Abstract: This presentation will show how instructional technologies can support reflection in online and traditional college classes. Each activity will center on how a problem can be addressed with a technological tool in class or on the web. The focus will not be on the technology itself but rather on how that tool can cause the student to think critically about the issue presented, organize their thoughts, and/or present a solution. For example, the presenter will show how Twitter can be used effectively to document a library research project - not the mechanics of how Twitter works. Following each suggested activity, the audience will have opportunity to offer application in their discipline area. Participants will leave with a list of twenty suggested activities, a link to a supporting website, and a list of related resources.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: On 27-28 April I attended the Sloan-C/University of Illinois at Chicago workshop on Blended Learning (BL). In the course of this workshop, presenters discussed current definitions of BL, some of the pedagogical issues connected to BL, and some of the internet tools available to support intentive applications of BL. With this presentation, I will share with participants a summary overview of the information and tips I gained concerning Blended Learning from this workshop.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Jim Groom

Abstract: The Education departments on the Fredericksburg and Stafford campus of UMW are in the initial stages of planning for a College of Education. This planning will involve a large number of meetings, bringing together approximately twenty faculty members on two different campuses. The problems in scheduling such meetings are obvious and are compounded by the very different work schedules for the two faculties. One approach to alleviating some of the problems would be to make use of an assortment of free, online social networking tools: the meeting toolbox. The toolbox includes the following programs: Skype, Pamela, Google Docs, Jing, Doodle Calendar, Glogster, and Survey Monkey. A blog will provide a home/archive for the toolbox and the documents, recordings, and video records compiled through the use of the different tools. Hardware, such as the Pulse Smartpen, webcams, and digital video cameras may also be included in the toolbox as opportunities and needs arise. This presentation will discuss the components of the toolbox and the results of initial use of several of the tools. The use of the toolbox in online learning will also be briefly discussed.

Tags: online meetings

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Participants: Brooke Donaldson, “Teaching the I-Phone / Facebook Generation: Sacrifice or Enhancement?” Jeremy Larochelle, "Weekly response papers are so Twentieth Century: Latin American Literature and Cultural Studies meets UMW Blogs". Elizabeth Lewis, “Energizing, Inspiring, and Relevant Spanish Literature Studies? My Experimentation with an Undergraduate Course on the 19th-Century Novel” Marcel Rotter, “Student-centered learning in upper-level language courses: authentic news and wikis as textbook 2.0”

Abstract: This panel discussion seeks to explore the various ways technology has altered the teaching of foreign languages, cultures and literatures. From the use of internet resources and interactive power point presentations, to the use of social networking, wikis and course blogs, technology has enabled language students to access information, practice new skills, and interact with the target languages and cultures like never before. But is this necessarily better? What might the limits or pitfalls of such teaching and learning be?

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Abstract: At a Faculty Academy session a few years ago I reported on my experiences as a student in an on-line course that was not successful (and not very enjoyable). My most recent experience as an on-line student were very different! In this presentation I will report on the EscherMath course I took last year. This course was offered by the Profesional Enhancement Program of the Mathematics Association of America and was conducted entirely on-line through Wimba Classroom. While I won't be focusing on the technical aspects of offering such a course, I will introduce faculty who are new to on-line teaching to one possible on-line course environment.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: How do our institutional expectations need to change to adapt to evolving teaching methods? Emerging didactic techniques can result in students developing greater understanding and having better retention of presented information. Can our time-worn systems of grading, testing and evaluation adapt? Evidence to the negative includes the means by which teaching professionals are evaluated, such as grade distribution reports, and the point-scale grading system.

Website: http://people.umw.edu/~dhylandw/

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: One of the key differences between secondary education and university is that in the former, students tend to be taught about a subject, while in the latter, they are taught what disciplinary practitioners do. Usually, the teaching of this practice is, in an important sense, pretend. When students study a laboratory science, the outcomes of the experiments they conduct are largely predetermined. Similarly, in a literature class when students analyze a classic work, the instructor presents standard arguments. This past semester I had the opportunity to teach in a way that more genuinely modeled disciplinary practice. I taught a senior seminar in international finance, where we organized the class as a research team to investigate the global implications of the 2008 financial crisis and economic recession, an event which was unfolding in real time while we studied it. As such, there were no texts to read. Indeed, one goal of the project was to create a written analysis of the crisis, which we will publish online. The dynamics of nearly all aspects of the course, from selecting the material we studied to conducting class sessions to grading, were different from normal courses. Students were given small research tasks, the results of which they posted on the course wiki. Class time was spent figuring out what those results mean as we constructed ‘the story’ of the financial crisis. Grades were based on what students contributed to the group’s understanding. This experience provided many lessons about how to improve the teaching of other courses.

