2024 Posters, Videos,  and Podcasts

Higher education continues to make strides in LGBTQIA2S+ inclusivity; however, growth opportunities persist.  Renn (2017) identifies the continuation of “student reports of harassment in classrooms and other learning contexts, of widespread cyber bullying, and of the amplification of racism and sexism through homophobic and transphobic harassment”(para. 7).  This recorded learning experience will teach instructors how to use interactive, freely available AI tools in a safe, low-risk environment where they can practice having challenging conversations surrounding LGBTQIA2S+ identities in the classroom.  Renn (2017) concludes, “Aligning policy, practice, programming, and pedagogy to support LGBTQ students remains a challenge and an opportunity for higher education leaders” (para. 28). Participants will leave the session with the knowledge of how to use AI tools to improve their ability to confidently address LGBTQIA2S+ identified challenges. 

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Research has shown that the online learning environment can be an isolating experience for some students, who might feel distant not only from their instructors, but also disconnected from their fellow students (Essa, Andrews, Mendelowitz, & Fouche, 2023). Assisting students in accessing university resources and facilitating the creation of social support networks within their learning cohorts can help students manage their unique contextual challenges, and more effectively navigate the online learning systems (Koh, Daniel & Greenman, 2023). This podcast presentation, Fostering Connection, Collaboration, and Community Among Students Within the Online Learning Environment, will discuss how faculty can create that sense of connection within the course room, by describing specific strategies that could facilitate collaboration. This in turn can help students feel supported, included, more inclined to feed their curiosity, as well as potentially increase student retention, and ultimately successful completion of programs (McDougal, 2019). 

Educators have a responsibility to encourage student independence and autonomy. By developing greater independence, students become empowered as critical thinkers, engaged learners, and strive to resolve issues on their own (Sumbawati et al., 2020). As important as fostering independence and accountability in students is, it is just as critical that educators apply careful boundaries to ensure that students understand they should work through their issues and problems initially, as doing so can foster a growth mindset. Students must learn to attempt to overcome difficulties independently when challenges arise both in and outside of the classroom and should learn not to be overly reliant on their professors to solve issues for them (Hansen & Gray, 2018; LaDuca, 2022). Within this presentation, strategies for encouraging independence, accountability, and resilience in students will be discussed, as well as ways educators can create healthy boundaries in the educator-student relationship. 

The topic is probability. Students are asked to discuss an event that is highly probable or improbable. What happens next is surprising. When asynchronous discussions open up students to learn surprising statistics on topics of interest or curiosity, we get fascinating exchanges about its findings. This spark of wonder prompts others to chime in, creating inclusive threads of discussions.

Presentation Slides

Fostering a culture of meaningful learning can be achieved through a spirit of appreciative inquiry. This presentation explores the importance of inquiry-based learning to cultivate an effective and engaging educational environment and meet the evolving needs of learners (Verma et al., 2023). A culture of meaningful learning extends beyond rote memorization and passive reception of information. Instead, learners draw on their intrinsic motivation, past learning and experience, and the pursuit of knowledge through questioning and exploration. Current research and practical insights support the significance of nurturing curiosity among learners and educators. 

Through a spirit of appreciative inquiry, educators inspire learners to become active participants in their education and ask, "So what?".This presentation will outline key strategies to implement inquiry-based learning activities in the online classroom and inspire educators to transform their teaching practices and create learning spaces that are not only informative but also transformative (Waterworth & Jacobs, 2021). 

This presentation will delve into developing and implementing a "Welcome to Class" survey designed specifically for writing students, which aims to identify and address their unique basic needs.  Recognizing that each student's situation is distinct, this targeted approach goes beyond general support services, offering a more personalized strategy to help ensure their success in writing courses. We will discuss the survey's development, the types of questions included, and how the data collected informs personalized support strategies. By sharing this targeted approach, the aim is to inspire other educators to adopt similar practices in their disciplines, fostering a more supportive and responsive learning environment across Purdue Univesity Global.

APA Style is the revered guide for writing in academia. Often, students are asked to “follow APA Style” but only to cite and reference sources or format title and reference pages (Daniels & Kennedy, 2019). While scholarly attribution and format are important, APA Style is so much more. “There’s a Guideline for That: APA Style Advice Beyond the Citations” explores less familiar but equally valuable applications of APA. The presenter focuses on high-impact APA guidelines that faculty, staff, and students can immediately implement to make their communication and collaboration more effective; develop a professional, standardized writing approach; save time in the writing process; align writing expectations across departments and the university; and inform their use of bias-free language to support inclusion (Phipps et al., 2023). The poster will include a tour through the “secret menu” of official APA Style clarification and advice not found in the Publication Manual. 

