Conference Schedule

THe learning Educator:
Fostering our own development
for better practice and results

February  13–14, 2009
Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Bloomington, Minnesota

Register by the January 28 Early Bird deadline to save $50!  

Click here to download a pdf version of the February, 2009, conference brochure

Conference Schedule Roundtable for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and HSIs Preconference Sessions Opening Session Plenary Session	Concurrent Sessions Closing Plenary Session Free Mini-Consulting Faculty Developers' Breakfast Session Conference Information (Hotel, Travel, etc.) Planning Committee
Download the conference registration form!

---

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
 

Thursday, February 12
7:30–9:00 p.m.	HBCU, TCU, HSI Roundtable
Friday, February 13		Saturday, February 14
7:30 a.m.	Registration Open	7:30–9:15 a.m.	Faculty Developers' Breakfast Session
8:00–10:30 a.m.	Preconference Workshops	7:30–9:45 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
9:45–10:30 a.m.	Mini-Consultations	8:00–9:15 a.m.	Concurrent Sessions II
10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.	Opening Session	9:15–9:45 a.m.	Break
12:30–1:30 p.m.	Lunch	9:45–10:30 a.m.	Mini-Consultations
1:45–3:00 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions I	9:45–11:00 a.m..	Concurrent Sessions III
3:00–3:30 p.m.	Break	11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Closing Session
3:30–4:45 p.m.	Plenary Session
5:00–6:00 p.m.	Reception

---

ROUNDTABLE RECEPTION FOR HBCUs, TRIBAL COLLEGES, AND HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS Thursday, 7:30–9:00 PM—Separate registration required. Free

Participants from Historically Black, Tribal, and Hispanic-serving institutions are invited to attend this informal gathering to socialize, discuss issues of common concern to your institutions, and provide input for Collaboration planning. Please indicate on your registration form if you will attend.

---

PRECONFERENCE sessions  Friday, 8:00–10:30 AM—Separate registration required.

A LESSONS LEARNED: Maximize the Potential of a Collaborative Team Experience Beth Donahue, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing Sally Fauchald, Associate Professor, School of Nursing The College of St. Scholastica Karl Smith, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Purdue University and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Core Faculty Member, The Collaboration’s Institute for Academic Innovation The aim of this workshop is to engage participants in dialogue around a team-based collaborative campus innovation or change project. The College of St. Scholastica’s 2008 Institute for Academic Innovation project, Integrating Emerging Technologies Across Nursing Curricula, will be our case example. The presenters invite participants to bring examples of a campus project that is stalled or not progressing rapidly enough. Participants will work together to redesign collaborative campus-based teams. By the end of the workshop participants will have increased confidence in creating strategies for addressing barriers, a deeper understanding of Wiggins and McTighe’s Backward Design Approach, and the ability to shift from faculty outcomes to outcomes for students.

B INVESTIGATING AND ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING IN YOUR CLASSROOM Mary Walczak, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry Interim Director of Evaluation and Assessment St. Olaf College Have you ever wondered whether your efforts to improve student learning are effective? The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is a systematic and thoughtful investigation of student learning for purposes of improving student success. This session will explore ways faculty members can investigate the impact of teaching strategies on student learning. Examples of research questions about and assessment strategies for measuring student learning in the presenter’s general education chemistry class will illustrate what questions might be asked and how evidence might be gathered. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on and discuss research questions about their own students’ learning and brainstorm assessment strategies that can address the questions.

C DESIGNING FOR DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING: New Ways of Thinking about Change John Tagg, Professor of English Palomar College, Author of The Learning Paradigm College Why is it often so hard to change existing practices at colleges and universities? Why do change initiatives often end up reproducing the problems they were intended to address? Why are even apparently simple solutions to widely recognized problems so often embroiled in controversy? In this interactive workshop, participants will examine some of the factors that limit the ability to think “outside the box” of current practice. The presenter and the participants will identify some of the assumptions and values that constrain and limit the ability to make improvements. And they will identify strategies for opening up new possibilities and renewing the conversation about change.

