Past Grant Recipients

Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, IUPUC

Presentation title: Critical Reading, Writing, and Inquiry with Universal Design for Learning Approaches to Equitable and Creative Assignments: Teaching Sylvia Plath’s Life and Work throughout the Undergraduate Curriculum

Brief Abstract: This presentation focuses on Sylvia Plath’s complex—and yet ever relevant—writing across genres. If our teaching objectives include developing our students’ critical reading, writing, and inquiry skills, then we can mine Plath’s prose and poetry to teach and hone those, and, while doing so, we can engage with feminist texts that provide forays into thinking and writing about diversity, equity, and inclusion. The skills and values that we embed in courses by teaching Plath’s work should encourage us to consider how we might feature this significant writer (to whom students respond enthusiastically) across the curriculum. To this end, we will examine how Plath’s prose works, such as “America! America!” and “Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom,” and her poems, including “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy,” can be incorporated into a 100-level writing course that cultivates critical reading, writing, and inquiry. At the 200-level, students embarking on the study of poetry will find Plath’s collected poems to be a treasure trove of traditional and innovative poetics; these poems provide students with the material to fine tune their abilities in close reading sophisticated texts and explicating them. Instructors also learn from students: as students analyze and discuss Plath’s poems in their writing, students with variously intersected identities show us why Plath’s work continues to resonate in the twenty-first century. Finally, The Bell Jar is a class favorite in upper-division undergraduate courses informed by Universal Design for Learning principles. In senior-level and capstone courses, my students delve deeply into issues related to feminism and representations of trauma, and they leave the courses with artifacts that showcase their learning: photo essays, research papers, e-Portfolios, community-wide presentations, photographs of exhibitions, and conference posters/papers/presentations on local, national, and international stages.

Stephanie Medley-Rath, IU Kokomo

Presentation title: Putting The Educative Power of Sociology into Practice: Creating Great Teaching Materials and Sharing them with Others

Brief Abstract: Where do good teaching ideas come from? Most instructors have great ideas for teaching, but we also struggle with finding and implementing innovative ideas in the classroom. Further, moving from the kernel of a great teaching idea to something that you can use in class can be a daunting task. Beyond that challenge, once that activity, assignment, or syllabus is developed, the question remains as to whether it will only help your students or if it can be shared with a wider audience. Join us for a workshop on creating great teaching ideas and thinking through all the possible arenas for sharing these materials with the wider world, to advance your career and contribute to a robust teaching community in sociology.

Christina Romero-Ivanova IU Kokomo

Presentation title: Digital Storytelling Workshop

Brief Abstract: This workshop will engage participants in the 7 elements of digital storytelling, provide methods for teaching digital storytelling and will present data and findings from two of my recently published articles on digital storytelling and pedagogy: “Digital Stories, Material Transformations: Reflections of Education Students in a Pre-Teacher Program” (Romero-Ivanova, Cook, and Faurote, 2021), “Narrative spaces: Providing Opportunities for Students’ Sacred Literacies within the Classroom, (Romero-Ivanova, 2020), and “Guide to Becoming a Great Teacher) (Blakeley and Romero-Ivanova, 2023).

Polly Husmann, IUB

Presentation title: AERI 2022: Continuing Success in Educational Research

Brief Abstract: The Anatomy Education Research Institute (AERI) 2022 was developed and implemented by this team and we are presenting the initial outcomes of the institute at this conference. AERI 2022 partnered novice educational researchers with more experienced researchers to help develop educational research skills and a community of practice for the appreciation of SOTL. It is important that we present on the success of this conference as a model for others to increase their knowledge and skill base surrounding SOTL.


Robin Morgan, IUS

Presentation title: What Students Learn when we Integrate Multicultural Content into our Courses

Brief Abstract: Is your view of psychological disorders during the “Middle Ages” euro-centric? Did treatments include beatings? Starvation? Cleansing the body of demons? Did you know one of the first psychiatric wards in the world was in Baghdad and Avicenna pioneered using baths, music, and what we would call today occupational therapy?

Elisa Räsänen, IUB

Presentation title: American learners of Finnish using the affordances of digital applications to learn in the digital wilds

Brief Abstract: This paper reports on a study that followed Scollon and Scollon’s (2004) nexus analysis to explore and analyze American university-level Finnish learners’ learning beyond the classroom. The data come from an electronic portfolio assignment that was designed to promote language learning beyond the classroom and it were analyzed using discourse analysis (Gee, 2014) and the central concepts of nexus analysis: discourses in place, interaction order, and historical body (Scollon & Scollon, 2004).

Rob Elliott, IUPUI

Presentation title:
Paper 1 - An Examination of the Personal Technology of Students in STEM Disciplines
Paper 2 - Learning Management System Analytics to Examine the Behavior of Students in High Enrollment STEM Courses During the Transition to Online Instruction

Brief Abstract:

Paper 1 - As more instructional materials are delivered electronically – particularly within courses in STEM fields – students at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are increasingly expected to be equipped with personal technology that allows them to interact with their academic coursework. Few IHEs directly provide that technology to students, which leaves the students themselves responsible for the selection and purchase of these critical computing devices. The result is that students utilize a wide variety of devices for their academic work – some of which may not meet the expectations of the institutions, instructors, and instructional designers who supervise the selection and implementation of the platforms used to deliver course content. 

Paper 2 - This paper describes a mixed-methods study focusing on students at a large statewide university system in the midwestern United States. The results show that students generally have access to computing devices that allow them to engage in their academic work, but frequently encounter challenges in accessing or using their course materials on the devices they own. Ownership of computing devices varies based on several demographic categories, which results in an immediate divide between subgroups of students. The challenges encountered by students include an inability to perform their academic work on the device of their choice, insufficient computing resources to complete their expected activities, and instructional designs that are sometimes incompatible with the devices students have available.

Awny Alnusair, IUK

Presentation title: Fostering Active Learning in Introductory Programming Courses by Utilizing Multiple Programming Tools and Enrichment Activities

Brief Abstract: This paper discusses the results of a systematic study we have conducted to assess the effectiveness of improving students' learning through active engagement, participation, and commitment. In particular, the study combines the utilization of multiple programming tools and learning aids along with carefully designed collaborative problem-solving activities and lab-based projects. The results of the study show evidence that such a combination promotes active learning and sharpens students' problem-solving skills.

Sumreen Asim, IUS

Presentation title: 
Paper 1 - Children's Literature to the Rescue: Using books to anchor elemenatry teacher candidates engineering lesson 
Paper 2 - Highlighting the Use of Educational Technology to Enhance Elementary Teacher Candidates Instructional Practice in STEM 

Brief Abstract:
Paper 1 - This session will describe an innovative project at a rural university in the mid-west of the United States to address global science education. Elementary preservice teachers in an elementary STEM methods course purposefully used children's literature to develop engineering-focused STEM lessons that took into account a global citizen lens. 

Paper 2 - The purpose of this session is to share essential educational tools for integrating technology in elementary STEM methods courses in teacher preparation. The tools shared can work in both elementary education programs and well as secondary education programs.  

Stephanie Medley-Rath, IUK

Presentation title: How Do Sociologists Know What They Know? Evidence of Sociological and Scientific Thinking in Sociology Textbooks

Brief Abstract: The American Sociological Association recommends that research methods instruction be infused throughout the curriculum (i.e., beyond research methods courses). Textbooks adequately describe society using basic descriptive statistical data from think tanks or government sources but provide little explanation of how scholars gather or analyze data or draw conclusions about data. These results suggest that research methods instruction is not infused throughout the curriculum.

Subir Bandyopadhyay, IUN

Presentation title: Developing and Validating an Assessment System to Measure the Competency of Business Students to Recognize Diversity

Brief Abstract: Diversity awareness is a skill that potential employers expect all graduates to possess. Hence, most business management programs consider diversity awareness as an important student learning goal. Unfortunately, there is ambiguity about how to best assess the ability of students to understand the diversity issue in a business situation, both as a skill and a learning outcome. We empirically demonstrate how we measure the ability of our students to understand the diversity issue in different settings, and how their diversity understanding ability improves as they progress through our business program.