Website: http://stevegreenlaw.org/pedablogy/

Tags: RealSchool

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: When I accepted an invitation to teach linguistics 101 at UMW. I brought with me an agenda born more than 40 years ago and which has had a growth spurt since I retired in 2003. Driven by technological innovation and recent interpretation of the role mind/brain in an understanding of language, the time has come to test whether one can teach general linguistics to a general college audience so as to provide a basis for further study in linguistics, connect with the interests and competencies of a heterogeneous group of students, present a coherent and reasonable facsimile of contemporary linguistic thought, and hold the attention of 65 weary students in a 3 hour evening class once a week. I got great help using a number of media resources, in particular web based materials, QuickTime and Personal Brain, and encouraging students to DO linguistics rather than merely read about it. I will illustrate my approach to the subject by flying over the "Plex" of Personal Brain and diving in to look up close at one unit in the course. I'm convinced the approach is right, but I think the patient may have died.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: Learning in an eLearning presents different perspective in terms of preference of learning environment components. The patterns of eLearning website feature preferences were investigated in order to provide insights into learning strategies for learners. The focus of this investigation is to develop a classification of types of eLearning website feature preferences (clusters) and investigate their association with the learning of students as indicated via their performance. Based on an empirical study, researcher collected and analyzed students’ eLearning website feature preference in Blackboard. Nine measures were used to cluster the data set. The results revealed four clusters, viz.: Moderate eLearning Feature Preference Exhibitor, High eLearning Feature Preference Exhibitor, Heavy eLearning Feature Preference Sleeper and Moderate eLearning Feature Preference Sleeper, and demonstrated that learning as indicated by performance (grade point average range) different among the four clusters. The implications of eLearning feature preference are discussed from learning and teaching perspectives.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: This presentation will provide an introduction to “Pedagogy in Action,” a web portal designed to showcase best practices in undergraduate science and economics education. For some time we’ve been told of a revolution in active learning pedagogies to replace the traditional ‘chalk & talk’ of lecture-based learning. These pedagogies include Calibrated Peer Review, Cooperative Learning, Just-in-Time Teaching, and Quantitative Writing, to name just a few. But who has the time to research and determine the applicability of these methods to one’s teaching, much less the time to revise one’s class notes to incorporate these methods? The answer to this quandary might be Pedagogy in Action, a National Science Foundation-funded web portal hosted at Carleton College in Minnesota. Each pedagogy is explained in a stand-alone module. Each module follows the same structure--In three short paragraphs, the module answers the following questions: What is the pedagogy? Why might it be useful in your teaching? How can you implement it in your teaching? Perhaps the best part of each module is the list of ten or more examples of how faculty like you have used the pedagogy successfully in their teaching. As an added bonus, much of the material is designed to be discipline-agnostic, so even non-science or economics faculty may find it very useful.

Website: http://stevegreenlaw.org/pedablogy/

Tags: serc, EconEd,

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Jim Groom I don't have a panel in mind--but would, of course, be happy to share with anyone!

Abstract: With Jim Groom's help, I have now completed teaching three semesters of The Literary Journal: Professional Practice in Publishing and Editing, learning new things with each semester. I'll talk about the positive experience the students share in learning creativity alongside the practical aspects of publishing a journal--and, as important, the art of collaboration. Because we spend so much time talking about the meaningful interplay of text and image, color and font, I decided to bring into the discussion of "technology" an older, uniquely valuable tool--a letterpress, and will begin having students learn to create fine arts broadsides as another way to think about text, paper, and the "limited run."

Tags: creativity, collaboration, experiential learning

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Abstract: Peer Instruction, a teaching strategy pioneered by Eric Mazur, a Harvard University physicist, apportions learning responsibility differently from a traditional lecture course. Instead of the instructor lecturing on all issues great and small, students are expected to read their textbook ahead of class to learn the “simple” things while class is given over to discussion of key or particularly taxing concepts. Class periods are broken down into several modules. During the first part of each module, students are given a short lecture on a topic. They are then quizzed on their understanding by being asked to respond to a question. Before the correct answer is revealed, students are allowed to discuss their answer with a small group of students seated nearby (this is where peer instruction comes in), and change their answer. If significant misunderstanding remains, the sequence of question and discussion continues until mastery is obtained. Peer instruction is more efficient when students have access to “clicker” technology, although it is not required. The strategy is particularly well-suited for courses where problem-solving ability is an important goal. Mazur and others claim significant gains in student learning in a wide variety of science courses and in institutions ranging from Harvard to two-year colleges. Economics is a discipline which attempts to teach students problem-solving ability, and would seem to be fertile ground for the Peer Instruction approach. I discuss the trials and tribulations encountered in a first-time use of Peer Instruction in Principles of Microeconomics.