D TAPPING THE POWER OF FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE TEACHING   Kristin Bransford, Associate Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Karen L. Moroz, Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education and Director of Curriculum and Instruction with Reading Emphasis Masters Program Angela Nippert, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences Concordia University-St. Paul Faculty learning communities can have a profound influence on instructors' understanding of effective learning methods, leading to significant improvement in student learning. In this workshop, participants will learn how to form a faculty learning community focused on effective use of engaged learning strategies. By modeling the learning community approach, participants will experience the methodology. By reflecting on engaged learning practices and considering the fit of the learning strategies with their courses, participants will assess the applicability of learning communities' process to needs at their institution and leave with tools to establish learning communities at their own institutions. In addition, they will glean several engaged learning activities they can immediately begin using in their classrooms.   This preconference session is based on The Collaboration’s Traveling Workshop, “Tapping the Power of Faculty Learning Communities to Improve Teaching.”

E FOSTERING STUDENT RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN THE COMMUNITY Christopher W. Wells, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Studies Macalester College Interested in adding a research component to an undergraduate course? Attracted to the idea of having your students engage in action research, but not quite sure where to begin? Wrestling with problems related to an existing research component in one of your courses? This workshop aims to provide practical information and proven techniques for fostering undergraduate research both in the classroom and in the community, and to engage participants in dialogue and problem-solving around its problems and possibilities.

---

OPENING SESSION Friday, 10:45 AM–12:15 PM

Doing SoTL: The Joy and Challenges of Juggling Kathleen McKinney Professor of Sociology and Cross Endowed Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Illinois State University Conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects can seem overwhelming to many faculty members in light of their many other obligations and their level of expertise for such work. This interactive keynote presentation will focus on four areas of “juggling” often found in doing scholarship of teaching and learning work: Juggling SoTL with the demands of the rest of a professional workload; juggling skills and expertise to be able to do SoTL; juggling aspects of the research design of a particular SoTL project; and juggling how to apply and document SoTL work for various purposes and audiences. The presenter will discuss these juggling challenges and possible ways for keeping these balls in the air. Concrete examples from the presenter and audience will be noted.   Kathleen McKinney is Professor of Sociology and Cross Endowed Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. Her scholarly publications include several books and dozens of refereed articles in social psychology, relationships, and college teaching. Her most recent books are Enhancing Learning Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Sociology Through Active Learning. She is currently working on two SoTL studies of sociology majors. She is a past editor of Teaching Sociology, a Carnegie Scholar, and has received several teaching awards at institutional and national levels. McKinney is also involved in the SoTL movement through the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) and as a founding member of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

PLENARY SESSION Friday, February 13, 3:30-4:45 p.m.

From the Individual to the Institution: How Does SoTL Work Add Up? Anthony Ciccone, Senior Scholar and Director of the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Professor of French University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning attracts faculty from many different disciplines because it aligns with two of our most basic values as reflective professionals: the importance of improving student learning in our classrooms and the importance of systematic inquiry in determining how to bring it about. It also aligns with the goals of this conference; understanding the SoTL perspective (teaching as a source of interesting, consequential questions), the SoTL process (systematic inquiry), and the SoTL work of others is an important part of our professional development. SoTL work, however, is defined not only by its impact on individual faculty and students, but also by its impact on other colleagues and perhaps the wider higher education community. What could this impact look like at the institutional level? How can SoTL work advance institutional initiatives while keeping faithful to its roots in individual inquiry? Participants will be asked to consider programmatic initiatives on their campuses that could be advanced by the SoTL work of individuals. Anthony Ciccone is Senior Scholar and Director of the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Professor of French and Director of the Center for Instructional and Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ciccone has authored a book and several articles on Molière, and French language textbooks. He has presented on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning nationally, provided chapters for Campus Progress and Creating a New Kind of University, and recently published his SoTL work in a special edition of Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. Ciccone is past Director of the Wisconsin Teaching Scholars program, recipient of a Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence in 2005. He has been recognized for his teaching and received the French Teacher of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers.

