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The ideal learning expereince fosters thoughtful discussions between educators and students. These collaborative conversations, dialogues, and even debates can empower students to develop and grow their ideas and perspectives. It is important to remember that conflict is normal, and there are effective [healthy] ways to navigate difficult conversations with your students. By adopting an open and proactive approach to conflicts, you can reduce the frequency with which conflicts arise and their impact. Here are some strategies to help you both prevent and manage conflicts in your teaching:
Preventing conflicts

Be credible. Credibility is built from the first day of class and is continually judged throughout the term. On the first day, establish your credibility by providing some background information about your experience with the subject matter, your experience as a student, your research, etc. Show that you are focused and prepared. Keep this up throughout the term by coming to lectures prepared and sharing your lecture goals with your students. Organization, enthusiasm, solid knowledge of the content, and fairness all help to build and maintain credibility. Finally, you do not need to be perfect to be credible. If you make a mistake or don’t know the answer to a question, acknowledge the situation and focus on ensuring that the students get access to the required information as soon as possible. Defensive reactions tend to build conflict instead of preventing it.
Set clear expectations. Provide expectations from the start, both by writing them in your course outline and stating them in class. You can describe the goals of the course and outline roles for you and your students. You can also clearly emphasize your expectations for student behaviour and the consequences for prohibited behaviour, stressing mutual respect as a rationale for any ground rules. You can also include University policies towards certain behaviours (e.g., plagiarism) in your course outline. What this looks like in practice:

Listing expectations in your course syllabus. 
Discussing the expectations in class at the beginning of the semester. 
Reminding students of the expectations throughout the semester when teaching and during office hours.


Develop rapport and listen for understanding. Strengthening your relationships with students can help prevent conflict. Students work better when they feel that their instructors care about them; therefore, try to reduce anonymity and use students’ names whenever possible (e.g., in lectures and when grading assignments or papers). Be present a few minutes before and after class to answer questions and chat with the students informally. If students feel comfortable sharing their concerns with educators, every effort should be made to take those opportunities to listen. Employ these tips for productive conversations: 

Enter conversations with an open mind. 
Recognize that there may be something going on in the student’s life outside of academics that is impacting them. 
Express empathy for how a student’s life experiences can impact their behavior. The student’s reaction may differ from your interpretation of the conflict. 
Acknowledge and validate the student's feelings by listening fully without judgment. 
Help the student feel heard and valued by asking questions to clarify what they are trying to say. 


Use a dynamic teaching style. Good presentation and facilitation skills as well as enthusiasm for your teaching are assets that will keep students’ attention focused and help prevent distracting classroom behaviour such as lateness, talking, sleeping, etc. Using interactive teaching methods also helps to prevent distracting behaviours by involving students in the lecture.

Responding to conflict situations
Not all conflicts can be avoided with proactive measures. The following six steps describe a flexible response to many conflict situations. To practice implementing these steps, remember a conflict you have experienced and think about how these steps could be adapted to help you respond to that situation.

Don’t take it personally (but reflect on your impact). Conflict situations can make the participants feel upset, threatened, frustrated, and/or angry. These emotional reactions are unpleasant and they can interfere with your ability to respond constructively. Educators are in a position of authority when dealing with students and how you react/respond matters. Be aware of the power dynamic and take responsibility for initiating the conflict resolution process. Help to control your emotional responses to challenging situations by changing your perceptions of them. Due to this power imbalance, there may be times when your intentions do not align with your impact. Take steps to evaluate your actions and rectify the situation. What this looks like in practice:

Reframe your reaction...think to yourself, “That student is really upset – I wonder what the problem is?”, or “This is a distraction that needs to be addressed.”
Consider the impact of your words and actions on students.
Ask yourself if your message or delivery was disproportionately demanding or hurtful. 
Take responsibility for the harm caused and discuss actions you will take in the future to ensure it does not happen again.  You can serve as a role model by showing students a positive example of taking ownership of your impact and working to repair harm.
Ask yourself if you are the best person to discuss the situation with the student. Would other faculty, staff or students be better suited to respond? Sometimes asking for help to initiate a difficult conversation can be beneficial.





Choose when and where to deal with the situation. Responding immediately to student concerns, distress and inappropriate behaviour demonstrates that you are attentive to your students’ needs and reinforces your expectations for student behaviour. For example, if students are noisy in class you can respond immediately by pausing until you regain the students’ attention, making eye contact with the disruptive students, or asking if there is a problem you can help resolve. Some situations can not be fully addressed immediately. For example, addressing a serious disagreement in class can distract the students, undermine your authority and take time away from the planned learning activities. The best response can be to note that there is a situation that needs to be resolved and suggest when and where it might be further investigated. Try to be attentive to both your needs and the student’s situation when picking the time and place. If you sense that a student is intimidated by authority, you may want to meet in a neutral location, like a conference room, rather than in your office. By meeting at an appropriate time and place, you can facilitate open communication between yourself and the students.


Follow up, listen, and find common ground. When you meet with students, indicate that you are interested in hearing their perspectives by keeping a positive tone, and asking them open-ended questions, like “What part of the marking do you see as unfair?” When the students explain their situation, really listen: focus on their communication, don’t interrupt, and let them finish. Consider asking:

What outcomes do you and the student each hope come from the resolution? 
How can you and the student work together to meet each other’s needs? 
What steps can you and the student take to achieve these goals? 



Check your perception. It’s very easy to misinterpret someone, especially if either of you are at all emotional. To ensure that you understand your students, you can check your perception of their accounts by describing your understanding and asking them to correct any misinterpretations or elaborate on anything that you find unclear. When describing your understanding, reframe their points as positive comments using non-blaming words. For example, “If my group members think they can do this to me again, they’re mistaken!” can be rephrased as “It’s important to you that your rights are respected.” Rephrasing the problem reassures the students that you are listening to them and it ensures that all the parties understand the problem. You can also ask lots of open-ended questions until you have enough information to understand the problem. Ideally, the feedback process would end when the students’ comments and body language confirm that they are sure that you have completely understood their message.


