Schedule

Those struggling to find engaging assignments/ classwork/ “Do -Nows” for their students will learn how to design meaningful learning activities.

How can we possibly know what our students' lived experiences are-- especially when we have so many diverse students? There are some basic ways we can design our courses, and especially the deliverables, in a way that captures many student-lived-experiences. In this session, I will present some of the tools that have improved student completion in my course and encourage brainstorming ways in which we can perform even better at meeting our students where they are.

This session is designed to introduce active learning techniques that can be used effectively to support student learning. The idea behind Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) is to prepare students for class, engage them in their coursework, and make sure class time is devoted to what they need help with. The presenter will discuss how to build skills and knowledge using a range of active learning approaches, including JiTT, that can be used in both a face-to-face and online classroom.

Dr. Annie Tuttle and Prof. Pam Mullan will discuss their collaboration on integrating digital storytelling as an educational tool in Dr. Tuttle's Intro. to Sociology Honors class. They use the Onondaga Community College campus Common Read, Biased, as an anchoring point for the work.

This year, I dove into Specifications Grading (book by Linda Nilson), where part of the goal was to make sure that my students actually accomplished the SLOs by creating "all or nothing" assignments for important outcomes, and asking them to submit multiple times until they finally got it all right. Come find out what worked, what didn't, and how I've adapted  this style of grading to my various student populations. Learn easy ways to include some aspects of specifications (specs) grading into your classes.

In our zeal to quantify human performance-- in the "name of science"-- scientific rigor has gone by the wayside. Leaders in education, medicine, government and business (just to name a few) have become fixated on measuring itself; in the absence of context. The metrics give the illusion of objectivity. In this workshop, Dr. Whitecraft takes us on an interactive journey through the works of Bent Flyvbjerg, Jerry Muller, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, to get practitioners of measuring performance to think differently. Quantifying human performance, publicizing the results and dividing up the rewards based on the numbers is hurting our students, institutions and our society. "Gaming the stats" and "teaching to the test" distorts and distracts from our true educational values. Regarding this massive trend, Stanley Fish wrote: “[We cannot abandon] the situated judgement of experienced professionals in favor of the supposedly objective judgement promised (but not delivered) by the magic bullet of metrics: standardized measures and huge data banks touted as generating insight and wisdom all by themselves.”

Between 2012 and 2019, the number of students nationwide who received bachelor's degrees in English fell by 26%; degrees in philosophy and religious studies declined by 25%; and in world languages and literature the decline was 24%.  At the same time, enrollment in STEM degrees -- computer science, engineering, biotechnology, etc. -- is projected to grow.  This continuing trend raises questions about the future viability of degree programs in the Humanities, as well as questions about how to teach embedded Humanities outcomes in customized courses taught by faculty who have no formal training in philosophy, literature, or other specific content areas.  This session will explore some ways of adapting to this new situation, drawing upon my own experience teaching a newly designed Technical Ethics course at Finger Lakes Community College.  Comparing my experience in the classroom with the initial assessment data, I will review the expected and unexpected challenges of making Technical Ethics a success; take note of the many surprises I have encountered along the way; and attempt to process what I have learned from my students -- students who are pursuing majors far outside the Humanities, but who have nevertheless shown a deep interest in adopting a humanistic perspective.  I will conclude with some thoughts on what Aristotle's Virtue Ethics has taught me and my students about the ethical dimension of work in the context of automation and artificial intelligence and Universal Basic Income, and at a period in history when the future of work itself is in question.

To better reach our students where they are at, the OCC English Department has created an Affiliate Program. Affiliate instructors will design and teach themed sections of ENG 103: Freshman Composition I for students in all eight academic schools and special populations programs.  During the Spring 2022 term, these instructors will conduct careful data analysis, build close working relationships with other departments and programs, and design innovative pedagogical methods to create courses that increase relevancy, student engagement, and persistence.  This session will feature a panel of the Affiliate instructors discussing their affiliate pairings, the development of the program itself, and the work of creating ENG 103 sections for focused populations.

This session will present a small club with a big heart- Kidz and Coaches. The presenters will discuss the history and the goals of the club in connection with fostering and encouraging experiential learning at a community college. Events and successes will be presented in an effort to share the model Kidz and Coaches uses to foster a positive, rich and educational experience for all.

Virtual exchange is increasingly being used as a tool to facilitate intercultural communication among students and faculty, as well as a cost effective method of internationalizing the curriculum. Most commonly referred to as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), Tompkins Cortland launched their own in-house program last year,  called VINE (Virtual International Exchange), to bring together TC3 faculty with existing partners in Latin America. 

The virtual exchange model (COIL or VINE) brings together classrooms from around the globe to collaborate within and across academic disciplines on a joint project. For example, it can be used to connect a psychology course in New York with a communications course in Mexico. 

This session will offer participants an overview of international virtual exchange, including key terminology and examples of intercultural learning activities. In addition, panelists representing various academic disciplines, such as mathematics, environmental studies, hospitality, psychology, and more, will share examples of their own collaborations and how they implemented virtual exchange in their coursework.

Attendees will come away from the presentation with:

1. A better understanding of key components of virtual exchange 

1. Specific tasks related to increasing students’ intercultural communicative competence that can be used with any group of students

2. Examples of student learning outcomes and tasks implemented in various academic disciplines

Applying Self-determination theory, the system of non-violent communication (NVC), and mindfulness as foundations of the learning experience based on getting needs met will form the basis of this workshop. We will have opportunities to reflect upon and share our practices of connection and engagement as well as learn ways to cultivate a learning community where students feel a strong sense of belonging. 

Creating a community of learners is essential to effective instruction.  Classrooms, whether online or in-person, are a place for students to expand their knowledge by collaborating with instructors and fellow students.  Online (asynchronous) courses can present a challenge to the co-construction of knowledge experience. Students may feel isolated and unsure of how to connect with others.  In my presentation I will share strategies for building a community of learners in online classes.  As an instructor of online courses, I have developed ways to facilitate interaction and create a space where rich and meaningful learning takes place. In my presentation I will explain how programs such as VoiceThread, Prezi, Screencastify (and more) can be used to enhance both the student and instructor experience in an online course. I will also address how Open Educational Resources support online learning communities.

Online learning promotes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives for both non-traditional students and instructors. Online courses allow for flexibility in scheduling and offer opportunities to learn (and teach) while pursuing a career and/or supporting a family. Online courses also make content accessible for various types of learners (and instructors). With this in mind, building a community of learners in an online course will ensure asynchronous courses are more than just a place for content.