CLOSING PLENARY SESSION Saturday, 11:15 AM–12:30 PM

The Golden Rule: Teachers as Learners? John Tagg, Professor of English Palomar College and Featured Presenter and Consultant, The Collaboration’s 2009 Institute for Academic Innovation   Does your job get in the way of your work? Are educators’ and students’ goals and expectations so different that there can be no meeting of the minds? Before we can answer these questions we have to ask whether we, as educators, are “walking the walk.” Our expectations for our students are closely related to our expectations for ourselves. How can we model the kinds of learning that we want our students to achieve? And how can we model academic behavior and habits of thought in a way that students will see and emulate? In this session, we will consider what our goals are and what the goals of our students are. We will explore what we hope to achieve for our students and what those goals mean for us as teachers, administrators, and educators. We will consider cases where our roles in our institutions and our goals for our students conflict. And we will examine some of the sources of our students’ motivation to find points of real leverage.   John Tagg is co-author, with Robert Barr, of “From Teaching to Learning: A New Paradigm for Higher Education,” (Change, Nov-Dec 1995), which is arguably the most widely cited piece Change ever published. It sparked a nationwide discussion of the mission of higher education. As author of The Learning Paradigm College, Tagg describes a research-based approach to redesigning higher education in the service of student learning and provides detailed examples of colleges and universities that exemplify aspects of the Learning Paradigm. He reports that his article on “Double-Loop Learning in Higher Education” (Change, Jul-Aug 2007) was inspired by his interactions with Collaboration conference participants in 2006 and reflects his recent scholarship. Tagg has made presentations and conducted workshops for dozens of campuses and organizations over the past decade. Recently, he has worked with the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He serves on the Editorial Review Board of the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the Journal on Centers for Teaching and Learning.

---

FREE MINI-CONSULTATIONS ON CAMPUS INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND ASSESSMENT Various times (see conference schedule). Registration required. Free.   Meet representatives of The Collaboration’s consulting corps and get tips on how to make your campus initiatives in teaching, learning, and assessment more successful. Sign up on the registration form to request a time slot, and be ready to describe your program’s needs and pose your questions. You can register on site, if space is available. First come, first served! Offered in conjunction with the Institute for Academic Innovation and Program Consulting and Evaluation Services.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS I Friday,  1:45–3:00 PM A.       An Ounce of Prevention: Protecting the Self from Burnout B.       Professional Learning Communities: A Collaborative Process for Faculty Development C.       A Conversation with Kathleen McKinney, Anthony Ciccone, and John Tagg D.       An In-Depth Study of Highly Successful Professional Programs E.       Another Tool in the Toolbox: Using Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) F.       Reflecting on Critical Student Learning Experiences That Leverage Your Strengths G.      Promoting and Experiencing Collaborative Learning H.      Applying Science to Teaching Scientific Writing

CONCURRENT SESSIONS II Saturday, 8:00–9:15 AM A.        The Scottish Storyline Approach to Curriculum Design B.        Collaboration Across Disciplines Using the Lesson Study Method C.        SoTL and the Humanities: Studying How Students Move Toward More Complex Thinking in a            Course on Comedy and Laughter D.        Use of the Kreber/Cranton Model of the Scholarship of Teaching—Part I E.        Faculty Development: A Curricular Approach F.        Fostering Success in Developmental Learning Communities THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELLED G.        A Case for High Context Science Instruction: Inviting Culture into Your Classes

CONCURRENT SESSIONS III Saturday, 9:45–11:00 AM   A.        So You Think You Can Teach. . . But What Do Students Say? B.        Faculty Development, Morningside Style C.        Student Perspectives on Learning a Discipline: Implications for Practice D.        Use of the Kreber/Cranton Model of the Scholarship of Teaching—Part II E.        To Blog or Not to Blog? Strategies for Assessing and Implementing F.        Jump-Start Your Learners' Brains: Multi-Sensory Whole-Brained Teaching G.        Inspiration and Intellect: Applying Fink's Theories of Integrated Course Design H.        Fostering Professional Development: Paths to Renewal at Mid-Career and Beyond