Ann Bunger, IUB

Presentation title: Small Teaching toward Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Linguistics

Brief Abstract: Adjusting one’s pedagogical approach in order to improve student learning is a regular part of a scholarly teacher’s reflective process: try a new strategy that addresses a pedagogical goal that you have, evaluate its effectiveness, and make adjustments for next time. This process can feel overwhelming if an instructor attempts a large-scale overhaul of their courses or pedagogical approach. The small teaching approach offers a way to draw on cognitive theory to make incremental curricular or pedagogical changes in face-to-face (Lang 2016/2021) and online (Darby, 2019) environments. The goal of this session is to introduce the concept of small teaching as a way for linguists to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in our classrooms. Over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in explicit conversations focused on identifying and addressing issues related to JEDI within our discipline. The LSA has supported these discussions through statements on race and racial justice; a webinar series; workshops, organized sessions, and plenary addresses at the annual meeting; and intentional work by committees and special interest groups, such as the Natives4Linguistics special interest group, CEDL, COZIL, and COGEL. This session continues these conversations and those from the 2021 organized session on Scholarly Teaching in the Age of COVID-19 and Beyond, and puts JEDI at the center of our practice. Audience members will leave the session with a concrete strategy to implement in their classrooms in the Spring/Winter term.

Jeong IL Cho, FACET Fort Wayne

Presentation title: Survival Skills for College Students with Disabilities: Self-advocacy, Laws, Self-determination, and Resources

Brief Abstract: College students with various disability conditions who were registered at the office of services for students with disabilities participated in this study investigating their knowledge of self-advocacy and self-determination strategies, laws, and campus and community resources that are essential for college students with disabilities to have a positive college experience. The online survey was conducted at a Midwestern university with about 15,000 students and consisted of 12 questions on a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree) and 11 open-ended questions. The office of services for students with disabilities sent a recruitment email with a survey link to approximately 200 students with disabilities (the total number of students registered with the office); 31 students completed the anonymous and confidential online survey.

Results showed that the average scores of students’ evaluation of their level of knowledge are 4.27 for self-determination (focusing on self-esteem and self-confidence), 3.5 for self-advocacy (focusing on self-regulated learning strategies), 3.43 for self-advocacy for accommodations, 3.3 for self-advocacy (focusing on decision making), 3.04 for campus resources, 2.58 for laws, and 1.52 for college and community resources. These findings are supported by the qualitative findings that only 28% of the participants felt comfortable talking to their professors about their disabilities and more than 50% of them did not speak out about their legal rights.

The findings have implications for both transition and support services at the college level. The presentation will discuss how college students with disabilities need to be prepared with the key factors (e.g., self-advocacy, legal rights, campus and community services) for a successful college education experience.

Carrie Sickmann, IUPUI

Presentation title: Transmedia Storytelling in the Classroom: Jekyll and Hyde on Page, Stage, Screen, and App

Brief Abstract: I incorporate nineteenth-century theatrical adaptations and recent media adaptations into my courses to destabilize students’ assumptions that Victorian novels are outdated and unchanging texts that do not speak to our contemporary moment. Analyzing and creating adaptations empowers students to read and think more critically and creatively. Thomas Leitch argues that “texts remain alive only to the extent that they can be rewritten” (12-13). With this principle in mind, I include a transmedia storytelling assignment in my Film Adaptations of Literature course and my Survey of British Literature II course. Students can either rewrite Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for a twenty-first-century social context or analyze a progression of its adaptations, ranging from Sullivan’s 1887 stage adaptation, to Baker’s Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971), to Bo Burnham’s “Left Brain, Right Brain” (2013).

Henry Jenkins’s theory of “transmedia storytelling” or the process of telling a story “across multiple media platforms” lends itself particularly well to this pedagogical project (Convergence 97-98). My assignments prompt students to adopt the role of transmedia storyteller for a Victorian narrative using twenty-first-century technologies to update their message of social reform for a current audience. The projects students create— including social media campaigns on mental health, podcasts on redlining co-produced by Jekyll and Hyde, and COVE galleries and timelines tracing racialized representations of Hyde—attest to the power of transmedia storytelling in generating strategic presentism in the classroom. This presentation will promote the use of transmedia storytelling as a pedagogical tool that empowers students to apply the social reform of the nineteenth century to current events and social issues.

Works Cited
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006.
Leitch, Thomas. Film Adaptation and Its Discontents. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 2007.

James VanderVeen, IUSB

Presentation title: Engaging in Coursework and in Communities: Field School Students as Active Citizens

Brief Abstract: Archaeological field schools are a form of apprenticeship, providing students with the skills needed to become professionals in the discipline. But there is an added and unexpected value to the experience: Field school students seem to be more engaged and informed citizens. Students report they are more civically engaged and likely to take political action on issues important to them than non-field school students. They also show a higher disposition towards matters that have implications for a fair and just society. In this small study, with limited participants, the results are in line with larger, longitudinal studies of civic learning in higher education. The power of an archaeological field school can be more than an investigation into the past and training of specific excavation and analytical skills. It can also be positively linked to the development or increase of commitments to social and political concerns.

Julie Mendez, IUPUC

Presentation title: "Grading - Is There a Better Way?"

Brief Abstract: "The last few years have seen a rise in nontraditional grading practices. One such method is specifications grading, in which instead of using points or partial credit, assignments are scored pass/fail according to whether the assignment met the provided requirements. The grader can relatively quickly determine if the assignment specifications were met; with less time spent on determining partial credit, more time can be devoted to providing feedback. A student’s course grade is determined by the number of assignments successfully completed. Students have the opportunity to revise and resubmit some assignments. In this express workshop, the presenter will provide an overview of specifications grading with examples from courses in a range of disciplines. Participants will have the opportunity to work individually and in small groups to write specifications for assignments. Attendees may find it helpful to bring their course learning outcomes. The presenter will provide guidance in creating a plan to use specifications grading in your course."

Pamela Connerly, IUS

Presentation title: "Let's take a minute: mindfulness during class time"

Brief Abstract: "Interest in mindfulness practices, such as reflective writing, yoga, self-compassion, meditation and others, has grown in recent years, and many people have found these approaches helpful during the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. While we may think of mindfulness practices as individual activities for self-care and personal growth, they are also well-suited to group endeavors. For the past several semesters I have been incorporating short mindfulness practices, such as moments of silence, guided meditations, and reflection exercises, into my courses. These techniques are easily adaptable to both face-to-face and online modalities. For many students (and faculty), a moment of silence at the start of a class may be their first chance to pause and take a deep breath all day. In this session, participants will directly experience several of the mindfulness practices I have used in my classes, with opportunities for feedback and discussion. The session itself will hopefully provide participants with a moment of rest within the broader retreat, as well as providing information, context, and discussion about utilizing mindfulness practices within courses."

Adam Smith, IUK

Presentation title: "Best practices for teaching with simulations: Addressing criticisms and student concerns"

Brief Abstract: "Instructors are constantly searching for innovative techniques and approaches to bolster student learning. With a history spanning several decades, simulations have garnered significant attention as educators seek to infuse the classroom with realism, rigor, and richness. Drawing on the broader literature and our own experience, we discuss the recurring criticisms students provide as feedback for simulations generally, and our courses in particular. We also discuss some potential pedagogical responses to the criticisms stemming from the extant literature on case methodology, experiential exercises, lecture, and simulation best practices."

Deborah Miller, IUE

Presentation title: "Does Using TikTok in Online Courses Increase Student Engagement and Sense of Community?"

