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Teaching in Mixed Mode: Lessons Learned

9:00 a.m., Zoom Room A

Faculty from across the University share their experiences in teaching mixed mode courses in the Fall semester. Find out what went well, what didn’t go well, and what tips you might want to incorporate into your Spring courses.

Presenters:

• Dr. Rungun Nathan (Associate Professor of Engineering, Penn State Berks)
• Dr. Stacey Corle (Assistant Teaching Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Penn State Altoona)
• Dr. Joseph C. Seidel (Assistant Teaching Professor of Civil Engineering, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Suzanne Shaffer (Instructional Designer, Penn State York)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Connecting with your Colleagues Again

9:00 a.m., Zoom Room B

We are missing out right now on our meetings over coffee, doorway chats, and socializing over lunch. In this session, faculty will discuss learning communities, book clubs, and other success stories for connecting with colleagues during this time of remote working.

Presenters:

• Dr. Jennifer Breese (Assistant Professor of IST, Penn State Greater Alleghany)
• Mr. Jeff Chiampi (Assistant Professor of Computer Science & IST, Penn State Wilkes-Barre)
• Mr. Kevin Maxwell (Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematics, Penn State Fayette)

Facilitator:

• Donna Bayer (Instructional Designer, Penn State Harrisburg)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Too Little or Too Much: How to Gauge the Right Amount of Course Content

9:00 a.m., Zoom Room C

In this session, presenters will share resources that will help you decide the appropriate amount of content and activities for your course. Participants will have the opportunity to assess the existing workload in one of their courses and reflect on possible changes to improve student learning.

Presenters:

• Amy Kuntz (Instructional Designer, Teaching and Learning with Technology, Penn State University)
• Sarah Kettell (Student Intern, Penn State Harrisburg)

Resources from the Session:

• The Hours of Instructional Activities Estimator App 
• Information and links shared during the session
• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Fostering Engagement in Asynchronous Courses

9:00 a.m., Zoom Room D

Ensuring supportive and productive student-faculty engagement can be challenging in any learning environment, but particularly in the asynchronous online setting. In this session, faculty share some of the strategies they have used in their asynchronous courses to foster student engagement and create opportunities for student-faculty connection.

Presenters:

• Dr. Abigail Akande (Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation & Human Services, Penn State Abington)
• Dr. Nonna Sorokina (Assistant Professor of Business, Penn State Scranton)
• Dr. Irene Wolf (Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy, Penn State New Kensington and Penn State Beaver)
• Dr. Satish Mahadevan Srinivasan (Assistant Professor of Information Science, Penn State Great Valley)

Facilitator:

• Emily Addis (Manager of Instructional Design, Penn State Great Valley)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Giving Students a Reason to Turn On their Cameras

10:00 a.m., Zoom Room A

In this session faculty share the strategies they have used to encourage students to turn on their webcams and to enhance student learning, foster community, and promote engagement.

Presenters:

• Dr. Xenia Hadjioannou (Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Dr. Michael Bernstein (Professor of Psychology, Penn State Abington)
• Ms. Raquel Lodeiro (Lecturer of Spanish, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Ms. Pepsi Umberger (Assistant Teaching Professor of Health & Human Development, Penn State New Kensington)

Facilitator:

• William Illingworth (Instructional Designer, Penn State Harrisburg)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Creating a Study Abroad Experience in the COVID Environment

10:00 a.m., Zoom Room B

The EDGE (Experiential Digital Global Engagement) program connects Penn State students with classes around the world through the use of technology. Students collaborate with those in partner classes on course projects while also learning about life and culture in the partner country.

Presenters:

• Ms. Tiffany MacQuarrie (Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Penn State Beaver)

Facilitator:

• Kate Morgan (Instructional Designer, Penn State Learning Design)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Using Learning Mastery in the Canvas Gradebook

10:00 a.m., Zoom Room C

The vast majority of students pass their courses and progress through their major even as they accumulate gaps in their knowledge. The Mastery approach prevents these gaps by making individualized modifications so that all students can achieve the same level of learning.

