Session Descriptions

Teaching & Learning Conference

Session Descriptions

Theme: Connect, Engage, Inspire

November 2–3, 2022 (Virtual Event)

Plenaries

Title: Connecting Affective, Cognitive, and Experiential Dimensions in Student Learning

Presenter: Ronald (Ron), J. Chenail, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Family Therapy

Description: Researchers on student experiences repeatedly find successful learning outcomes involve the ability of teachers to manage the affective, cognitive, and experiential dimensions of student learning. By designing course activities that connect students and teachers through all three elements--affective (e.g., how students feel about their developing skills and knowledge and themselves), cognitive (e.g., how students develop their knowing abilities), and experiential (e.g., how students gain skills through doing) teachers can construct interactive and supportive teacher-to-student and student-to-student relationships that incorporate experiential learning early in the educational experience. Given the complexity of students’ learning experiences it is paramount teachers work towards creating supportive, social learning environment so students can master learning outcomes while they also manage their learning anxieties.

Title: Teachers Are Engaging Learners Too

Presenter: Ronald (Ron), J. Chenail, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Family Therapy

Description: The simplest way for us as educators to embrace a learner-centered pedagogy is to act as learners along with our students. This identify can be difficult because of years of training and experiences can influence us to separate ourselves as learners from our teaching activities. Serving as “Sages on Stages” and even “Guides of the Sides” can rob us as faculty from the sheer joys and rewards as learners and students from learning along with us as co-learners. In other words, we can help our students learn not by being hierarchical teachers as experts (i.e., being purveyors of privileged knowledge and arbiters of what constitutes learning through testing), but by being learners ourselves in the presence of their learning students (i.e., researching in our research classes, learning from our students’ learning, encouraging students to learn from each other, and maybe most importantly, learning with our students). The process begins by re-engage yourself as a learner while you teach.

Lightning Round

Title: Connecting Faculty and Student (Re-)Engagement with Relationship-Rich Education

Presenter: Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D., Executive Director/Professor, Writing & Communication Center, Faculty Coordinator for First-Year Experience

Description: This lightning round will focus on how educators can use principles of relationship-rich education (Felten and Lambert, 2020) and positive teaching (Taylor, 2022) to counter faculty and student dis-engagement.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify features of relationship-rich education (Felten & Lambert, 2020).
Identify features of positive teaching (Taylor, 2022).
Consider strategies for using RRE and positive teaching to re-engage faculty and students.

90-Minute Workshops (in alphabetical order by title)

Title: Developing and Using Vision Statements to Enhance Course Design and Improve Student Outcomes

Presenter(s): Rita Shea-Van Fossen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship

Description: Instructors face many challenges when designing or redesigning courses including what content and topics to include and exclude, and how to bring course content into a cohesive whole. Organizations use vision statements to provide focus and direction to a company’s activities and motivate employees towards improved performance. In this hands-on LEC Teaching and Learning Conference session, participants will walk through the process of developing and using a course vision statement to focus and align content, communicate a course’s purpose, and motivate and engage students in a course. We will then use your course vision statement to fully design or redesign the course with the goal of improving student outcomes and engagement.

This session will start with a brief overview of the benefits of vision statements and the research supporting improvements to student learning when visions are used in courses. Participants will then walk through the steps of developing the instructor’s core values in teaching, a course’s core purpose and goals for your students. The session will include a short primer on using Backward Course Design and Integrated Course Design models to align course elements into a cohesive whole. The session will conclude with a discussion of how this technique also helps instructors make quick course modifications mid-semester.

So BYOC (bring your own course) to develop a new vision for a course you teach.

Learning Outcomes:

Define the benefits of vision statements.
Identify the challenges in course design where visions can benefit.
Identify and develop the 4 elements of a vision statement for a course.
Utilize course design models to align course elements as a cohesive whole.
Discuss ideas for using a vision statement to modify courses mid-semester and improve student engagement.