Website: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1m7fu

Tags: Peer Instruction, economics, teaching innovation

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: The "microlecture," a 1-5 minute audio or video lecture that students can access online, is technologically easy to create, and has become popular enough that the Chronicle of Higher Education ran a cover story in March on microlecturing: (http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i26/26a00102.htm). Last year I recorded a number of audio microlectures for one of my courses, focusing on useful background information that would help students understand the course materials. I will talk about how students have used these, how they have shifted what we do in class, what I do and don't like about the microlecture idea, and when microlecturing might be useful for other faculty.

Website: http://ecaudio.umwblogs.org

Tags: microlecture, audio

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: In this presentation, I will give an overview of how and why I use Drupal as my platform of choice for creating online learning spaces. Since my assigned teaching area is New Media, my pedagogy is often as much *about* technology as it is *through* technology. Therefore, the choices I make regarding our course websites give shape to the opportunities my students have for creating content and learning to express themselves digitally within a participatory learning experience. These choices must closely reflect and demonstrate my teaching philosophy and pedagogical agenda. For this brief talk, I will structure my remarks around a list of ways in which Drupal is better than WordPress. This somewhat facetious framework invokes the long-running generic debate between proponents of the two platforms, but it is not necessarily my aim to convince WordPress adherents to switch sides. Rather, I will focus on why Drupal has been a good choice for me and ultimately argue that a working knowledge of how any works with or against pedagogical goals is an important component of course design.

Website: http://www.zachwhalen.net

Tags: drupal, wordpress, LMS, edupunk

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: Pentop computers are relatively inexpensive mobile computers built into pens. The basic components are infrared cameras capturing approximately 80 images/second, microprocessors, and USB connections for uploading and downloading to and from larger computers. Microdot paper serves as the basis for input/output. In this presentation I will demonstrate and discuss three examples of pentop computers: the TAG Reader Pen, the Fusion Fly Pen, and the Pulse Smartpen. All three pens are relatively inexpensive, widely available, and have a number of educational applications. These applications vary from developing basic reading skills to algebra tutorials and music composition to producing audio-documents for pencasts. The pens may also be used to provide learning aids for students with limited English language skills, students with learning disabilities, and students with visual impairments. This presentation will also include some initial findings from Education graduate students who worked with pentop computers in their student teaching classrooms.

Tags: pentop computer, smartpen, assistive technology

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Joseph Calpin Alexandra deGraffenreid Steven Harris

Abstract: In what ways can we use digital tools to facilitate global perspectives? Our panel of faculty and student collaborators will introduce two working projects that pursue this aim across our own fields (Chinese Studies, Russian Studies, and History). We will share the immediate ambitions of the projects and their logistics as a starting point for a broader group discussion. This workshop conversation is aimed at producing a shared familiarity with available resources, a brainstorm of project design, and at exploring issues of pedagogy, collaboration, and knowledge creation in a global context.

Website: http://susanfernsebner.org

Tags: global_studies, resources, pedagogy

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Jami Bryan

Abstract: Academic librarians are increasingly venturing outside of their library’s physical and virtual walls, connecting with patrons in the web spaces where students and faculty spend so much of their time. The CGPS Stafford Library can already be found on the social web through YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and chat. But to capture students on the learning web, and illuminate the pathways to library resources and services in the digital learning environment, the librarians of CGPS are embedding themselves within the CMS. In this presentation, Paul Boger and Jami Bryan will introduce the concept of the “embedded librarian” and describe their collaborative efforts with CGPS faculty to create a specialized library presence in courses using Blackboard. Jami will share the results of the CGPS Stafford Library’s early endeavors at using Blackboard to provide course specific library instruction and easy access to selected library resources. Finally, Paul will discuss a current project aimed at eliminating the barriers facing students taking an online course by providing research instruction and assistance from inside the CMS.