Brief Abstract: "Students are generally more successful in environments that keep them engaged with the course material, each other, and their instructor (Kuh, 2001). Students also tend to be more successful and feel more satisfied with courses when they feel a stronger sense of classroom community (Rovai & Whiting, 2005). In online courses, engagement and community can be difficult to build and sustain. We theorize that using TikTok assignments will improve engagement and community in online courses due to the students' ability to creatively express their personalities and engage with each other and their instructor in fun and casual discussions about their videos and the course content. For this study, two undergraduate psychology instructors both taught two sections each of either Abnormal Psychology and Psychology of Everyday Life, creating control and experimental sections each taught by the same instructor. The control/experimental courses were identical except for the addition of 5 TikTok-based assignments to the experimental sections. At the end of the Spring 2021 semester, students will complete instruments measuring engagement (Dixson, 2015) and classroom community (Rovai, 2002). Differences between the control and experimental groups in these variables (engagement and community) will be analyzed after data collection. We will present these results as well as recommendations for using TikTok in class."

Doyin Coker-Kolo, IUS

Presentation title: "From Diversity Tokens to Diversity Champions: Critical Conversations on Marginalization, Structural Racism and Perceptions of Identity in Teacher Education."

Brief Abstract: This paper/ presentation examines gender and racial based tokenized hiring in higher education and how the authors who are minorities (one in teacher education and the other an administrator) navigate their non-diverse spaces to promote inclusion in curriculum, teaching and in faculty and student recruitment. It challenges the lack of diversity within teacher education programs themselves in terms of faculty and candidates, and encourages them to confront the issue of tokenism in their hiring practices. It further encourages faculty of color in teacher education and institution-wide to serve as champion in the recruitment of teacher candidates of color.

Saul Blanco Rodriguez, IUB

Presentation title: "Effects of Human vs. Automatic Feedback on Students' Understanding of AI Concepts and Programming Style"

Brief Abstract: "The use of automatic grading tools has become nearly ubiquitous in large undergraduate programming courses, and recent work has focused on improving the quality of automatically generated feedback. However, there is a relative lack of data directly comparing student outcomes when receiving computer-generated feedback and human-written feedback. This paper addresses this gap by splitting one 90-student class into two feedback groups and analyzing differences in the two cohorts' performance. The class is an intro to AI with programming HW assignments. One group of students received detailed computer-generated feedback on their programming assignments describing which parts of the algorithms' logic was missing; the other group additionally received human-written feedback describing how their programs' syntax relates to issues with their logic, and qualitative (style) recommendations for improving their code. Results on quizzes and exam questions suggest that human feedback helps students obtain a better conceptual understanding, but analyses found no difference between the groups' ability to collaborate on the final project. The course grade distribution revealed that students who received human-written feedback performed better overall; this effect was the most pronounced in the middle two quartiles of each group. These results suggest that feedback about the syntax-logic relation may be a primary mechanism by which human feedback improves student outcomes."

Jeong IL Cho, IPFW

Presentation title: "Assistive Technology Training in a Special Education Teacher Preparation Program: Methods of Assessing Student Learning"

Brief Abstract: "Mounting evidence shows that assistive technology (AT) has not been effectively used for students with disabilities in K-12 classrooms due to a lack of knowledge, understanding, and experience with AT devices and related services among teachers (Flanagan et al., 2013; King et al., 2018; Schaaf, 2018; Zhou et al., 2012). Enhanced AT training for teacher candidates in all university programs has been called for, and the collection of data on the current practices of universities related to AT training has been recommended. This project investigated the impact of special education course activities and requirements on teacher candidates’ knowledge, attitude, and comfort level toward AT devices. Multiple measures were used: pre- and post-surveys, two K-12 classroom observations on AT, and definitions of AT. Purdue’s Institutional Review Board approved the study. The present study includes 61 teacher candidates who enrolled in the introductory special education courses offered over 6 semesters at a Midwestern state university with about 10,000 students. Between 8 and 15 teacher candidates were registered for this course each semester. The results of the study showed that teacher candidates reported improved fundamental knowledge of AT and willingness to utilize AT for their students with disabilities and expressed their desire for further training on AT devices. The findings of this investigation about perception, knowledge, and willingness toward AT devices and services among teacher candidates support the need for teacher training programs to better design their curriculum and improve course materials and activities on AT and related services. The findings have implications for teacher education programs that teacher candidates’ knowledge combined with their willingness to use AT for the students with disabilities and appropriate training will help them to be effective teachers, advocates, and leaders in meeting the unique needs of students with disabilities."

Debora Herold, IUPUI

Presentation title: "Funding is being requested for attendance at a workshop/seminar. All participants will present on the last day based on work completed during the 5 day seminar."

Ann Kim, IUE

Presentation title: "Art and Design Pedagogy: A Fresh Start with Drawing Exercise"

Brief Abstract: "Drawing is essential to train one’s ability to retain knowledge by looking, and the act of looking immediately engages one in a way of questioning or wondering. Drawing is about appearance, and to encounter that appearance through contemplation. It is also about learning the self and one’s interpretation and expression of the world. How do we continue engage students in a fresh approach of drawing and to stimulate inquisitiveness through drawing? This session seeks to delve into innovative drawing exercises from meditative process to digital manipulation, static to performative, traditional to site-specific, and beginning to advanced. Studio practice that engage innovative drawing processes are welcome. How do we forester a learning community through drawing exercise with a mix of curiosity, drive, collaboration and humanity? How do we continue to push and redefine its boundary?"

Gina Londino-Smolar, IUPUI

Presentation title: "Let’s Solve It: Designing an Interactive and Engaging Online Forensic Science Laboratory Course"

Brief Abstract: "This presentation will discuss the development process of a standalone online laboratory course in forensic science for non-science majors. Online courses are the norm on most college campuses, even online courses in forensic science, but what about laboratory coursework online. This presentation will explain the design process of a completely online laboratory course in forensic science, which includes both hands-on and virtual laboratory experiments, mimicking the face-to-face course. The course material and learning assessments will be shared, which can inspire attendees in their own online course development. The types of technology used to increase student-student interaction, student-material interaction and student-instructor interaction in the course will be discussed and can be related to multiple disciplines with a laboratory course."

Julie Mendez, IUPUC

Presentation title: "Two Approaches to Concept Maps in Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics"

Brief Abstract: "In constructivist pedagogy, students create their own meaning of the course material. One way for students to represent connections between ideas is by creating a concept map. This paper describes different approaches to using concept maps as study tools in undergraduate fluid mechanics courses at two different institutions.

The two instructors worked together to create a concept map of topics covered in the courses. At the two institutions, the courses had similar learning outcomes and covered most of the same topics. The goal of creating this concept map was to provide students with a visual representation of how different topics were related.

At University A, the instructor-created concept map was used primarily as a visual aid. The instructor showed the map at regular intervals in class, where the map grew as students learned new material. This use of concept maps will be designated the “passive approach”. Based on the first instructor’s experience at University A, the second instructor modified the approach for using concept maps at University B during the following semester. Instead of providing students with a completed concept map, students were encouraged to create individual maps, which could be used as an aid during assessments. For this “active approach”, the instructor-created map was presented in class after allowing the students to develop their own maps.

Survey results on students’ perceived effectiveness of the different approaches to using concept maps will be discussed. Results from both approaches will be compared. Student course performance (course grades and scores on similar assessments) will be compared with courses taught by the same instructors when concept maps were not used. The results are expected to help course instructors understand the impacts of introducing concept maps with the passive or active approach and determine which approach has the greatest impact on student learning."

