We found 35 results that contain "systematic oppression"
Posted on: Teaching Toolkit Ta...
Tree Activity: Analyzing Systems of Oppression
Background
This is a group activity for students in an introductory course on race, gender, sexuality, disability, class stratification, and various intersecting identity categories. In this activity, students work in small groups to break down different aspects of systems of oppression related to the listed identity categories, like racism and/or heteropatriarchy. The activity pairs well with a number of readings, but here are some helpful suggestions: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, “Five Faces of Oppression” by Iris Marion Young, “Full-Frontal Morality: The Naked Truth About Gender” by Talia Mae Bettcher, and “Rape, Racism, and the Myth of the Black Rapist” by Angela Y. Davis. The following instructions are for a tree activity about The New Jim Crow. Note: the activity should be done after lecture and discussion on the book.
Implementation
Put students in groups of four or five
Alternate assigning groups ‘Jim Crow’ and ‘Prison Industrial Complex’
Ask each group to draw a tree with roots, a thick trunk, branches, and many leaves
Ask each group to use references from the text to identify different ‘roots’, ‘tree trunks’, ‘branches’, and ‘leaves’ of Jim Crow or the Prison Industrial Complex.
Provide examples of each part of the tree to get them started, e.g. a leaf of Jim Crow may be poll taxes, while a root may be racism and white economic anxiety.
Allow 30-35min. Walk around and check in with groups about their trees asking why one thing is a leaf instead of a branch, weaving in relevant points from the previous discussion of the text, etc.
Reassure students that each tree will likely be different and that is wonderful.
Ask groups to present their trees and the rationale for each piece.
Tape the trees to a central wall/board separating ‘Jim Crow’ trees and ‘Prison Industrial Complex’ tress.
Ask students if they see similarities and/or differences between the two types of trees.
Prompt discussion about the relationship between the two types of trees according to Alexander.
Congratulate and thank students for their hard work.
Ask students to reflect on what systems may look like if at their root were good things like ‘justice,’ ‘healing,’ ‘equity,’ etc.
This is a group activity for students in an introductory course on race, gender, sexuality, disability, class stratification, and various intersecting identity categories. In this activity, students work in small groups to break down different aspects of systems of oppression related to the listed identity categories, like racism and/or heteropatriarchy. The activity pairs well with a number of readings, but here are some helpful suggestions: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, “Five Faces of Oppression” by Iris Marion Young, “Full-Frontal Morality: The Naked Truth About Gender” by Talia Mae Bettcher, and “Rape, Racism, and the Myth of the Black Rapist” by Angela Y. Davis. The following instructions are for a tree activity about The New Jim Crow. Note: the activity should be done after lecture and discussion on the book.
Implementation
Put students in groups of four or five
Alternate assigning groups ‘Jim Crow’ and ‘Prison Industrial Complex’
Ask each group to draw a tree with roots, a thick trunk, branches, and many leaves
Ask each group to use references from the text to identify different ‘roots’, ‘tree trunks’, ‘branches’, and ‘leaves’ of Jim Crow or the Prison Industrial Complex.
Provide examples of each part of the tree to get them started, e.g. a leaf of Jim Crow may be poll taxes, while a root may be racism and white economic anxiety.
Allow 30-35min. Walk around and check in with groups about their trees asking why one thing is a leaf instead of a branch, weaving in relevant points from the previous discussion of the text, etc.
Reassure students that each tree will likely be different and that is wonderful.
Ask groups to present their trees and the rationale for each piece.
Tape the trees to a central wall/board separating ‘Jim Crow’ trees and ‘Prison Industrial Complex’ tress.
Ask students if they see similarities and/or differences between the two types of trees.
Prompt discussion about the relationship between the two types of trees according to Alexander.
Congratulate and thank students for their hard work.
Ask students to reflect on what systems may look like if at their root were good things like ‘justice,’ ‘healing,’ ‘equity,’ etc.
Authored by: Ayanna D’Vante Spencer
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: Teaching Toolkit Ta...
Teaching to Who and Where Students Are: Being Mindful of Student Identity
When considering anti-oppressive classrooms (learning environments where all forms of oppression are actively and intentionally challenged) it is important to consider instructor identity (specifically that how you employ your identity can empower and/or oppress students). We use the word anti-oppression because it specifically targets unjust treatment in learning environments. We may often think of an example of oppression in the classroom as a blatant act, such as a student using overtly racist language. However, when you think of oppression in the classroom we want you to include subtle forms of oppression in your definition – such as students interrupting one another. We introduced a 4-step process of self-reflection on your identity, which we put forth as necessary to create and maintain anti-oppressive learning environments. In this card, we want to continue the journey on inclusive, anti-oppressive learning environments, but with a focus on student identities.
Four Questions to Begin the Journey
Are you aware of all student identity statuses: sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, national status, language, etc.?
Answering this question is the first step toward a non-oppressive classroom in that you become aware of the student identity statuses so that you can begin to understand their meaning and how they intersect.
Suggestions:
Administer a survey before the start of the term (where you could, for instance, allow students the opportunity to share about their cultural background, make you aware of preferred nicknames or pronouns, etc.). Have students record how they pronounce their names for a pre-semester D2L assignment
Have you acknowledged/do you understand what student identities mean to students?
Answering this question allows you to understand who students are, so that you can begin to address the privileges (or lack thereof) associated with student identity statuses.
Suggestions:
Establish discussion guidelines with communication norms and expectations. Facilitate discussions and assignments that allow students to relate course material to their experiences.
Have you accepted the privileges (or lack thereof) that comes with student identities?
Have you internalized why this matters? Answering this question allows you to deal with reactions you may have while accepting student identity statuses (such as defensiveness, guilt, powerlessness, responsibility, ownership), so that students can embody their identities in a true and authentic way.
Suggestions:
Recognize unfair treatment when it surfaces. Have open and honest dialogue with the students regarding privilege and oppression
Do you actively engage student identities within your teaching?
How do you situate or position yourself in the classroom? Now that you have become aware of, acknowledged and accepted all student identity statuses, you must critically consider what actions you can take to address privilege (or lack thereof) in the classroom.
Suggestions:
Provide a variety of course material, references, and examples that reflects all of the student identities. Use Identity-specific or targeted activities, like the “Class Race.”
Four Questions to Begin the Journey
Are you aware of all student identity statuses: sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, national status, language, etc.?
Answering this question is the first step toward a non-oppressive classroom in that you become aware of the student identity statuses so that you can begin to understand their meaning and how they intersect.
Suggestions:
Administer a survey before the start of the term (where you could, for instance, allow students the opportunity to share about their cultural background, make you aware of preferred nicknames or pronouns, etc.). Have students record how they pronounce their names for a pre-semester D2L assignment
Have you acknowledged/do you understand what student identities mean to students?
Answering this question allows you to understand who students are, so that you can begin to address the privileges (or lack thereof) associated with student identity statuses.
Suggestions:
Establish discussion guidelines with communication norms and expectations. Facilitate discussions and assignments that allow students to relate course material to their experiences.
Have you accepted the privileges (or lack thereof) that comes with student identities?
Have you internalized why this matters? Answering this question allows you to deal with reactions you may have while accepting student identity statuses (such as defensiveness, guilt, powerlessness, responsibility, ownership), so that students can embody their identities in a true and authentic way.
Suggestions:
Recognize unfair treatment when it surfaces. Have open and honest dialogue with the students regarding privilege and oppression
Do you actively engage student identities within your teaching?
How do you situate or position yourself in the classroom? Now that you have become aware of, acknowledged and accepted all student identity statuses, you must critically consider what actions you can take to address privilege (or lack thereof) in the classroom.
Suggestions:
Provide a variety of course material, references, and examples that reflects all of the student identities. Use Identity-specific or targeted activities, like the “Class Race.”
Authored by: Madeline Shellgren & S. Mo
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Course Content: What makes the cut
There are a variety of considerations when it comes to course content. Now, if you’re close to the start of the semester, it is likely that you have already chosen (and submitted to the Registrar Office) your textbook and/or required materials for student purchase. Please consider the following when selecting your supplemental course content (additional materials, case studies, scenarios, etc.)... and for your primary texts next term.