Presenters:

• Lindsay Wood (Manager of Instructional Design, Penn State Abington)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Maintaining Your Well-Being: Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First

Two distinct sessions!

10:00 a.m., Zoom Room D

You can’t pour from an empty cup, the saying goes. Amidst all of your efforts to support students’ learning and well-being, it is imperative to care for yourself too. This session examines some changes in mindset and practice that can promote greater well-being among faculty and will conclude with a brief guided practice in mindfulness.

Presenters:

• Dr. Angie Hissong (Teaching Professor of Occupational Therapy, Penn State Mont Alto)
• Dr. Stephanie Winkeljohn Black (Assistant Professor of Psychology, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Dr. Rebecca Weiler Timmins (Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Eileen Grodziak (Instructional Designer, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Lessons Learned from Small Teaching

11:00 a.m., Zoom Room A

In his book Small Teaching, James Lang explains how minor modifications to our teaching can have a major impact on student learning. In this session, faculty discuss the ways they have incorporated the lessons from Small Teaching into their courses and the benefits they have seen with student learning and engagement.

Presenters:

• Dr. Tiffany Petricini (Assistant Teaching Professor of Communications, Penn State Shenango)
• Dr. Nugrahenny Zacharis (Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State Abington)
• Ms. Roxanne Atterholt (Assistant Teaching Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State Shenango)
• Dr. Jennifer Breese (Assistant Professor, Penn State Greater Allegheny)

Facilitator:

• Cindy Decker Raynak (Senior Instructional Designer, Schreyer Center for Teaching Excellence)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Combatting Fake News with Digital Literacy

11:00 a.m., Zoom Room B

Educators are increasingly called upon by the public and the press to sharpen students’ digital literacy skills. In this session, faculty and librarians will address strategies and resources that can be easily incorporated across the curriculum to teach digital literacy.

Presenters:

• Bella Friesel (Associate Teaching Professor of Communications, Penn State Abington)
• Brendan Johnson (Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Abington)
• Katie Odhner (Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Abington)
• Joseph C. Seidel (Assistant Teaching Professor of Civil Engineering, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Suzanne Shaffer (Instructional Designer, Penn State York)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Workshop: Organizing Course Content in Canvas

11:00 a.m., Zoom Room C

This session will cover best practices for organizing your course content in a way that you and your students can easily navigate. Participants will have the opportunity to modify one of their existing Canvas courses in collaboration with facilitators and other session participants.

Presenters:

• Kellen Sines (Instructional Designer, Penn State Abington)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Providing Feedback That Students Will Use

11:00 a.m., Zoom Room D

Feedback is valuable but only when students take advantage of it. In this session, presenters will provide examples of how and when to provide; useful feedback to your students and discuss several grading tools that can make the process more efficient.

Presenters:

• Dr. Margaret Christian (Professor of English, Penn State Lehigh)
• Dr. Michelle Kaschak (Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Penn State Lehigh)
• Dr. J. Scott Lewis (Associate Teaching Professor of Sociology, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Eileen Grodziak (Instructional Designer, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Perusall: A Collaborative/Social Annotation Tool

1:00 p.m., Zoom Room A

Faculty will discuss their use of Perusall for building community in their courses and increasing content engagement with journal articles, popular news articles, podcasts, and videos. Panelists will discuss lessons learned, give examples of student discussions, and answer questions.

Presenters:

• Dr. Anna Sigmon (Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Penn State Brandywine)
• Dr. Jennifer Nesbitt (Associate Professor of English, Penn State York)

Facilitator:

• Matthew Bodek (Coordinator of Instructional Design, Penn State Brandywine)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides (Chemistry)
• Session Slides (Literary Studies)

Leveling the Academic Playing Field with Open Educational Resources (OER)

1:00 p.m., Zoom Room B

Students often report not purchasing a textbook because it is too expensive or deferring a course due the high cost of texts. In this session, faculty share their experiences using freely available (OER) to replace or augment their textbooks and traditional lectures.