---

FACULTY DEVELOPERS' BREAKFAST SESSION Saturday, 7:30–9:15 AM―Separate registration required. THE SINCERITY OF OUR INTENTIONS Diane Pike, Professor of Sociology and Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning Augsburg College 2008 Recipient of the Collaboration's Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning Many campuses find it an effort, if not a struggle, to engage a broad array of colleagues in faculty development. Programs often attract the same “usual suspects.” The people who might benefit most are often the least likely to participate. The notion that effective teaching can’t really be taught—let alone measured—persists. Who benefits from this situation? (Hint: not the students.)  Starting from Stephen Brookfield’s idea that “One of the hardest things teachers have to learn is that the sincerity of their intentions does not guarantee the purity of their practice,” this participatory session will explore the strategies and limits of engaging a broader range of colleagues and of advocating for requisite, not optional, faculty development. .

---

CONFERENCE INFORMATION REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS Please complete all sections of the form and return it with full payment. If using the online registration form, complete, print, sign, and mail or fax it with your payment. Remember to indicate preferences for concurrent sessions; this helps the conference staff with scheduling and helps presenters plan accordingly. Save $50 when you register by the Early Bird postmark deadline, January 28, 2009! CONFERENCE REGISTRATION REFUND POLICY Registration fees paid in advance are refundable (less a $50 cancellation fee) if written notice is received by February 4, 2009. Refunds cannot be made after that date unless the request is accompanied by written notification from a licensed medical professional. All refunds will be issued after the conference. CONFERENCE CANCELLATION POLICY It is very unlikely that the conference would be cancelled due to inclement weather. We are bound by hotel policies and are still billed for catering and room charges; therefore, we regret that we cannot reimburse registrants in the event of bad weather. HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS Make your hotel reservations by contacting the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, 7800 Normandale Boulevard, Bloomington, MN 55439, (866) 837-4278. To receive the discounted conference rate of $109 for Standard Rooms (South Tower), $139 for the Deluxe Rooms, or $149 for Club Concierge Rooms; make your reservations by January 21, 2009, and identify yourself as a conference participant. To guarantee your room for late arrival, the hotel requires payment for the first night or credit card confirmation. If you must cancel your reservation, do so prior to 6:00 p.m. on the scheduled day of arrival or you will forfeit the first night’s room and tax deposit. If you plan to depart earlier than your reserved check-out date, inform the hotel staff of your plans at or before check-in to avoid being charged a $50 early departure fee. VISIT THE CONFERENCE BOOKSTORE Augsburg College will provide a bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble, which will be open throughout the conference with an assortment of books related to the conference theme and topics in higher education. This is a great opportunity to stock up on resources to support improved teaching and learning. The bookstore accepts checks and major credit cards.

---

PLANNING COMMITTEE
Virginia Allery Turtle Mountain Community College	David Page Inver Hills Community College
Tim Barrett The Collaboration	Guynel Reid Minnesota State University, Mankato
Zala Fashant Minnesota State Colleges and University System	Thomas Staael North Hennepin Community College
Alan Hanson North Dakota State University	Leslie Werden Morningside College
Lorilee LaPoint University of South Dakota

---

CONCURRENT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

IA AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Protecting the Self from Burnout   Amy Swanson, Director, Counseling ServicesConcordia University–St. Paul Miranda Hellenbrand, Assistant Professor and Staff Psychologist, Counseling Center Amy Wagener, Assistant Professor and Staff Psychologist, Counseling Center Minnesota State University, Mankato This workshop will assist faculty in taking proactive measures to ward off job-related depletion and burnout. Through didactic and experiential methods, participants will gain a conceptualization of burnout, engage in self-assessment on their own current levels of burnout, analyze various permutations of burnout in small and large group discussions, and identify preventive strategies to implement. Participants will receive handouts that include a self-assessment, a compilation of the signs and symptoms of burnout, and a reference list for further self-exploration on the topic.