Select and explain your position. Now that you understand the students, you are in a good position to select a course of action. Be sure to choose an action that is in line with your teaching goals for the course. Tell the students what you have decided and give them your rationale for your decision. For example, when responding to a mark dispute, you might choose to review the assignment with the student by making reference to the marking criteria. In explaining your position, you might want to show an example of an assignment that better meets your expectations.


Discuss next steps and document your decision. When you have explained what you have decided to do, you can discuss possible next steps with the students. Finally, in many cases, you will want to document your decisions and, where appropriate, the information upon which you have based your decision.

If your plan of action requires follow-up on your part, you may want to briefly explain the process. For example, if you agree to review an assignment, you might want to indicate when they can expect to receive your comments.
You may want to direct students to other resources on campus, including counseling or health services, to get support and/or documentation.
If the students are not satisfied with your decision, it is good practice to direct them to an appropriate avenue for appeal (e.g., department chair).



Responding to highly emotional students

Schedule an appointment. If a student is too emotional to communicate his or her situation, it may help to schedule an appointment for a later time. This delay gives both parties a chance to calm down and to review the problem.
Open your door. This gives a chance for neutral, outside observers to witness the event. Leaving the door open protects both the student and the instructor.
Acknowledge behaviours and emotions. You may want to recognize the student’s emotional state at the beginning of your meeting. For example, you could say, “I can see that you are really upset. Can you tell me what you find especially frustrating?” If a student’s behaviour becomes inappropriate, point it out to the student.
Get assistance. If you don’t know how to approach a conflict situation, get assistance from a colleague or one of MSU's relevant offices (IDI, Ombudsperson, CTLI). If a student becomes very aggressive or threatening, contact the Michigan State Univesity police.
Keep others informed. If you are concerned that a difficult situation is developing, consider notifying others immediately. For example, if you are a teaching assistant, you could notify the instructor, the department chair, and the Graduate School GTA-Development staff.

Ineffective ways to deal with conflicts

Conquest. Trying to win an argument will turn a disagreement into a battle for dominance. Intimidation tactics can cause students to challenge you further and discourage their participation.
Avoidance. Ignoring problems does not make them go away.
Bargaining. Compromise can be a laudable way to resolve a conflict, but not when your teaching objectives get subverted by the resolution process. For example, asking a student to be less disruptive in class in exchange for a better grade on an assignment rewards unacceptable behaviour, harms your credibility, and is unfair to your other students. Make sure that your response to conflict situations is consistent with your teaching and assessment goals and is equitable to all in your course.
Quick fix. A band-aid solution, like changing a grade to get rid of a student, can not solve a conflict. This strategy also rewards unacceptable behaviour, harms your credibility, and is unfair to other students.

Thank you to colleagues in university educator development at the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo, the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Colorado Boulder and others for their materials that informed or were adapted into this resource. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Finishing up the academic year isn’t the same flavor as past years. We’ve had a taste of a much different year and there’s no better time than the moment to reflect on what was accomplished, set aside, or re-imagined. With the spring sun comes a deep breath out, then pause, and inhale hope for the opportunities ahead.
Start with a 3 Breath Reset
At the start of each session of the Living in a Daring Way course, Lisa Laughman helps participants pause for a three breath reset. This practice is common in mindfulness-based stress reduction courses. Try this short technique to help you refocus and recenter yourself.

First breath: focus on your breath coming in and leaving your body.
Second breath: notice your tension in your body on the inhale. On the exhale take a more relaxed position.
Third breath: on the inhale try to connect to your deepest wisest self. On the exhale stay with your deepest wisest self and acknowledge that part of yourself.

Learn from Lisa Laughman, LMSW & ACSW in Health4U and the Employee Assistance Program. 
Season with Gratitude
“Throughout my career, I have found myself committed to appreciating the contributions of my colleagues, and the communities we served. Whether it was uplifting the stories of others or building structures to support gratitude sharing, giving thanks and holding space to appreciate others has been a constant,” said learning designer Makena Neal in a recent piece, Gratitude and the Culture of Care.
There’s evidence to support the importance of gratitude in the workplace. Practicing gratitude has significant impacts on positive affective well-being, can also promote kindness and generosity, and highlights our connection to one another. Moreover, triggers that inspire state gratitude, such as letters of appreciation, as well as institutionalized gratitude have been found to be predictors of job satisfaction.  
At MSU, you can formally Thank an Educator. You can also nominate your supervisor/administrator for this year’s Outstanding Supervisor Award by July 31, 2022. Anywhere you are you can send an email, verbally share your gratitude or send a token of appreciation. A small amount of gratitude can make a huge impact. So… who will you thank today?
Reflect on Accomplishments
Take a look at your personal accomplishments - not just the big hurray moments, but the moments of holding peace, wrapping up a long-tail project, and even finishing a very hard academic year. Sometimes survival is a success. Life isn’t just about reaching higher and higher peaks, sometimes it's about moving through the valleys, and just reaching a resting place is an endeavor worth honoring.
You can choose to track your professional success 
Jaimie Hutchison of the WorkLife Office provided this insight:
Often, after speaking with people, I learn how much more they actually have to offer than what shows up on their resume or LinkedIn profile. Here in the WorkLife Office, I do career consultations for faculty and staff. I have worked with faculty, executives, and staff members of all levels. In the end, the same advice and encouragement comes out:

By thinking through your impact and accomplishments, you can have a better sense of your contribution to your workplace.
You can have a better sense of yourself.
You can reflect on things you have done where you used your skills to the best of your ability.
You can reflect on projects or positions where you felt “meh” and it wasn’t the best fit for you.
You can also reflect on what skills, experience, and abilities you have that are not getting utilized. 