Tags: library, CMS, Blackboard, embedded

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are cross-media storytelling ventures sometimes involving thousands of players collaborating on solving puzzles, communicating with in-game characters, and generally advancing the plot. While most interaction with ARGs takes place online, the central conceit of these fictions, often, is that they are really happening, and interactions frequently extend to in-person contact between players and characters. In this presentation, I discuss my own experience teaching about ARGs in a New Media class, and I offer examples from student-designed ARG projects to argue that the learning outcomes associated with ARG play and design are indeed significant. These include critical thinking about media texts and media literacy (for example, the ethics of media hoaxes) as well as an insight into how to invoke and harness the powerful suspension of disbelief that constitutes online discourse. I also relate my experience attending the 2009 ELI Meeting in Orlando FL where organizers commissioned a self-contained ARG to run during the event. I end the presentation by contrasting this ARG and my own experience with an alternative model for ARG pedagogy -- teaching WITH ARGs -- and point out what I see as potential problems with putting this in practice. The crucial point that all these ideas relate back to is the latent tension between the idea of ARGs and the actual experience of playing ARGs. Much of the enthusiasm for ARGs in academic and conversation deals too much in the former, so this presentation attempts to bring some insight from the latter.

Website: http://www.zachwhalen.net/

Tags: alternate reality games, new media, cross-media storytelling, hoaxes, rabbits

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Jim Groom, if he's not otherwise busy. I can also just use his name liberally as the guy who thought of this idea, so he doesn't actually need to be there....

Abstract: In this presentation, I'll discuss the way that my History of American Technology and Culture class presented their individual work using a common "lightly hacked" custom WordPress theme. This template allowed students to work on their own research projects, while allowing the class to create a fairly seamless exhibit for the semester. http://historyoftech.umwblogs.org/

Website: http://mcclurken.org/

Tags: online_publishing, student_work, digital_scholarship, WPMU, umwblogs

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: Using class time for student oral presentations always presents challenges, not the least of which is managing the loss of valuable classroom minutes that might be used for other purposes instead of being devoted to a series of student talks. Does the web offer an option for having students prepare and deliver presentations that are then viewed online by the rest of the class? This general question prompted me to experiment with two classes, and to have the students do one online oral presentation in each class. One class was taught in the spring 2008 semester, and the other in fall 2008. This talk will offer a summary of what I learned through these two case studies. Some of the main points to be explored are: (1) What are the time and technological investments of this approach for the instructor and students? (2) Does a blog offer a useful device for encouraging students to comment on each another's presentations? (3) Were the online presentations a meaningful part of the course, or did they become mere cyberspace noise? (4) Do students gain any unique benefit from having to speak online as opposed to speaking in the physical classroom to a live audience? (5) What sort of coaching do students need in order to understand how to speak effectively in an online context?

Tags: oral presentations, online speeches, blogging about speeches

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: The goals of the First-Year Seminar (FSEM) program at the University of Mary Washington are to promote life-long learning skills, enhance the idea of community within and among students and faculty, and provide opportunities for students to explore and express their ideas and arguments. In this FSEM course on Mad Scientists, Bad Scientists and Evil Geniuses, I have used blogs and a Drupal resource site as a means to make student learning participatory, exploratory and community building. In addition, I allowed (for the first time) students to use video vs. written word for some assignments. In this talk, the use of these technology driven formats will be examined as tools to enhance and enrich student learning.

Website: lgiancar.umwblogs.org

Tags: blogs, Drupal, mashup

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: College students who are choosing courses for the upcoming semester must do so in light of their overall degree plan. If they do not, they risk making selections that will ultimately jeopardize a timely graduation. Choosing the right courses, however, requires the student (and their advisor) to know about and properly interpret a myriad of different constraints. At UMW, these include Gen Ed and major requirements, writing and speaking intensive offerings, probable course availability, and a possibly intricate chain of prerequisites that spans multiple semesters of related courses. Failing to properly take into account one of these intertwined constraints can lead to a student failing to enroll in a course next semester that later will turn out to have been necessary for them. And even when these constraints are satisfied, keeping track of them all is tedious and error-prone. The Computer Science Department introduced an experimental web-based degree planning application this spring designed to automate this process. The system helps students build a hypothetical schedule of courses for all future semesters. In addition to a visually appealing drag-and-drop interface through which students can access the entire university catalog, the system automatically checks all of the above requirements every time the schedule is changed, alerting the user to possible problems. The system was piloted to twenty advisors and 81 students during the spring advising period. In this presentation we demonstrate this tool, present findings from the pilot test period, and outline plans for the system's incorporation into the university advising process.