The use of breakout rooms and polling in Seminar provides an excellent tool for student engagement and instructor reflection. Small group settings, such as breakout rooms, can provide a more comfortable environment for student engagement and allow authentic relationships to grow between students. Coupling breakout rooms with polls is a good way for instructors to get a pulse on student engagement. For example, a poll sent after a breakout session asking students to describe their own participation helps students reflect and gives the instructor insight. Polls can be leveraged for additional benefits as well. An important consideration is the nature and structure of the question posed to students in the poll. Setting up polls and sending them out throughout the course of an hour-long seminar helps keep students focused on the material. Examples of different types of breakout room prompts and polls will be shared in the presentation. 

Engaging Faculty and Students: Department Initiative Strategies that Work is a presentation focused on designing initiatives that explore strategies that are used to drive student and faculty engagement and retention while driving student enrollment in online universities. Social presence in the online university is paramount in aiding students in recovering from setbacks and challenges that impact their collegiate journey; while encouraging them to remain engaged and present (Toma & Berge, 2024). Driving set initiatives and events enables students, faculty, and practitioners to foster collaboration (Anim-Wright, 2024). Additionally, positive social relationships and online presence enhance student engagement and learning experiences (Shehzad & Charles, 2023). Using these strategies coupled with technology tools such as e-blasting, social media, and collaboration in a virtual learning environment is powerful in gaining student and faculty engagement. 

Marvels of nature, new places, a spectacular view, memorable moments in life — these are all things that evoke a sense of awe. Experiencing awe deepens our worldview and creates a sense of connectedness. This presentation highlights how the transformative sense of awe and wonder can create learning environments focused on creative problem-solving, deep inquiry, and imagination (Wapnick, n.d.). The benefits of awe extend further to an overall sense of well-being and increase prosocial behaviors critical to learning and communication, such as generosity, empathy, altruism, and respect (Maxwell, 2017; Prade & Saroglou, 2016; McGlynn, 2023). “Reviving Wonder: How a Sense of Awe Enhances Lifelong Learning” offers a glimpse into how integrating a sense of awe into instruction and overall educational strategy can not only enhance the student experience but reintroduce a spark of imagination into the overall vision and mission of educators. 

This presentation provides a comprehensive introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI), exploring its fundamental concepts, history, and current applications. Attendees will gain insight into the key components of AI, ethical considerations, the impact of AI on various industries and future trends. Designed for both beginners and professionals, this overview aims to demystify AI, highlighting its potential and addressing common misconceptions. By the end of the presentation, participants will have a solid foundation to understand and engage with AI technologies in their personal and professional lives. 

Purdue Global’s Prepare-Practice-Perform curriculum design model guides students along the path of acquiring, engaging with, and demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities. Formative assessment bridges the gap between engaging with new content and being evaluated. This presentation discusses prior research conducted by the Assessment Advisory Committee on formative assessment and methods for inviting students into formative assessment within our online classroom.

Multimedia supports course content and learning at Purdue Global. It provides students with preparation and practice that reinforces learning outcomes. Multimedia Developers apply design principles and adult learning andragogy to create educational media. How do you engage the minds of adult learners? Integrating various media forms such as text, audio, video, graphics, and interactive content, multimedia caters to diverse learning styles and preferences, making education more accessible and engaging for adult learners. Research indicates that multimedia can improve comprehension, retention, and application of knowledge by providing multiple representations of information, facilitating deeper cognitive processing, and promoting active learning. This presentation highlights the multimedia development process and showcases how multimedia supports learning and elevates the student experience at Purdue Global.

This presentation addresses the critical need for ongoing professional development of educators across all specialties in higher education. We introduce a comprehensive development plan aligned with best practice standards, encompassing seven key areas: pedagogical foundations, course design, facilitation techniques, technology integration, student engagement, assessment strategies, and emerging educational tools. The plan, currently employed within the School of Nursing, combines asynchronous modules with synchronous training sessions, tailored to individual needs through professional assessments and role alignment. Outcomes are measured via surveys, confidence checkpoints, and institutional reviews. As educational standards and technologies evolve, our approach ensures educators maintain current, relevant skills in immersive educational methods. This presentation will demonstrate the importance of structured development planning and offer participants practical strategies for implementation within their institutions. The session connects educator development to advancing higher education quality, outlines clear learning outcomes, and highlights opportunities for audience interaction. 