IB PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: A Collaborative Process for Faculty Development   Lynda Van Driel, Associate Professor and Coordinator, Graduate and Middle Level Education Robin Hasslen, Professor and Director, Early Childhood Services Jay Rasmussen, Professor of Education and Director of Masters in K-12 Education Craig Paulson, Professor and Director, Doctoral Program in Education Administration Katie Raisanen, Associate Professor and Program Director, Masters in Special Education Susan Brooks, Associate Professor and Chair, English Department Bethel University   To better accomplish the goals of their vision and strategic plan in the education department at Bethel University, the faculty decided to participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) as vehicles for teams to reflect on current practice, study pertinent research in the field, develop new strategies, foster faculty professional development, and ultimately impact student learning. The purpose of this presentation is to share the process of the development of the professional learning communities and the results of a year-long participation of five PLC teams. Participants will learn about benefits and characteristics of Professional Learning Communities, understand the process for engaging staff in PLCs, learn about barriers to successful PLCs, share their experience with PLCs, and discuss possible action plans for designing PLCs at their institutions.   Back to Concurrent Sessions

IC A CONVERSATION WITH KATHLEEN MCKINNEY, ANTHONY CICCONE, AND JOHN TAGG   Join us for an informal conversation with our major speakers during this concurrent session. Bring your questions and comments to contribute to this discussion.

ID AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS   Guynel Reid, Professor, Department of Educational Studies: K-12 & Secondary Programs Minnesota State University, Mankato   The features that account for successful programs in three different professions provide a unique perspective for improving student achievement and student satisfaction in professional education. The six identified features are: a student-centered constructivist learning environment, early and extensive field-based learning experiences, faculty and students functioning as mentor and mentees, technology seamlessly infused within the instruction, reference librarians working as critical partners with faculty and teaching their content within the program’s courses, and faculty remaining active in their non-teaching profession. Participants will explore how these features may be applicable to their professional education program.   Back to Concurrent Sessions

IE ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX: Using Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in the Classroom   Mary Hadley, Associate Professor Jeffrey Pribyl, Professor Patricia Rambo, Instructor Department of Chemistry and Geology Minnesota State University, Mankato   In order to move forward in our improvement of teaching, it is often instructive to look back at where we have been. Three faculty members who come to teaching and learning from diverse pathways will help participants craft a plan for change and transformation of their own teaching. Through the use of video clips from their own classrooms, the presenters will direct the participants through a guided inquiry activity to reflect on their own teaching style and create a plan for change in their own teaching.

IF REFLECTING ON CRITICAL STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS   Velma Lashbrook, Assessment Consultant, Center for Leadership Studies Augsburg College   This interactive session focuses on how to use critical incident analysis and strength-based strategies to continue to improve teaching. The critical incident method, long used in qualitative research and job analysis, is a useful tool for reflecting on the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences of a learning experience. Strength-based learning, based on extensive research in positive psychology, is an empowering approach for creating new experiences that build on one’s strengths. Participants will learn what the literature tells us about these methods, analyze a meaningful student learning experience, and design a learning experience that builds on one’s own strengths. Participants will find these tools useful for their own reflective practice and for designing reflective activities for students. Back to Concurrent Sessions

IG PROMOTING AND EXPERIENCING COLLABORATIVE LEARNING   Brian Dingmann, Assistant Professor, Math, Science, and Technology Department Kevin D. Thompson, Assistant Professor, Communication, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department Marilyn Grave, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education University of Minnesota–Crookston   As part of a classroom research project, seven faculty members from six disciplines met for two years. While the focus of the project was to research the incorporation of formal collaborative learning groups within their classrooms, a significant outcome was the building of relationships among faculty from different disciplines, learning from one another’s experiences, and exchanging ideas on a variety of teaching and learning issues, approaches, and philosophies.  In this interactive session, participants will learn how collaborating with other faculty on classroom research projects can be a positive tool in their learning and development efforts (lessons learned, challenges, benefits, etc.) and discuss the results of the classroom research project on formal collaborative learning groups (approach, results, bibliography).

