Please join us for the 11th Annual Teaching and Learning Forum held on May 24, 2022. The Forum is designed to foster excellence in pedagogy and support a vibrant teaching and learning community.
Opening Remarks and Welcome by President Mark C. Reed
Keynote by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Workshop by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland Baltimore County
MV 105: Linking STEM Teaching to Issues of Sustainability by Dr. Victor Donnay, Department of Mathematics, Bryn Mawr College, and PRISE Institute, SJU
MV 111: Intersectionality: Neurodiversity and other Intersecting Identities by Alli Gatta and Robert Haftl, Kinney Center for Autism Support; Drs. Ann Green and Tom Brennan, Department of English
MV 107: Academic Honesty and fostering Academic Integrity by Dr. Catalina Arango Pinedo, Department of Biology; Dr. Jeff Bone, Department of Management; and Anne Krakow, Drexel Library
Boxed lunches will be available in the Mandeville Atrium
MV 111: I Changed How I Grade and You Can, Too! by Dr. Amber Abbas, Department of History and Dr. Paul Patterson, Department of English
MV 107: Using Universal Design in the Classroom: Strategies to Help All Learners by Drs. Cheryl George and Mollie Sheppard, Department of Special Education
MV 105: Considering Good Teaching: Exploring Processes for Peer Evaluation by Dr. Aubrey Wang, Educational Leadership; Dr. Stacy Olitsky, Teacher Education; and Dr. Robert Daniel, Modern and Classical Languages
MV 105: Formative Assessment and Metacognition in Learning by Dr. Victor Donnay, Department of Mathematics, Bryn Mawr College and SJU PRISE Institute and Dr. Janine Firmender, Department of Teacher Education
MV 111: Yellowdig Engage, A Tool for Fostering Learning Communities (Observations from the Pilot Program) by Dr. Morgan Bryant Reeder, Department of Marketing; Dr. Marybeth Ayella, Department of Sociology; and Dr. Robert Daniel, Department of Modern and Classical Languages
MV 107: Conducting Scholarly Research with Undergraduate and Graduate Students in the Teacher/Scholar Model by Dr. Jenny Spinner, Department of English; Dr. Julia Lee, Department of Biology; Dr. Laura Crispin, Department of Economics; Dr. Aubrey Wang, Department of Educational Leadership; and undergraduate student Sal De Rienzo
Middle States 2024 Accreditation Process Overview, Webinar by a Middle States representative. A Zoom link to the Webinar will be provided by Dr. Rich Warren to those who email him directly at warren@sju.edu.
10:20 - 11:05 AM | Session 1
Linking STEM Teaching to Issues of Sustainability by Dr. Victor Donnay, Bryn Mawr College and the Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Education (PRISE) Institute at SJU (Session held in MV 105)
Victor Donnay is Professor of Mathematics at Bryn Mawr College where he teaches a course on Math Modeling and Sustainability. This course has a community-based learning component in which student teams work with a community partner to analyze an issue of (environmental) sustainability of interest to the community partner. He will describe the structure of this course and give examples of ways to connect math to sustainability as well as examples of the community based projects. The presentation will have an active learning component with participants being invited to think about how these ideas might translate to the courses they teach. Professor Donnay will also talk about the work of the Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators (PRISE), a new institute based here at Saint Joseph’s University, which he directs.
Intersectionality: Neurodiversity and other Intersecting Identities by Alli Gatta and Robert Haftl, Kinney Center for Autism Support; Drs. Ann Green and Tom Brennan, Department of English (Session held in MV 111)
Kinney center staff and campus partners will present on key topics related to the intersecting identities of neurodiverse individuals. Current research will be analyzed and presented to attendees, while creating discussion based on professional experiences working with SJU students on the Autism Spectrum and their experiences with intersecting identities, including socioeconomic status, race, and LGBTQIA+. Principles of universal design will be presented, and discussion will lead to creating action plans towards an inclusive classroom environment to promote success for all students.
