my teaching, learning, and supporting. 



What does this word/quality look like in your practice? Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
I believe I can best assess student understanding through the use of a variety of classroom tasks and assignments that build from and into each other. I rely very heavily on projects that give students the chance to engage in conversations, observations or interactions with language learning situations and language learners. I also believe in autonomous learning and the benefits students receive from working through material at their own pace. As such, I have been offering my courses in hybrid forms with some interactions in the classroom balanced with other interactions asynchronously. Within my classroom, I shy away from lecturing for more than twenty minutes and within those twenty minute blocks, I incorporate video, audio, or other multimedia files along with practical examples that I will ask the students to complete in small groups. I like to design packets of activities that encourage my students to learn the material while demonstrating their current level of understanding at the same time.
All of this direction comes from my earliest experiences with languages and language teaching. I remember being drawn to the English language from an early age. I was fascinated by dialects and accents, and I was especially taken by comedians, rappers and great orators and their abilities to make the English language entertain, inspire and provoke. However, it didn’t take me too long to realize I wasn’t drawn to the English language per se, but to all languages. I began taking courses in linguistics, education, humanities and sociology to help me better understand the world-at-large. Early in my career, I started teaching English as Second Language in Chicago, and I found the experience exhilarating. There I was midway through my B.A. and I was teaching three hour classes every morning and every night four times a week. I worked in a rundown building with no A/C in the summer and half-working space heaters in the winter. The classes were full of immigrants from all over Latin America and most of my classes had 35-55 students in them. Of course there were no textbooks, no curriculum or even a plan for that matter, but I loved the challenge. I loved every moment of trying to help these motivated adults learn something about English, about the city and about the U.S. I think that the challenge is what keeps me going. I sincerely enjoying working with students on succeeding at whatever tasks they have in front of them, and I especially enjoy doing so when it involves language of all kinds.
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?)
My educational setting includes the English Language Center as my primary home with multiple affiliations in or with graduate programs, undergraduate courses, service-oriented centers, and student-centered activities. I have a much smaller teaching load than I used to now that I spend most of my time in administration, but I specifically asked to maintain a teaching load because of how much I draw from my teaching. In fact, I don’t know how I would get through each semester without having the opportunity to work alongside students and their learning. 
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
MSU is a big and sometimes confusing place. I see opportunities in my teaching as a way of making MSU a place where students can succeed. I strive to provide my students with a welcoming environment whereby their learning becomes one of many ways of helping them reach their long-term goals. I try to provide opportunities through my courses and daily interactions to educational experiences that will help shape students’ futures. I also strive to be someone the students are very comfortable approaching with questions and/or advice. This approach includes ensuring I am accessible and open for meetings as needed. Within my courses, I work to conscientiously provide my students with an interesting variety of tasks to help keep them curious, satisfied, and motivated.
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
I am very interested in student success, so I often utilize a 2-week module schedule, which helps make tasks more manageable and less stressful than a 1-week module format. Many students have told me the additional week gives them enough time to understand readings and complete tasks without rushing, which leads to better quality submissions. I believe student success requires creativity and flexibility, so I design classes that give lots of new ways to integrate ideas into students’ lives. I intentionally design course activities and readings with a focus on practicality. I also strive to be very responsive and available to answer questions/concerns from students. Many students have told me that my timely comments and grading are very helpful to them. In my courses, I seek out extra resources based on student interest and need. That kind of searching often leads to flexibility in applying the course content to best serve the students. Because communication is a key component of the practices that help me feel successful, many students have commented on how they really enjoy the open communication between the students and me.  I hope to let everyone focus on their interests and pull out what will be useful for them in their personal and professional lives. Part of that hope includes taking the time to get to know my students’ interests. Lastly, I always have modules up ahead of time, which really helps students plan their time. 
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? 
It has been a difficult few years with so many national and international events that I would like to hear more about keeping or reinvigorating the joy and passion in our teaching and learning. I often meet with students and faculty 1-to-1, and I have to say there are so many good ideas and perspectives to inspire and share.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester?
Now that my role is more administration than teaching, I look forward to learning more about what the faculty around me are doing in their classrooms. Of course, I get the pleasure of supporting their teaching, and I’m constantly amazed at the creativity I see in the faculty around me. I suppose the main reason I so enjoy learning about what the faculty are doing in their courses is because that level of creativity just brings out the best in our students. Watching our students learn, grow, and get closer to any and all their goals is just a rewarding endeavor.  