IH APPLYING SCIENCE TO TEACHING SCIENTIFIC WRITING   Yasmine L. Konheim-Kalkstein, Instructor, Department of Pschology North Hennepin Community College Mark A. Stellmack, Research Associate, Department of Psychology University of Minnesota–Twin Cities   In a course in psychological research methods, the presenters encourage students to think critically and let empiricism guide their decisions. The presenters decided to apply the same standards to the development of their own instructional techniques in teaching scientific writing. For example, are rubrics valid and reliable measuring tools that permit objective grading of student writing? Does providing students with bad examples of writing improve their own writing? Does targeted instruction on peer review improve peer reviewing? Their research results will be used to spark discussion on improving student scientific writing. Lastly, the presenters will discuss the development of an undergraduate psychology research journal as a result of changed perspective. Participants will walk away with an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of rubric development (as well as a rubric to take home) and a clear understanding as to why and how to examine instructional techniques empirically.

IIA THE SCOTTISH STORYLINE APPROACH TO CURRICULUM DESIGN   Wendy Emo, Instructor, Department of Teacher Education Kenneth Emo, Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education South Dakota State University   Jerome Bruner suggests that the story is the most typical form of storing experiences, and he refers to research demonstrating that whatever is stored in our memories from sources other than stories is easily forgotten. Storyline recognizes this and provides the structure of story for teachers to plan meaningful, memorable contexts for content learning. K-16 teachers in 22 countries find that students develop curricular ownership through the imaginative and visual context of Storyline, and as a consequence both motivation and knowledge retention increase. Students ask of themselves not, “What does the teacher want?” but “What does the situation demand of me?” Participants will experience Storyline as a student and will leave with an example and several curriculum planning ideas. Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIB COLLABORATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES USING THE LESSON STUDY METHOD   Jennifer Christensen, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, MSW Special Education Program Monica Roth Day, Assistant Professor, Human Behavior and Diversity, Social Work Program Shevaun Stocker, Assistant Professor, Human Behavior and Diversity, Social Work Program University of Wisconsin - Superior   Lesson study is a method utilized to help educators examine and refine class content and activities. Developed in Japan, the method helps educators critically evaluate learning objectives and lesson plans. The presenters applied the method to understand an ethics lesson, taught in beginning courses in education, psychology and social work. The process provided the presenters with critical insights, which will be shared with participants. Participants will be provided with a definition of the lesson study method and ideas on how to apply the method in their classrooms. Opportunities for research and interdisciplinary collaboration will be identified. Participants will leave the interactive session, which will include video clips, with a clear plan for applying the lesson study method to their classes.

IIC SoTL AND THE HUMANITIES: Studying How Students Move Toward More Complex Thinking in a Course on Comedy and Laughter   Anthony Ciccone, Professor of French and Director of the Center for Instructional and Professional Development, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Senior Scholar and Director, The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning   For those in the humanities, the  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning provides unique opportunities and challenges. Many of the goals set for students—critical thinking, dealing with complexity and ambiguity—can be the source of essential questions about student learning and thus lead to interesting and fruitful investigations. Yet student progress toward these goals, and thus the effectiveness of instructional practices, are difficult to describe and measure. In this session, participants will examine how the inclusion of student reflective writing in a freshman seminar on comedy can encourage and provide evidence of student progress in dealing with complex topics. Participants will also draw some tentative conclusions about the unique perspective of the humanities on SoTL work. Back to Concurrent Sessions

IID USE OF THE KREBER/CRANTON MODEL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING – Part I   Valerie Edwards Robeson, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences Saint Mary's University of Minnesota   A dearth of recognized, systematic approaches impedes institutional progress toward the practice and evaluation of scholarship as advocated by Boyer. In this session, participants will explore and apply the Kreber and Cranton model of the scholarship of teaching. Individually, and in small and large group activities, participants will design inquiry plans for their own practice of the scholarship of teaching and consider those plans in light of institutional tenure and advancement practices. Read the description of Part II of this session here.