The Three Levels of Praxis: A Model for Reflection on Teaching 
Written by E. Cuevas, educator in WRAC, the article draws on what Paulo Freire called praxis, or reflection and action. “A belief in praxis accepts that we are both instructors and learners; we have much to learn from our students. Engaging in reflection is an important part of figuring out how to align your goals, with your teaching, with your research, and your place in your institution. In this post, I will continue to reflect on my personal positioning to offer a model for reflection and I will do this by meditating on my positionality on three levels: the personal, the classroom, and the institutional,” wrote E. Cuevas
 
Give it Time
The Well-being at Work Guide sheds insights on taking time away from work, in the forms of breaks, vacation time, or strengthening boundaries around employees’ workdays, is important. Taking breaks throughout the workday has benefits for both the employee and the organization, but many employees often neglect to take them. Skipping breaks can lead to faster burnout and higher stress levels. Employees stepping away from work for a few minutes increases their productivity, job satisfaction, mental health and wellbeing, in addition to restoring their motivation (Kohll, 2018; Selig, 2017). 
Taking a break from work increases focus when employees return to work, thus improving their productivity. Additionally, taking breaks relieves some stress, which helps employees’ mental health and wellbeing. These factors contribute to increased job satisfaction (Kohll, 2018). 

Learn from Nature
Nature can positively affect employees. There is evidence that time spent outdoors boosts people's wellbeing, and even five minutes of time in nature can improve mental health. Spending time outside benefits people because breathing fresh air increases oxygen intake and allows the lungs to work at their full capacity (Sandborn, 2018).  Exposure to vitamin D from the sun boosts people's moods, too. Time outside also can reduce employees’ chronic stress, physical and social stressors. These benefits are at their strongest when experiencing 21 to 30 minutes of nature time (Hunter, Gillespie, & Chen, 2019).

Beronda Montgomery talks "Lessons from Plants"
Watch the Replay 
Beronda L. Montgomery explores the vigorous, creative lives of organisms often treated as static and predictable. In fact, plants are masters of adaptation. They “know” what and who they are, and they use this knowledge to make a way in the world. Plants experience a kind of sensation that does not require eyes or ears. They distinguish kin, friend, and foe, and they are able to respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity of fight-or-flight. Plants are even capable of transformative behaviors that allow them to maximize their chances of survival in a dynamic and sometimes unfriendly environment.

Grow in Your Own Way
However you reflect, disconnect, recharge and rejuvenate this summer; do it in the way that works best for you. Try new things or shut out the world for a few hours at a time. Explore new skills, areas, and ideas, or retreat to your own quiet place to let your mind wander. Plot your next year or reflect solidly on the past. Remember all the challenges you’ve overcome, the people you met, and the opportunities you’ve discovered.

For Dr. Bierema’s ISB202 courses, two different approaches to discussion boards are applied- one that requires initial posts, and one that doesn’t. Here are the instruction overviews for each.

Initial Post Required: Students are engaged in online, asynchronous discussion during most weeks. “Engagement in asynchronous discussion” means that students are responding to instructor questions and replying to one another with new information, explanations, examples (cited or personal), and thought-provoking questions throughout the week at times that are convenient to the students.




Initial posts to each question and peer responses are required. Initial posts are due by Tuesday of each week. Peer responses can occur on any day throughout the discussion week-including the day that initial posts are submitted- provided that they happen on three different days. The purpose of having a required number of days rather than a required number of posts is to facilitate back-and-forth discussion. Students need to be engaged in the discussion, not just making posts on a discussion board. Posts must also only occur during the respective week, which starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. For instance, posts made in the Week 1 forum during Week 2 do not count toward engagement of either week. This is to further facilitate engagement in active discussion. Peer responses can occur in any of the threads for that week. Therefore, a student may respond to peers three times (each on a different day) in one thread only and receive full credit, provided that the rubric is followed. Responses can occur to initial posts or to other peer responses.






Notice that there are two criteria in the rubric for peer responses, and that there is not one for just the number of posts. This means that simply making posts (such as “I agree with…”) on three days will not earn points. Instead, both critical thinking and comprehension must be illustrated on each of these days to earn credit for those posts. Examples of critical thinking include posting follow-up questions that extend the discussion, new examples (either personal or cited), or viewpoints of those not previously identified.






Completing initial posts does not count toward the number of days because the “number of days” in the rubric refers to peer responses. Initial posts are due by Tuesday but students are encouraged to begin as soon as they complete the prep assignment for that week. This way, students can also start their peer responses earlier in the week- students do not have to wait until after the initial post due date to start responding to peers.



Frequently asked Questions

What is the discussion board?




The discussion board is a D2L feature. Students post on the discussion each week. Weekly links are found in the corresponding weekly (e.g., Week 1) content folder. To access the discussion board directly, click on the “communications” tab and then “discussions.” See this video for a brief tutorial.




Why are we engaging weekly in the discussion board?




The engagement allows students to not only apply the content that they learned from the online preps, but it also gives them a chance to learn from other perspectives by interacting with their peers and teaching team. The course is a three-credit course that only meets face-to-face once a week; the other two contact hours are arranged online.




What does “asynchronous” mean?




This means that students can post during times that are convenient to them- there are no set times that students have to be in the online classroom but there are due dates.




How many posts do I need to do?




Post an initial post to each thread- the number of threads vary each week depending on the amount of work for each one. Then post peer responses on three days of the week. Make sure to read through the discussion board rubric located in the “Course Materials” content folder. Responses are not just counted; they are checked for comprehension and critical thinking.




How many initial posts do I have to do each week?




The number of questions vary each week. All threads (i.e., initial questions) need an initial response.




Do I need to post a peer response to each thread?




No, students are required to do three peer responses overall. This can be in any combination across the threads (i.e., initial questions) or even just in one thread.