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!

The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both challenges and opportunities. An off-campus, flipped section of ANTR 350 has been offered in Grand Rapids during the summer since 2017. When Michigan State University moved to online learning for summer 2020, the class was adapted to a Zoom-based, synchronous model. Students were required to complete online learning modules as preparation for each class. During class, students worked in small groups to complete application activities in Zoom breakout rooms.
Groups were assigned and reconfigured for each unit. The instructor provided recommendations for working effectively in a group and students received feedback after the first and third units regarding their teamwork skills and class performance. Unit exams were two-stage examinations, consisting of an individual exam followed immediately by a group exam. These examinations were timed and proctored over Zoom by faculty and staff.
Students and faculty faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. However, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and flexibility. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous iterations of the course. The instructor observed improved group work skills, which was mirrored by student feedback. Overall, we were able to retain the flipped approach and emphasis on group work by using Zoom breakout rooms to simulate a collaborative learning environment comparable to that of the in-person experience.

To access a PDF of the "Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course 
Ryan Maureen Tubbs, Department of Radiology, Division of Human Anatomy, College of Human Medicine
Alexis Amos, Michigan State University, Psychology Major, Senior 
ANTR 350 Goes Virtual 
ANTR 350, Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionalsis an undergraduate course traditionally offered as large, in-person lecture sections on main campus and as a flipped, in-person section in Grand Rapids during summer semesters. 
When Michigan State University moved to online learning for summer 2020, the class was adapted to a Zoom-based, synchronous model. Students were required to complete online learning modules as preparation for each class. During class, students worked in small groups to complete application activities in Zoom breakout rooms. The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both challenges and opportunities in terms of creating a collaborative learning environment.  
An online preparatory assignment was due at start of each class 


Readings interspersed with videos, interactive models, and questions 


Guided by specific learning objectives 


Variable number of questions but each assignment worth 2pts (total 11.2% of grade) 


Image: screenshot of a portion of a Top Hat Assignment titled "Preparatory Reading June 9". Some of the learning objectives and headings are shown. 
During class, students primarily collaborated in Zoom breakout rooms to review and apply the content covered in the preparatory assignment. The instructor moved between rooms to check on group progress and answer questions. Most in-class activities utilized Google docs or Top Hat, so the instructor could also observe group progress in real time. For most activities, keys were available during class so that groups did not end up stuck on any questions.  
10:00-10:03 Application prompt while people logged in, answers entered in zoom chat 
10:04-10:15 Synchronous, Top Hat-based Readiness Quiz, 5 questions 
10:15-11:45 Groupwork and mini-lectures* 
11:45-11:50 Post-class survey soliciting feedback on activities & overall session
Image: screenshot of example application exercise using Google Docs. A CT is shown on the right side of the image and a series of questions is shown on the left. Students answers to the questions are shown in blue. 
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment 
The importance of developing teamwork skills was emphasized in the syllabus and during the course overview presentation. Students were given descriptions of five different group roles (leader, learner, time-keeper, recorder, and summarizer) and asked to try moving between the roles. Students were asked to read and agree to expectations for student interactions, including keeping camera on when possible, actively engaging with the group, agreeing not to take screenshots or record the session, and guidelines about private chats. The instructor acknowledged the awkwardness of working with strangers over zoom and asked all students to be generous of spirit with each other.  
A brief ice-breaker activity was assigned at the start of each unit to give students an opportunity to develop their collaborative learning relationships. After each unit, students were asked to give honest feedback to the instructor about each of their groupmates’ collaborative learning skills. Students received feedback summaries and recommendations about how to improve their collaborative skills at the end of units 1 and 3. Groups were also asked to set ground rules and group goals at the start of units 2 and 3. 
Image: screenshot of June 9 Top Hat In-Class Page. Activity 1 is an ice breaker for new groups. Activity 2 is an axial muscles google doc groupwork exercise. Activity 3 is the review of that google doc as a whole class and Activity 4 is setting Unit 2 goals. 
The importance of collaborative learning was emphasized by the inclusion of collaborative testing. Unit exams consisted of an individual exam followed immediately by the same exam taken in their groups. The group exam contributed 16.67% to each unit exam score.  
Student feedback was collected in SIRS, post-class, and post-course surveys 
Student Feedback 
Image: bar chart showing responses to "How many of your classmates that you did not know previously did you communicate with outside of class during the semester?" 