Accounting professionals historically adapt to changing technologies. Since the early 2000s, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has significantly expanded, leading many to believe that it may affect the future of a variety of careers. The authors examine the impact of AI on the accounting field. The primary research question is: Will AI eliminate the need for accountants and auditors? We first examined the impact of AI on roles and responsibilities in the accounting field. Next, we explored how accounting education will adapt to changing technologies and identified value-added skills of accounting professionals that, at this time, cannot be performed competently by AI. AI may have a major impact on the future of accounting, transforming the role of the accountant in education and lifelong learning, use of AI tools, and data analysis. AI will move the accountant from performing routine tasks to the more advanced tasks of analysis, advisory services, and ethical decision-making for their employer or clients. Those in the accounting profession who embrace these advances will secure their relevance and success in the future. 

Transcript

A brown-bag lunchtime presentation can serve as the springboard for ideas that may end up in a formal conference presentation. Where is the similar training ground for journal article publications? A formal, academic intra-faculty blog – such as hosted by the Purdue Global English and Rhetoric Department – can help fill this gap. Authored by faculty interested in teaching writing across the curriculum and writing across the globe, and for an audience of faculty, staff, and leadership, the blog provides a forum to share success stories and best practices with an eye to supporting student retention and persistence. How might such successes be generalized and/or applied in other courses and programs? This presentation will include a brief history of the scholarly blog (and its cousin, the overlay journal) as a genre while exploring its capacity to test the publication potential of ongoing research and to enhance faculty communication, collaboration, and engagement. 

As AI increasingly influences higher education, legal professionals have begun to see its use in unexpected ways. For students preparing to enter the legal career, understanding the ethical implications of AI use is critical. This presentation will explore how the integration of AI into legal research and writing can provide students with the knowledge needed to navigate and leverage these tools effectively.  

It is important for collaboration to happen in online classrooms among students. Collaboration among students leads to students being more engaged and involved, makes learning more active, and produces more productivity as students learn and converse with each other in online classrooms. In a university setting, engaging activities in the classroom can enhance a student's level of satisfaction and understandings of the curriculum. Whether this be learning activities or break-out groups in weekly seminars, a student has a better opportunity to understand the course topic when participating in activities with others. When faculty use break-out groups in weekly seminars, it allows peers to reply to one another and converse with each other while listening and giving feedback to allow collaboration to happen and flourish. Also, when different tasks and/or jobs are assigned during weekly seminars and break out groups along with virtual field trips, this helps lead to collaboration as students work together as they learn, listen to each other, and discuss various topics. Another way to create an atmosphere for collaboration is for faculty to have goals and expectations set for students so they can come together and share their experiences and knowledge during weekly units and discussion boards and seminars. Using real-world example problems and scenarios in group assignments, discussion boards and seminars along with open ended questions and giving feedback also helps to create collaborative classrooms for diverse learners. If possible, it is helpful if faculty can stay after seminars for open office hours, where students can collaborate and ask questions with the instructor. When we, as students, collaborate with other students and our instructors it helps us to better understand the material being taught and discussed along with increasing our communication skills, thinking, and leadership skills and having greater student engagement. Overall, collaborative learning allows diverse learners to be more efficient, develop and grow skills, build relationships, and learn from each other.

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This podcast proposes a call to action for encouraging student engagement, buy-in, and purpose. As AI and auto-correct streamline word choice (so all work emails begin to sound exactly the same), asking students to share their unique point of view and voice may encourage distinction rather than conformity and renew a sense of meaning. By highlighting narratives of writers who have overcome obstacles, or by encouraging students to share their own achievement narratives, students uncover the benefits of determination and resilience and can develop new perspectives on their journey. With practical examples and suggestions for student activities, Jani and Paige show how stories can create community, spark creativity, and help our students find their voice. 

References

Burgis, L. & Miller, J. (2018). Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person. Emmaus Road. 

Yin Y, Wakslak CJ, Joshi PD. (2022). "I" am more concrete than "we": Linguistic abstraction and first-person pronoun usage. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122(6):1004-1021. doi: 10.1037/pspa0000285.