Christina Romero-Ivanova, IUK

Presentation title: "Narrative Spaces"

Brief Abstract: "Narratives – in the forms of spoken word poems or digital stories, such as the ones reflected upon from above – can be used as entry points to discuss the crucial necessity of creating safe spaces in higher education classrooms in which students can feel free to share their lives. Especially with our current climate of compulsory violence in schools and community spaces, we must provide spaces in our classrooms to not just allow but to also privilege students’ storied experiences. Storying in the classroom (verbal, written, or performed) then
becomes a practice of care. In this presentation I will present two artifacts: a spoken word poem created by a former teacher education student in my course Reading Methods I and a digital story created by a former Tomorrow’s Teachers student in my course Using Computers in Education. The artifacts I share will be used to discuss the creation of narrative spaces in higher education classrooms with regard to students’ literacies. Further, they will help audience members to
think about classroom teaching and learning practices that are engaging to students and students’ future careers as teachers or any other profession that can use narrative practices as venues for critical thinking. The presentation will focus on students’ narrative literacies as sacred literacies, literacy practices that are deemed sacred to individuals because of their crucial importance and meaning attachments within individuals’ lived experiences. In this session, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions about using spaces to foster narrative practices."

Ann Bunger, IUB

Presentation title: "Partners in the process: Using innovative technology to mentor apprentice researchers"

Brief Abstract: In many college courses, students write academic research papers as a final project. However, diversity in students’ academic preparation often creates functional and emotional barriers to successful completion of these projects. To help reduce these barriers, we have designed a research wiki in which students and instructors collaborate on pre-defined stages of the research process. Findings from a cross-campus, cross-disciplinary, mixed-methods study in courses using our wiki for research paper assignments demonstrate that for students at all levels, use of the wiki increases understanding of the research process as well as students’ confidence in their ability to complete research assignments.

Dmitriy Chulkov, IUK

Presentation title: Teaching Managerial Economics: Case-based Learning vs. Problem-based Learning.

Brief Abstract: A challenge in teaching managerial economics courses comes from the theoretical focus of the economics component in business curriculum. If students fail to see real-life application of economic concepts, this may undermine their motivation and engagement in the course. One solution recommended in the economics education literature is case-based learning (CBL). A teaching case is a rich narrative in which individuals or groups must make a decision or solve a problem.
An alternative pedagogical strategy also aimed at enhancing real-life application of theoretical concepts is problem-based learning (PBL). In contrast to the traditional lecture-based model, PBL uses realistic problems and case studies to structure student learning around problem solving. First, unstructured questions or problems are assigned to groups of students. They work to define and bound the problem based on what they already know, and develop hypotheses to identify what they need to find a solution. Next is the self-directed study stage in which individual students or the entire group complete their learning assignments. The instructor serves as a facilitator who supports reasoning and helps organize group dynamics, rather than provides direct answers to student questions. At the end of the learning period students summarize and integrate their findings and solutions.
In this presentation, we propose to compare our experiences designing an upper-level managerial economics course that utilizes PBL, or alternatively a course built around CBL. In the past several semesters, we tested two versions of the managerial economics course in both the traditional lecture-based and the hybrid format. We plan to present the description of each of the two alternative teaching methods (CBL and PBL), the pros and cons of using each method, as well as the best practices we have identified, effectively providing a roadmap for successful implementation of each of these approaches.

Stephanie Medley-Rath, IUK

Presentation title: "Building Upper-Level Experiences into Introductory Sociology through Reading Evicted"

Brief Abstract: I incorporate Evicted into introductory sociology because of the accessibility of the book, the ability to teach introductory content through the book (e.g., inequality, sociological imagination, theory, research methods), and it enables me to give students a taste of what an upper-level sociology course is like (i.e., site visits, guest speakers) at my institution. I describe how I balance devoting nearly one-third of my course to Evicted while maintaining the overall goals of the course. I do not lecture on Evicted, but instead, I place students in small discussion groups. Students discuss the book in their reading group for 15-25 minutes, and then we discuss the book as a class for an additional 15-25 minutes. I assign students several Evicted Activities: Pre-Reading Questions essay, Reading Quizzes, Online Discussion Questions, Reading Groups, and an Essay. I also invite guest speakers from local housing programs, take my students to tour a homeless shelter, and I have taken students to hear a lecture by the author. Further, I evaluate the learning experiences students participate in with this book (e.g., reading discussion groups, touring a homeless shelter). Adopting the book is not without challenges, including getting students to read, ensuring adequate coverage of standard introductory sociology content, and keeping the material fresh and not too depressing for students. Overall, adding the book enables the instructor to do a deep dive into a topical area without sacrificing too much breadth in the course.

Julie Mendez, IUPUC

Presentation title: "Let’s Scrum: A Flexible Approach to Course Design"

Brief Abstract: Do you want to turn your course into an epic? Are you looking for a way to let learner outcomes, not content, drive your course? Are you looking to build in opportunities for students to reflect on their work and course progress? Do you want to provide more flexibility in the course? Learn how to design a course using Scrum, a framework used to implement Agile project management methods, to accomplish these goals. Agile, and therefore Scrum, is an iterative and flexible approach to project management that is commonly used in software development. Using Scrum in course design allows students to reflect and make changes and allows instructors to review the course and adjust based on student needs.

In Scrum, an epic is a statement describing the intended goal of a project. The course epic is a sentence that summarizes the purpose of a course. A story in the Scrum framework is a goal that must be met to work toward the epic and typically requires a series of tasks to be completed. This is like a course outcome, where students must complete certain types of assignments or meet certain benchmarks in order to show mastery of that outcome. Each story requires assessment criteria to determine whether the story is complete. The assessment criteria for a course story could be a rubric, assignment criteria, or an exam score threshold. This is an opportunity to introduce more student choice into the course, such as offering multiple types of assignments.

In this session, you will be introduced to Scrum as a project management technique, see an example of how Scrum was used to redesign a blended course, and receive a handout with examples and resources to use this strategy in your course.

Kristoffer Rees, IUE

Presentation title: Building Community-Engaged Learning into the Online Classroom
Brief Abstract: Community engagement is a core mission of many institutions of higher education and community-based learning is a recognized high-impact practice (Kuh, 2008). However, translating community engagement activities from face-to-face courses, where students share a common space and community, to online courses, which lack a shared place, is challenging. We present two approaches that have been used to successfully connect online undergraduate students to their communities and increase their level of civic engagement.

Our interventions are in response to a wide array of scholarship suggesting substantial declines in civic and political engagement among Americans over the last two decades (Brundidge & Rice, 2009; McCartney, 2017). In 2012, the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement argued, "colleges and universities are among the nation's most valuable laboratories for civic learning and democratic engagement" and called on higher education institutions to refocus their efforts on civic engagement. At the same time, the growth of online education has been rapid with nearly 15 percent of students taking exclusively online courses (Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018).

Online courses pose the challenge of how to create opportunities for community-engaged learning that are relatable for students from diverse communities and aligned with program learning outcomes that encourage students to “engage in the process of coconstructing knowledge through inquiry, discourse, and problem solving” (Thomas & Brower, 2017, 31). To address this challenge, we have developed innovative, highly scaffolded semester-long activities designed to specifically connect students to their communities in ways that promote local-level civic engagement that endures after the end of the course, and which are engaging for students from outside the immediate community being analyzed. Moreover, these activities help guide students to become lifelong learners, effective communicators, and critical thinkers.

 Natalia Rybas, IUE

Presentation title: "Regimes of Data: A Call for Re-assessment of Assessment"

Brief Abstract: In many ways, assessment has become the lifeblood of higher education. As stakeholders come to understand the intuitive value of documenting student learning, assessment engaged by individual faculty and departments become critical to the healthy functioning of the university. However, wide-spread assessment practices, are afflicted by a range of both procedural and ethical problems. In this paper, we seek to outline how the culture of assessment at one university reflects broader issues related to the infusion of technology and data-driven frameworks in higher education, how faculty and student labor are used by the university, ethical considerations for creating meaningful assessment data and managing that data responsibly. Suggestions are provided align assessment with these key considerations through increasing awareness of technological influences on the creation and evaluation of assessment artifacts, data biases inherent to assessment data, adherence to ethical data-handling procedures and the value of bringing students into the assessment process.

