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Please join the Massachusetts PKAL Regional Network for a virtual Summer Meeting focused on getting back to “normal” in the Fall 2021 semester. COVID19 disrupted STEM teaching and learning for over a year, with a disproportionate impact on low-income students, first generation students, and nonwhite students. What lessons have we learned about the support students need, and the ways in which we teach, that we should carry forward?
The meeting will open with a panel of faculty sharing their successes in pedagogy and high-impact practices during the pandemic. The program will consist of workshops, talks, and presentations where presenters can share how remote learning has changed their approach to STEM education, ways to provide students with High Impact Practices in a remote environment, and tips for moving forward after a tumultuous time in higher education.
Need help the day of the conference? Email mapkalwsu2021@gmail.com if you have questions or technical difficulties!
Schedule
*Click on session name for Zoom link, abstracts, and author information.*
8:15 - 8:45A Arrive to Zoom room and watch PKAL Welcome Video
8:45 – 9:00A Opening and Welcome
Robin White, Associate Professor of Biology, Westfield State University
Jennifer Hanselman, Dean of the College of Mathematics and Sciences, Westfield State University
9:00 – 10:00A Panel Discussion: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Jennie Aizenmann, Director of the Center for Advancement of STEM Education, Bridgewater State University
Timothy Atherton, Physics and Astronomy Faculty, Tufts University
Lauren DiCarlo, Environmental Science Faculty, Westfield State University
Lamis Jarvinin, Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, Westfield State University
Zoe Reidinger, Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Director of the Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
10:00 – 10:30A Break
10:30 – 11:30A Concurrent Sessions
Session A Workshop: Alien intelligence activity to promote a growth learning mindset
Session B Oral Presentations: Development for Equity
(1) Rethinking Scholarship Program Recruitment, Evaluation and Interviewing for Greater Equity
(2) Improving our STEM Equity Walk
(3) Learning to Learn: An Inclusive Approach to Acclimating Students to STEM Fields
Session C Oral Presentations: Active Learning in New Ways
(1) A Response to Vaccine Hesitancy Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Student-Led Service-Learning
Course
(2) Interaction and Problem Solving in Covid-19 Times
(3) Teaching Freshman Engineering Design in a Remote Learning Environment
(4) Preparing STEM Educators During a Pandemic
Session D Oral Presentations: Transitioning High Impact Practices
(1) Adapting Course-Based Research in Virtual Learning Environments as a new channel to make STEM
Education Accessible to All Students
(2) NSF HBCU-UP TIP DaBuGs Course Sudden Pivot to No Contact Course and Summer 2020 Internship
Program a - A Success
(3) Transitioning STEM Outreach to a Virtual Environment: Challenges and Successes
11:30A – 12:30P Lunch Break
12:30 – 1:30P Concurrent Sessions
Session A Workshop: Just Decompressing: Time to Reflect and Talk about Experiences during the Past Year
Session C Oral Presentations: Grading and Feedback
(1) Successful First Steps toward Standards-Based Grading in Linear Algebra
(2) Leave 'em wanting more
(3) Using Google Assignments for instant, intrusive feedback
Session D Oral Presentations: Techniques, Tools, and Tricks
(1) The challenges for new technologies for online classes from the COVID-19 era
(2) Tricks to know your students are awake, alive and learning on zoom: Engaging students in lecture courses
delivered remotely
(3) Jack Dogg Physics - Bringing Learning Into the 21st Century with Online Courses
1:30 – 2:00P Break
2:00 – 3:00P Concurrent Sessions
Session A Workshop: Student Leadership in Emergency Response and Recovery: From Category 5 Hurricanes
Session B Workshop: Capacity Building: Thematic Inquiry-based Mentorship with Enhancement Model
Session C Oral Presentations: Biology in New Ways
(1) Development and Evaluation of a Hyflex Microbiology lab for inclusive teaching during COVID-19
(2) How effective is the Visible Body® 3-Dimensional online platform for learning human anatomy?
(3) Positives from the Piv*t: Adapting General Biology & Cell Biology Courses to a New Era
Session D Oral Presentations: New Lab Practices
(1) Remote Practices Inform a New Approach to Teaching the Skills and Concepts of qPCR in the Laboratory
(2) Embracing Pandemic Teaching: General Chemistry Lab Changes Worth Keeping?
***Following the conclusion of the meeting, you will receive an email from AAC&U about an evaluation. Please fill it out to provide feedback about your experience!***