Diversifying voice - who is represented?
“Does your syllabus demonstrate to students that everyone has a place in your field of study? … Pedagogically, we might find it challenging to create a sense of belonging in a course when some students cannot imagine themselves as part of the community of scholarship and practice” (Marcella Addy et al., 2021, p. 52). Wow, that statement is really powerful, especially considering some recent scholarship. Schucan Bird and Pitman (2020) found, after an analysis of reading lists, that the reading lists did not represent the diverse local student body but came closer to representing the demographic profile of academic staff (dominated by white, male, and Eurocentric authors). Despite challenges across disciplines and settings, educators should make every effort to center students in their course design and make course materials a descriptive representation of the student body itself (Schucan Bird & Pitman, 2020). This shift can include showcasing the contributions of marginalized groups (Blackburn, 2017) with greater representation of perspectives, histories and approaches of scholars (Le Grange, 2016), along with adopting efforts to decolonialize teaching and learning (Phillips & Archer-Lean 2018).
Looking for ways to get started? Colleagues at Tufts University Libraries (according to this Inside Higher Ed article) have noted that diversifying your course materials to include content about and by marginalized scholars (groups whose characteristics result in the systematic denial of equal rights and opportunities within a community or society including but not limited to race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation) helps to “foster an environment that includes knowledge that has been systematically excluded from academia.” You might…
Considering diverse authorship of readings (ethnicity, gender, geographic location)
Inviting guest speakers who bring different perspectives
Using diverse audio and visual materials, such as films, interviews and TED talks
Incorporating readings that challenge standard approaches
Using primary research with authorship that reflects local collaborators
Offering multiple perspectives in assigned readings and letting students choose what to read or discuss at times.
Faculty members “can identify resources that highlight historically underrepresented researchers and activists in our fields,” she suggests. “We can include statements and topics in syllabi to decode our courses, structures and expectations. We can work to decolonize the power dynamics of our classrooms so what students already know and experience is also seen as a valuable contribution to the learning environment,” said Bridget Trogden (presently serving as Dean of Undergraduate Education at American University). Improving diversity and inclusion of voices in educational materials isn’t necessarily difficult, educators just need to be intentional. Fuentes et al. (2021) go beyond centering authors of mariginalized backgrounds, and recommend educators transparently acknowledge their intentional material selections. The example they provide in their article Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is, "The following text/articles for the course have been chosen in efforts to highlight the important work of historically underrepresented and marginalized scholars in the field" (Fuentes et al., 2021, p.75).
“The proof is in the data: children are more likely to have a more productive learning experience and thrive in the classroom, throughout the school and in their communities when they see themselves represented in curriculum and library materials,” said Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, President of the American Library Association. If data supports diversifying reading may boost a student’s development and well-being, WHILE ALSO increasing a sense of belonging and breaking down barriers to collegiate success… what reasons do we have not to reimagine our course materials?
Accessibility of digital content
The experts at MSU IT who manage the Digital Accessibility page recommend that educators ask the following questions before adopting digital content (adapted with permission from UC-Boulder’s Digital Accessibility Program):
Ask for Publisher Information: Contact the publisher to ask them for details about the accessibility of your particular textbook and/or digital content. This should include all known accessibility issues, any workarounds that the student can use, a named point of contact, and any guidance on how to ensure any content you create within the platform is accessible.
Review your Assessments: If you use digital online quizzes, ask the publisher for a list of quiz question types that are accessible. Review your own quiz content to ensure that none of your questions rely on drag-and-drop actions, images without alt text, or other inaccessible mechanisms.
Consult with Digital Accessibility Specialists: Contact your local Accessibility Policy Liaison for support and reach out to the MSU IT Digital Experience (DigitalX) team for help evaluating your digital content at webaccess@msu.edu or call the IT Help Desk at 517-432-6200.
Notify your Students: If the digital content (including texts, assignments, tests, or online homework systems) used in your course are not fully accessible, please notify your students in your syllabus with the following statement: “This course requires the use of [name of software or service], which is currently not accessible. Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Accommodations for persons with disabilities, with documentation from the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, may be requested by contacting [insert Professor name or "me"] at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible. For questions, contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517.884.7273”
For more information on Digital Accessibility check out the “Course Accessibility: Commitments, Support, and Resources” article, visit the Accessibility Evaluation Questions for Digital Content page, or contact your college/department’s Web Accessibility Policy Liaison.
Cost as a barrier to access
Buying school materials can cost a lot, creating a barrier for students and impacting their collegiate success. Taking measures to curtail expenses on mandatory learning resources is not only a stride towards rendering college more cost-effective and attainable but also promotes equity. Embedding no-cost course materials into a syllabus provides the avenue to diminish financial burdens on students, foster more inclusive access to education, and enables the repurposing, blending, and creation of course content specifically tailored to each class. According to MSU Libraries Open Educational Resources (OER) Program, OER are “teaching, learning, and research resources that are copyright-free (public domain) or have been released under an open license that permits others to reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute them. Examples of OER include open textbooks, videos, images, course modules, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, games, simulations, and other resources contained in digital media collections from around the world.”
Diversifying Course Materials: A How-To Guide on Inside Higher Ed (previously linked) shared four additional considerations for instructors when considering their course materials.
Accessibility, affordability and adaptation
Relatability and reflection
Clarity and intentionality
Alternative perspectives
Read more about each of these four considerations at the link above and check out the resources below for more in depth from authors cited throughout this article.
Resources
Marcella Addy, Dube, Mitchell & SoRelle (2021) What Inclusive Instructors Do. Stylus Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003448655
Schucan Bird, K. & Pitman, L. (2020) How diverse is your reading list? Exploring issues of representation and decolonisation in the UK. Higher Education, 79, 903–920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00446-9.
Le Grange, L. (2016). Decolonising the university curriculum. South African Journal of Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-2-709.
Blackburn, H. (2017). The status of women in STEM in higher education: a review of the literature 2007–2017. Science & Technology Libraries. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2017.1371658.
Phillips, S. R., & Archer-Lean, C. (2018). Decolonising the reading of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing: reflection as transformative practice. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(1), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1539956.
Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979
Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
Diversifying voice - who is represented?
“Does your syllabus demonstrate to students that everyone has a place in your field of study? … Pedagogically, we might find it challenging to create a sense of belonging in a course when some students cannot imagine themselves as part of the community of scholarship and practice” (Marcella Addy et al., 2021, p. 52). Wow, that statement is really powerful, especially considering some recent scholarship. Schucan Bird and Pitman (2020) found, after an analysis of reading lists, that the reading lists did not represent the diverse local student body but came closer to representing the demographic profile of academic staff (dominated by white, male, and Eurocentric authors). Despite challenges across disciplines and settings, educators should make every effort to center students in their course design and make course materials a descriptive representation of the student body itself (Schucan Bird & Pitman, 2020). This shift can include showcasing the contributions of marginalized groups (Blackburn, 2017) with greater representation of perspectives, histories and approaches of scholars (Le Grange, 2016), along with adopting efforts to decolonialize teaching and learning (Phillips & Archer-Lean 2018).
Looking for ways to get started? Colleagues at Tufts University Libraries (according to this Inside Higher Ed article) have noted that diversifying your course materials to include content about and by marginalized scholars (groups whose characteristics result in the systematic denial of equal rights and opportunities within a community or society including but not limited to race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation) helps to “foster an environment that includes knowledge that has been systematically excluded from academia.” You might…
Considering diverse authorship of readings (ethnicity, gender, geographic location)
Inviting guest speakers who bring different perspectives
Using diverse audio and visual materials, such as films, interviews and TED talks
Incorporating readings that challenge standard approaches
Using primary research with authorship that reflects local collaborators
Offering multiple perspectives in assigned readings and letting students choose what to read or discuss at times.
