CFP: Learning Technologies

Academic Exchange Quarterly—a peer-reviewed, print journal—invites original, unpublished manuscripts of 2000 to 3000 words for its Winter 2011 issue.

Learning technologies—technologies used to enhance learning, teaching, and assessment—are rapidly gaining popularity in higher education. However, the debate concerning the effectiveness of these technologies over more conventional means of teaching remains ongoing.

The focus of this topic is to explore evidence-based research on any area relating to learning technologies, but they are especially interested in the following:

• pedagogical techniques that rely on learning technologies;
• the use of learning technologies in assessment of outcomes at any level (individual student to entire campuses); and
• comparisons of technologically-enhanced learning outcomes and conventional outcomes.

In any case, they are seeking empirical, evidence-based research studies more than theoretical pieces.

Submissions are welcome from researchers, teaching and learning scholars, learning technology users, as well as others who are actively involved in higher education learning, including graduate students, faculty members, academic staff members, administrators, and researchers in non-academic settings.

Submission instructions are available at http://www.tinyurl.com/AEQ-Tech.

Submission deadline is August 13, 2010.

Community-Based Learning Summer Institute

The Office of Community-Based Learning is pleased to announce its first CBL Summer Institute (held June 2 – 4, 2010).

The Institute will give faculty an opportunity to team up with a community partner and student leader, and work closely with OCBL staff to design a new CBL course or revamp an already existing CBL course.

The three days will include a tour of Brockton, team building exercises, some nuts and bolts presentations on CBL, and ample time to create projects/syllabi in team groups and then workshop ideas in larger groups.

Applications are due April 9, 2010.

To learn more and to access the online application form, visit the Office of CBL’s website.

SOTL Writing Retreat — due April 9

Thanks to the efforts of our new CTL Faculty Fellow, John Lanci, the CTL is sponsoring a three-day overnight retreat devoted to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) this May 25-27, 2010.

The retreat – which will be held at the Cedar Hills Retreat Center in Duxbury, MA – will be geared both to faculty developing new SOTL projects and those working on writing up their SOTL findings.

In addition to workshops on SOTL methods and project design, faculty will have opportunities to share their work with others and free time for writing. Meals and lodging are provided.

Applications are due April 9, 2010.

For more information and the link to the online application form, visit the CTL’s website.

Instructional Development Grant — now due Apr 5

In order to better accommodate the long Easter weekend, the proposal deadline for the CTL’s SOTL Research Grant and Classroom Innovation Grant is now extended to April 5, 2010.

Proposals can be submitted online here.

Visit the CTL’s website to read the application guidelines and to see examples of past proposals that have been funded.

Please note that no more Pedagogy Travel Grants will be awarded for 2009-2010.  Applications for funding teaching-related travel in 2010-2011 can be submitted starting May 1st.

Teaching Roundtable: Diversity in the Classroom

Diversity in the Classroom
part of the CTL’s Teaching Roundtable Series

Thursday, April 8, 2010
11:30 – 12:30 PM
Duffy 114 Conference Room

Teaching Roundtables are meant to provide faculty informal opportunities to discuss various teaching topics with their colleagues.

A repeat of last semester’s workshop, this roundtable will focus on strategies for creating more inclusive classroom environments for students from traditionally underrepresented groups. Come discuss strategies, research, and resources related to inclusive pedagogy.

Contact Stacy Grooters or Patricia Neagle (508-565-1324) for more information.

More Role Playing in the Classroom

The Chronicle has yet another article about how “gaming” is finding its place in the classroom: “At Indiana U., a Class on Game Design Has Students Playing to Win.”

What interests me is seeing yet another example of how role playing can lead to greater student engagement.  Giving students a chance to take on a different persona in the classroom can make it easier for them to take risks in class discussions and other activities and assignments.

In this case, the instructor has shifted the identity of the class itself:

Class time is spent completing quests (such as presentations of games or research), fighting monsters (taking tests or quizzes), and “crafting” (writing game-analysis papers and a video-game concept document). The 40-person class is divided into six “zones,” named after influential game designers, in which students complete group tasks.

Mr. Sheldon says last semester’s students performed a full letter grade better in the course than students had under the traditional approach — the class average was a B instead of a C.

Sheldon has also established a blog, “Gaming in the Classroom,” where he shares the details of the course and invites broader conversation about using games to teach.

You can read the full article on the Chronicle website.

New Faculty Seminar Apr 12

Teaching with Technology
Monday, Apr 12, 11:30 – 12:45
Duffy 114 Conference Room

The New Faculty Seminar is meant to continue the discussions begun at New Faculty Orientation about teaching and the other professional obligations of new faculty at Stonehill — as well as to provide new faculty a “safe” place for discussing their experiences (good and bad) throughout the year.

In April, we’ll talk about how technology can aid students’ learning in your classes. We’ll talk both about general principles for pedagogically effective ways of using technology and about some specific technologies in use at Stonehill. If there’s time, we’ll also discuss the growing number of “Web 2.0″ and other online tools that can be adapted for classroom use.

Suggested reading: “Week 2: Teaching with Technology” in On Course
Guests: Mary Joan Leith (Religious Studies) and Juan Carlos Martin (Foreign Languages)

How Millennial Are You?

The Chronicle of Higher Education pointed to this quiz designed by the Pew Research Center that measures how “millennial” you are.

It then ranks you according to how much you have in common with the millennial generation.  Try it to see how you much you have in common with your “millennial” students.

“Managing the Lecture Class”

Tenured Radical, a popular academic blog by a historian at Wesleyan, featured an essay this week on “Managing the Lecture Class.”

In it she expounds on three basic rules for lecture classes:  1) establish the rules, 2) know your audience, and 3) make personal contact.

Although her advice is geared towards people teaching larger classes than we have at Stonehill, it certainly can generalize to many teaching contexts. Most interesting is her suggestion to let students help define the “rules” for the class:

Instead of establishing a set of rules and becoming an enforcer (something that is easier to get away with when you are older and your reputation as a cantankerous old fart is well established), consider setting aside a portion of the first class to consult your students about what they think is appropriate classroom behavior.

Teaching Roundtable: Uses of the Credit Model

Creative Uses of the Credit Model
part of the CTL’s Teaching Roundtable Series

Thursday, March 25, 2010
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Duffy 114 Conference Room

Teaching Roundtables are meant to provide faculty informal opportunities to discuss various teaching topics with their colleagues.

Stonehill’s new credit model promises to expand our opportunities for curricular and pedagogical innovation.

For this roundtable, three faculty involved with the establishment of the credit model — Roger Denome (Biology), Glen Ilacqua (Business Administration), & Allyson Sheckler (Visual & Performing Arts) — will share their ideas for taking advantage of the flexibility the new model allows. Come brainstorm with colleagues about your own ideas for creative uses of our new credit model.

Contact Stacy Grooters or Patricia Neagle (508-565-1324) for more information.