Fall 2019 (in-person section): Average of 1.3125 


Spring 2020 (Fall 2019 (in-person section until COVID moved asynchronous): Average of 1.2181 


Summer 2020 (sychronous zoom) 1.5625 


Fall 2020 (asynchronous online) 0.8082 


Image: bar chart showing response to "Overall, did you have someone you could reach out to if you struggled with content during this course?" 
Fall 2019 (in-person):  
Yes for all units 79.2% 
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0% 
Yes, for 1 or two units 12.5% 
No, I never really did 8.3% 
Spring 2020 (mostly in-person) 
Yes for all units 67.3% 
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4% 
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.3% 
No, I never really did 10.9% 
Summer 2020 (synchronous, virtual) 
Yes for all units 81.3% 
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0% 
Yes, for 1 or two units 6.2% 
No, I never really did 12.5% 
Fall 2020 (asychronous, virtual) 
Yes for all units 60.8% 
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4% 
Yes, for 1 or two units 14.9% 
No, I never really did 18.9% 
Spring 2021 (asychronous, current course) 
Yes for all units 54.7% 
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 4.7% 
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.1% 
No, I never really did 24.5% 
Image: 100% Stacked Column Chart showing student responses to "How comfortable did you feel reaching out to a  course instructor if you struggled with content?" 
Fall 2019 
Extremely Comfortable 54% 
Somewhat comfortable 29% 
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 8% 
Somewhat uncomfortable 4% 
Extremely uncomfortable 4% 
Spring 2020 
Extremely Comfortable 36% 
Somewhat comfortable 29% 
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 20% 
Somewhat uncomfortable 15% 
Extremely uncomfortable 0% 
Summer 2020  
Extremely Comfortable 87% 
Somewhat comfortable 0% 
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 13% 
Somewhat uncomfortable 0% 
Extremely uncomfortable 0% 
Fall 2020  
Extremely Comfortable 39% 
Somewhat comfortable 32% 
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 18% 
Somewhat uncomfortable 8% 
Extremely uncomfortable 3% 
Spring 2021  
Extremely Comfortable 35% 
Somewhat comfortable 30% 
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 30% 
Somewhat uncomfortable 4% 
Extremely uncomfortable 2% 
Image: Pie Chart Titled "Overall, how supported did you feel during this course compared to other courses you have taken?” (Summer 2020) 
Far above average is shown as 81%, Somewhat above average is shown as 13%, Average is shown as 6%. Somewhat below average and far below average are listed in the legend but not represented in the chart as they are 0% 
Conclusions 
Summer 2020 was a hard semester for everyone. We all faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. Despite these challenges, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and we were able to create a collaborative learning environment using Zoom breakout rooms. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous Summer iterations of the course. In addition, students felt more connected compared to the asynchronous Fall sections. 
Image: Table “Student Performance” 
Number of students enrolled in course:  
Summer 2019: 22 
Spring 2020: 338 
Summer 2020: 52 
Number of students withdrawn from course: 
Summer 2019: 0 
Spring 2020: 1 
Summer 2020: 0 
Mean percent score overall: 
Summer 2019: 82.85% 
Spring 2020: 90.19% 
Summer 2020: 89.03% 
Number of students with passing scores (2.0 or higher): 
Summer 2019: 20 
Spring 2020: 332 
Summer 2020: 50 
Number of students with failing scores (1.5 of lower): 
Summer 2019: 2 
Spring 2020: 4 
Summer 2020: 2 
Percentage of students with failing scores: 
Summer 2019: 9% 
Spring 2020: 1% 
Summer 2020: 3.8% 
Image: Results of MSU Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS)  
Summer 2019 SIRS 
Course Organization 
Superior 33.3% 
Above Average 55.5% 
Average 11.1% 
Below Average 0% 
Inferior 0% 
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course 
Superior 33.3% 
Above Average 55.5% 
Average 11.1% 
Below Average 0% 
Inferior 0% 
Your general enjoyment of the course 
Superior 33.3% 
Above Average 44.4% 
Average 22.2% 
Below Average 0% 
Inferior 0% 
Summer 2020 SIRS 
Course Organization 
Superior 70.9% 
Above Average 19.3% 
Average 6.45% 
Below Average 3.22% 
Inferior 0% 
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course 
Superior 77.4% 
Above Average 16.1% 
Average 6.45% 
Below Average 0% 
Inferior 0% 
Your general enjoyment of the course 
Superior 54.8% 
Above Average 38.7% 
Average 6.45% 
Below Average 0% 
Inferior 0% 
References 
Gaillard, Frank. “Acute Maxillary Sinusitis: Radiology Case.” Radiopaedia Blog RSS, radiopaedia.org/cases/acute-maxillary-sinusitis?lang=us.  
ANTR 350 Top Hat Course. www.tophat.com  
Acknowledgments  
A giant thank you to the ANTR 350 Summer Class of 2020!  
 