Faculty members “can identify resources that highlight historically underrepresented researchers and activists in our fields,” she suggests. “We can include statements and topics in syllabi to decode our courses, structures and expectations. We can work to decolonize the power dynamics of our classrooms so what students already know and experience is also seen as a valuable contribution to the learning environment,” said Bridget Trogden (presently serving as Dean of Undergraduate Education at American University). Improving diversity and inclusion of voices in educational materials isn’t necessarily difficult, educators just need to be intentional. Fuentes et al. (2021) go beyond centering authors of mariginalized backgrounds, and recommend educators transparently acknowledge their intentional material selections. The example they provide in their article Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is, "The following text/articles for the course have been chosen in efforts to highlight the important work of historically underrepresented and marginalized scholars in the field" (Fuentes et al., 2021, p.75).
“The proof is in the data: children are more likely to have a more productive learning experience and thrive in the classroom, throughout the school and in their communities when they see themselves represented in curriculum and library materials,” said Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, President of the American Library Association. If data supports diversifying reading may boost a student’s development and well-being, WHILE ALSO increasing a sense of belonging and breaking down barriers to collegiate success… what reasons do we have not to reimagine our course materials?
Accessibility of digital content
The experts at MSU IT who manage the Digital Accessibility page recommend that educators ask the following questions before adopting digital content (adapted with permission from UC-Boulder’s Digital Accessibility Program):
Ask for Publisher Information: Contact the publisher to ask them for details about the accessibility of your particular textbook and/or digital content. This should include all known accessibility issues, any workarounds that the student can use, a named point of contact, and any guidance on how to ensure any content you create within the platform is accessible.
Review your Assessments: If you use digital online quizzes, ask the publisher for a list of quiz question types that are accessible. Review your own quiz content to ensure that none of your questions rely on drag-and-drop actions, images without alt text, or other inaccessible mechanisms.
Consult with Digital Accessibility Specialists: Contact your local Accessibility Policy Liaison for support and reach out to the MSU IT Digital Experience (DigitalX) team for help evaluating your digital content at webaccess@msu.edu or call the IT Help Desk at 517-432-6200.
Notify your Students: If the digital content (including texts, assignments, tests, or online homework systems) used in your course are not fully accessible, please notify your students in your syllabus with the following statement: “This course requires the use of [name of software or service], which is currently not accessible. Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Accommodations for persons with disabilities, with documentation from the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, may be requested by contacting [insert Professor name or "me"] at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible. For questions, contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517.884.7273”
For more information on Digital Accessibility check out the “Course Accessibility: Commitments, Support, and Resources” article, visit the Accessibility Evaluation Questions for Digital Content page, or contact your college/department’s Web Accessibility Policy Liaison.
Cost as a barrier to access
Buying school materials can cost a lot, creating a barrier for students and impacting their collegiate success. Taking measures to curtail expenses on mandatory learning resources is not only a stride towards rendering college more cost-effective and attainable but also promotes equity. Embedding no-cost course materials into a syllabus provides the avenue to diminish financial burdens on students, foster more inclusive access to education, and enables the repurposing, blending, and creation of course content specifically tailored to each class. According to MSU Libraries Open Educational Resources (OER) Program, OER are “teaching, learning, and research resources that are copyright-free (public domain) or have been released under an open license that permits others to reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute them. Examples of OER include open textbooks, videos, images, course modules, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, games, simulations, and other resources contained in digital media collections from around the world.”
Diversifying Course Materials: A How-To Guide on Inside Higher Ed (previously linked) shared four additional considerations for instructors when considering their course materials.
Accessibility, affordability and adaptation
Relatability and reflection
Clarity and intentionality
Alternative perspectives
Read more about each of these four considerations at the link above and check out the resources below for more in depth from authors cited throughout this article.
Resources
Marcella Addy, Dube, Mitchell & SoRelle (2021) What Inclusive Instructors Do. Stylus Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003448655
Schucan Bird, K. & Pitman, L. (2020) How diverse is your reading list? Exploring issues of representation and decolonisation in the UK. Higher Education, 79, 903–920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00446-9.
Le Grange, L. (2016). Decolonising the university curriculum. South African Journal of Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-2-709.
Blackburn, H. (2017). The status of women in STEM in higher education: a review of the literature 2007–2017. Science & Technology Libraries. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2017.1371658.
Phillips, S. R., & Archer-Lean, C. (2018). Decolonising the reading of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing: reflection as transformative practice. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(1), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1539956.
Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979
Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
Authored by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Exam Strategy for Online and Distance Teaching
Authors: Jeremy Van Hof, Stephen Thomas, Becky Matz, Kate Sonka, Sarah Wellman, Daniel Trego, Casey Henley, Jessica Knott, David Howe With our guiding principles for remote teaching as flexibility, generosity, and transparency, we know that there is no one solution for assessment that will meet all faculty and student needs. From this perspective, the primary concern should be assessing how well students have achieved the key learning objectives and determining what objectives are still unmet. It may be necessary to modify the nature of the exam to allow for the differences of the online environment. This document, written for any instructor who typically administers an end-of-semester high-stakes final exam, addresses how best to make those modifications. In thinking about online exams we recommend the following approaches (in priority order) for adjusting exams: multiple lower-stakes assessments, open-note exams, and online proctored exams. When changes to the learning environment occur, creating an inclusive and accessible learning experience for students with disabilities should remain a top priority. This includes providing accessible content and implementing student disability accommodations, as well as considering the ways assessment methods might be affected.
Faculty and students should be prepared to discuss accommodation needs that may arise. The team at MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) will be available to answer questions about implementing accommodations. Contact information for Team RCPD is found at https://www.rcpd.msu.edu/teamrcpd. Below you will find a description of each of the recommendations, tips for their implementation, the benefits of each, and references to pertinent research on each.
There are three primary options*:
Multiple lower-stakes assessments (most preferred)
Open note exams (preferred)
Online proctored exams (if absolutely necessary)
*Performance-based assessments such as laboratory, presentation, music, or art experiences that show proficiency will be discussed in another document
Multiple lower-stakes assessments
Description: The unique circumstances of this semester make it necessary to carefully consider your priorities when assessing students. Rather than being cumulative, a multiple assessment approach makes assessment an incremental process. Students demonstrate their understanding frequently, and accrue points over time, rather than all at once on one test. Dividing the assessment into smaller pieces can reduce anxiety and give students more practice in taking their exams online. For instance, you might have a quiz at the end of each week that students have to complete. Each subsequent quiz can (and should) build on the previous one, allowing students to build toward more complex and rigorous applications of the content. Using this approach minimizes your need to change the types of questions that you have been asking to date, which can affect student performance (e.g. if you normally ask multiple-choice questions, you can continue to do so). For the remainder of the semester, use the D2L quizzes tool to build multiple smaller assessments. Spread out the totality of your typical final exam over the month of April. This can be as simple as dividing a 100 question final exam into eight 12-question “synthesis activities” that students complete bi-weekly.
Benefits as noted from the literature:
No significant differences were observed in terms of keystroke information, rapid guessing, or aggregated scores between proctoring conditions;
More effective method for incentivizing participation and reading;
Encourages knowledge retention as each subsequent assessment builds on the last
Rios, J. A., & Liu, O. L. (2017). Online proctored versus unproctored low-stakes internet test administration: Is there differential test-taking behavior and performance?. American Journal of Distance Education, 31(4), 226-241. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745 VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160
Open note exams
Description: Open note assessments allow students to refer to the Internet and other materials while completing their assessments. By design, this disincentives academic dishonesty. Often instructors put time parameters around open note exams. These types of exams also lend themselves to collaborative work in which multiple students work together to complete the assessment. With an open note strategy, you can keep your general exam schedule and point structure, but you may need to revise questions so they are less about factual recall and more about the application of concepts. For instance you might give students a scenario or case study that they have to apply class concepts to as opposed to asking for specific values or definitions. If you plan to make such changes, communicate your intent and rationale to you students prior to the exam. One effective open note testing technique is to use multiple-true/false questions as a means to measure understanding. These questions (called “multiple selection” questions in D2L) pose a scenario and prompt students to check all the boxes that apply. For example, students may be prompted to read a short case or lab report, then check all statements that are true about that reading. In this way a single question stem can assess multiple levels of complexity and/or comprehension.