Lee Kahan, IUSB

Presentation Title: Project-based Learning in Eighteenth-Century Literature Classes

Brief Abstract: In a recent study of conducted by Pearson, 50% of post-millennials say that they are most invested in, and learn best from, project-based courses that provide them with “hands-on experience.” Having grown up in the great recession, this generation is focused on developing employable skills—the most important of which they believe to be problem-solving and communication. It is therefore understandable why English, especially literary study, is struggling to attract such students, given that it tends to emphasize content over transferable skills and delivery of that content through lecture or discussion. If we hope to reverse our enrollment woes, we will need to provide these students with the experiential education that they are seeking. I will discuss strategies that English professors could pursue to accomplish this end, including how to involve classes in faculty research projects and adapting Reacting pedagogy to literature courses.

Ann Kim, IUE

Title of Presentation: Teaching Art Theory and Criticism in Undergraduate Studio Art Programs

Brief Abstract: While knowledge in contemporary art practices, criticism, and theory is highly stressed in graduate programs and the contemporary art world, many smaller and understaffed undergraduate programs struggle to find the most effective way to develop a Studio Art degree curriculum that is embedded with a rigorous dose of exposure to art theory and criticism. It is standard for Studio Art majors to be required to take art history survey courses and perhaps one course in contemporary art history, but that is rarely the norm in small and medium sized universities with smaller art departments. What are the best ways to incorporate theory and criticism in undergraduate studio art programs especially when the program does not have an art critic and the studio classes do not seem long enough to have it be embedded into the syllabus? Is it more difficult to do so in courses that focus on more traditional media such as Painting and Drawing compared to New Genres or Social Practice? The session is especially interested in seeking papers from instructors, art critics, and graduate students who can share some of their most successful endeavors in this area.

Kevin Ladd, IUSB

Title of Presentation: Mobile device Jiu-Jitsu: Assigments using cell phones

Brief Abstract: Keeping students actively involved in course material is key to learning success. Likewise, getting students to understand the relevance of the ideas to their daily experience is critical. Since a majority of students spend significant time engaging the world via mobile devices, there is an opportunity to turn that time to educational objective. To achieve those objective, multiple tasks are available from simple picture taking to making movies. In this presentation, I describe how both these methods (photos, movies) have been successfully employed in the teaching two courses in a psychology department: 1) Statistics, and 2) History and Systems. I outline the evolution of the assignments, commenting on both failures and successes in the practical application of this approach. Significant time is devoted to the careful crafting of syllabus language because this communication of expectations and parameters is foundational. Additional time is spent reflecting on the establishment of rubrics that bring structure to the potentially ambiguous evaluation of submissions. The discussion of both syllabus language and rubrics includes consideration of unique resources such as the materials available through one of the only online visual journals, the Journal of Visual Ethnography. Adapting the materials provides instructors a means through which to simultaneously standardize and customize the tasks across curricular demands.

Ann Bunger, IUB

Title of Presentation: Linguistics Pedagogy: Theory and Applications

Brief Abstract: The goal of this course is to help linguists become more confident and effective instructors. Students will discuss the theory and practice behind evidence-based teaching strategies and will participate in hands-on activities that will provide them with experience putting those strategies into practice. Students will also create deliverables that show evidence of teaching effectiveness and that can be used to assemble teaching portfolios.

 Suzanne Menzel, IUB

Title of Presentation: Hello Research! Developing an Intensive Research Experience for Undergraduate Women

Brief Abstract: This paper describes the design and implementation of a three-day intensive research experience (IRE) workshop for undergraduate women in Computer Science. Expanding on a model pioneered at Carnegie Mellon University, we developed and piloted a regional variant called HelloResearch at Indiana University. Participants were actively recruited from our own and neighboring states. Industry partners provided travel scholarships for low-income and first-generation college students, people with disabilities, and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country. The primary goal of HelloResearch was to encourage the pursuit of research careers, enabling participants to reach the highest levels of leadership in their fields. In this paper, we report on the demographics of our 92 participants, outline best practices to ensure an authentic short-term research experience for the students, describe our assessment plans, and share our survey instruments to assist others in jump-starting their own regional workshops.

Jennifer Meta Robinson, IUB

Presentation title: "Understanding Grade Surprise: SOTL and Possibilities for Using Big Data in First-Year Courses"

Brief Abstract: The age of “big data” offers tantalizing possibilities for working at intersections of learning, faculty knowledge, and teaching—what we know as SOTL. Although such an approach has been proposed (Baepler and Murdoch 2010), faculty are just beginning to explore its potential. Bringing SOTL and faculty perspectives to learning analytics offers important insight on how to use the digital trail students leave as they move through higher education. Most importantly, SOTL and faculty perspectives keep focus on the people, roles, goals, knowledge domains, and situational contexts of this application of analytics. This project explores the possibilities of using learning analytics to inform disciplinary instructors about movement of student aggregate groups through their courses. Our team of six faculty members from the physical sciences, information sciences, social sciences, and humanities--teaching 5 courses and ~7000 students per year at a research university in the US--has been collaborating on how to use big data to illuminate student learning in our large introductory courses, which set the stage for success in students’ college experience. Specifically, our investigation defines and tracks the phenomenon of grade surprise in our 5 courses. We ask students to comment on their grade expectations for a specific assignment (first high stakes assignment of the semester) and probe their reasoning and their responses to actual grades. This moment of intervention is important because most of our students are in the top 10% of their high school classes, and are used to getting mostly A grades in high school; at this point, they are potentially experiencing a reordering of their success relative to peers. The goals of the study are to understand grade surprise and students’ experiences of it, prepare students to evaluate their preparation for evaluations accurately, equip students to recover from grade surprise when necessary, and share resources and strategies for uptake by the widest range of students possible. The overall study models one way to close the gap between institutional data and classroom teaching and learning. Initial findings already indicate a diversity of ways in which students enter particular general education courses, the purposeful and labor-intensive teaching designs that faculty teach for a particular knowledge base, and “sticky” differentials in student success. The conclusions include that the grade surprise questionnaire itself prompts reflection; instructors can learn to build on this reflective awareness; and instruction before the first assignment may mitigate the negative effects of surprise. The audience will critique, apply, and be invited to join the project.

Denise Dallmer, IUE

Presentation title: Equity in Education: Using the Multicultural Awareness Knowledge, and Skills Survey to Assess Multicultural Perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers

Brief Abstract: We will discuss the development and use of the MAKSS and analyze initial findings. There are implications for teacher educators as they prepare pre-service teachers for teaching in unpredictable times so that all public education students receive a fair and equitable education.

Julie Mendez, IUPUC

Presentation title: Development of a Hybrid Heat and Mass Transfer Course

Brief abstract: This work describes the development of a hybrid junior-level 4-credit-hour heat and mass transfer course. The lecture portion of the course was developed as approximately 80% online. The students and instructor met in person for the lecture portion of the course once every other week for 50 minutes, with the remaining activities completed online. The laboratory portion of the course remained in the traditional face-to-face format. Specifications grading was used to determine final course grades. This paper will describe the course structure, types of assignments, and use of face-to-face class time.

Rosalie Aldrich, IUE

Presentation title: “Don’t Stop the Music”: Developing Creative and Critical Thinking Skills

Brief Abstract: It is essential for undergraduate students to cultivate critical thinking skills in order to be successful at the graduate level or competitive when they enter the professional world (Atkin, 2010). In the field of communication, creativity is also required (Matthews, 2011). Paul and Elder (2006) argue that creativity and critical thinking are inseparable and both are achievements of thought. Unfortunately, many people are convinced they are not creative by the time they complete high school (Matthews, 2010). Therefore, it is important for communication faculty to provide opportunities for students to use and develop their creative skills in a college classroom. This presentation discusses an assignment used to help students identify and explain communication concepts, analyze and interept music lyrics, produce materials to effectively express ideas, and deliver an effecitive oral message.