Title: Keeping it Real: Use of Simulation for Communication Skill Development for Student Learning, Engagement, and Interaction

Presenter: Lea Kaploun, Ph.D., CCC/SLP, Associate Professor/Clinical Supervisor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences

Description: Participants will learn the steps to creating a video simulation activity where students watch a video of a scenario they may encounter, in order to use problem-solving and self-reflection in skill development. Discussion of components of the activity, including prebriefing, instruction, simulation, and debriefing will support instructors in preparation of their own activities. Participation in a simulation activity and reflection on the experience, its benefits, and its challenges will prepare instructors for some issues that may arise in their own work. Participants will then formulate a plan for a video simulation activity involving content that they want to present to their students and using a checklist to include components discussed.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify steps to creating a simulation video for a learning activity.
Reflect on their experience in a video simulation activity.
Formulate a plan for creating a video simulation activity applicable to their course content.

Title: That's Debatable! How to Create Better Writers Using Micro-Debates

Presenter: Marquita Blades, Ed.D., Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Description: Strong writing is structured, rooted in evidence, displays proper tone, and requires some form of planning. It also presents a well-balanced summary of subject-area knowledge. Often, however, writers tend to write from comfort, even when writing is research-based. Because many writers tend to rely heavily on research that appears to be aligned with their anticipated outcomes or that readily supports their personal views, it is essential to teach them to also leverage research that does not. From teaching high school science students to coaching doctoral candidates, a common theme in writing is the lack of ability to differentiate between fact and opinion, making inferences, determining cause and effect, and making valid comparisons – all components of academic literacy. Using this strategy with my students, I have been able to improve not only their writing, but also the way they think about and process information.

That's Debatable! is a student-centered approach to academic literacy, discourse, and writing. Using the Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER) Framework, participants will explore a topic by examining a research article, preparing arguments both in support of and opposed to a proposed claim, and engage in academic discourse during the presentation phase by engaging in a micro debate. In this session, I will guide participants through the CER Framework and the micro-debate format. Participants will leave this session with the knowledge and resources required to engage their own students in micro-debates related to the topics currently being pursued in their courses.

Learning Outcomes:

Effectively implement the Claim. Evidence. Reasoning. (CER) Framework.
Describe the micro-debate format.
Discuss how That's Debatable! can be used to promote academic discourse, increase critical-thinking, and improve writing skills.

45-Minute Sessions (in alphabetical order by title)

Title: Active Learning in Practice: Integrating the Digital Mastering APA Style Student Workbook in a Canvas Course

Presenters: Vanaja Nethi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and Kate Ramunda, Engagement Team, Vital Source

Description: Undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines need to develop excellence in scholarly writing to communicate their ideas to peers in the academic community effectively. One of the most widely used set of guidelines to help students achieve excellence in scholarly writing is the APA Style. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the main resource for this.

In this session, the presenters will introduce a new digital-only resource, Mastering APA Style Student Workbook (https://apastyle.apa.org/products/mastering-apa-style?tab=1) released last year that matches the organization of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7e). The resource utilizes active learning, interactive learning, and a data-driven design to optimize the teaching and learning of the APA Style. Participants in the session will be guided through the process of setting up an account to get access to the ‘digital bundle’ of both the Mastering APA Style Student Workbook and The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7e). The account is valid for 30 days after the conference for participants to continue to explore this novel digital resource.

During the session, participants will have hands-on experience with the ‘learn by doing’ approach, which is central to the design of this Mastering APA Style Student Workbook. They will experience the interactive features of the formative practice questions and the unique features of the ‘digital bundle’. They will learn about the rich analytics that enables individualized student support and, finally, how to integrate this digital resource into a Canvas course.

Learning Outcomes:

Set up an account to access the digital Mastering APA Style Student Workbook.
Experience active learning by doing activities in the digital Workbook.
Experience interactive learning (links lead to relevant sections of the APA Manual).
Describe how to integrate the digital Workbook into a Canvas course.
Discuss how to engage in data-driven teaching-learning (monitor student engagement and learning using the Learning Dashboard to provide targeted support).
Describe how to export student data from the Gradebook.