Benefits as noted from the literature:
Open-book exams and collaborative exams promote development of critical thinking skills.
Open-book exams are more engaging and require higher-order thinking skills.
Application of open-book exams simulates the working environment.
Students prefer open-book exams and report decreased anxiety levels.
Collaborative exams stimulate brain cell growth and intricate cognitive complexes.
Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037
Implementation for multiple lower-stakes and open note assessment strategies:
Timed vs. untimed: On the whole, performance on timed and untimed assessments yields similar scores. Students express greater anxiety over timed assessments, while they view untimed assessments as more amenable to dishonest behavior.
NOTE: If you typically have a time limit on your face-to-face assessments, increase it by 20% to allow for the added demands a remote (distinct from online) environment places on students.
If the exam is meant to be taken synchronously, remember to stay within your class period. Adjust the length of the exam accordingly.
Reduced scope: Decreasing content covered in the exam may be necessary to create an exam of appropriate length and complexity, given the unique circumstances this semester.
Question pools: Create a pool of questions, and let D2L randomly populate each student’s quiz. This helps reduce dishonest behavior
For example, a 10 question quiz might have 18 total questions in the pool, 10 of which are randomly distributed to each student by D2L.
Randomize answer order: In questions in which it makes sense, have D2L randomize the order in which the answer options appear.
Individual question per page: This can reduce instances of students taking the assessment together. It is even more effective when question order is randomized and a question pool is used. <//li>
Honor code attestation: Give students an opportunity to affirm their intent to be honest by making question one of every assessment a 0-point question asking students to agree to an honor code. You can access the MSU Honor Code: https://www.deanofstudents.msu.edu/academic-integrity
Live Zoom availability: In D2L Quizzes, set a time window during which the assessment will be available to students.
Hold a live open office hours session in Zoom at some point during that window, so that students who want to can take the assessment while they have direct access to you - this way they can ask questions if any arise.
Ultimately, our guiding principles for online teaching are flexibility, generosity, and transparency. Try to give students as much of an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge as possible.
Consider allowing multiple attempts on an assessment.
When conditions allow, consider allowing multiple means of expression.
Can students choose to demonstrate their knowledge from a menu of options
M/C test
Written response
Video presentation
Oral Exam (via Zoom)
Consider giving students choices. Perhaps they can opt out of answering a question or two. Perhaps they can choose which of a series of prompts to respond to. Perhaps students can waive one test score (to help accomodate for their rapidly changing environments)
Proctored assessments
Description: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor are tools for remote proctoring in D2L. More information is available at https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686. Please consider whether your assessments can be designed without the need for Respondus. While Respondus may be helpful in limited circumstances (e.g., when assessments must be proctored for accreditation purposes), introducing a new technology may cause additional stress for both students and instructors, and academic integrity is still not assured. High-stakes exams (those that are a large percentage of a student’s grade) that use new technologies and approaches can decrease student performance and may not reflect students’ understanding of the material. Please do not use an online proctored approach unless your assessment needs require its use.
Benefits:
Increases the barrier to academic dishonesty. Allows for use of existing exams (assuming they are translated in D2L’s Quizzes tool).
Implementation:
Any online proctored exam must be created and administered using D2L’s Quizzes tool.
Prior to offering a graded proctored exam, we strongly recommend that you administer an ungraded (or very low-stakes) practice test using the proctoring tool.
Clear communication with students about system and hardware requirements and timing considerations is required.
MSU has gained temporary no-cost access to a pair of online proctoring tools provided by Respondus: https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686
Respondus Lockdown Browser requires that students download a web browser.
When they click into your exam, the Lockdown Browser opens, and prevents users from accessing anything else on their computer.
Respondus Monitor requires use of Respondus Lockdown Browser and a webcam.
Students are monitored via the webcam while they complete the exam in Lockdown Browser.
Additional Resources:
Remote Assessment Quick Guide
Remote Assessment Video Conversation
D2L Quizzes Tool Guide
Self-training on D2L Quizzes (login to MSU’s D2L is required; self-enroll into the training course)
References: Alessio, H.M.; Malay, N.; Mauere, K.; Bailer, A.J.; & Rubin, B.(2017) Examining the effect of proctoring on online test scores, Online Learning 21 (1) Altınay, Z. (2017) Evaluating peer learning and assessment in online collaborative learning environments, Behaviour & Information Technology, 36:3, 312-320, DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2016.1232752
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037 Cramp, J.; Medlin, J. F.; Lake, P.; & Sharp, C. (2019) Lessons learned from implementing remotely invigilated online exams, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 16(1). Guerrero-Roldán, A., & Noguera, I.(2018) A Model for Aligning Assessment with Competences and Learning Activities in Online Courses, The Internet and Higher Education, vol. 38, pp. 36–46., doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.04.005.
Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486 Joseph A. Rios, J.A. & Lydia Liu, O.L. (2017) Online Proctored Versus Unproctored Low-Stakes Internet Test Administration: Is There Differential Test-Taking Behavior and Performance?, American Journal of Distance Education, 31:4, 226-241, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745 Soffer, Tal, et al. “(2017) Assessment of Online Academic Courses via Students' Activities and Perceptions, Studies in Educational Evaluation, vol. 54, pp. 83–93., doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.10.001.
Tan, C.(2020) Beyond high-stakes exam: A neo-Confucian educational programme and its contemporary implications, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52:2, 137-148, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2019.1605901
VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160
Faculty and students should be prepared to discuss accommodation needs that may arise. The team at MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) will be available to answer questions about implementing accommodations. Contact information for Team RCPD is found at https://www.rcpd.msu.edu/teamrcpd. Below you will find a description of each of the recommendations, tips for their implementation, the benefits of each, and references to pertinent research on each.
There are three primary options*:
Multiple lower-stakes assessments (most preferred)
Open note exams (preferred)
Online proctored exams (if absolutely necessary)
*Performance-based assessments such as laboratory, presentation, music, or art experiences that show proficiency will be discussed in another document
Multiple lower-stakes assessments
Description: The unique circumstances of this semester make it necessary to carefully consider your priorities when assessing students. Rather than being cumulative, a multiple assessment approach makes assessment an incremental process. Students demonstrate their understanding frequently, and accrue points over time, rather than all at once on one test. Dividing the assessment into smaller pieces can reduce anxiety and give students more practice in taking their exams online. For instance, you might have a quiz at the end of each week that students have to complete. Each subsequent quiz can (and should) build on the previous one, allowing students to build toward more complex and rigorous applications of the content. Using this approach minimizes your need to change the types of questions that you have been asking to date, which can affect student performance (e.g. if you normally ask multiple-choice questions, you can continue to do so). For the remainder of the semester, use the D2L quizzes tool to build multiple smaller assessments. Spread out the totality of your typical final exam over the month of April. This can be as simple as dividing a 100 question final exam into eight 12-question “synthesis activities” that students complete bi-weekly.
Benefits as noted from the literature:
No significant differences were observed in terms of keystroke information, rapid guessing, or aggregated scores between proctoring conditions;
More effective method for incentivizing participation and reading;
Encourages knowledge retention as each subsequent assessment builds on the last
Rios, J. A., & Liu, O. L. (2017). Online proctored versus unproctored low-stakes internet test administration: Is there differential test-taking behavior and performance?. American Journal of Distance Education, 31(4), 226-241. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745 VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160
Open note exams
Description: Open note assessments allow students to refer to the Internet and other materials while completing their assessments. By design, this disincentives academic dishonesty. Often instructors put time parameters around open note exams. These types of exams also lend themselves to collaborative work in which multiple students work together to complete the assessment. With an open note strategy, you can keep your general exam schedule and point structure, but you may need to revise questions so they are less about factual recall and more about the application of concepts. For instance you might give students a scenario or case study that they have to apply class concepts to as opposed to asking for specific values or definitions. If you plan to make such changes, communicate your intent and rationale to you students prior to the exam. One effective open note testing technique is to use multiple-true/false questions as a means to measure understanding. These questions (called “multiple selection” questions in D2L) pose a scenario and prompt students to check all the boxes that apply. For example, students may be prompted to read a short case or lab report, then check all statements that are true about that reading. In this way a single question stem can assess multiple levels of complexity and/or comprehension.
