Reforming Physics Education: What’s the story?

2015-2016 UNF Physics Colloquium Series presents:

Reforming Physics Education: What’s the story?
by
Dr. H. Vincent Kuo
Teaching Professor of Physics, Colorado School of Mines
Friday, April 8, 2016
2:00-2:50 p.m. 
Science & Engineering Building, Building 50, Room 1202
Refreshments will be provided

 Much has been argued in recent years for the benefits of experiential learning environments, but how are such contexts operationalized? What are the elements that can characterize such reforms? In this talk I will discuss the differences between teaching and learning environments, present some examples of what the physics education and research communities had contributed in this arena, and describe the adaptation that Colorado School of Mines had implemented, as well as identify some of the unintended consequences of our implementation.
All those interested in teaching within the STEM disciplines or those interested in teaching innovations in general are encouraged to attend.

Use Technology To Help Curate Your Tenure Portfolio

Tenure-track faculty are asked to keep track of their most important contributions from the very moment they are hired. That body of work, sometime in the future, will be used to determine their worthiness for receiving tenure, and must be managed diligently in the meantime. Over what can be a very long period, one of the biggest challenges of creating an excellent portfolio to showcase one's entire career up to that point is simply keeping track of everything. That's where technology can be a game-changer.

Robert Talbert, a mathematics professor at Grand Valley State University and contributing writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education blog, says that technology can help faculty preparing for tenure selection work smarter, not harder. Instead of relying wholly on traditional storage and hoping that, on submission day, everything is in the binder that's been accumulating important files for years, he suggests using some technological assistance to keep disciplined and organized. At the core of his advice is that you can use technology to implement a system you trust that can easily be categorized and searched that you are able to easily organize and settle on a weekly basis. This allows you to make sure you are staying ahead of the constant influx of materials you must track, such that you can rest easy knowing each item that came across your desk or screen is safely vaulted where you can access it easily at a later time if necessary. Talbert recommends using converting all paper documents into electronic formats using a scanner, then keeping track of them using a free storage and organization service like Evernote, Dropbox, a combination of both, or some other means. Talbert goes into pretty specific detail about how he recommends using Evernote and Dropbox to prepare a portfolio. But the basic takeaway is this: if you're preparing for tenure selection, get organized with technology or be risk being overwhelmed when your time comes.

UNF will be hosting two two vendor demonstrations for electronic tenure and promotion portfolios on Friday, March 11th: Interfolio’s By Committee (12:00-1:30pm) and Data180’s Faculty180 (2:00-3:30pm). Both demonstrations will be held in Building 51, room 1205. Faculty are encouraged to come out, ask questions, and provide feedback on these digital systems for managing the promotion and tenure documents and process.

Call for Applications - Course Redesign Summer Institute

Call For Applications:

Course Redesign for Effective Learning (CREL)

  

The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) invites full-time UNF faculty to participate in a summer course redesign institute. The purpose of this institute is to provide faculty with the time, resources, information, and collaborative support needed to revise and redesign a selected Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 course (or design a new course) in ways that will maximize student learning.

Deadline for Applications: Tuesday, March 15th, 2016  

Interested faculty should complete the online application at: http://bit.ly/crel2016

  

OFE invites all full-time UNF faculty who are interested in enhancing student learning apply for the CREL program. Such proposals could include student projects, research activities as part of a course, community-based learning, or other forms of engaged learning.

The UNF faculty selected to participate in the CREL and who produce a redesigned product will receive a $1000 stipend.

The dates for the 2016 CREL workshops are Tuesday, June 21^st, Thursday, June 23^rd, and Tuesday, June 28^th.

The Review Process

The proposals will be reviewed by the OFE Director in consultation with the Faculty Association’s Faculty Enhancement Committee.

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

·                The proposed change represents a significant change to the structure, organization, or activities associated with the course.

·                The proposed change is reasonable given the time constraints.

·                The proposed change is likely to affect student learning positively.

Faculty members who have been awarded summer research and teaching grants are eligible to participate in CREL.  For those who have received a summer teaching grant, the CREL project proposal should involve a different course than that on which the summer teaching grant is based.  Preference will be given to first-time participants in OFE’s course redesign workshops. Applications from a variety of perspectives and methods are encouraged. Selection of proposals will ensure a broad participation across disciplines on campus.

Preparing the CREL Proposal Application

Interested faculty should complete the online application at:

http://bit.ly/crel2016  

The deadline for applications is March 15th.​

Keep updated with OFE:

International Conference on College Teaching and Learning - Call for Proposals

Photo: Rob Bixby 2014

Each year, scholars and educators gather to discuss and exchange ideas on the best practices related to college teaching and learning.
The International Conference on College Teaching and Learning (ICCTL) will host it's 27th annual conference in Jacksonville, FL on April 4th-7th, 2016.
For more information about the conference, visit their website at http://www.teachlearn.org/ 

The Call for Proposals is open until February 1st, 2016.

From the ICCTL website:
The International Conference on College Teaching and Learning (ICCTL) is an engaging conference for higher education teachers, faculty and support staff that offers a variety of workshops, interactive sessions and presentations. The theme for the 27th Annual International Conference on College Teaching and Learning is “Building Bridges: Teaching Our Communities—Engaging the World.” In keeping with this theme, we welcome submissions that reflect engagement with students, faculty, and communities. This year’s conference tracks are: Engaging through Teaching and Learning, Connecting through Global and Civic Engagement, Using Technology to Engage and Connect and Promoting Engagement through Academic Leadership and Support.




Keep updated with OFE:

Conference on Gateway Courses: Call for Proposals

Please see the announcement below regarding a conference on student success in gateway (introductory and high failure-rate) courses. Success in such courses can be challenging for students who often arrive unprepared for the demanding nature of the courses. New strategies and technologies will be explored at this upcoming conference in Atlanta, GA.

Now is the time to submit a concurrent session proposal for the 2016 Annual JNGI Gateway Course Experience Conference. ***Deadline to submit is Jan. 11, 2016. 

The event takes place April 3 - 5, 2016 in Atlanta, GA.

Proposals should reflect the best thinking in the field of improving institutional and student performance in gateway courses - college credit-bearing and/or remedial courses that launch students into programs of study or majors. 

We invite proposals that address:

• Improving teaching and learning in historically high failure rate courses
• Creating and/or improving support for students in gateway courses
• Curricular and/or pedagogical innovation in gateway courses
• Using analytics and/or other technology to improve student success in gateway courses
• Research and assessment on gateway course issues

Hundreds of institutional leaders, faculty, student success specialists, teaching and learning technology and institutional research professionals will join us at the event.

Featuredspeakers include, Dr. Daniel Greenstein, Director of Education, Postsecondary Success, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Elaine Seymour

Director Emerita and Research Associate, Ethnography & Evaluation Research; Research Fellow, Center for STEM Learning, University of Colorado at Boulder.

***With less than one week left, there is no time like the present to submit your proposal. Registration is also open. Register by Jan. 31 and save!



Keep updated with OFE:

Student Success Takes a Coordinated Effort

Each semester, the university admits new students. Oftentimes, students have misconceptions about their study habits and about how to succeed in college. Research indicates that Academic Support Services are particularly helpful for first-generation students, especially in their first year.

The Student Academic Center at Indiana University-Bloomington has prepared a number of videos designed to help students be better prepared to succeed in college courses and to help them navigate college in general. You might consider providing some links for students in your classes to help them succeed.

At UNF, the Academic Center or Excellence has a number o Skill Development Workshops that support students in learning good study habits and time management skills. You might refer your student to these services on the UNF campus.



Keep updated with OFE:

TurnItIn Provides a Valuable Service, But Jeopardizes Students' Rights

Realistically, if you're a professor who needs to ensure students aren't cheating on their papers, TurnItIn.com is a true time-saver with few alternatives. TurnItIn is a tremendous boon for professors who simply do not have time to painstakingly check their students' written work for plagiarism against the millions of other scholastic documents on the internet. In an insightful article published last month, one professor praises TurnItIn for its incredible efficiency and criticizes it for its monopolistic hold on students' original works.

The issue hinges on what TurnItIn does with all of those student papers it receives. It keeps them, archives them, and continues to use them for plagiarism checking. Whereas this is more of an issue in principle rather than reality, the fact remains that students are required to give over their intellectual products to a company that will use them to make a profit. Some may find that to be a bit unsettling, although there is no apparent harm that comes from it. After a 2007 lawsuit, a district court determined that TurnItIn is not breaking any copyright laws in their practices. Despite the fact that it is not technically unlawful, TurnItIn does influence the rights of students to be in control of their intellectual property.

As term papers, research manuscripts, and other long written assignments pile up, it is hard to argue against the benefits of using a site like TurnItIn to protect academic integrity and ensure the quality of students' educations. But there is a hidden cost of student ownership that, although practically innocuous (for now), may trouble the ethical constitutions of some.

Florida Faculty Development Fall 2015 Conference

The Florida Faculty Development Consortium (FFDC) is celebrating its 10th year of supporting faculty at Florida colleges and universities.

The Fall 2015 meeting will be held on Thursday, November 12th at the University of North Florida; the topic is 

Reflect on the past, look into the future. 

Registration is open to anyone interested in faculty professional development in higher education. There is no cost for attending. 

If you plan on attending, please register at https://saintleo.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6rgEr4e5CKjFOip.

For travel information and to see the preliminary meeting agenda, please go to the FFDC website at https://sites.google.com/site/ffdcflorida/conferences.

Strategies for Online Discussion Forums

Do you have a strategy for managing discussions in your online courses? Some discussion topics seem to foster polarization and animosity. Online discussions of contentious issues can lead to "flaming" or emotional and anonymous venting. Online discussion forums may be one of the few places, however, that individuals have to discuss important issues with others who are different from them.

Anastasia Salter from ProfHacker has some suggestions for making online discussions safe and productive. Some suggestions include setting rules early and dealing with disruptive students.

Do you have some strategies that you think are effective?

Well-designed Online Courseware Facilitates Attention, Learning

When faculty take the time to put in extra effort to the online components of their courses, it pays dividends in the engagement of their students. Although details of the layout of an online course, such as its level of visual appeal and amount of stimulating or relatable images, may seem purely cosmetic, they offer real value to the student experience in the course by making the course material more compelling.

Other qualities of online courses that recent research has has identified as positive are simple and user-friendly navigation formats and depth in terms of having a variety of features (i.e. discussion forums, content links, files, and assignments) that are used with consistency throughout the course.

Call for Papers - Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology

Faculty use a variety of methods to enhance student learning. Many of these innovative techniques are facilitated by the use of technology. Please see the call for papers from the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology. The call for manuscripts is open continuously. 


The Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology (JoTLT) is an international journal dedicated to enhancing student learning through the use of technology. We will be focused on teaching at the university level and will not be accepting manuscripts relating to teaching in the K-12 area. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for academicians all over the world to promote, share, and discuss what does and does not work when using technology.

We will accept four types of manuscripts:


Quick Hits: A Quick Hit is a brief contribution describing innovative procedures, courses, or materials involving technology (1500 words or less). Each contribution should include sufficient detail to allow another educator to use the Quick Hit in his or her own course. Manuscripts for consideration as Quick Hits should be submitted using the journal website: jotlt.indiana.edu. If you would like to share links, podcasts, etc this can be accommodated – please contact the journal staff.

Empirical Manuscript: Manuscripts in this category should provide qualitative or quantitative evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology in increasing student learning. Each manuscript should include sufficient detail to allow another educator to use the technology in his or her own course. Manuscripts for consideration as Quick Hits should be submitted using the journal website: jotlt.indiana.edu.

Book Reviews: Book Reviews can be submitted for recently published works related to teaching and learning with technology. These manuscripts are typically less than 1500 words in addition to the complete citation of the book and the publisher’s description of the book.

Case Studies: These studies illustrate the use of technology in regards to teaching and learning of higher education students, usually generalizable to a wide and multidisciplinary audience.


Peer Review:
All submitted papers undergo blind review. Please include all identifying information on the title page only. The title page will not be sent to the reviewers. First, all manuscripts are initially reviewed by a member of our international editorial board to ensure that they meet our standards. Then, each manuscript will be peer- reviewed by at least two of our reviewers.

Open Access:
Both the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology (JoTLT), and the Journal on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (JoSoTL) are open access. Print copies will be made available as requested.
Any questions should be directed to Kimberly Olivares, Managing Editor: jotlt@indiana.edu

Kimberly Olivares, MA, PMP

Asst. Director of FACET for Strategic Outreach

Managing Editor, JoSoTL & JoTLT

ISQ Online: Response Rates and Instructor Ratings

ISQ Online: Response Rates and Instructor Ratings
Wednesday, November 19th, 1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Faculty Lounge, Building 16, Room 4201
RSVP to ofe@unf.edu

UNF moved to a fully online Instructional Satisfaction Questionnaire (ISQ) process in the Fall of 2013. Response rates through the online ISQ administration were lower than response rates using the face-to-face administration of the ISQ in previous years. Response rates for the face-to-face administration of the ISQ tended to range around 70%. The online ISQ in the Fall of 2013 and Spring 2014 had response rates in the 50-60% range. Faculty expressed concerns that lower response rates might affect the overall scores and subsequent interpretation of ISQ results. In this session, results and recommendations from the Provosts' ISQ Task Force will be presented. Faculty are encouraged to come and discuss the results and implications for instructional satisfaction ratings in their departments and colleges.

ISQ Online: Response Rates and Instructor Ratings
Wednesday, November 19th, 1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Faculty Lounge, Building 16, Room 4201
RSVP to ofe@unf.edu

UNF Innovation Symposium Call for Proposals

Photo by Alvimann

The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) at the University of North Florida (UNF) has
called for proposal submissions to the 2nd annual UNFIS Innovation Symposium. The theme for this year's conference is Digital Living.

Please see the information below from Deb Miller, Director of CIRT.
The deadline for submissions is August 22nd, 2014.
Find out more information at the conference website: http://unfis.org


UNF Academic Technology Innovation Symposium
2014 Call for Proposals

You are invited to submit an abstract to the 2014 University of North Florida Academic Technology Innovation Symposium. The symposium will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 in the Student Union Building of the University of North Florida. The Academic Technology Innovation Symposium highlights innovative practices by UNF faculty and offers a forum for interactive learning and thought-provoking discussion on both current use and potential for academic technology to support teaching, learning, and research.

Presentations provide the opportunity to share teaching or scholarship practices that make use of information technologies to solve problems in interesting or original ways. New and unique accomplishments, projects, ideas, and initiatives that demonstrate an innovative approach to teaching and scholarship are sought. Research with student co-authors is welcome.

Conference Theme and Topics
The theme of the 2014 Academic Technology Innovation Symposium is Digital Living: Work and Play in Blended Realities. The organizers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives under three major topic tracks: (1) teaching and learning (2) creativity, innovation, and change (3) academic research.

Abstract Submission Guidelines
Submit an abstract (200 words maximum) at this link http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/unfis/ by August 22, 2014 and indicate your presentation type preference. You will receive notification of status via email by September 9, 2014. A double-blind review process will be utilized for all submissions. Selection of an abstract for presentation will be based on quality of the submission, originality, topicality, relevance and advancement of current thinking on the subject. If you have any questions regarding your submission, please contact: cirtlab@unf.edu

Conference website: http://unfis.org

Frankly Fridays - Who owns course content?

Frank Conversation about
Faculty Issues

Topic: Who owns course content? Intellectual Property in the Digital Age

Friday, April 4^th, 9:30-10:30 AM, Osprey Commons Faculty Lounge (Building 16, Room 4201)

Let us know you will be there: ofe@unf.edu

When a faculty member and a university enter into a relationship (based on a faculty hire), both parties typically intended for the relationship to be one with longevity. Both parties benefit from each others' success. Recent technological innovations, like Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and social media, have challenged the nature of the relationships between faculty and universities and between faculty and students. Recent conversations around copyright of MOOCs has started a broader conversation about how the intellectual contributions of faculty are attributed and protected.  As Cary Nelson, a former president of the American Association of University Professors, explains, this "is not just the ability of faculty members to profit from their own writings or inventions, but the future of their profession." As faculty and universities engage in conversations about intellectual property, students have inadvertently joined the discussion. In a recent debacle over the posting of a course lecture through social media, faculty members and the university joined sides to combat students' posting of a lecture that was not intended to be distributed outside of the classroom. Digital advantages and innovations are providing some unique challenges to faculty and universities across the nation. UNF has a couple of policies that address copyright and intellectual property rights. 

Copyright policy at UNF
Intellectual Property Guidelines at UNF

Come discuss how these issues impact UNF and faculty across the nation.

We will meet in the Faculty Lounge on the 4^th floor of the Osprey Commons.

OFE will provide the coffee and pastries.

Let us know you will be there: ofe@unf.edu

To Share or Not to Share: The Open Syllabus Project

In a recent Chronicle article, Mark Parry discusses the benefits and challenges associated with gathering and sharing syllabi via web based databases. In particular he looks at the Open Syllabus Project,  an online database similar to MIT Open CourseWare and Syllabus Finder, meant to be used “as a platform for the development of new research, teaching, and administrative tools.”  

Of course there are several arguments against sharing syllabi including legalities such as copyright and ownership but by simply acknowledging the original author some of those concerns are usurped. In a 2012 Chronicle article entitled, "Forking Your Syllabus" by Brian Croxall, the author states, "When you’re beginning to plan something new, you can always benefit from seeing what others before you have done."

Would you agree that sharing syllabi in an open database is beneficial to the collective higher ed body or are the legal ramifications of copyright infringement and plagarism to great? Share your comments below.

To read the full articles click below:

Mark Parry, "New Syllabus Archive Opens the 'Curricular Black Box'

Brian Croxall, "Forking Your Syllabus"

Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) provides academic renewal conferences to connect educators and researchers from across the nation to discuss and advance STEM education. The November 2014 conference in Atlanta, GA, will focus on Transforming STEM Higher Education. The deadline for proposals is Monday, April 7, 2014. Find more details below. 

A Network for Academic Renewal Conference
November 6-8, 2014
Atlanta, Georgia
Proposals Due Monday, April 7, 2014
The Association of American Colleges and Universities and ProjectKaleidoscope are pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the TransformingSTEM Higher Education conference.  Proposals are invited and encouraged to showcase evidence-based practices that reflect any of the themes below, and that are poised for immediate uptake and adaptation in a wide range of institution types, including community colleges and minority-serving institutions.  Of particular interest will be proposals that effectively integrate two or more of the conference themes.
We look forward to your proposals in the context of the four themes listed below.

• Research, Development, and Assessment of Undergraduate STEM Teaching and Learning: This theme will include presentations and sessions that describe innovative approaches for enhancing undergraduate STEM learning through implementation of engaged pedagogies and high-impact practices including, but not limited to, integrative, interdisciplinary, and discovery-based learning. 
   
• Inclusive Excellence in STEM Higher Education: This theme will include presentations and sessions that highlight theory-driven models and innovations directed toward the recruitment, retention, and persistence of students from underrepresented groups in the STEM disciplines. 
   
• Recruiting, Supporting, and Rewarding STEM Faculty: This theme will focus on sessions and presentations that provide faculty with knowledge, materials, and strategies for revising STEM curricula and enhancing teaching and high-impact practices, as well as innovative mechanisms for acquiring necessary resources (if applicable) for implementing new strategies.
   
• Advancing Institutional Change Strategies for STEM Reform: This theme will include presentations and sessions related to campus-wide institutional change efforts toward undergraduate STEM education reform.  While there is a pervasive need to provide opportunities for students to participate in research, collaborative assignments, and other innovative engagement practices, oftentimes the culture of STEM departments is not conducive to the implementation of modern pedagogies

Visit the Call for Proposals to find out how to submit a proposal to share your work at this conference.
For more information, please call 202.387.3760, or write to Siah Annand at network@aacu.org.