Title: All You Need is Love: Compassionate Design for Better Teaching and Learning

Presenter: Walter Milner, Instructional Designer III, Learning & Educational Center, Academic Affairs

Description: In order to connect, engage, and inspire students we need to account for who they are as individuals. This can be accomplished through a compassionate approach to course design and course interactions. Compassionate design involves actively learning who our students are, actively approaching the design of course activities in a way that considers all learners and being conscious of our interactions with learners. Compassionate approaches to course design have the added benefit of demonstrating a model that transfers to society at large and makes the world a better place. This presentation will highlight each of these areas and demonstrate techniques that both instructors and designers can use to approach course design as compassionate educators. By approaching course design in this way, we form more meaningful relationships and ultimately help to develop better and more successful learners.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify the difference between empathetic design and compassionate design.
Formulate strategies for how to get to know their students and recognize how this connects to compassionate design.
Coordinate activities, techniques, and design strategies that are reflective of compassionate design.
Recognize that interactions are an element of a compassionate approach to teaching, and identify how interactions can be designed to be compassionate.
Discuss how compassionate design approaches act as a model to students which transfers to society at large.

Title: Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BEDI) in Online Learning

Presenter: Gabriela Mendez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Description: In this session, the definitions of belonging, equity, diversity and inclusion (BEDI) will be provided followed by a discussion on how to use BEDI within the context of online education. The Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), a framework that promotes BEDI will be described. Participants will be encouraged to share ideas and practices related to how CRP and inclusive strategies can be implemented online. Resources that address and promote BEDI in education will also be provided.

Learning Outcomes

Define belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Identify strategies to promote belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in online education.
Discuss strategies and practices to promote belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in online education.
Access resources that address and promote belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in education.

Title: Designing Engaging Quiz Questions in Canvas

Presenter: Andreas Häberlin, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts, NSU Halmos College of Arts & Sciences

Description: Student engagement is critical to student success. In an age of knowledge and digital distractions, the creation of meaningful learning experiences is key to student engagement. Established approaches have long focused on in-person classroom engagement. However, a growing body of scholarly literature indicates the research community's interest in digital engagement strategies. Digital instruction poses unique opportunities and challenges to student engagement. One powerful digital education tool is the quiz. Beyond competitive gamification, edutainment and trivia, quizzes present an excellent opportunity to spark student inquiry. This presentation explores the intersections of cognitive learning, quiz question design, and the Canvas quiz engine. The first presentation part leads through the design process of engaging and outcome-based quiz questions at different cognitive levels. The second presentation part then illustrates the Canvas quiz engine using specific examples. Attendees are invited to participate in a few practical and reflective activities. As a concluding activity, attendees are invited to share their perspectives on the potential of engaging quiz questions in their educational fields. This presentation is suitable for educators looking to engage and inspire students around course content.

Learning Outcomes:

Familiarize with Bloom's taxonomy and its application to student inquiry.
Design outcome-based quiz questions at different cognitive levels.
Familiarize with essential functions of the Canvas quiz engine.
Discuss the applicability of engaging quiz questions to their educational fields.

Title: Development and Implementation of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in STEM Education to Connect, Engage, and Inspire Students

Presenters: Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D., Professor, and Katie Crump, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, NSU Halmos College of Arts & Sciences

Description: Student engagement in authentic research is a major goal for life science undergraduate education reform. Development of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) is one method to address these educational reform goals to connect, inspire, and engage students within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Studies have shown that CUREs are critical in helping students gain confidence in scientific literacy and critical thinking while also promoting inclusivity and student retention within STEM majors for those in underrepresented populations. In addition, CUREs provide direct benefits to faculty such as increased productivity through integrating teaching and research and the ability to publish with students, both of which are often tied to promotion. Currently, there are two models for CURE pedagogical development: 1) a local model born out of a faculty’s own research interests and 2) a national CURE with a network of faculty and students with centralized programmatic support. CUREs can be developed as a stand-alone course or integrated into an existing course. In the Department of Biological Sciences, NSU Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, we have successfully proposed, developed, and implemented a national CURE that is a part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Science Education Alliance Program. In this CURE, students engage in authentic research experiences by isolating and characterizing novel viruses that infect bacteria in hopes of identifying antibiotic alternatives to treat bacterial infections. Our presentation is for faculty and instructors who want to know how to design, propose, and implement a CURE at Nova Southeastern University.