IIE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT: A Curricular Approach   Elizabeth Ciner, Associate Dean of the College Nathan D. Grawe, Associate Professor, Department of Economics Carol Rutz, Director, Writing Program Carleton College   Faculty development is, at its best, curricular. That is, successful training for faculty resembles high quality undergraduate education: a curriculum composed of goal-oriented, iterative, active learning that is responsive to assessment. Although faculty development efforts vary from institution to institution, rarely are they conceived as a curriculum except in the sense that certain programs—e.g., a pre-service orientation or workshop—will be offered regularly. In this session, participants will examine and discuss assessment instruments, rubrics, and research designs that link faculty development to student learning. Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIF  FOSTERING SUCCESS IN DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES   LuAnn Wood, Instructor, Reading Department Cullen Bailey Burns, Instructor, English Department Kathy Matel, Coordinator, Student Success Program Century College   In 2003, Century College developed its first learning communities. Century now offers 14 developmental learning communities. One of these is a grouping of a developmental reading, developmental writing, and college-level academic success course. Developmental learning communities are just one of the first-year initiatives on campus. This session will focus on how developmental learning communities are increasing student retention, GPA, and satisfaction, and how being involved in learning communities challenges instructors to discuss and use best practices across disciplines.   NOTE: THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELLED

IIG A CASE FOR HIGH CONTEXT SCIENCE INSTRUCTION: Inviting Culture into Your Classes   Wren Walker Robbins, Secondary Education Science Director, Teacher Education Department Kristie Dionne, Elementary Education Instructor, Teacher Education Department Jennifer Wilson, Third-year Student, Secondary Education Department-Science Turtle Mountain Community College   In this session, the presenters will explore a case study that helps expand the participants’ sense of education by illustrating how de-contextualized, abstract teaching practices can alienate Native American students. Participants will discuss the need to consider alternative culturally reflective methods of instruction that integrate students’ sense of culture and place while providing an authentic experience of science. Participants in this session will explore specific curricular resources that are intended to foster inclusion of culture and brainstorm ways they can apply these resources to their courses.   Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIIA SO YOU THINK YOU CAN TEACH. . . BUT WHAT DO STUDENTS SAY?   Angela Bullock, Doctoral Student, School of Social Work Narviar Calloway, Doctoral Program Chair, School of Social Work Danielle Sweat, Doctoral Student, School of Social Work Takeisha Wilson, Doctoral Student, School of Social Work Clark Atlanta University   Teachers and college professors around the world enter the classroom eager to teach and create environments that are stimulating, challenging, and academically fulfilling. But do educators really teach and do the students learn what educators want them to learn? While educators and researchers agree that teacher classroom behaviors impact student learning, it remains unclear as to which teacher behaviors actually elevate student learning. Participants in this session will hear from students those behaviors that are critical to student learning, will view impromptu photographs of student behaviors towards teacher lectures, and will engage in self-reflective exercises to examine personal successes and failures as an educator.

IIIB FACULTY DEVELOPMENT, MORNINGSIDE STYLE   Sharlene Georgesen, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing Education John Kolbo, Instructor, Department of Art Pam Mickelson, Professor, Department of Business Dean Stevens, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences Jessica de Vega, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies Morningside College   This is an opportunity to learn about and experience a successful faculty development program that is campus-based, reaches across disciplines, and has relatively low costs. The program has engaged faculty in the process of continuous improvement of teaching and learning by utilizing the strengths and expertise of their colleagues on campus. The program involves faculty-led discussions on a wide variety of topics that have included developing an international May Term, assessment plans, sabbatical projects and accomplishments, and developing or using grading rubrics. These efforts have contributed to a culture where faculty can learn from colleagues’ successes and expertise. Participants will not only learn about the program, including its successes and challenges, but will also be able to participate in a faculty development event done in the TGIF Morningside style. Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIIC STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING A DISCIPLINE: Implications for Practice   Kathleen McKinney, Professor of Sociology and the Cross Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Illinois State University   This interactive concurrent session will include a presentation of a series of small SoTL studies using multiple methods on student learning in one discipline, sociology. The foci of the work were student understandings of how they best learn the discipline as well as factors associated with success in the major. The presentation will provide a concrete example of local SoTL work in one discipline that addressed teaching-learning problems or questions common to all disciplines. In addition, some of the problems and solutions SoTL researchers face will be discussed. Implications for teaching and learning in sociology and other disciplines will be shared by participants.