Laura Romito, IUPUI

Presentation title: "Issue Selling: An Organizational Change Strategy for Sustainable Interprofessional Education Programs"

Brief Abstract: Issue-selling is a tested strategy used by management and communication professionals designed to garner support and buy-in for programs and initiatives. In this workshop, participants will explore this framework’s tools, communication strategies, and processes to enable successful deployment and sustainability of interprofessional practice and education initiatives.

Learning Outcomes
1. Describe leadership and faculty engagement as key challenges in implementation of IPE initiatives in educational organizations.
2. Use issue-selling as a framework to address these challenges, enabling successful deployment and sustainability of IPE initiatives in educational organizations.
3. Acquire knowledge and tools to use issue-selling strategies within their own context, attending to Contextual Knowledge, Communication Strategies, Stakeholder Engagement, and Processes.

Models of Active Learning
Short bursts of information dissemination, followed by participants working in a think-pair-share format, and in small groups, facilitated by workshop presenters as needed. A worksheet and targeted questions will be used to walk participants through the framework and its various elements and to prompt productive conversation around key concepts.

Niki Weller, IUK

Presentation title: The “Experienced” Learner: Using Games, Community Outreach, and Meditation to Enhance the First Year Experience

Brief abstract: Inspired by AASCU’s Re-Imagining the First Year Experience, Indiana University Kokomo has developed a faculty-fellows model to support faculty in their efforts to incorporate and assess High-Impact Practices (HIP) into their first year General-Education courses. This presentation will illustrate the structure and outcomes of one specific faculty-fellows model, the Experiential Learning Academy (ELA) which supported faculty in their implementation of high-impact experiential learning activities in their classrooms and increased student engagement on campus and across the community. In particular, this presentation will highlight how the ELA model contributed to the launch of a campus-wide Reacting to the Past game series to be held spring semester, during the same two weeks, across multiple classes and disciplines, aimed at improving the quality of learning and student experiences.

Carol Hostetter, IUB

Presentation title: How Can We Better Foster the Application and Pursuit of SoTL?

Brief Abstract: Faculty can improve teaching and increase learning by using evidence from SoTL and, further, by using classroom research and doing SoTL. We asked if the effectiveness of faculty development varies with the reward structures used. Often, program design focuses on direct economic rewards (stipends). Recent research in behavioral economics (Ariely et al., 2009) reveals the power of non-economic rewards, here reformulated for inducing faculty change to including social, indirect economic, indirect social and intrinsic rewards. We focused especially on the differences in responses to social rewards compared to stipends. We studied participants in four programs: individual active learning grants, SoTL grants (part of our larger SOTL community of practice), and two programs that included a strong emphasis on building new communities of practice (A. M. Stark and G. A. Smith, 2016, “Communities of Practice as Agents of Future Faculty Development,” J. Faculty Development 30: 59-67). Individuals who had participated in at least two programs were treated as a separate group (Multiples). Results from 108 respondents to an anonymous survey were compared using ANOVAs. Participants rated the importance of community significantly higher than stipend, while the recipients of individual grants rated community as less important. Overall, the model comparing the two factors was significant with a large effect size indicating significant differences among programs for the importance of community versus the importance of stipend.

Joann Kaiser and Kristen Snoddy, IUK

Presentation title: "Making Connections: Everyone Has a Story"

Brief Abstract: There is truth in the adage, students will only care about the material when they believe the teacher cares about them. For those of us who teach in Learning Communities (LC), this connection with students is not only a program goal but also one to which we most certainly ascribe; otherwise, we would not be an LC teacher in the first place. How can this connection be achieved? Both Joann and Kristen are long-time LC instructors. Joann Kaiser is a Senior Lecturer in Communication Arts who understands what it means to develop a rapport with students and employs specific strategies to engage her students in both classroom and campus activities. Kristen Snoddy is a Senior Lecturer in English who believes strongly that having students write personal narratives is vital to learning their stories and thus appreciating the uniqueness of each student who enters the classroom.

Paige Land, Daisy Lovelace, Dawn Wisher, and Anna Deeds   IUB

Presentation Title: Gamification to Reinforce Oral Communication Skills: Examples from Flipped Business Communication Classrooms

Brief Abstract: The use of games as an instructional tool is a well-established pedagogical practice in business education (Keys and Wolfe 1990). Activities that reinforce course themes create opportunities for “active learning” that can be enjoyable for both students and instructors. While a dearth of cases, activities, and games exist for content in many sub-fields of business, there are few published examples for business communication courses. Only recently have scholars begun to explore the implications of gamification in Business Communication courses (Veltsos 2017). The proposed panel is comprised of four instructors who teach Business Presentations at a business school in a large university in the midwestern part of the United States. Using a variety of games and game elements, our experience shows that these activities allow students to focus on specific skills, build confidence, and meaningfully engage in the course material. Improving presentation skills requires practice and attention to a number of small (verbal and nonverbal) details that can have a large impact on how a speaker is received. Practicing these skills through presentations during class can be stressful for students and can quickly become tedious for the audience. Employing games that focus on improving specific aspects of presentation delivery provides students an opportunity for students to refine specific skills associated with dynamic presenters. The opportunity to practice oral communication skills helps students build confidence in their own speaking abilities. Examples of games played in teams and individually will be discussed.

The purpose of this session is to share best practices for using activities and games in business presentation courses. This panel will discuss how the incorporation of activities and games allows students to practice and improve specific elements of their oral communication and delivery skills. Panelists will share examples of games and activities that are used in diverse classroom settings in both undergraduate and graduate business communication courses. These examples include modifications of popular games available for purchase at many US retailers and original activities developed for business presentations courses. Experiences incorporating these activities in global EMBA and MBA programs based in Asia will also be discussed.

Participants will leave this session with a better understanding of the benefits and challenges associated with incorporating games in business communication classes, specific examples of activities they can use, and the learning objectives associated with each game.

Tin-Chun Lin, IUN

Presentation Title: "Does the Timing of Unannounced Quizzes Influence Student Behavior in Effort Investment and Learning Output?"

Brief Abstract: The main purpose of this research is to verify whether the timing of unannounced-quizzes would influence students’ behavior in effort investment and learning output. Findings suggested that: (1) students’ in-class effort was the same whether pop-quizzes were held at the beginning or end of the class; while students studied harder outside the classroom in the beginning-of-class pop-quiz system than in the end-of-class pop quiz system; (2) students’ learning output was slightly better at the beginning of the system; (3) the mixed pop-quiz system was better than the other two systems in improving students’ efforts and learning outputs; and (4) daily lateness was lower in the beginning-of-class pop-quiz system than in the end-of-class pop-quiz system. However, early departures were lower in the end-of-class pop-quiz system than in the beginning-of-class pop-quiz system. A comparison of these three systems indicated that the mixed pop-quiz system lowered late class arrivals and early departures.

Stephanie Medley-Rath, IUK

Presentation title: "Seeing Sociology: An Analysis of What Concepts Introductory Sociology Students Can Apply Using Photography"

Brief Abstract: I analyze student submissions from a photography-based assignment in introductory sociology. I address the patterns found in student submissions in order to uncover what sociological concepts students observe in their everyday lives. My primary research question, therefore, is what connections are students making? What do introductory sociology students see when they are given few guidelines as to what they “should” see? The intent of this research is to focus on what concepts students identify, not my interpretation of students’ meaning. Students identify a range of concepts, yet tend to focus on broad (e.g., norms) rather than specific (e.g., folkways) or abstract (e.g., sociological imagination) concepts. 