Can I post a peer response on the same day as an initial post?




Yes, a peer response can be posted on any day of the discussion week (Sunday through Saturday), including days that initial posts are completed/due.




What happens if I do all my peer responses in one day?




As seen in the rubric, points for peer responses are provided by day, not by post. Therefore, posting three responses on one day is equivalent to posting one response. To receive full credit, students need to post on separate days.




How long does each post have to be?




There is not a length requirement on posts. The length will vary with the type of post. For instance, posting a cited example will be a longer post than posting a thoughtful question.




When are peer responses due?




Students can complete peer responses on any day of the respective week, which runs Sunday through Saturday. The last peer response has to be submitted by Saturday.




Are late posts accepted?




The initial post is due on Tuesday but is accepted late for partial credit. Posts and peer responses have to occur during the respective week, which runs Sunday through Saturday (the last day for posting a peer response is Saturday). The purpose is to promote a back-and-forth discussion.




Are any of the discussion board tasks dropped?




One discussion board task is dropped. The lowest grade is dropped, even if the lowest grade is 100% or zero. This is automatically updated in the gradebook. Therefore, if a 100% is dropped but later you receive an 80%, then the 80% will be dropped, and so on.




Do my posts need to include citations?




The instructions for the initial posts will explain if a citation is needed. Supporting ideas with cited information is a way to illustrate critical thinking. Make sure to include a citation whenever using information that was not part of your prior knowledge.




I included a citation in one of peer responses, but it did not count as critical thinking. Why?




Although a citation may be included, none of the content from the cited source was incorporated into the response.




Why is it some of the discussion boards are locked?




Discussion boards remain locked until the week begins. This is so that students can see the questions if they want to prepare ahead of time but also encourages students to engage in discussion during the specified timeframe so that they can interact with their peers.




I thought that there were over 100 students in this class. Why are there so few engaging in discussion?




The class was split into multiple groups for the discussion board. This was to help make it so that the number of posts was not overwhelming for students.




What do I do if I feel like another student was being disrespectful on the discussion board?




Disagreements and challenges (with the use of evidence) will happen but students are expected to always be respectful to each other. Disrespect can make for an unwelcoming environment. Therefore, if you think someone is being -or at least coming across as- disrespectful, then the student can either talk with that student privately or ask the instructor to talk with the student. Please do this via email rather than on the discussion board.




Initial Post NOT Required: Students are engaged in asynchronous discussion during Weeks 1-6. “Engagement in asynchronous discussion” means that students are responding to instructor questions and replying to one another with new information, explanations, examples (cited or personal), and thought-provoking questions throughout the week at times that are convenient to the them. To clarify the language used when referring to the D2L discussion board: If you click on the D2L tab labeled “Discussions”, it takes you to the discussion board. The board is separated into forums. Our class has a few forums, including one that houses everything for “engagement.” Within the forum, are “topics”- one for each week. Within each topic is a list of threads.


Several threads are posted each week for engagement, but not all of them are required. Students are required to:




Respond to the weekly case study thread (can be done any time of the week, but the earlier, the better)






Respond to the weekly reflection thread (can be done any time of the week, and should be toward the end of the week)






Complete three additional posts, each on a separate, non-consecutive day (discussion boards are open Monday through Sunday)




The three additional posts (last bullet point above) must be made on at least three non-consecutive days. “Non-consecutive” means that the days are not back-to-back. Therefore, waiting until Friday to start posting will result in a low grade. Rather, it must start earlier in the week to have time for non-consecutive days. The purpose of having a required number of non-consecutive days rather than a required number of posts is to facilitate back-and-forth discussion. The graded task is titled “engagement” rather than “discussion board” because students need to be engaged in the discussion, not simply posting on a discussion board. Posts must also only occur during the respective week. In other words, posts cannot be made before the week begins nor after the week ends. This is to further facilitate engagement in discussion.




Notice in the rubric (which is at the end of this document) that there is not a separate criterion for number of posting days. Instead, it is incorporated into the following criteria: critical analysis, variation, and comprehension. “Mastery” for nearly every critical element includes “three non-consecutive days.” This means that not only does that critical element need to be addressed in the posts but that posts occur on at least three non-consecutive days.






The rubric has a criterion titled “variation.” This means that students will need to do a variety of types of posts. For instance, if a student only responds to every topic posted by the instructor then that student will receive a “0%” for “Variation.” The purpose, again, is to facilitate engagement in discussion. For example, a student may post a current news event (which is a weekly thread), respond to one peer with a personal example, and respond to another peer with a thought-provoking question. This student would receive a 100% on “Variation.” If that student also posted on three non-consecutive days during the week, had the posts relate to course content, used correct spelling and punctuation, and had a professional and respectful tone, then that student would receive 100% on engagement. This is just one example of how a student can receive 100% on engagement. The following are types of posts:








Responding with an initial post to a non-required thread










Posting a news story by following the instructions in the “Current events” thread










Responding to a peer or teaching team member with










A thought-provoking question (not just- “why did you respond in this way?”)










A personal example










The viewpoint of another stakeholder (a stakeholder is a group of people that have similar interests/investments/influences)










A cited example (include the citation)






This is the interactive part of this online course, so have fun while learning new things from different perspectives!


Example rubrics are attached. 

 

The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Nursing. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Rebecca Boni: Thank you for being an amazing mentor, role model, and friend this past year at MSU.  I appreciate our many chats whether it was work, school, or kid related.  Your patience and prompt answers to my many questions/concerns was very appreciated.  Excited that I am able to call you my friend and mentor!
 
Betty Buck: I appreciate your input and guidance on nursing matters and the fun we have when we get together!  Thank you for being an amazing co-worker and friend!  
 