Presenters:

• Dr. Jay Amicangelo (Professor of Chemistry, Penn State Behrend)
• Ms. Lori Lysiak (Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Altoona)
• Ms. James Tubman (Lecturer of Management, Penn State Lehigh Valley)
• Dr. Mark Capofari (Lecturer of Project and Supply Chain Management, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Facilitator:

• Rebecca McCormick (Instructional Designer, Penn State Behrend)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Reducing students’ temptation to cheat

1:00 p.m., Zoom Room C

The high stakes exam fosters a strong temptation to cheat. Rather than focus on policing that exam, consider changing your approach to assessment. In this session, faculty share their approaches to creating assessments that reduce the desire to cheat and ensure fairness across students.

Presenters:

• Dr. Lauraine Hawkins (Assistant Professor in Biology, Penn State Mont Alto)
• Dr. Kevin Hsu (Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology, Penn State Abington)
• Dr. Jacquelyn Atkins (Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Penn State DuBois)
• Dr. Jeremy Blum (Associate Professor of Computer Science, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Robin Gill (Senior Instructional Designer, Penn State DuBois)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Connecting with your Colleagues Again

1:00 p.m., Zoom Room D

We are missing out right now on our meetings over coffee, doorway chats, and socializing over lunch. In this session, faculty will discuss learning communities, book clubs, and other success stories for connecting with colleagues during this time of remote working.

Presenters:

• Dr. Tai Yin Huang (Professor of Physics, Penn State Lehigh Valley
• Dr. Michelle Kaschak (Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Penn State Lehigh Valley)
• Dr. David Kahl (Associate Professor, Communication, Penn State Behrend)
• Dr. Laura Cruz (Associate Research Professor, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence)

Facilitator:

• Amanda Price (Instructional Designer, Penn State Harrisburg)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Teaching on Zoom: Lessons Learned

Two distinct sessions!

2:00 p.m., Zoom Room A

Faculty from across the University share their experiences in teaching on Zoom in the Fall semester. Find out what went well, what didn’t go well, and what tips you might want to incorporate into your Spring courses.

Presenters:

• Dr. Terri Stiles (Lecturer in Communication Arts & Sciences, Penn State Abington)
• Dr. Nargess Tahmasbi (Assistant Professor of IST, Penn State Hazleton)
• Mary Ann Smith (Lecturer of Biology, Penn State Schuylkill)
• Dr. Parhum Delgoshaei (Assistant Teaching Professor of Systems Engineering, Penn State Great Valley)

Facilitator:

• Red Yuan (Instructional Designer, Penn State Berks)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Supporting Students Through Challenges of the COVID Learning Environment

2:00 p.m., Zoom Room B

The session reflects upon some of the challenges students are facing right now and the adjustments and supports faculty can provide. Additionally, we will explore the support available to faculty from the Offices of Student Affairs.

Presenters:

• Dr. Donna Chambers (Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish, Penn State Berks)
• Nicol Epple (Instructor of Speech, Penn State Altoona)
• Dr. Erica Tachoir (Manager of Academic Advising and Career Services, Penn State Alleghany)
• Ms. Linda Rumfield (Learning Center & Disability Coordinator, Penn State Lehigh Valley

Facilitator:

• Qi Dunsworth (Director of Teaching Initiatives, Penn State Behrend)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Workshop: Using Microsoft Teams for Class Community and Collaboration

2:00 p.m., Zoom Room C

PSU Scranton Science faculty member Theresa Black has used Teams in conjunction with Canvas and other online tools to meet with her students over the summer and fall. Join us to discuss her experiences – the good and the bad – and learn how you can use Teams to create community and collaboration online.