Deanna Reising, IU Bloomington

Presentation title: Interprofessional Education that Impacts Patient Care

Brief abstract: Interprofessional education (IPE) is a gaining momentum as an important method to improve education to health care professions students, with the end goal of improving patient safety (Institute of Medicine, 2003). In 2010, the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative developed a national interprofessional competency framework, while in the United States, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), published core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice in 2011. However, IPE is not an end unto itself; that is, interprofessional teams of students are capable of learning skills key to interprofessional team development, but, they may also contribute to improving health outcomes at the same time. Our university has been engaged in a long-term, progressive program of interprofessional education and practice, commencing with team preparation, simulations, and standardized patients, and ending with interprofessional student teams providing direct patient care in the community. This presentation will focus on both the educational and patient outcomes demonstrated from the collaborative. The purpose of the program is to develop a scalable model for interprofessional education and practice. The program involves designating nursing and medical student teams, who continue in their teams for two years, and providing training on team communication skills (Reising, Carr, Shea, & King, 2011). As the teams develop, they undergo further training in the concepts of patient-centered care as they provide direct care to patients in the community. Students may involve pharmacist, social work, and speech and language pathology students as appropriate. Key student outcomes include: improved interprofessional collaboration skills, and team function. Key patient outcomes include: reduced 30 day readmissions to acute care, improved medication safety, and increased compliance with discharge follow up visits. The practice outcomes address all three dimensions of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Triple Aim, to improve quality of care, the patient experience, and cost of care.

Stephanie Medley-Rath, IU Kokomo

Presentation title: Harmful or Helpful? The Impact of New Technologies on Learning Outcomes in Introduction to Sociology

Brief abstract: I conduct a quasi-experiment across three face to face (F2F) sections and four online sections of Introduction to Sociology testing open access (i.e., electronic) and print reading materials. This research fills a gap in the literature by examining how both the mode of instruction (online or F2F) and type of reading material (open access or print) impacts student learning outcomes. This research uncovers whether using open access materials is a viable option for reducing textbook costs, thereby increasing access to higher education. Moreover, by testing these reading materials across two classroom types, I can discern whether the different reading materials are more or less useful to online as opposed to F2F students. Findings offer mixed results. Students who were enrolled in a section that was both online and used electronic readings earned higher final grades. Students who used the print textbook or were in a F2F section, however, showed more improvement from the pre- to post-test on their knowledge of sociology. 

Kim Decker, IU Bloomington

Presentation title: Outcomes of a Bystander Intervention Service Learning Project in a Pre-Licensure Nursing Program

Brief abstract:  Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore outcomes from the integration of a bystander intervention, service learning project into a pre-licensure nursing program. The bystander effect is a well- known social phenomena where ambiguity and diffusion of responsibility result in the failure of individuals to assist others in need (Bennett, Banyard, & Garnhart, 2014; Darley & Latane, 1968). Alarming trends in preventable injuries and assaults among college students have led some campuses to explore ways to teach bystander intervention as a means to improve safety and well-being (Coker et al., 2011; Gidycz, Orchowski, & Berkowitz, 2011; Reid, Irwin, & Dye, 2013). Specifically, one large public university in the Midwestern United States created a campus-wide, bystander intervention initiative to promote awareness, compassion, and courage among students called “Culture of Care.” The initiative focuses on improving sexual well-being, mental health, alcohol and drug awareness, and respect among students. Consistent with the American Nurses Association’s (ANA, 2014) position that nurses have an ethical responsibility to collaborate with the public to improve the health and safety of communities, we created a service learning project at the same university in a beginning level nursing course to support the Culture of Care initiative. The research questions that guided this study were “How did the nursing students improve the campus’s well-being?” and “How did participation in the bystander intervention service learning project help promote students’ professional development?” Methods: We obtained IRB approval to conduct this mixed-method study. Over the course of two years, all BSN students enrolled in a required entry level, Healthy Populations clinical course (N=120) participated in a 4-hour training on bystander intervention. Students then received instructions to spend a minimum of 6 hours engaging in activities of their choice that promoted a least one of the four Culture of Care focus areas over the course
of the semester. Students recorded their hours in their clinical logs and reflected on their experience through group discussion and in a written journal. We used a case study design to gain a holistic understanding of the intended and unexpected project outcomes. Quantitative data from student’s time logs was mapped to qualitative data from the students’ reflective journals using Dedoose Version 5.0.11software.

Results: First year data revealed that over 90% of the students devoted at least part of their hours to the drug and alcohol awareness focus area. Approximately 50% of the students engaged in activities to improve sexual well-being. Students served the university by spending their time acting as sober monitors
or designated driver (172 hours), creating alternative to drinking activities (116 hours), taking friends to Culture of Care related lectures (54 hours), joining groups related to the Culture of Care focus areas (48 hours), working with small groups or individuals (34 hours), and participating in community awareness
events (32 hours). Analysis of student journals revealed the participation in this project helped the majority of students (70%) appreciate their personal responsibility in community safety, and 37% of students described a specific incidence where they used their training in bystander intervention to assist
an individual in need beyond acting as their designated driver. Further analysis showed that students engaged in caring occasions while gaining skills as leaders (50%), activists (38%), and educators (37%). Second year data will be analyzed in January 2015. Conclusion: While this pilot project involved 120
students dedicating a total of over 800 hours to campus well-being, the student logs suggested the impact was much further reaching. Nurses are leaders and advocates who have a moral responsibility to promote the health and safety of all people (ANA, 2014), but traditional methods used in pre- licensure
education have not always led to the development of strong leaders (Hensel& Laux, 2014; Hensel, Middleton, & Engs, 2014). Very early in the curriculum, this service learning project gave novice nurses an opportunity to cultivate professional skills and attitudes, including those related to safety and
leadership, while functioning in a fairly independent manner. Future research is needed to determine if learning to act when things are not right in a community setting will transfer to the acute care setting where all team members are expected intervene about safety concerns. 

Andy Gavrin, IUPUI

Presentation Title: "Course Networking from an Instructor's Perspective"

Brief Abstract: Course Networking (http://www.thecn.com) is a new social media tool designed specifically for the educational environment. It incorporates the ability for an instructor to create "tasks" based on
course content, time periods, or other structures. It also allows instructors and students to create posts, polls, reflections on prior posts, and to "like" other's work. This talk will report on a first use of Course Networking in an introductory calculus-based mechanics course at IUPUI. Enrollment in this course is over 150 students. Further, IUPUI is a predominantly computer campus, so many of the students have little opportunity for social interactions in their classes. Particular attention will be paid to student attitudes about this new tool and their perceptions of its impact on learning and social  engagement with their peers.

Katherine Strand, IU Bloomington

Presentation Title: "Leaving the Yellow Brick Road: Transformative Learning in a University Music Program"

Brief Abstract:College performance ensembles situate themselves within musical traditions that educate participants in performance practices, ensemble skills, technical fluency, and expectations for audience
and performer behavior. Leaving university, these performers emulate what they learned, so that a cycle of rarified performance practice that is separated from a larger community continues from graduating class to graduating class. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the types of learning that occurred as performers engaged in service learning. I examined reflective writings and in-class conversations of students in a performing ensemble as they learned music of several cultures and then organized musical engagements with three community groups. Emergent category coding revealed that the performers underwent three important changes in the ways that they viewed themselves and their performances. The first change was receptivity, in which the learners became open to alternative ideas about performing. The second change was recognition of the value of these alternate ideas. The third change was a sense of grieving as learners recognized that their old ways of thinking were no longer
relevant when their beliefs about themselves as performers expanded and evolved. These transformations support Boyd’s (1988) theory of transformative learning, a "fundamental change in one's personality
involving the resolution of a personal dilemma and the expansion of consciousness resulting in greater personality integration" (Boyd 1989, p. 459, cited in Taylor 1998, p. 13). The powerful nature of learning in this project encourages me to consider implications for music teacher education.