Academic Honesty and Fostering Academic Integrity by Dr. Catalina Arango Pinedo, Department of Biology; Dr. Jeff Bone, Department of Management; and Anne Krakow, Drexel Library (Session held in MV 107)
In this session, members of the Academic Integrity Council will review Saint Joseph’s Academic Honesty Policy and highlight some tools to encourage academic integrity in the classroom. Presenters will introduce the tutorial that can be integrated into canvas courses to teach students about plagiarism and the University Academic Honesty Policy.
11:10 - 11:55 AM | Session 2
I Changed How I Grade and You Can, Too! by Dr. Amber Abbas, Department of History and Dr. Paul Patterson, Department of English (Session held in MV 111)
“Ungrading” and “Labor-Based Grading” have gained traction at all levels of education, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as strategies to encourage students to take ownership of their own learning, rather than to focus on being awarded a grade for their efforts. Research shows that grading often creates a limited transactional space around educational products rather than encouraging a meaningful process of learning, effort, feedback and revision. “Ungrading” and “Labor-Based Grading” suggest that assessment should lead to a developmental process of engaged learning by focusing on qualitative rather than quantitative feedback. We have used these approaches in a variety of courses including required freshman courses and upper division History seminars. Could they be right for you?
Using Universal Design in the Classroom: Strategies to Help All Learners by Drs. Cheryl George and Mollie Sheppard, Department of Special Education (Session held in MV 107)
This session will discuss applying the principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to the college classroom. We will discuss planning our courses and lessons to maximize the benefits for our diverse student body. Topics covered will be syllabi, student engagement and assessment. We will pay special attention to technology that can benefit all learners.
Considering Good Teaching: Exploring Processes for Peer Evaluation by Dr. Aubrey Wang, Educational Leadership; Dr. Stacy Olitsky, Teacher Education; and Dr. Robert Daniel, Modern and Classical Languages (Session held in MV 105)
This workshop will use the T&L Teaching Evaluation Form to help the community reflect on and discuss what is good teaching. The facilitators of the workshop will organize the participants into small reflection groups. Each group will be given two tasks. The first task will be a reflection on good teaching as captured by syllabi and course organization. The second task will be a reflection on what is good teaching as actual teaching activities or practice. Each group will be given time to reflect on their own teaching, course syllabi, actual teaching practice, and join the large group by sharing their discussions. In discussion, we will consider more specific and varied examples that could enhance the applicability of this form across different teaching contexts.
12:00 - 12:45 PM | Session 3
Formative Assessment and Metacognition in Learning by Dr. Victor Donnay, Department of Mathematics, Bryn Mawr College and SJU PRISE Institute and Dr. Janine Firmender, Department of Teacher Education (Session held in MV 105)
This session will cover formative assessment and methods for promoting learner meta-cognition, self-assessment, and the use of mid-semester course evaluations.
Yellowdig Engage, A Tool for Fostering Learning Communities (Observations from the Pilot Program) by Dr. Morgan Bryant Reeder, Department of Marketing; Dr. Marybeth Ayella, Department of Sociology; and Dr. Robert Daniel, Department of Modern and Classical Languages (Session held in MV 111)
In 2021-2022, SJU conducted a pilot program to assess Yellowdig Engage, a community-focused discussion and sharing tool. Two of the eleven faculty participants in that project will talk about their teaching/learning experience and offer comments about how the app may be used effectively across a range of disciplines. One of the findings to be shared is that Yellowdig Engage can generate significant student enthusiasm and engagement and promote a strong sense of community and collaboration among learners.
Conducting Scholarly Research with Undergraduate and Graduate Students in the Teacher/Scholar Model by Dr. Jenny Spinner, Department of English; Dr. Julia Lee, Department of Biology; Dr. Laura Crispin, Department of Economics; Dr. Aubrey Wang, Department of Educational Leadership; and undergraduate student Sal De Rienzo (Session held in MV 107)
A faculty panel will discuss mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in research, and how research differs among different disciplines. Panelists will also share their experiences in working with students in the Summer Scholars Program, discuss the value of a one-on-one teacher/scholar mentorship, and offer tips for both faculty and students getting the most out of a shared research experience.
Middle States 2024 Accreditation Process Overview, Webinar by a Middle States representative. Zoom link will be provided.