Tags: advising, web, application

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Patrick Murray-John

Abstract: We designed a website “Thinking Like a Biologist: Using Diagnostic Questions to Help Students Reason With Biological Principles.” This website is a Drupal installation that is designed to deliver information about an NSF funded project called “Diagnostic Question Clusters to Improve Student Reasoning and Understanding in General Biology Courses.” The original purpose of this site was to deliver information to faculty across the US that supports their use of new, student learning assessments for Introductory Biology and Ecology. We discovered several challenges in the design and implementation of our drupal. The biologists brought naïve ideas to the design table about the function and organization of an information delivery website. The computer scientist brought naïve ideas about biology concepts and education to the design table. We also knew that the purpose of this site may evolve and so design must be flexible enough to support changing needs. As a team, we taught each other enough of the ideas behind our work to work together. Trial and error in our work relationship, lead to a work model in which periodic, face-to-face work sessions were the most productive way to exchange ideas and implement the site. The project behind the site and the needs for the site continue to progress. We look forward to designing and implementing new functionality in our site this coming summer.

Website: http://demos.patrickgmj.net/griffithdemo/node

Tags: drupal, teamwork, biology, faculty development

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Jeff McClurken Sue Fernsebner Bard Efford Serena Epstein

Abstract: This panel discussion will talk about an experiment with UMW Blogs that centers around faculty and students mapping their own domains to a blog site. The experiment is centered around thinking about the implications of digital identity as well as what it means to have and cultivate your professional and personal online presence.

Website: http://bavatuesdays.com

Tags: domain, umwblogs, digital identity,

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Co-Presenters: I don't propose any, but if you think this would fit better as part of a panel, that's ok with me.

Abstract: In June-July 2008 I taught "Intro to Logic" entirely on-line, and used the on-line Drupal-based book I developed in 2006-07. I'll show the site and give an overview of how I conceived the course: the chat rooms, mp3 postings, powerpoints, blogs, papers and commentaries, homework, and exams. I'll talk about what I thought were the strengths and weaknesses of the format, and how I'll modify my planning for June-July 2009.

Tags: on line course, drupal, chat rooms

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: The University of California, Davis Teaching Resources Center is celebrating its 35th year with a renewed vision of what teaching and learning could and should be at a university. I'll introduce you to some of our most popular programs and share some secrets behind our relatively low-budget, high-impact success. Come learn about our Faculty Mentoring Faculty Program, More Thoughtful Teaching Symposia, Summer Institute on Teaching and Technology, international Seminar on University Teaching and Learning, our small-grant programs, mid-quarter interviews, and more.

Website: http://cluttermuseum.blogspot.com

Tags: teaching center, pedagogy

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Maya Mathur Kelli Slunt Leanna Giancarlo Debra Hydorn

Abstract: We are working on the abstract, and I will get you that shortly. Jim

Website: http://bavatuesdays.com

Tags: fsem, blogging, frshman seminar, umwblogs,

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Co-Presenters: Donald Rallis Melina Patterson Jami Bryan

Abstract: We are woking on this, will fill it in soon

Website: http://bavatuesdays.com

Tags: blogging, umwblogs, panel

Format: Panel Discussion (typically 45-60 minutes)

Abstract: On April 9, 2009 I attended an online NITLE event entitled Virtual Voyages: Using Technology to Convey a Sense of Place which was hosted by Martyn Smith, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Lawrence University. What I learned during this fascinating online presentation and discussion was how to utilize a variety of web resources to help students contextualize course information in geographic terms. The premise of the presentation was that professors at liberal arts colleges often find themselves charged with teaching about places in the world that their students are unlikely to ever experience in person although the experience of place is nevertheless crucial to an integrated understanding of the content involved. While actually travel to these places may not be possible to students, virtual travel, utilizing web resources orchestrated around Google Earth, is possible both in the classroom and in assignments. I have since begun to utilize this approach in my teaching and specifically in teaching modern architecture this past semester. I will be describing what I learned during this online presentation and how I anticipate using this in the future especially for my architecture courses in which an understanding of place is central to the material.

Tags: history architecture, geography, place, Google Earth.

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)

Abstract: Long before twitter jumped the Oprah-shark, UMW embraced micro-blogging and never looked back. In this presentation, I will talk about a few of the ways twitter has been used on campus to supplement class discussion, prompt cross-campus debate, and keep us all up to date.

Tags: twitter, social media,

Format: Formal Presentation (15 minutes)