Presenters:

• Dr. Theresa Black (Lecturer of Chemistry, Penn State Scranton)
• Griff Lewis (Instructional Designer, Penn State Scranton)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

2:00 p.m., Zoom Room D

Use the sudden pivot to online, flexible hybrid and physically-distanced teaching to your research advantage! Dr. Laura Cruz, Associate Research Professor with Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, will brainstorm on how to turn your anecdotal observations or questions about teaching in these new modalities into publishable Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research.

Presenters:

• Dr. Laura Cruz (Associate Research Professor, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence)
• Eileen Grodziak (Instructional Designer, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Increasing Student Engagement with Top Hat

3:00 p.m., Zoom Room A

The University has a new tool to enhance student participation in your courses. Top Hat is a cloud-based audience participation solution with presentations, questions, and assignments built-in. In this session, faculty and learning designers will share the ways that Top Hat is being used in the classroom.

Presenters:

• Dr. Darren Williams (Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State Behrend)
• Ms. Karen Stylianides (Assistant Teaching Professor of Kinesiology, Penn State Hazleton)
• Dr. Julie Ealy (Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Facilitator:

• Griff Lewis (Instructional Designer, Penn State Scranton)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Teaching on Zoom: Lessons Learned

Two distinct sessions!

3:00 p.m., Zoom Room B

Faculty from across the University share their experiences in teaching on Zoom in the Fall semester. Find out what went well, what didn’t go well, and what tips you might want to incorporate into your Spring courses.

Presenters:

• Elizabeth Nelson (Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Lehigh Valley)
• Dr. Candalyn Rade (Assistant Professor of Psychology, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Dr. Martha Strickland (Associate Professor of Education, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Jodi Ann Gill (Lecturer in Administration of Justice, Penn State Beaver)

Facilitator:

• Julie Meyer (Instructional Designer, Penn State Schuylkill)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Succeeding as an Adjunct Faculty Member

3:00 p.m., Zoom Room C

Adjunct faculty bring tremendous dedication and innovation to their teaching but they rarely receive the support and encouragement that their work deserves. In this session, experienced adjunct faculty share some of the challenges common among adjunct faculty and some of the strategies they have used to create success.

Presenters:

• Christina Galbiati (Lecturer of Graphic Design, Penn State Lehigh Valley)
• Dr. Nikki Gutgold (Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State Lehigh Valley)
• Ms. Alicia Bott (Adjunct Lecturer of American Studies, English, and Art, Penn State Harrisburg)
• Ms. Paula Zitzler (Adjunct Lecturer of Anthropology, Penn State Altoona)

Facilitator:

• Eileen Grodziak (Instructional Designer, Penn State Lehigh Valley)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides

Maintaining Your Well-Being: Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First

Two distinct sessions!

3:00 p.m., Zoom Room D

You can’t pour from an empty cup, the saying goes. Amidst all of your efforts to support students’ learning and well-being, it is imperative to care for yourself too. This session examines some changes in mindset and practice that can promote greater well-being among faculty and will conclude with a brief guided practice in mindfulness.

Presenters:

• Dr. Stefani Abreu (Instructor of Kinesiology, Penn State Abington)
• Dr. Lacey Wallace (Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Penn State Altoona)
• Dr. Ellen Stockstill (Assistant Professor of English, Penn State Harrisburg)

Facilitator:

• Kellen Sines (Instructional Designer, Penn State Abington)

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording

Information Session: Continuing the Conversation as part of a Community of Practice (CoP)

4:00 p.m., Zoom Room A

Educators have shared a number of strategies and techniques during this event for enhancing the practice of teaching. In this session, Dr. Laura Cruz of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence will discuss the various opportunities for faculty to continue these conversations as part of a small, focused faculty community. Dr. Cruz will explore the myriad approaches that faculty communities might take and address how faculty can incorporate their faculty community experiences into their tenure or promotion materials.

Presenters:

• Dr. Laura Cruz (Associate Research Professor, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence)
• Adam Smith, PhD, Instructional Consultant, Schreyer Institute

Resources from the Session:

• Session Recording
• Session Slides