 

This poster outlines approximately 20 suggestions to help students navigate online courses more successfully. Even with careful planning and development, the normalization of remote learning has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses. Besides worrying about a stable internet connection, students must confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs notwithstanding, and despite our carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and the like, students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the brave new world of the virtual. The reduction of course material by instructors to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them as they make the shift to online learning. But there are a number of fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth this rocky road over which students must now travel. The tips I share have emerged and been developed further as part of my own ongoing process to minimize confusion, frustration, and improve levels of engagement, while simultaneously imparting more agency to the students enrolled in my IAH courses here at Michigan State University.To access a PDF of the "Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster 
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup 
Stokes Schwartz, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities 
College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University 
Abstract 
The normalization of remote learning during 2020-2021 has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses.  Besides worrying about stable internet connections, they must also confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Even with instructor participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs, carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and etc., students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the virtual. Our reduction of course material to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates via Zoom or Teams do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them either in the shift to online learning.  But there are a few fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth the rocky road over which students must travel. The tips and suggestions I share in this poster presentation have emerged as part of my own ongoing process to minimize student confusion, frustration, and improve engagement, while simultaneously impart greater agency and opportunity for success to the young adults populating my asynchronous online IAH courses here at MSU during the 2020-2021 academic year. 
Background 

In mid-March 2020, school pupils, university students, and educators everywhere were thrown into disarray by the mass onset of the Covid-19 virus, related lockdowns, and interruptions to normal student-instructor interactions. 
At Michigan State University, we scrambled throughout the summer to prepare for the 2020-2021AY and reconfigure existing courses for online delivery.  
Yet reasonably well developed and presented online courses alone have not enough for students to succeed.  Even in the face of MSU’s push for empathy and understanding, students have demonstrated that they require additional help making the leap from traditional face-to-face to online learning. 
Instructors are well-placed to assist students in an ongoing way as they make this challenging transition.   
Without much additional work, we can support and encourage our students with weekly reminders that exhibit kind words, cues, prompts, signposts pointing the way forward, and calls to action. 
We can foster improved student engagement, learning, and success despite the challenging, new environment in which we operate. 
We can guide students through their many weekly activities with roadmaps to help them navigate course intricacies more easily 
We can provide students with ample opportunity for new ways of learning, thinking, knowing, and the acquisition of 21st century skills. 
In short, faculty teaching online courses occupy an ideal position to prepare students to operate more efficiently and productively in the real world after graduation since remote work and collaboration online is expected to increase markedly as society speeds further along into the 21st century. 

Develop Supporting Communications 

Beside online syllabi, course modules with seem to be clear directions, etc. students need reminders to keep an asynchronous online general education course in mind, on the rails, and moving forward.   
Routine, consistent supporting communications to students from the instructor help to minimize student confusion. 
Send reminders on the same day each week for the coming week. 
Include headers in all course documents, and email signatures, listing a few ‘how to succeed in this course’ tips. 
Share same supporting communication to weekly modules in LMS.  
Students benefit from supporting communication that guide them through the activities for a given week during the semester. 
When students see supporting communications routinely and predictably, they are more likely to remember and act on it. 