IIID USE OF THE KREBER/CRANTON MODEL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING – Part II   Valerie Edwards Robeson, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences Saint Mary's University of Minnesota   The second part of this two-part workshop will further explore and apply the Kreber and Cranton model of the scholarship of teaching. Read the full description of the session here.   Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIIE TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG? STRATEGIES FOR ASSESSING AND IMPLEMENTING   Pauline Stonehouse, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership Cynthia Shabb, Director, Department of Teaching and Learning Kathy Smart, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning Bonni Gourneau, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning University of North Dakota–Grand Forks   If you have ever considered using blogs or creating podcasts in your classes, this is the session to attend. Four college faculty members collaborated on this action research project, and they believe that the experience improved the students’ learning and their instruction. Presenters will share their perspectives based on their content areas, which include higher education, technology, administration, and K-8 social studies. Presenters will share results from a qualitative study and involve participants in exercises designed to clarify the potential of blogging in an academic setting and to have participants consider learning through blogging and the formal assessment of blog activities.

IIIF JUMP-START YOUR LEARNERS’ BRAINS: Multi-Sensory Whole-B rained Teaching   Laurie Materna, Instructor, Department of Nursing Milwaukee Area Technical College   Jump-start your learners’ brains. “Multi-sensory Whole-brained Teaching” is an exciting and highly interactive, hands-on session designed to assist educators in promoting brain-compatible learning. Throughout the session, participants will discover their own unique learning profile in terms of style, brain dominance, and learning intelligence. In addition, participants will learn how to use breathing and movement exercises in class, how to prime the brain with music, and how to appeal to the brain’s natural affinity to process information visually. Participants will be provided with sample learning style, brain dominance, and multiple intelligence surveys, as well as a variety of brain warm-up activities and graphic organizer templates that can be used in the classroom. No matter what your current teaching style, there is something to make everyone feel comfortable in this dynamic presentation! Back to Concurrent Sessions

IIIG INSPIRATION AND INTELLECT: Applying Fink’s Theories of Integrated Course Design   Bruce Earnest, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre and Director of Musical Theatre Bruce Kelley, Associate Professor, Department of Music and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning University of South Dakota   Creating Significant Learning Experiences (Fink, 2003) has become an influential force in helping faculty to develop powerful learning experiences in their courses and throughout their curricula. In this workshop, participants will take an active and lively role in applying the intermediate stage of Fink’s model for course design. Through the presenters’ own examples from music and theatre, and through examples generated by the participants, participants will explore how Fink’s taxonomy provides a vehicle by which they can design their classes to give students significant learning experiences—in the presenters’ case, a soaking in the sonorous nature of our art—and a way to make inspiration and intellect not just compatible, but positively harmonious.

IIIH FOSTERING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Paths to Renewal at Mid- Career and Beyond   Anne Kelsch, Director, Instructional Development Joan Hawthorne, Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs University of North Dakota—Grand Forks   Renewal is essential in all professions. And avoiding burnout is especially important in academia where faculty may find that every semester starts to feel the same, yet each student is entitled to the best we have to give. Participants will gain a heightened awareness of the importance of attention to professional development—one’s own and that of colleagues and peers. Participants will also talk about strategies for building enthusiasm and staying fresh and fully engaged in their work. Presenters will share ten strategies for fostering professional growth that can be easily adapted across different kinds of campuses and situations. The session will conclude with discussion of institutional conditions that can enhance faculty engagement. Back to Concurrent Sessions

---

Back to the Conferences home