Benefits as noted from the literature:
Open-book exams and collaborative exams promote development of critical thinking skills.
Open-book exams are more engaging and require higher-order thinking skills.
Application of open-book exams simulates the working environment.
Students prefer open-book exams and report decreased anxiety levels.
Collaborative exams stimulate brain cell growth and intricate cognitive complexes.
Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037
Implementation for multiple lower-stakes and open note assessment strategies:
Timed vs. untimed: On the whole, performance on timed and untimed assessments yields similar scores. Students express greater anxiety over timed assessments, while they view untimed assessments as more amenable to dishonest behavior.
NOTE: If you typically have a time limit on your face-to-face assessments, increase it by 20% to allow for the added demands a remote (distinct from online) environment places on students.
If the exam is meant to be taken synchronously, remember to stay within your class period. Adjust the length of the exam accordingly.
Reduced scope: Decreasing content covered in the exam may be necessary to create an exam of appropriate length and complexity, given the unique circumstances this semester.
Question pools: Create a pool of questions, and let D2L randomly populate each student’s quiz. This helps reduce dishonest behavior
For example, a 10 question quiz might have 18 total questions in the pool, 10 of which are randomly distributed to each student by D2L.
Randomize answer order: In questions in which it makes sense, have D2L randomize the order in which the answer options appear.
Individual question per page: This can reduce instances of students taking the assessment together. It is even more effective when question order is randomized and a question pool is used. <//li>
Honor code attestation: Give students an opportunity to affirm their intent to be honest by making question one of every assessment a 0-point question asking students to agree to an honor code. You can access the MSU Honor Code: https://www.deanofstudents.msu.edu/academic-integrity
Live Zoom availability: In D2L Quizzes, set a time window during which the assessment will be available to students.
Hold a live open office hours session in Zoom at some point during that window, so that students who want to can take the assessment while they have direct access to you - this way they can ask questions if any arise.
Ultimately, our guiding principles for online teaching are flexibility, generosity, and transparency. Try to give students as much of an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge as possible.
Consider allowing multiple attempts on an assessment.
When conditions allow, consider allowing multiple means of expression.
Can students choose to demonstrate their knowledge from a menu of options
M/C test
Written response
Video presentation
Oral Exam (via Zoom)
Consider giving students choices. Perhaps they can opt out of answering a question or two. Perhaps they can choose which of a series of prompts to respond to. Perhaps students can waive one test score (to help accomodate for their rapidly changing environments)
Proctored assessments
Description: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor are tools for remote proctoring in D2L. More information is available at https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686. Please consider whether your assessments can be designed without the need for Respondus. While Respondus may be helpful in limited circumstances (e.g., when assessments must be proctored for accreditation purposes), introducing a new technology may cause additional stress for both students and instructors, and academic integrity is still not assured. High-stakes exams (those that are a large percentage of a student’s grade) that use new technologies and approaches can decrease student performance and may not reflect students’ understanding of the material. Please do not use an online proctored approach unless your assessment needs require its use.
Benefits:
Increases the barrier to academic dishonesty. Allows for use of existing exams (assuming they are translated in D2L’s Quizzes tool).
Implementation:
Any online proctored exam must be created and administered using D2L’s Quizzes tool.
Prior to offering a graded proctored exam, we strongly recommend that you administer an ungraded (or very low-stakes) practice test using the proctoring tool.
Clear communication with students about system and hardware requirements and timing considerations is required.
MSU has gained temporary no-cost access to a pair of online proctoring tools provided by Respondus: https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686
Respondus Lockdown Browser requires that students download a web browser.
When they click into your exam, the Lockdown Browser opens, and prevents users from accessing anything else on their computer.
Respondus Monitor requires use of Respondus Lockdown Browser and a webcam.
Students are monitored via the webcam while they complete the exam in Lockdown Browser.
Additional Resources:
Remote Assessment Quick Guide
Remote Assessment Video Conversation
D2L Quizzes Tool Guide
Self-training on D2L Quizzes (login to MSU’s D2L is required; self-enroll into the training course)
References: Alessio, H.M.; Malay, N.; Mauere, K.; Bailer, A.J.; & Rubin, B.(2017) Examining the effect of proctoring on online test scores, Online Learning 21 (1) Altınay, Z. (2017) Evaluating peer learning and assessment in online collaborative learning environments, Behaviour & Information Technology, 36:3, 312-320, DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2016.1232752
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037 Cramp, J.; Medlin, J. F.; Lake, P.; & Sharp, C. (2019) Lessons learned from implementing remotely invigilated online exams, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 16(1). Guerrero-Roldán, A., & Noguera, I.(2018) A Model for Aligning Assessment with Competences and Learning Activities in Online Courses, The Internet and Higher Education, vol. 38, pp. 36–46., doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.04.005.
Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486 Joseph A. Rios, J.A. & Lydia Liu, O.L. (2017) Online Proctored Versus Unproctored Low-Stakes Internet Test Administration: Is There Differential Test-Taking Behavior and Performance?, American Journal of Distance Education, 31:4, 226-241, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745 Soffer, Tal, et al. “(2017) Assessment of Online Academic Courses via Students' Activities and Perceptions, Studies in Educational Evaluation, vol. 54, pp. 83–93., doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.10.001.
Tan, C.(2020) Beyond high-stakes exam: A neo-Confucian educational programme and its contemporary implications, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52:2, 137-148, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2019.1605901
VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160
Authored by: Jeremy Van Hof, Stephen Thomas, Becky Matz, Kate Sonka, Sarah Wellman, Daniel Trego, Casey Henley, David Howe, Jessica Knott
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Much more than conjugations! Learn culture, diversity, and inclusion in the intro French program
Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Anne Violin-Wigent, Matt Kanefsky
Abstract:
In recent years, there has been a push to supplement a communication-based approach to language teaching with a systematic inclusion of cultural content and cultural literacy. Most textbooks, however, fail to do so and restrict culture to a page or two at the end of each chapter or cultural vignettes sprinkled throughout, while remaining focused on grammar. For this project, Matt Kanefsky and I decided to develop teaching material that uses culture as the source and context for all learning. In addition, we seek to represent the diversity of the French-speaking world, to include material from and about various countries, and to give voices to minorities groups telling their stories. This is done in particular through the development of online learning activities since our program is hybrid/flipped.In this presentation, we will share how we chose to implement our focus on culture and diversity in deliberate, systematic, and cyclical ways in each aspect of the course. We will share a list of questions we used as guiding principles to make sure that we reach our goals and provide a truly inclusive representation of French speakers. Lastly, we will share preliminary experiences and feedback from both instructors and learners.
Presented by: Anne Violin-Wigent, Matt Kanefsky
Abstract:
In recent years, there has been a push to supplement a communication-based approach to language teaching with a systematic inclusion of cultural content and cultural literacy. Most textbooks, however, fail to do so and restrict culture to a page or two at the end of each chapter or cultural vignettes sprinkled throughout, while remaining focused on grammar. For this project, Matt Kanefsky and I decided to develop teaching material that uses culture as the source and context for all learning. In addition, we seek to represent the diversity of the French-speaking world, to include material from and about various countries, and to give voices to minorities groups telling their stories. This is done in particular through the development of online learning activities since our program is hybrid/flipped.In this presentation, we will share how we chose to implement our focus on culture and diversity in deliberate, systematic, and cyclical ways in each aspect of the course. We will share a list of questions we used as guiding principles to make sure that we reach our goals and provide a truly inclusive representation of French speakers. Lastly, we will share preliminary experiences and feedback from both instructors and learners.
Authored by: Anne Violin-Wigent, Matt Kanefsky
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator...
College of Engineering 2020 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Engineering. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Puneet Kumar: Puneet is a lead TA for CE 221 that has about 340 students in 3 sections during the spring semester. Managing the large volume of students for various activities without face-to-face meetings is challenging. While he had minor health problems during these testing times, he has shown leadership and courage to help students in a very systematic and organized way. I really appreciate his efforts to provide the best possible education to our undergraduate students.