Patrick Crane: As new faculty for NUR 460, you took the time to meet with me one on one and make sure I understood the course and how to communicate with preceptors-something I had never done before.  While I did require a lot of support teaching this course for the first time, you understood and offered all the support and guidance I needed to help me be successful and the students as well.  Thank you!
 
Izabella de Barbaro: Izabella is hands down the most passionate instructor I have had while at MSU and I am so grateful for her patience in teaching and contagious enthusiasm. 
 
Pallav Deka: In the beginning of the semester, Dr. Deka told our pathophysiology class that it would be his first time teaching the class. Usually, it is professors talking about how great it was to see students grow, but this time I'd like to acknowledge how much Dr. Deka has improved already in just one semester. He made the class interesting and enjoyable, even when the information got hard. He was willing to work with students when they needed help and often stayed after class. There was not one single day that Dr. Deka was not willing to go above and beyond for his students, or just be generally kind to them. I hope that Dr. Deka will continue teaching this course, and as he did on the last day of class, finish the lecture slides all at once:) Thank you for a wonderful semester, Dr. Deka!
 
Jessica Ery: This semester was Dr. Ery's first semester teaching NUR 205 and she did a wonderful job. I feel very prepared to move on to the next step with the base knowledge she has provided us. There are a lot of things Dr. Ery did a lot of great things throughout the semester, but the thing that has made the largest impact on me was not a teaching moment. On our last clinical day, Dr. Ery took a guess at which type of nursing everyone in the clinical group would do. During the semester while I was waiting to find out her prediction for me, I thought it would just be fun to see how my instructor saw me. However, when she told me her guess, pediatric oncology, and the reasons she thought so, it opened my eyes to a type of nursing I had never considered before. Pediatric oncology is now at the top of my interests, but without Dr. Ery I may have never discovered this. So I would like to thank her for not only doing an incredible job of teaching us all, but also for making clinical a fun, safe environment and opening my eyes to an area of nursing that I believe I will one day love being a part of.
 
Joanne Golbert: Thank you for an amazing semester where you offered me a LOT of support and guidance on student issues that were new to me at MSU.  I greatly appreciate you taking the time to help me navigate MSU policies and vesting in my success that in turn ensured students' success this semester.  Thank you!
 
Stephanie Gray: Thank you for all the support and willingness to go above and beyond to make a learning event that much better for the DMC students.  I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share that knowledge with me to teach the future of our profession.
 
Andy Greger: Andy works tirelessly to support faculty and students successful navigation of all things technology to enhance the learning environment. He responds, without hesitation, to urgent calls about computer blue screens, presentation issues, to evaluating software, designing online learning environments, integration of technology and continuous faculty development and support. Most impressive - he is always patient, supportive, and professional.
 
Jackie  Iseler: As my Academic Advisor in both my MSN CNS and now in my post masters DNP program Dr. Iseler has been extremely supportive and encouraging. Dr. Iseler often checks in to see how I am doing with course work and provides support as needed. I have also had Dr. Iseler as course faculty in many of my CNS courses and she always did a great job of incorporating real life examples from her own clinical setting into our instruction providing an authentic learning environment. I would like to thank Dr. Iseler for providing me the support and guidance I need as I work towards achieving my academic goals. 
John Mailey John was the best clinical instructor I've ever had, and was by far the most influential in developing my clinical skills, knowledge, and confidence. 
 
Emily McIntire: Emily McIntire is the director of the simulation lab and has developed a program of simulated learning at the College of Nursing that uses the best technology available.  However, beyond that, she has amazing skills in developing real life scripted situations that allow nursing students to experience fully the minute to minute consequences of their nursing decisions in a high pressure setting.  Over the past two years, Emily and I have been adopting and presenting the first ever community based simulation at the College of Nursing using the Missouri Community Action Network Poverty simulation kit.  As we provide this simulation, Emily and I have become aware of the emotional aspect of this experience.  She is currently exploring the concept of embodied learning in order to understand how simulation can provide more than kinesthetic based learning, but also help develop emotional intelligence and compassionate based care giving.  This project has been presented at the National Conference for the Association of Contemplative Learning in Higher Education and is currently an active IRB based study with a manuscript in process.  We can always train intelligent nurses, but exploring how to train wise and compassionate nurses is a more daunting task.  I believe Emily McIntire is a champion and leader in this important area. 
 
Kyle Miller: Bio was a hard subject for me to comprehend and Dr.Miller really made it more enjoyable and showed that he really cared when I was having difficulties 
 
Francisika Nekaien: I appreciate the helpful and flexible office hour times and that the professor showed that she genuinely cared about students understanding of the material.  I appreciate the professor's down to earth personality and also her patience when I was struggling to understand the material. Getting one on one help time surely help me understand the class material. 
 
Kathleen Poindexter: 
a) You are a wonderful leader, teacher, and friend.  It is impossible to count the ways that you have helped me to achieve my professional and personal goals.  Without you, I would not be the nurse, leader, or educator I am today.  Thank you for believing in me and teaching me how to believe in myself.  
 
b) Dr. Poindexter impacted my life tremendously as a graduate student at MSU in the MSN clinical nurse specialist (CNS) program. As a graduate student I had to balance many responsibilities (family/children, full time employment etc.). Dr. Poindexter gave me the support, encouragement, and guidance I needed to continue to achieve my goal of becoming a Masters prepared CNS. Dr. Poindexter was always there when I needed her, once when I was feeling very overwhelmed in my second semester of coursework I called Dr. Poindexter and her and I spoke for almost 2 hours and our conversation helped me to have a renewed sense of confidence and determination, this was a turning point for me in the program. Currently I am faculty in the CON at MSU and a Masters prepared CNS and again with Dr. Poindexter's encouragement and support I am continuing my education to pursue my post masters DNP. Dr. Poindexter is my faculty mentor and is helping me to transition into my faculty role at MSU as well. Dr. Poindexter is  great role model and someone I greatly admire and would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank her for the role she has played in my academic and professional career thus far. 
 
c) Thank you for your assistance on my first poster presentation, promotion of an EBP clinical learning environment, and navigating scholarship at MSU.  My success (current and future) is because you believed in me and guided me to the path I needed to be on.  Thank you!
 
Amy Pollock: Dr. Pollock was an amazing professor.  She knew her subject very well and made it as easy as possible for me to understand the material.  She was also very helpful during her office hour and I would definitely have her again!
 
Lorraine Robbins: Dr. Robbins has provided guidance and support throughout my PhD Nursing Program at Michigan State University. She is always available and willing to share her vast experience in research. She has the nursing research experience to know and adhere to the ethical standards associated with conducting research. Her professionalism and expertise in nursing research should be applauded.  Through her research experience she is well versed in conducted research and analyzing data in a detailed and scientific manner to accurately assess the benefits of program interventions. She is able to communicate these skills across all levels of the interdisciplinary research team. She is committed to ensuring efficient, high-impact and well-organized research studies and holds her students to these same standards. She is very deserving of this recognition.  
 
Carol Vermeesch: Thank you for always being available and responding to the many needs and questions I had through the past year.  As new faculty, your guidance has made me feel more welcomed at MSU and successful in being a Spartan Nurse! 
 
Anne Thomas (Passed in July): Thank you for being inclusionary of all new faculty.  I truly have felt very welcomed and set-up for success at MSU because of the environment you have created among faculty.  This environment that is welcoming and supportive does not go unnoticed by our faculty, especially those of us that are new!  Thank you!
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.

MSU Resources on Civility and Community Enhancement in Academic Environments
Michigan State University is a large and diverse institution hosting a variety of climates and cultures. Understanding and navigating these cultures can sometimes be challenging, so this list of resources is provided to increase awareness of the opportunities for learning and growth that are available to enhance our community and those that engage with it. It is the responsibility of everyone at MSU to contribute to an academic environment that welcomes every individual and respects their unique talents as we all work toward preparing future generations of Spartans. 
Resources available at MSU

Conflict Resolution: 

The Faculty Grievance Office responds to inquiries from MSU faculty, academic staff and administrators concerning alleged violations of MSU policies and practices.






The Office of the University Ombudsperson assists students, staff members, instructors, and administrators sort through university rules and regulations that might apply to specific student issues and concerns and help to resolve disputes.






MSU Human Resources offers Organizational Development Consulting Services on a variety of topics including climate/culture/interpersonal relationships. 


The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives offers programs and resources to bridge understanding across difference:

Inclusive Communications Guide (coming soon). 






One-page Tip Sheets (printable/shareable .pdfs) These were designed to aid in building inclusive classrooms, but many of the concepts are more broadly applicable to other academic spaces and environments. 

Setting up an Inclusive Classroom (PDF)
Some Dialogue Basics (PDF)
Intercultural Dialogue Facilitation (PDF)
Strategies for Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom (PDF)
Interrupting Bias: A Technique (PDF)
Microaggressions: A Primer (PDF)








Learn at Lunch this informal series welcomes anyone to bring their lunch and join the conversation. A variety of topics related to inclusion, social justice and equity will be highlighted - the schedule for the year is posted on the website in August.


Implicit Bias Certificate Program (available through MSU HR in EBS): this series of three sessions include topics on Creating an Inclusive Environment, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions, and Preparing for the Next Encounter. Sessions can be attended consecutively or combined to complete a certificate. 


List of diversity and inclusion workshops offered (examples include Building an Inclusive Workplace, Disrupting Bias in the Academy, Racial Literacy, Building an Inclusive Classroom, Inclusive Leadership, Diversifying and Retaining Faculty and Staff) 


MSU Dialogues a cohort-based experience exploring deep conversations about race, gender and other important aspects of identity. Undergraduate, graduate, faculty and staff groups are formed through application and the series of 6-8 meetings is offered each semester. 


MSU Human Resources also has information and workshops available to further productive conversations about workplace culture and environments: 

List of behavioral competencies
Free online learning opportunities through elevateU including topics such as: 

Building a High-Performing Work Culture (example topics: personal skills, optimizing team performance, leadership skills)
E-books available in the Library (titles on health and wellness, etc.) 


In-person workshops in collaboration with units across campus. Access to these programs is through EBS - Some of these include: 

Building Capacity-Resilience as a Leader
Creating & Sustaining Positive Workplace
Creating an Inclusive Environment
Crucial Accountability    
Crucial Conversations
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Engaging Teams for Maximum Performance
Ethics: How Do We Deal With "Gray Areas"
Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
Inclusive Communication Series
Managing Difficult Customers
Prohibited Harassment: for employees, for supervisors, student employees
Thriving through Change




Prevention, Outreach and Education Department offers a variety of trainings on  violence prevention and bystander intervention, healthy ways of practicing consent and establishing boundaries, creating a culture of respect in the workplace, navigating boundaries in professional settings and more.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): no cost, confidential counseling service offered to MSU faculty, staff, retirees, graduate student employees, and their families. 
Health4U Program: some examples of resources provided include: emotional wellness coaching, courses, events and resources to support more healthy habits and practice 
The Academic Advancement Network offers thriving sessions for Academic Specialists, Fixed-term Faculty, and Tenure-System Faculty are focused on supporting career progression. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with people who can help individuals and units navigate the various appointment types at MSU.
LBGTQ Resource Center offers QuILL training: Queer Inclusive Learning and Leadership Training for understanding the experiences of people who may be marginalized by their gender identity.
Office of Cultural & Academic Transitions  offers intercultural leadership training for departments and organizations

Other useful external resources

Climate/Culture/Inclusive Environments

Link to SHRM article: 6 Steps for Building an Inclusive Workplace
Definition of Workplace Bullying and other resources from WBI 
More information about workplace bullying, what to do, difference between hostile work environment
Forbes article on commonality and bullying in the workplace
Book: Lester, J. (Ed.). (2013). Workplace bullying in higher education. Routledge.
Belsky, G. (2013). When good things happen to bad people: Disturbing news about workplace bullies. Time. 
Wilson, S. M., & Ferch, S. R. (2005). Enhancing resilience in the workplace through the practice of caring relationships. Organization Development Journal, 23(4), 45.
Youssef, C. M., & Luthans, F. (2007). Positive organizational behavior in the workplace: The impact of hope, optimism, and resilience. Journal of management, 33(5), 774-800.
Work Culture and Environment - Key Principles
Arianna Huffington: 10 Ways to Actually, Finally Improve Company Culture




Inspiration & Personal Growth

Brené Brown video on shame, guilt and empathy and empathy vs sympathy
Alain de Botton, TED talk on A kinder, gentler philosophy on success






8 Secrets to Success TED talk with Richard St. John
Free edX course on Happiness at Work
Free edX course on Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work




There are also numerous resources available at the MSU Library: 

Taking the Liberty of Incivility: Workplace Bullying in Higher Education by Lee Gloor, Jamie, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 02/2014, Volume 25, Issue 1, pp. 121–126, Article PDF: Download Now Journal Article: Full Text Online (book review)
Workplace bullying policies, higher education and the First Amendment: Building bridges not walls by Coel, Crystal Rae and Smith, Frances L. M First Amendment Studies, 07/2018, Volume 52, Issue 1-2, pp. 96–111, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
Workplace Bullying as Workplace Corruption by Vickers, Margaret H Administration & Society, 10/2014, Volume 46, Issue 8, pp. 960–985, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
Bully University? The Cost of Workplace Bullying and Employee Disengagement in American Higher Education by Hollis, Leah P SAGE Open, 06/2015, Volume 5, Issue 2, p. 215824401558999, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
The Gendered Nature of Workplace Bullying in the Context of Higher Education by Ambreen Anjum and Amina Muazzam, Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 07/2018, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp. 493–505, Journal Article: Full Text Online

Welcome to the Webinar Hosting module, where we'll dive into the world of online presentations! Here, you'll pick up tips and tricks on how to keep your audience hooked and your sessions interactive. Whether you're a pro or just starting out, this module will give you the tools to rock your webinars and keep your viewers coming back for more. Let's get ready to make some online magic happen!
What You'll Learn:

Captivating Your Audience: First impressions matter! Learn how to grab your audience's attention from the get-go with compelling introductions and engaging visuals. We'll explore techniques for crafting catchy titles, designing eye-catching slides, and using storytelling to hook your viewers.
Interactive Sessions: Keep your audience engaged and involved throughout your webinar with interactive elements. Discover how to incorporate polls, Q&A sessions, and live chats to foster participation and create a dynamic learning environment. We'll also cover techniques for managing audience questions and feedback effectively.
Managing Technical Challenges: Let's face it – technical issues can happen to the best of us. Learn how to troubleshoot common problems like audio or video glitches, screen sharing issues, and internet connectivity issues with grace and ease. We'll also discuss backup plans and contingency measures to ensure smooth sailing during your webinar.
Building Confidence: Hosting a webinar can be nerve-wracking, especially if you're new to the game. We'll share tips and techniques to boost your confidence and banish those pre-webinar jitters. From practicing your presentation to mastering your delivery, you'll learn how to exude confidence and command the virtual stage.
Post-Webinar Engagement: The conversation doesn't end when the webinar does! Discover strategies for keeping the momentum going after your session wraps up. We'll explore follow-up emails, surveys, and social media engagement to foster continued interaction and build a community around your content.

Why It Matters:
In today's digital age, webinars have become a powerful tool for education, marketing, and communication. Whether you're hosting a training session, promoting a product, or sharing your expertise with the world, effective webinar hosting skills are essential for success. By mastering the art of engaging online presentations, you'll not only captivate your audience but also establish yourself as a trusted authority in your field.
IDEAInterview or record a guest speaker from afar. Global Health and the International programs often have Zoom / Teams recordings of people in other places. The records are OK at best because of the environment that the host is in. If this were available the quality of these opportunities would be better. This was edited with Camtasia, but the output would have been better if the host was in the HushPod.
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you're looking to enhance your professional skills, expand your audience reach, or simply connect with others in a virtual setting, the Webinar Hosting module in our HushPod Recording Studio has something for everyone. So grab your favorite mug of coffee, cozy up to your computer, and let's dive into the exciting world of webinar hosting together. Get ready to inspire, educate, and engage – one webinar at a time!
 
--> Module 3: Screen Recording

In-Person Lectures vs. Online Instruction
Actively engaging students in the learning process is important for both in-person lectures and for online instruction. The ways in which students engage with the instructor, their peers, and the course materials will vary based on the setting. In-person courses are often confined by the fact that instruction needs to be squeezed into a specific time period, which can result in there being a limited amount of time for students to perform group work or to actively think about the concepts they are learning. Alternatively, with online instruction, there is often more freedom (especially for an asynchronous course) on how you can present materials and structure the learning environment.
Currently, many instructors are faced with the challenge of adapting their in-person courses into an online format. How course materials are adapted into an online format are going to differ from course to course – however, a common practice shared across courses is to create lecture recordings or videos for students to watch. The format and length of these videos play an important role in the learning experience students have within a course. The ways in which students engage with a longer video recording is going to be much different than how students engage with multiple shorter videos. Below are some of the important reasons why shorter videos can enhance student learning when compared to longer videos.
 
More Opportunities for Students to Actively Engage with the Material
Decades of research on how people learn has shown that active learning (in comparison to more passive approaches, such as direct instruction or a traditional lecture) enhances student performance (Freeman et. al., 2014). While “active learning” can often be a nebulous phrase that has different meanings, active learning can be broadly thought of as any activity in which a learner is metacognitively thinking about and applying knowledge to accomplish some goal or task. Providing multiple opportunities for students to engage in these types of activities can help foster a more meaningful and inclusive learning environment for students. This is especially important for online instruction as students may feel isolated or have a difficult time navigating their learning within a virtual environment.
One of the biggest benefits of creating a series of shorter videos compared to creating one long video is that active learning techniques and activities can be more easily utilized and interspersed throughout a lesson. For example, if you were to record a video of a traditional lecture period, your video would be nearly an hour in length, and it would likely cover multiple important topics within that time period. Creating opportunities to actively engage students throughout an hour-long video is difficult and can result in students feeling overwhelmed.
Conversely, one of the affordances of online instruction is that lectures can be broken down into a series of smaller video lessons and activities. By having shorter videos with corresponding activities, students are going to spend more time actively thinking about and applying their understanding of concepts throughout a lesson. This in turn can promote metacognition by getting students to think about their thinking after each short video rather than at the end of a long video that covers multiple topics.
Additionally, concepts often build upon one another, and it is critical that students develop a solid foundation of prior knowledge before moving onto more complex topics. When you create multiple short videos and activities, it can be easier to get a snapshot of how students conceptualize different topics as they are learning it. This information can help both you as an instructor and your students become better aware of when they are having difficulties so that issues can be addressed before moving onto more complex topics. With longer videos, students may be confused on concepts discussed at the beginning of the video, which can then make it difficult for them to understand subsequent concepts.
Overall, chunking a longer video into multiple shorter videos is a simple technique you can use to create more meaningful learning opportunities in a virtual setting. Short videos, coupled with corresponding activities, is a powerful pedagogical approach to enhance student learning.
 
Reducing Cognitive Load
Another major benefit of having multiple shorter videos instead of one longer video is that it can reduce the cognitive load that students experience when engaging with the content. Learning is a process that requires the brain to adapt, develop, and ultimately form new neural connections in response to stimuli (National Academies of Sciences, 2018). If a video is long and packed with content, developing a meaningful understanding of concepts can be quite difficult. Even if the content is explained in detail (which many people think of as “good instruction”), students simply do not have enough time to process and critically think about the content they are learning. When taking in various stimuli and trying to comprehend multiple concepts, this can result in students feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Having time to self-reflect is one of the most important factors to promoting a deeper, more meaningful learning experience. Unfortunately, long video lectures provide few opportunities (even when done well!) for students to engage in these types of thinking and doing.
Additionally, an unintended drawback of long videos is that the listener can be lulled into a false sense of understanding. For example, have you ever watched a live lecture or an educational video where you followed along and felt like you understood the material, but then after when you went to apply this knowledge, you realized that you forgot or did not understand the content as well as you thought? Everyone has experienced this phenomenon in some form or another. As students watch long video lectures, especially lectures that have clear explanations of the content, they may get a false sense of how well they understand the material. This can result in students overestimating their ability and grasp of foundational ideas, which in turn, can make future learning more difficult as subsequent knowledge will be built upon a faulty base.
Long lecture videos are also more prone to having extraneous information or tangential discussions throughout. This additional information may cause students to shift their cognitive resources away from the core course content, resulting in a less meaningful learning experience (Mayer & Moreno, 2003). Breaking a long video into multiple shorter videos can reduce the cognitive load students may experience and it can create more opportunities for them to self-reflect on what they are learning. 
 
More Engaging for Students
Another important factor to think about is how video length affects student engagement. A study by Guo, Kim, and Rubin (2014) looked at how different forms of video production affected student engagement when watching videos. Two of their main findings were that (1) shorter videos improve student engagement, and that (2) recordings of traditional lectures are less engaging compared to digital tablet drawing or PowerPoint slide presentations. These findings show how it is not only important to record shorter videos, but that simply recording a traditional lecture and splicing it into smaller videos will not result in the most engaging experience for students.
When distilling a traditional lecture into a series of shorter videos, it is important to think about the pedagogical techniques you would normally use in the classroom and how these approaches might translate to an online setting. Identifying how these approaches might be adapted into a video recording can help create a more engaging experience for students in your course.
Overall, the length of lecture videos and the ways in which they are structured directly impacts how students learn in a virtual setting. Recording short, interactive videos, as opposed to long lecture videos, is a powerful technique you can use to enhance student learning and engagement.
 
References
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.
Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014, March). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. In Proceedings of the first ACM conference on Learning@ scale conference (pp. 41-50).
Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational psychologist, 38(1), 43-52.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). How people learn II: Learners, contexts, and cultures. National Academies Press.

Topic Area: Online Teaching & Learning
Presented by: Andrew Krause, Tsveta Sendova
Abstract:
We are excited to share the redesigned departmental teaching structure that we implemented during pandemic-forced online teaching. Our department has realigned our teaching efforts into cohesive course-teams, in lieu of traditional independent (coordinated) teaching roles. No longer are individual instructors responsible for specific sections, but instead instructors have a role on a larger team that shares the instructional load. For example, 24 instructors for MTH 132: Calculus 1 worked together in a variety of roles to deliver a cohesive course to 1400 students.
This configuration has important advantages, the three most important being: flexibility, support, and adaptability.
Flexibility: With diverse roles available, each instructor can contribute with their strength -- leading online webinars, small group tutoring, assessment design, video creation, etc.
Support: The large team can support instructors who experience challenges that disrupt their ability to teach (health, family, etc.). It is easy to substitute one or a few teaching roles, rather than an entire ""teacher"".
Adaptability: Having a cohesive ""backbone"" of the course (D2L, materials for students, etc.) makes it possible to rapidly adjust to changing scenarios, such as changing guidance on in-person meetings. It is easy to plug in additional face-to-face meetings as alternatives or enhancements to the online structure.