Provide Weekly Guidelines 

Through supporting communication, provide additional prompts, directions, clarifications, and reminders to students.  Let’s call these weekly reminders “guidelines.”. 
Emphasize steps students can take to achieve success in the course.  
Keep guidelines fairly short and to the point to avoid information overload. 
Include the week, your name, course name, and number at top of guidelines as both an advance organizer and to help guidelines standout in students’ email inboxes. 
Provide students with concise ‘roadmaps’ in these guidelines making it easy to plan and carry out their coursework each week. 
Conclude guidelines with a call to action for students to complete course-related activities, much like a TV or online commercial, or an old fashioned print ad. 
Think of weekly guidelines as marketing communications that have a higher purpose than just promotion however.  
Share same guidelines at top of weekly online modules in LMS, so students can access them in more than one place.  

Include Key Course Policy Reminders 

Students will not remember all course policies, and expectations outlined in our syllabi.  Some might conveniently “forget.”   
Provide gentle reminders from week to week.  
Assist students by including important course information as part of the guidelines sent each week.  
Remind students of key course policies, expectations, and their responsibilities as members of the course. 
One possible segue way might be,  “For students who have chosen to remain in this course, the expectation is. . .” 
Remind students that we are in a university setting, they are adults, and to avoid letting themselves fall through the cracks. 
Invite students to seek help or clarification from the instructor if they or their student learning team need it. 

Foster Civil Interaction 

We have asked students to make a huge leap into uncharted waters.  They are frustrated and possibly fearful. 
Many are not used to online learning, self-reflection, thinking on their feet, problem solving, or working cohesively with others.  
Many already exhibit an entitled, customer service mindset. 
Make expectations for civil interaction clear with a concise statement in online syllabi, modules, and weekly guidelines.   
Model civility with polite decorum and kindness to reduce potential problems with disgruntled students. 
Be respectful and civil in your synchronous, asynchronous, or email interaction with students.  Listen without interrupting. 
Avoid terse replies, even to naïve questions! 
Use the student’s name in verbal or email replies. 
Reduce the potential for unpleasant episodes by opening all email replies with “Thank you for your email,” and conclude them with “Best/Kind Regards. . .”   
Be the adult in the room and show patience, patience, patience! 
Here are vital teachable moments that allow us to help shape students for collegial and productive working lives following graduation. 
Civil interaction is challenging given the various pressures and constraints under which all of us, faculty and students, must operate, but it is an important part of facilitating continued student engagement and success in our online courses.  

Remind Students of the Skills They Cultivate 

Besides the specific subject matter of the course, remind students in weekly guidelines that they are also cultivating real world expertise.   
‘21st century skills, ’ a term used by Christopher J. Dede, John Richards  and others in The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy (2020), enable a smooth transition into the globalized digital economy after graduation.   
Remind students that they are refining relevant skills in:  
Deeper (critical) thinking  
Collaboration and collegiality  
Personal and agency and proactive engagement.  
Effective planning and organization  
Time management.   
Intellectually openness and mental agility.   
Learning from mistakes.   
Accountability and ownership 
Self-Awareness  
Attention to detail  
Timely and Frequent Communication with Your Team  
Creative problem-solving  
Development of high quality work 
Consistency  
On-time delivery of assignments and projects. 
Self-regulation 
Frequent practice of skills like these during weekly course-related activities better prepares students for long term employability through an anticipated six decades of working life in a rapidly changing world. 

Establish Consistent Guideline Format 
Below is a possible format for the weekly guidelines I propose: 

A recurring header in your weekly that lists easy steps students can take to ensure their own success in course.  
Begin with an advance organizer that identifies right away the week, semester, and dates the guidelines are for. 
Follow with a friendly greeting and focusing statement in a brief paragraph. 
Highlight any due dates in yellow below the greeting below greeting and focusing statement. 
Include two-three concise paragraphs that enumerate and outline individual assignments or team projects for the week. 
Provide brief directions for how (and when) to ask questions or seek clarification. 
Furnish technical assistance contact information for students who experience challenges uploading assignments or team projects. 
Remind students gently about the collaborative course design and expectations for students enrolled in the course. 
Mention to students of the need to keep course policies and expectations in mind as they complete their work. 
Highlight the big picture skills students practice each week besides the specific subject matter of the course, and how those skills are relevant to their lives after graduation. 
Finish with a closing salutation that is a bit less formal and includes good wishes for students’ continued safety and well-being. 

Conclusion 

The approach outlined here has emerged, crystalized, and evolved over two semesters in the interest of ensuring student success in asynchronous online IAH courses. 
While these observations are preliminary at this point, most students in the six courses taught during 2020-2021 have met the challenges facing them, completed their individual and collaborative coursework, and met or exceeded rubric expectations.  
 Anticipated student problems and drama either have not materialized, or have been minimal. 
Early impressions suggest that supporting communications like these are helpful to students when it comes to navigating online courses more easily and completing related tasks. 
Weekly supporting communications, presented as brief guidelines, might also be useful in the context in synchronous online, hybrid, and hy-flex as well as traditional face-to-face courses when it comes to helping students navigate and complete coursework in less confused, more systematic way. 
Future plans include refining the weekly guidelines further and possibly assessing their effectiveness through a small study. 

Through different class communications, the presenter collected MSU international students' reflections on their study and life in the pandemic and tries to reveal a glimpse of their remote learning in global contexts through a documentary report. To many international students, studying in the pandemic was just like riding a roller coaster: a great expectation of study abroad at the beginning, then disappointment as it had been changed into online classes, and then excitement again with interesting findings on Zoom class. This, however, was often followed by mid-term exhaustion after a few weeks' struggle with study pressure and time differences. First, online classes offered great convenience and mobility. Many international students could now enjoy a nice family reunion while taking online classes. When attending Zoom lectures, many international students were nervous and worried about their English. Therefore, remote teaching of international students often requires much more patience and understanding.Many students also liked the self-paced learning offered by asynchronous classes. Still, many times the class would be reduced to a routine of watching class videos and finishing follow-up quizzes.In 2020, MSU collaborated with Fudan University in Shanghai to offer some local classes during the pandemic. Though students could only take online classes from Fudan, they still enjoyed some of the classes and different activities/events organized by MSU students' association. In this way, they got to know each other better and became more familiar with MSU courses and culture.To access a PDF of the "Global Spartan Stories: International Students in the Pandemic" poster, click here.Description of the Poster :
Global Spartan Stories: International Students in the Pandemic 
Xinqiang Li 
Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures 
Why MSU 
“My father studied at MSU 30 years ago. And surprisingly I’ve been assigned to the same dormitory building as my father’s!” – a student from Korea 
“I have many friends studying here and dreamed one day I could see the beautiful snow at MSU. Because of the recent chaos, my parents worried about my future study in the US and tried to persuade me to transfer to Singapore, but I eventually chose MSU for its higher quality of education.”  – a student from China 
“My older brother studied at MSU and he suggested me apply to this school. He gave me a lot of advice on how to apply for scholarship (from my country) for studying abroad.” – a student from UAE 
“I attended high school here in Michigan and really enjoyed the football games at MSU. Actually, it was my American host mother who drove me to campus when I moved in, as she was concerned about my safety in the pandemic.” – a student from China 
Taking online classes  
Zoom in – Classes on Zoom 
First contact – in English  
For the very first time Hua (pseudonym) clicked into Zoom class, rehearsing in her mind the self-introduction she previously wrote: “My name is…”.  To many international students like Hua, this was their first time to take overseas class online. They were nervous, worried about their English expression and often kept silent until the teacher asked them to answer questions. Luckily, many times the instructors showed patience and understanding to such situation and tried to accommodate the international students in the online space. 
Breakout room and groupwork 
Groupwork might sometimes be a challenge, too. Coming from different cultural and educational background, many international students might still need time to adapt to different groupwork. There were inspiring conversations in Zoom Breakout rooms, but there were also awkward 15 minutes of silence before the instructor pulled them back to the main room.   
On the other hand, there were happy collaborations in online class. International students often found their American classmates “friendly” and “helpful”, offering to input discussion summaries on Google doc. and never hesitating to shout out “Good job!” when their international partners finished their presentations. This was one of the sweetest cultural experiences the international students had enjoyed, even in an online space.   
Camera on and off 