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.
Puneet Kumar: Puneet is a lead TA for CE 221 that has about 340 students in 3 sections during the spring semester. Managing the large volume of students for various activities without face-to-face meetings is challenging. While he had minor health problems during these testing times, he has shown leadership and courage to help students in a very systematic and organized way. I really appreciate his efforts to provide the best possible education to our undergraduate students.
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.
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: Teaching Toolkit Ta...
Cultivating Inclusive Classrooms: Being Mindful of Your Identity
At this point, most educators have likely heard about “inclusive classrooms.” We want you to consider an alternative perspective about how you can make classrooms places where all students feel seen and heard. This perspective – that of “anti-oppression” – rather than inclusivity or diversity – will help you understand the role instructors play in creating classroom environments in which some students are oppressed and others are privileged. We recommend this lens because it focuses on the systems in which oppression operates rather than on differences themselves. Individuals differences can too often be used by educators (consciously or unconsciously) to privilege or oppress those they are teaching. Anti-oppression in the classroom begins with you.
What is an Anti-Oppressive Classroom?
Anti-oppressive classrooms are those in which all forms of oppression are actively and intentionally challenged. Anti-oppressive classrooms attempt to directly address issues of power toward the fullest recognition of all individuals. As instructors, we have considerable power/influence over the classroom environment. How we assume that role and use that power will determine the boundaries and expectations for a non-oppressive classroom. As the instructor, you set the parameters. Your students will either be empowered or oppressed as a result of how you employ your identity in the classroom. This is why it’s important to begin the process towards an anti-oppressive classroom by reflecting on elements of your own identity.
Authentic self-reflection may not be easy, but is required if you commit to a non-oppressive classroom. This is a process…it involves steps. We can only start from who and where we are. To help you start your journey, we provide four questions to engage you in intentional thought towards becoming mindful of your identity.
Four Questions to Begin the Journey
Are you aware of your identity statuses: sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, national status, language, etc.?
Answering this question is the first step toward a non-oppressive classroom in that you become aware of your identity statuses so that you can understand their meaning and how they intersect. (For instance, you’re not only Latino or White …you’re a [Latino or White], heterosexual, cisgender (insert other identity statuses here) male.)
Have you acknowledged/do you understand what those identities mean to you? For instance, do you know what it means to be white racially if you identify as racially white? Answering this question allows you to understand who you are, so that you can begin to address the privileges (or lack thereof) associated with your identity statuses.
Have you accepted the privileges (or lack thereof) that comes with your identity? Have you internalized why this matters? Answering this question allows you to deal with reactions you may have while accepting your identity statuses (such as defensiveness, guilt, powerlessness, responsibility, ownership), so that you can embody your identity in a true and authentic way.
Do you actively engage your identity within your teaching? How do you situate or position yourself in the classroom? Now that you have become aware of, acknowledged and accepted your identity statuses, you must critically consider what actions you can take to address your privilege (or lack thereof) in the classroom.
What is an Anti-Oppressive Classroom?
Anti-oppressive classrooms are those in which all forms of oppression are actively and intentionally challenged. Anti-oppressive classrooms attempt to directly address issues of power toward the fullest recognition of all individuals. As instructors, we have considerable power/influence over the classroom environment. How we assume that role and use that power will determine the boundaries and expectations for a non-oppressive classroom. As the instructor, you set the parameters. Your students will either be empowered or oppressed as a result of how you employ your identity in the classroom. This is why it’s important to begin the process towards an anti-oppressive classroom by reflecting on elements of your own identity.
Authentic self-reflection may not be easy, but is required if you commit to a non-oppressive classroom. This is a process…it involves steps. We can only start from who and where we are. To help you start your journey, we provide four questions to engage you in intentional thought towards becoming mindful of your identity.
Four Questions to Begin the Journey
Are you aware of your identity statuses: sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, national status, language, etc.?
Answering this question is the first step toward a non-oppressive classroom in that you become aware of your identity statuses so that you can understand their meaning and how they intersect. (For instance, you’re not only Latino or White …you’re a [Latino or White], heterosexual, cisgender (insert other identity statuses here) male.)
Have you acknowledged/do you understand what those identities mean to you? For instance, do you know what it means to be white racially if you identify as racially white? Answering this question allows you to understand who you are, so that you can begin to address the privileges (or lack thereof) associated with your identity statuses.
Have you accepted the privileges (or lack thereof) that comes with your identity? Have you internalized why this matters? Answering this question allows you to deal with reactions you may have while accepting your identity statuses (such as defensiveness, guilt, powerlessness, responsibility, ownership), so that you can embody your identity in a true and authentic way.
Do you actively engage your identity within your teaching? How do you situate or position yourself in the classroom? Now that you have become aware of, acknowledged and accepted your identity statuses, you must critically consider what actions you can take to address your privilege (or lack thereof) in the classroom.
Authored by: Madeline Shellgren & S. Mo
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Developing a Picture of LGBTQA+ Student Success
Topic Area: Student Success
Presented By: Jesse Beal, Heather Shea
Abstract:
In this interactive, data- and practice-informed presentation, we will explore LGBTQA+ student success as a vital component of University student success efforts. Due to the lack of data on traditional student success metrics (persistence, retention, time to degree, and graduation) for LGBTQA+ students, LGBTQA+ student success work must be creative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and expansive. We will show how developing LGBTQA+ inclusive policies and practices supports student success and increases a sense of belonging. We will share the impact of implementing LGBTQA+ inclusive data collection practices on understanding student success on other campuses. We will explore the mental health challenges LGBTQA+ students face due to LGBTQA+ oppression, how these challenges have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, available mental health support services, and promising practices for intervention and support. We will also discuss ways in which each of us, as educators, can make a real and tangible difference for our LGBTQA+ students. The ability of LGBTQA+ students to learn, develop, and succeed is inextricably tied to their sense of belonging and the support provided to them by the University to face and overcome challenges. This session will provide an introduction to theories of LGBTQA+ student success, as well practical application, creative solutions, and methods of intervention.
Presented By: Jesse Beal, Heather Shea
Abstract:
In this interactive, data- and practice-informed presentation, we will explore LGBTQA+ student success as a vital component of University student success efforts. Due to the lack of data on traditional student success metrics (persistence, retention, time to degree, and graduation) for LGBTQA+ students, LGBTQA+ student success work must be creative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and expansive. We will show how developing LGBTQA+ inclusive policies and practices supports student success and increases a sense of belonging. We will share the impact of implementing LGBTQA+ inclusive data collection practices on understanding student success on other campuses. We will explore the mental health challenges LGBTQA+ students face due to LGBTQA+ oppression, how these challenges have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, available mental health support services, and promising practices for intervention and support. We will also discuss ways in which each of us, as educators, can make a real and tangible difference for our LGBTQA+ students. The ability of LGBTQA+ students to learn, develop, and succeed is inextricably tied to their sense of belonging and the support provided to them by the University to face and overcome challenges. This session will provide an introduction to theories of LGBTQA+ student success, as well practical application, creative solutions, and methods of intervention.
Authored by: Jesse Beal, Heather Shea
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Microaggressions often have macro impacts - How do we address microaggressions in the classroom? What is our role as an educator when these happen in our classroom? What do we do when we are the aggressor?
Posted by: Monaca Eaton
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Oppression is the denial of access to material resources and social power. Oppression can be covert or overt. It is important to be able to identify and name the types of oppression to be able to transcend them. Oppression can manifest in four distinct ways. Click the attachment to learn more!