Chera LaForge, IU East

Presentation Title: "The Pitfalls, Perils, and Possibilities of Problem-Based Learning in Online Classes"

Brief Abstract: As more and more professors are being asked to teach online, many struggle with how to translate their active, engaging classroom activities to an online medium. This paper explores the pitfalls, perils, and possibilities of using one active learning strategy--problem based learning (PBL)--in an online class. PBL encourages students to think critically, act independently, and engage with real-world examples in the field. The paper includes the potential challenges in implementing group based work in online courses, discusses the benefits students may reap from working together, and provides some evidence for the success of PBL in lower and upper-level political science courses.

Beth Trammell, IU East

Presentation Title:"Fostering understanding of personality theory and development in undergraduate students by raising virtual children: A high-impact practice technique"

Brief Abstract: As the push to include high-impact practice in the undergraduate classroom heightens, this poster will highlight the student learning outcomes in a personality theories course that utilizes a website
called MyVirtual Child. As students learn about personality assessment and theory, they work within a small group to raise virtual children by selecting the most or least optimal parenting strategies (based on whichever group they are in – the "best parent" group or the "worst parent" group). There are two groups of each type of parent so that comparison of intra- and intergroup differences can be explored within the class. Students engaged in fruitful discussions about judgments of personality, variations of culture, the impact of the environment (including "good" or "bad" parenting practices) on  personality development. Although it is mostly used in developmental courses, the MyVirtual Child program has proven to be a fruitful
mechanism by which students can explore the impact of the environment on personality development. This program gives students a "real life" person to compare various events and their impact on personality. It also allows
application of theory to a "person" without the ethical dilemma of imposing certain theoretical underpinnings on a person that the student knows (i.e. perhaps labeling someone they know with a personality disorder, judging a
person for certain behaviors). By using virtual children, we can look at certain behaviors exhibited and make noncontroversial statements that very much enhance student learning. Overall, it has been a very engaging way of
getting students excited about personality theory. 

Whitney Schlegel, IU Bloomington

Presentation Title: "Connecting Undergraduate Learning in the Life Sciences to Authentic Professional Practices Enhances Understanding and Socialization in the Discipline of Physiology" 

Brief Abstract:Authentic disciplinary practices engage students with the habits of mind and ways of knowing in the discipline. A need for change in undergraduate life sciences education has been established by diverse stakeholders, with a clustering of recommendations directed towards implementing authentic learning assessment and student experiences; including but not limited to, shifting course content requirements to competency requirements (AAMC& HHMI, 2009), establishing high-impact practices to align with expectations for learning (AAC&U, 2008) and providing authentic disciplinary experiences that reveal the process of science (AAAS Vision & Change, 2011). Collaboration and innovation in the workplace go hand-in-hand and the enterprise of science and communicating science is collaborative. Writing in the discipline facilitates understanding and  socialization in the discipline. This study presents evidence of student learning in a senior capstone course where students learn physiology in semester teams within the context of patient cases and engage in collaborative writing, inquiry, presentation, and peer review with individual reflection on the learning process and peer evaluation. In a 2-year study, collaboratively written case reports and research reports paralleled semester improvement in individual and team exam performance. Student driven 
team inquiry project posters ranked consistent with team writing in the discipline. Members of high performing and most improved writing teams were able to articulate collaborative writing strategies, value the collaborative writing process, and demonstrated disciplinary ways of knowing in their final writing products. 

Murray Bethany, IUPUI-Columbus 

Presentation Title: "Transformational Processes in Developing Cultural Understanding: Nursing Students' Experiences in Swaziland"

Brief Abstract: The presentation will be to report the experiences of six nursing students following a servicelearning experience in Swaziland, Africa. Students provided hands-on care in both hospital and community settings.
Following the program, the students were interviewed and the interviews were analyzed utilizing narrative methods. The results of the study closely followed other research that has been published on the value of overseas study as a curricular tool in teaching nursing student’s cultural understanding. Students went through stressful transitions, adapted to these and utilized internal coping strategies and personal strengths to accomplish a remarkable degree of personal and professional growth in a relatively short period of time. Experiencing mild hardship and culturally dissonance activated coping strategies within the students that enabled change and promoted transformation. This transformative process led to greater cultural understanding and both personal and professional growth. The challenge for nurse educators is to try and find ways to incorporate the same processes of cultural dissonance that will provoke activation of coping strategies without the financial barriers. 

Susan Brudvig, IU East

Presentation Title: “Excellent Ratings in Marketing Instruction: Understanding End-of-Semester Evaluations”

Brief Abstract: This presentation illustrates an analytic approach to understanding what influences student ratings of marketing instruction. After describing the motivation for analyzing student evaluations, a hierarchal logistic technique is described. Results from over 1,500 student evaluations will be presented. The findings highlight that instructional factors, such as instructor organization and instructor rapport, accounted for most of the variance in student ratings, not background factors such as student gender or student major. In other words, although student ratings of marketing instruction are influenced by factors outside the control of faculty, factors within the control of marketing faculty are the predominant influence. The presentation concludes by advocating a multivariate approach to understand how students rate marketing instruction, rather than simply relying on mean ratings of instructors or correlational analyses of course ratings

Genevieve Shaker, IUPUI

Presentation Title: “Crafting Effective Online Graduate Seminar Classes”

Brief Abstract: Graduate education faces unique obstacles when offered online. The graduate student population features different experiences and expectations than are typical among undergraduates. This symposium is focused on the extent to which the qualities commonly associated with traditional face-toface graduate-level seminars—such as community-like experiences and deep engagement with course content—can be replicated in online venues. A case study of an online graduate course, The American Community College (ACC), is at the center of this research-based interactive session. A hybrid course with only two in-person class meetings and alternating synchronous and asynchronous weekly sessions, ACC was divided into five modules, nesting course topics within two- to five-week periods. For this mixed methods, descriptive case study, two sections of the ACC class (N = 33) were included. The case, its findings, and implications will be used to facilitate a discussion about graduate learning in the online environment and about the assessment and strategic development of online classes.

Tin-Chun Lin, IU Northwest

Presentation Title: Students’ Economic Behavior after Midterm Exams: An Empirical Analysis

Brief Abstract: I developed three hypotheses and a case study involving a sample of 203 students enrolled in four introductory microeconomics classes during the spring semesters of 2007 and 2009 to examine the effects of prior exam performance on increments for current in- and out-of classroom efforts toward future exams. I found that students’ prior exam performance is an important and significant signal of students’ decisions to invest more or fewer in-/out-of classroom efforts on the next exam. These findings also indirectly imply that many students may behave like producers in evaluating their previous production outcome and then deciding on a level of effort to invest in current production. In addition, we found that weaker students relative to stronger students could invest fewer efforts when they received poor exam grades. Comparing weaker students with stronger students, weaker students would be more likely to behave like producers.

Deanna L. Reising & Douglas E. Carr, IU Bloomington

Presentation Title: “A Comprehensive Interprofessional Education Program: Innovation in Action”

Brief Abstract: An interprofessional education is infused into nursing curricula, the challenge become how to create a sustainable program that matters in practice. Detailing the specific competencies at each level, as student move from novice to expert skill sets, is important for designing educational interventions to achieve those competencies. The purpose of this presentation is to describe a comprehensive program of interprofessional education and practice that spans two years of nursing and medicine curricula. Student teams are formed with third year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, and first year medical school students, and are retained for two years. Team undergo yearly training to enhance interprofessional communication and collaboration skills using best practices in communication skills and TeamSTEPPS. Student teams practice these skills in both simulated and practice settings. The presenters will share the types of activities, which include standardized patients, simulation, and direct care with underserved populations. Research design and evaluation strategies will be presented for each type of activity along with lessons learned and improvements in evaluation. Results of the now five year program will be summarized, including educational and patient outcomes. Future directions, including the organization's participation in the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, and new curricula design will be shared.