One of the advantages of Zoom class at MSU is students were allowed to turn off their camera during the class. Such flexibility added more home comfort to the “learning-at-home” format and enhanced the learning effects. More importantly, this way international students would suffer less language difficulties and Zoom fatigue, and concentrate more on the instructor’s English speech. This actually provided one special advantage which could hardly be achieved in a traditional classroom. Admittedly, this might sometimes lead to abuse of the freedom, with students swiping cell phone or sleeping behind the camera. Still, it turned out there were few students drifting away from my class behind the black screens, and I was fine with students taking class in pajamas or drinking coffee behind the camera, if only this could make themselves at home and help to improve their learning.    
Zoom inspiration and fatigueThe exciting moment on Zoom was when students from countries, despite the time difference, insisted on participating in the class and sharing their cultures, exchanging different perspectives and building constructive relationship online.  
“Every class having a similar format, such as sharing a power-point presentation, and lecturing on the side, has gotten to be quite tiring. From hearing and looking at the same thing every day, I have lost interest in a lot of my classes.”
Zoom out - online classes in general 
To many international students, studying in the pandemic was just like riding a roller coaster: a great expectation when getting admitted to MSU, then disappointment as it switched to online class, and then the excitement came back when they met people from different countries online while enjoying home comfort.  This, however, was often followed by a mid-term burnout after a few weeks’ struggle with study pressure and time differences.  
“After a few weeks, my enthusiasm waned and didn’t care about my class anymore. Since the class was recorded, I can always watch the recordings. That gave me an excuse for not paying attention to the class.” 
Time difference 
“Due to different time zones, I start my first class at 10 pm. If I have a class at 4 AM, I try to sleep 2 or 3 hours before the first-class starts. I usually set an alarm 15 minutes before the class starts. Waking up, I take some water, and this helps me to stay awake at 4 AM and concentrate on the class.”  
“At 3am I woke up all of a sudden, and sadly found I’ve missed the CAS 110 class at 12 am. Then, I fell asleep again…” 
Time difference posed many challenges to international students. Luckily, most classes offered the advantage of having class sessions recorded, which is “a useful resource for all students, not just those attending asynchronously” (Gannon). On the other hand, there were also many enthusiastic international students who expected and enjoyed the intimacy of the overseas class and insisted on participating in the synchronous lectures (instead of watching the class recordings) even when it was 3, 4am in their home countries. 
Bonuses of online class 
Online class offered more convenience and mobility. Now students didn’t have to get up early and wait for the bus in the cold winter morning. Even though they sometimes had to take class late at night, they could at least enjoy the delicious midnight snacks made by their moms. Despite the inconveniences of class time, they could now celebrate different festivals with their families, which was unimaginable when they studied in the US. 
“In order to celebrate the Spring Festival with my family, I tried to finish all my homework on New Year’s Eve. Even though I had to leave the dinner party earlier for another online class, I was excited when hearing my American professor greet us with “Happy New Year” in the class.” In the meantime, their friends staying at MSU admired their photos of family reunion and festival celebration. These friends, however, had their own way of celebration, enjoying the spacious hall of the dormitory building, and sometimes cooking together with friends. When they missed home, their moms were always available on video chat asking about their life in the US. 
The Fudan program  
In 2020, MSU collaborated with different partner schools around the world to offer more classes during the pandemic. The collaboration with Fudan University in Shanghai was one of the major programs. Fudan is a well-known university in China (“it’s just like Stanford University in China”, as one student said) and Shanghai is such a vibrant cosmopolitan city. Therefore, this program had attracted many Chinese students. However, it was a pity that they could not visit the campus of Fudan as the program offered only online classes. Despite the disadvantages, many students still enjoyed some classes, and they could speak Chinese freely in the class, which was an added bonus. Even in Shanghai the MSU students could still participate in different activities/events organized by MSU students’ association, and in this way, they got to know each other better and became more familiar with MSU courses and culture.  
Acknowledgments  
Thank WRA 1004 classes for their contribution. All the materials come from in-class discussions and writing practices.  
References  
Gannon, K. (2020, October 26). Advice: Our hyflex experiment: What's worked and what hasn’t.  
MSU Alumni Office (2021, April 28). Global Day of Service, Spartans Will! 