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Posted by: Makena Neal
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Here is a great bibliography of articles related to teaching about oppression in your classes. It was compiled by the History Department of Brown University
https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/sites/sheridan/files/docs/engaging-oppression-in-classrooms-bibliography.pdf
https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/sites/sheridan/files/docs/engaging-oppression-in-classrooms-bibliography.pdf
Posted by: Jay Loftus
Navigating Context
Posted on: CISAH
Hope this is the right place to share this:
10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Traditional 2-3 page essay
• 5-6 minute Voice Recording or Video
• Sketchnotes (a hybrid of note-taking and creative doodles that presents students’ grasp of new information, gleaned from scholarly reading, and connection of those ideas to specific novels, plays, or films in the course)
Collaborative Project #1 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week Five)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two recent journal articles (less than ten years old) on material presented during the first third of the course. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• TV Newscast (WeVideo)
• TV Talkshow (WeVideo)
• Podcast -- starting in Fall 2022 – (anchor.fm)
Collaborative Project #2 @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 10)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two books, two journal articles, and two digital sources to have to do in some way with intersections between course material on one hand, and systems of power, oppression, equity, and justice on the other AND create a readers’ guide based on that work. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Readers’ Guide Flipbook (Flipsnack)
• Reader’s Guide Infographic (Canva)
Collaborative Project #3 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week 14)
Student learning teams 1) revisit five to six novels, plays, or films presented in the course, 2) examine them in terms of power, oppressions, equity, and justice, AND 3) brainstorm practical solutions to how we might better address similar longstanding ills in 21st century society. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Interactive Academic Poster (Power Point or Prezi)
• Interactive Digital Scrapbook (Canva)
Capstone Project – Individual Semester Reflection @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 15)
Students develop a guided reflection in which they revisit and evaluate their learning for the course. Students have the following options:
• Traditional Five to Six-page Self-Assessment Essay
• Five to Six-minute Self-Assessment Video
Questions for “Guided” Individual or Team Reflection
• For you introduction, describe your work and related activities for the week/semester in general.
• Briefly describe the projects, processes, and skills you will discuss.
• Discuss three points/projects you found most enjoyable and explain why.
• Explain three processes for the projects described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding.
• Explain three skills you gained or improved upon during the week/semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• How might you improve your independent and/or collaborative work habits and related choices in the course?
• Describe your biggest “A-ha Moment” this week/semester.
• How does that same “A-ha Moment” connect to something you have learned in other courses?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about team members, assignments, the course, instructor, or previous grades.
10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Traditional 2-3 page essay
• 5-6 minute Voice Recording or Video
• Sketchnotes (a hybrid of note-taking and creative doodles that presents students’ grasp of new information, gleaned from scholarly reading, and connection of those ideas to specific novels, plays, or films in the course)
Collaborative Project #1 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week Five)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two recent journal articles (less than ten years old) on material presented during the first third of the course. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• TV Newscast (WeVideo)
• TV Talkshow (WeVideo)
• Podcast -- starting in Fall 2022 – (anchor.fm)
Collaborative Project #2 @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 10)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two books, two journal articles, and two digital sources to have to do in some way with intersections between course material on one hand, and systems of power, oppression, equity, and justice on the other AND create a readers’ guide based on that work. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Readers’ Guide Flipbook (Flipsnack)
• Reader’s Guide Infographic (Canva)
Collaborative Project #3 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week 14)
Student learning teams 1) revisit five to six novels, plays, or films presented in the course, 2) examine them in terms of power, oppressions, equity, and justice, AND 3) brainstorm practical solutions to how we might better address similar longstanding ills in 21st century society. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Interactive Academic Poster (Power Point or Prezi)
• Interactive Digital Scrapbook (Canva)
Capstone Project – Individual Semester Reflection @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 15)
Students develop a guided reflection in which they revisit and evaluate their learning for the course. Students have the following options:
• Traditional Five to Six-page Self-Assessment Essay
• Five to Six-minute Self-Assessment Video
Questions for “Guided” Individual or Team Reflection
• For you introduction, describe your work and related activities for the week/semester in general.
• Briefly describe the projects, processes, and skills you will discuss.
• Discuss three points/projects you found most enjoyable and explain why.
• Explain three processes for the projects described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding.
• Explain three skills you gained or improved upon during the week/semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• How might you improve your independent and/or collaborative work habits and related choices in the course?
• Describe your biggest “A-ha Moment” this week/semester.
• How does that same “A-ha Moment” connect to something you have learned in other courses?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about team members, assignments, the course, instructor, or previous grades.
Posted by: Stokes Schwartz
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: Reading Group for S...
Hello again everyone! Our reading group on Student Engagement and Success is slated to meat for 90 minutes this Friday morning (October 22nd) at 10am. Hope to see you then. For your convenience, here are the questions we'll discuss (or use as jumping off points) related to Chapter One in our book Student Engagement in Higher Education, Third Edition:
Questions on Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper (Ch. 1)
1) What is your view of Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper’s assertion that U.S. higher education, in general, is obligated to do more to foster student engagement within and beyond the classroom? What might be some practical challenges to do that?
2) In the Preface, Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper suggest that there is something temporally specific about the crisis of engagement they and their contributors describe. How would you describe engagement as a timely matter? In other words - what shape(s) does the issue of engagement take in 2021?
3) At the micro level (within our own teaching, advising, or other close work with students), how might we address the issue? What are some concrete steps we might take?
4) Describe your reaction(s) to the approach advocated at the bottom of p. 6, “Faculty and student affairs educators must foster the conditions to enable diverse populations of students to be engaged, persist, and thrive.” Where do you see difficulties with that aim? How might you nevertheless integrate that goal into your own practices? What might you change or adapt?
5) What makes PQH’s intersectional and anti-deficit lens appealing for this type of research? In particular, how do you respond to the book’s organizational reliance upon identity-based systems of oppression (which, we should note, we’ve proposed to use as an organizing principle for our discussions as well)?
6) What are some concrete ways we might be more intentional in our teaching/advising practices or other close work with students when it comes to cultivating their engagement. How do we help them to help themselves?
7) Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper discuss Tinto’s assertion that academic (and social) communities are key to student engagement, performance, and retention (4-5). What is your own view? How might the use of academic communities (student learning teams) nevertheless present challenges of one kind or another? What might be some concrete steps we could take to ease or avoid potential issues?
8) Near the end of Chapter One, Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper acknowledge that “Linking theory and practice is not simple” (12). Realistically, how might we achieve at least some of what they call for? How could we maximize results -- “the amount of time and effort students put into their [Gen. Ed. or Prereq.] studies” -- without completely redesigning our courses and component classes/modules?
9) In the “Distinguishing Educationally Purposeful Engagement” section, PQH mention the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which has collected data on ten engagement indicators for approx. 4,000,000 college students since 2000. What, if any, familiarity do you have with the NSSE, and how do you respond to their engagement indicators (subcategorized under Academic Challenge, Learning with Peers, Experiences with Faculty, Campus Environment) and High-Impact Practices (service learning, study abroad, research with faculty, internships)?
10) PQH deride the so-called “magical thinking” philosophy that undergirds much traditional scholarship of engagement and insist, instead, that “educators must facilitate structured opportunities for these dialogues to transpire” (8). What experience have you had with this type of facilitation? How did it seem to benefit the students involved?
11) For your own courses, what would you prioritize when it comes to fostering greater student engagement? How might you create or improve conditions that could facilitate that?
Questions on Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper (Ch. 1)
1) What is your view of Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper’s assertion that U.S. higher education, in general, is obligated to do more to foster student engagement within and beyond the classroom? What might be some practical challenges to do that?
2) In the Preface, Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper suggest that there is something temporally specific about the crisis of engagement they and their contributors describe. How would you describe engagement as a timely matter? In other words - what shape(s) does the issue of engagement take in 2021?
3) At the micro level (within our own teaching, advising, or other close work with students), how might we address the issue? What are some concrete steps we might take?
4) Describe your reaction(s) to the approach advocated at the bottom of p. 6, “Faculty and student affairs educators must foster the conditions to enable diverse populations of students to be engaged, persist, and thrive.” Where do you see difficulties with that aim? How might you nevertheless integrate that goal into your own practices? What might you change or adapt?
5) What makes PQH’s intersectional and anti-deficit lens appealing for this type of research? In particular, how do you respond to the book’s organizational reliance upon identity-based systems of oppression (which, we should note, we’ve proposed to use as an organizing principle for our discussions as well)?
6) What are some concrete ways we might be more intentional in our teaching/advising practices or other close work with students when it comes to cultivating their engagement. How do we help them to help themselves?
7) Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper discuss Tinto’s assertion that academic (and social) communities are key to student engagement, performance, and retention (4-5). What is your own view? How might the use of academic communities (student learning teams) nevertheless present challenges of one kind or another? What might be some concrete steps we could take to ease or avoid potential issues?
8) Near the end of Chapter One, Pendakur, Quaye, and Harper acknowledge that “Linking theory and practice is not simple” (12). Realistically, how might we achieve at least some of what they call for? How could we maximize results -- “the amount of time and effort students put into their [Gen. Ed. or Prereq.] studies” -- without completely redesigning our courses and component classes/modules?
9) In the “Distinguishing Educationally Purposeful Engagement” section, PQH mention the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which has collected data on ten engagement indicators for approx. 4,000,000 college students since 2000. What, if any, familiarity do you have with the NSSE, and how do you respond to their engagement indicators (subcategorized under Academic Challenge, Learning with Peers, Experiences with Faculty, Campus Environment) and High-Impact Practices (service learning, study abroad, research with faculty, internships)?
10) PQH deride the so-called “magical thinking” philosophy that undergirds much traditional scholarship of engagement and insist, instead, that “educators must facilitate structured opportunities for these dialogues to transpire” (8). What experience have you had with this type of facilitation? How did it seem to benefit the students involved?
11) For your own courses, what would you prioritize when it comes to fostering greater student engagement? How might you create or improve conditions that could facilitate that?
Posted by: Stokes Schwartz
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: Reading Group for S...
Chapter 5: Notes and questions
1. Erasure: “We must engage in critical self-reflection about the conscious and unconscious ways higher education continues to participate in Native people’s erasure and develop decolonial engagement practices that foreground Native movements for cultural/political sovereignty and self-determination.”
2. Assimilation: “…the problematic goal of assimilation…”
3. Social Justice: “…scholars must work toward social change.”
4. Storying: “Stories are not separate from theory.”
5. Strategies offered:
a. Develop and Maintain Relationships with Indigenous Communities
i. Can a faculty member do this within their pedagogy? How?
ii. Can we encourage our students to do this in our classes/programs? How?
b. Honor Connections to Place
c. Build Community with Indigenous Students
d. Support and Protect Indigenous Student Cultural Practices
e. Foster Student Connections to Home Communities
f. Reframe Concepts of Student Engagement (WE, meaning the university community writ large, are the uninvited guests)
Chapter 6: Notes and Questions
1. “Whiteness is not a culture but a social concept”
2. “Critical White Studies”: ideas for how to use/introduce this to students? Will you? Why or why not? (“critically analyzing Whiteness and racial oppression from the habits and structures of the privileged group”)
3. In your current class design/structure, what ways could your own whiteness influence your students in invisible ways? Does it?
4. In your current class design/structure, what ways could your white students’ whiteness influence your POC, international students, etc… in invisible ways? Does it?
5. What aspects of “humanizing pedagogy” happen in your classes?
6. Have you ever shared your course design with a POC peer?
7. Thoughts of where “Nontraditional” white students (older students, part-time students, transfer students, commuter students, student-parents, veteran students (and I would argue other cross-sectional/intersectional identities of queerness, transgender students, religious minorities, disability, etc…)) and traditional white students INTERSECT or DIVERGE in terms of student success initiatives?
1. Erasure: “We must engage in critical self-reflection about the conscious and unconscious ways higher education continues to participate in Native people’s erasure and develop decolonial engagement practices that foreground Native movements for cultural/political sovereignty and self-determination.”
2. Assimilation: “…the problematic goal of assimilation…”
3. Social Justice: “…scholars must work toward social change.”
4. Storying: “Stories are not separate from theory.”
5. Strategies offered:
a. Develop and Maintain Relationships with Indigenous Communities
i. Can a faculty member do this within their pedagogy? How?
ii. Can we encourage our students to do this in our classes/programs? How?
b. Honor Connections to Place
c. Build Community with Indigenous Students
d. Support and Protect Indigenous Student Cultural Practices
e. Foster Student Connections to Home Communities
f. Reframe Concepts of Student Engagement (WE, meaning the university community writ large, are the uninvited guests)
Chapter 6: Notes and Questions
1. “Whiteness is not a culture but a social concept”
2. “Critical White Studies”: ideas for how to use/introduce this to students? Will you? Why or why not? (“critically analyzing Whiteness and racial oppression from the habits and structures of the privileged group”)
3. In your current class design/structure, what ways could your own whiteness influence your students in invisible ways? Does it?
4. In your current class design/structure, what ways could your white students’ whiteness influence your POC, international students, etc… in invisible ways? Does it?
5. What aspects of “humanizing pedagogy” happen in your classes?
6. Have you ever shared your course design with a POC peer?
7. Thoughts of where “Nontraditional” white students (older students, part-time students, transfer students, commuter students, student-parents, veteran students (and I would argue other cross-sectional/intersectional identities of queerness, transgender students, religious minorities, disability, etc…)) and traditional white students INTERSECT or DIVERGE in terms of student success initiatives?
Posted by: Stacia Moroski-Rigney
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
No matter what subject matter we are teaching, the size of our class, or the time we devoted to creating an inclusive classroom, conflict is part of the learning process. Conflict may erupt due to any number of things, including problematic humor, language that is viewed by some as oppressive, stereotypes, or microaggressions.
Regardless of your content, class size, or teaching methodology, you can access some suggestions about how to handle those hot moments when they arise by clicking the attachment below.
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Regardless of your content, class size, or teaching methodology, you can access some suggestions about how to handle those hot moments when they arise by clicking the attachment below.
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Posted by: Makena Neal
Navigating Context
Host: MSU Libraries
Film Screening: I’m Still Here (Ainda estou aqui)
Ainda Estou Aqui (I’m Still Here), winner of the Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards (2025), tells the powerful true story of Rubens Paiva’s arrest and disappearance in 1970s Rio de Janeiro and his wife Eunice’s relentless fight for the truth amid Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985).
Based on the novel by Marcelo Rubens Paiva—son of Rubens and Eunice—the film portrays the Paiva family’s struggle to uncover Rubens’ fate in a nation gripped by political repression. The trauma of her husband's disappearance drives Eunice to study law, ultimately becoming a leading advocate for Indigenous rights in Brazil.
We invite the MSU community and the general public to a free screening and discussion on political oppression, censorship, fear, trauma, democratic challenges, and social upheaval. Faculty members will facilitate the conversation, encouraging critical engagement with the film’s historical and contemporary relevance.
This event is free and open to the public.
Agenda
5:30 PM: Screening to be presented by Janette Nuñez (MSU Libraries) and Saulo Gouveia (Romance and Classical Studies)
7:45 PM (immediately after the screening): Discussion panel featuring:
a. Peter Beattie, History
b. Saulo Gouveia, Romance and Classical Studies
c. María Isabel Espinoza, Sociology
d. Rocío Quispe Agnoli, Romance and Classical Studies
Navigating Context
Host: CTLI
Educators as Researchers: The SoTL Approach to Innovative Teaching
Curious about conducting research in your classroom as a means to improve student outcomes? Join us for an informative workshop that introduces the fundamentals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which involves the systematic study of teaching and learning in higher education to improve student success. In this session, you'll discover how SoTL can transform your teaching and contribute to your professional growth. We'll guide you through the key steps of a SoTL inquiry, from formulating research questions to sharing your findings. Plus, you'll explore examples of impactful SoTL projects and learn about resources available to help you get started. Whether you're new to SoTL or looking to refine your approach, this session offers valuable insights into the research-based approach to improving student learning.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
define SoTL and describe its core principles
explain the importance of SoTL in enhancing student learning and improving teaching practices
identify differences between SOTL and traditional research in higher education
describe how SoTL can contribute to professional development, tenure, and promotion in higher education
outline the key steps involved in a SoTL inquiry, from formulating a question to dissemination
explore examples of SoTL projects in various disciplines
identify institutional and external resources available for faculty interested in SoTL (funding, mentorship, workshops)
describe ethical considerations when conducting SoTL research, including the use of student data, informed consent, IRB, etc.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED