Monday, March 27, 2017

I Hate Group Work! Collaborative Learning for Unmotivated Students


Friday, March 31, 2017
10:00-11:00 a.m.
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Faculty often choose collaborative projects because they most reflect the type of work students will do once they leave the college environment. Collaborative learning projects can produce substantive results in student learning. Many students find these collaborative projects challenging, and students often complain that fellow students are not completing adequate portions of the final project. In this session, faculty will address the rewards and challenges of group projects. Presenters will focus on student motivation, or the lack thereof, and its effects on group projects and will provide some practical solutions to helping students make the most of their group projects.
Friday, March 31, 2017
10:00-11:00 a.m.


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Embodied Teaching in the Sciences


Thursday, March 30, 2017
10:00-11:30 a.m.
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Accents, gender, race, ethnicity, and other aspects of presence can impact teaching and learning for both instructors and students. For nontenured professors, these elements can impact teaching evaluations. Come to this workshop to learn about best practices related to embodiment, and to share and learn about strategies from your peers.  
This session will be presented by Dr. Brandi Denison, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, a Faculty Fellow in the Office of Faculty Enhancement.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
10:00-11:30 a.m.

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Interactive Teaching Strategies: Engaging All Students


Wednesday, March 29, 2017
12:00-1:00 p.m.
This interactive session will present a variety of teaching methods and strategies designed to engage students in the learning process. From "the onion ball," to "mission possible," participants will be actively involved in learning and practicing up to 10 different strategies that can be modified and adapted to meet the needs of diverse content areas ranging from math to history, and science to psychology. Such strategies will help the content come alive and become meaningful to students as they participate in active learning.
This session is presented by Dr. Elissa Barr, Professor of Public Health and Faculty Fellow with the Office of Faculty Enhancement

Wednesday, March 29, 2017
12:00-1:00 p.m.


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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Provide Clarity with Single-Point Rubrics

How much time do you spend putting together rubrics for assignments? If you're like most instructors, a thoughtful, well-made rubric requires substantial investment, and includes information unlikely to help students (is it useful for students know the criteria for a "0" on any assignment?). What if you could provide students with all of the relevant information for success on an assignment that a traditional rubric imparts without having to painstakingly describe each point? The single-point rubric does just that. It includes a description of the standards for mastering the content, and also allows you  to give detailed feedback on both where students exceed and fall below expectations.


Concerns
(Areas that need work)
Criteria
(Standards of performance)
Advanced
(Areas that exceeded expectations)
Criteria #1
Description of evidence of mastery of material
Criteria #2
Description of evidence of mastery of material
Criteria #3
Description of evidence of mastery of material
Criteria #4
Description of evidence of mastery of material

Gonzalez, J. (2014, October 09). [Single point rubric]. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2014/10/single-point-rubric.html
The single point rubric gives students a clear target for mastery of material, with all of the information regarding low performance stripped away. This type of rubric allows for clarity in establishing standards as well as flexibility in grading. The downside is lack of specificity in assessment. It's great for grading, but not so good at reliably assessing students, relative to a more analytic rubric.

An additional caveat is the type of grading this rubric addresses. Single point rubrics lend themselves to a no-grades system in the classroom and are typically used to encourage student reflection and self-guided mastery of material, not a traditional "A" to "F" grading scale. Also, using this kind of rubric may require more writing when grading an assignment than a traditional rubric but, again, allows flexibility in addressing areas in which students need to improve.


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