For years, the Office of Admissions has provided our campus with an academic profile of each incoming class. Admissions is now positioned to provide a similar profile of admitted students' co-curricular activities. The data-informed profile provides opportunities to assess how many such activities were tied to areas such as athletics or find more narrow measures, such as the scale of first-year Lyman Briggs College student involvement within the fine arts. Additionally, our institution can identify involvements in areas such as research activity, with such involvements potentially providing students with a foundation for future involvement in high-impact experiences at the undergraduate level.To access a PDF of the "What is the Activities Profile of our Fall 2021 First-Year Class?" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster 
 
What is the Activities Profile of our Fall 2021 First-Year Class? 
Terence Brown 
Abstract 
For years, the Office of Admissions has provided our campus with an academic profile of each incoming class. Admissions is now positioned to provide a similar profile of admitted students’ cocurricular activities. The data-informed profile provides opportunities to assess how many such activities were tied to areas such as athletics or find more narrow measures, such as the scale of first-year Lyman Briggs College student involvement within the fine arts. Additionally, our institution can identify involvements in areas such as research activity, with such involvements potentially providing students with a foundation for future involvement in high-impact practices at the undergraduate level.  [The abstract is accompanied by word cloud that forms a two-dimensional Spartan helmet from the Common Application’s categories for student co-curriculars.]  
Introduction 
MSU’s adoption of the Common Application, now allows Admissions for to collect descriptive information for applicants’ cocurricular activities. The additional information includes applicant descriptions of their high school cocurriculars, categories assigned to each activity and whether a student wishes to continue participation in the activity during their collegiate years. Currently, approximately 71% of first-year students apply to MSU via the Common Application.    This assessment fundamentally asks two questions: 

What does the profile look in the aggregate and by college? 
Can the profile information support our institution’s efforts in the realm of offering high-impact practices (Kuh et al., 2008; AACU, 2018) to our students? 

Results 
In assessing the 204,672 admitted student activity entries as of April 19, 2021, there were a few general findings. First was that students wished to continue with approximately 66% percent of these activities. Second was that the leading activity categories were athletics, community service and work. The collective of academic activities was ranked fourth, with the category having been in the top three in the two preceding years. The test case of Lyman Briggs majors with fine arts experiences was a significant (378 total) but small 5.5%. A full review of results across colleges is pending, but early findings only showed occasional reordering of the established top four categories.   This data must be viewed with the understanding that many applications are completed by the parents of applicants (Jaschik, 2017). However, the data still provides a good foundation for identifying activities that can serve as a gateway to high-impact practices at MSU. There were lower rankings for high school activities categories covering involvements that would most-readily prepare students for Internships, Diversity/Global Understanding and Research.  [The “results” section includes an Excel chart that lists the total activities reported by category, the Common Application’s activity categories, high impact experience categories and MSU Student Activities categories for student organizations.]  
Methods 
During the three most-recent admissions cycles, an iterative process has been used to collect and organized the cocurricular data from applications submitted via the Common Application platform. The Common Application is one of three platforms available to students, but was used by the majority of applicants in each of the last three admission cycles.   Summary data was compiled and applied to a matrix that incorporates all 30 Common Application categories for activities, five of the 11 high-impact practice categories and 12 of MSU’s Student Activities Office’s applicable student organization categories. Additional keywork searches were conducted, identifying student involvement in popular activities such as DECA and rare research areas such as CRISPR, but the activity profile’s assessment mainly focused on the broader categories.  [This section includes seven small, unconnected circles that are collectively placed in an array that forms a larger circle. Each circle includes text that describes a different step in the process used to gather, compile and share the data used in this poster presentation.]  
Conclusions 
The dominant application categories have largely held steady for three admission cycles. There was a notable change with the emergence of work moving into the top three. Incidentally, the top three categories have slightly varied in previous comparisons between MSU college cohorts. A similar assessment will be made after the closing of our MSU’s deposit deadline.  Future work in this area can be supported through use of the Educational Development Plan which Michigan schools maintain starting in middle school. To determine whether a particular high school activity helps prepare for high-impact involvement, the assessment portion of the EDP (Michigan Department of Education) could be used to identify traits that George Kuh associates with high-impact practices. Were the EDP to identify activities that provide students with sustained involvement, advisor involvement or a relevant coaching philosophy, such data could be inputted into the Slate CRM, and shared with appropriate campus partners prior to admitted student matriculation.  
Citations 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (2018). High-impact educational practices. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/node/4084 
Jaschik, S. (July 26, 2017). Survey: Parents finishing parts of college applications. From Inside Higher Education 
Kuh, G. D., Schneider, C. G., & Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities 
Michigan Department of Education (n.d.). The Educational Development Plan, p. 3. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/EDP_Fundamentals_ADA2017_570694_7.pdf