Learning Outcomes:

Define a CURE and describe its importance in undergraduate education.
Describe the two current CURE pedagogical framework models.
Organize, design and propose a CURE course based on the current models.
Implement a new CURE course or integrate a CURE into an existing course.

Title: Interactive Videos: What Are They and How Can I Make One?

Presenter: Anymir Orellana, Ed.D., Professor, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Description: In a linear video the viewer can stop, pause, and play the content; the user can apply what they learn by pausing as they view or upon finishing the video content. An interactive video encourages the viewer to engage and learn during the viewing experience; the user actively interacts with the video content. In this session, I will introduce, show examples of, and present tools available in SharkMedia (Kaltura) for creating interactive videos. The audience will discuss ideas, opportunities, and challenges for interactive videos in their classes.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify characteristics and elements in interactive videos.
Discuss factors to consider when creating interactive videos.
List main Kaltura features to create interactive videos.
Discuss ideas, opportunities, and challenges for interactive videos for learning.

Title: Reimagining an established CURE to provide high-quality digital learning experiences that are intentionally equitable, inclusive and accessible for all students

Presenter: Arthur Sikora, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Physics, NSU Halmos College of Arts & Sciences

Description: In recent years, Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have become increasingly valuable models to cultivate student interest in research, especially when few other research opportunities at an institution exist. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been the need to operate in an online environment while maintaining high standards. Biochemistry Authentic Student Inquiry Lab (BASIL) students hypothesize and test functions of enzymes from the Protein Data Bank with no known function, utilizing a combination of wet-lab and computational approaches. Here we describe how this CURE was adapted to an online format, simulating the lab environment using a low stakes iterative assessment. Using Google forms, students answer questions about experimental background, procedure and lab safety that correlate with published BASIL experiments. Using a mix of multiple choice, free response, and video/ image-based questions, students engage with the material at a deeper level despite not being physically present in the lab. These forms can function as self-contained experiments or pre-lab/post-lab assignments to enhance the in-lab experience. The BASIL consortium is dedicated to developing high-quality teaching and learning experiences to reach and engage the modern learner. This CURE is flexible and has been found to improve the levels of personal comprehension and knowledge of STEM concepts and research design in students. These online modules provide another way for learners to reap the benefit of research-based courses in an ever-changing educational landscape. Built to equitably and inclusively reach and engage all students, these tools integrate intentional opportunities for community-building and interaction only possible in the digital environment. Novel strategies developed to accommodate all students will help to enhance exposure for undergraduate students to vital STEM research experiences and promote sustainability for institutions.

Learning Outcomes:

Adapt curricula to the online modality.
Develop active learning activities.
Foster research interest in students.

Title: The Art and Science of Teaching Through Simulation

Presenter: Teri Williams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor/Lead Faculty, College Student Affairs Program & Tim Scala, Psy.D., Associate Professor/Licensed Clinical Supervisor

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Description: The use of simulation as a mechanism for learning is a powerful one. If your learning objectives include preparing students for real-world encounters, working with simulation as a vehicle is highly effective. Further, through this presentation, participants will not only gain insight into simulation, but they will also learn how to use reflective best practices to help assess student, curriculum, and program success.

Learning Outcomes:

Apply the use of simulation in their roles as educators.
Evaluate simulation-focused lessons through the use of reflective best practices.
Create lessons that incorporate simulations as a component for learning.

Title: Transitional Learning: Fostering Successful Learning Strategies in First-Year Graduate Students

Presenter: Joy Moulton, PT, DPT, OCS, CCI, Cert. MDT, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences – Tampa Bay

Description: Transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school requires a shift in learning strategies. Studies show that undergraduate students tend to use strategies successful for short-term learning to pass exams and earn good grades; however, these strategies do not result in the long-term retention required at the graduate level. When students enter graduate programs and continue to use strategies that were successful in their undergraduate studies, they often find themselves failing exams, not retaining information for future units of a course or for future courses of a program, and unfortunately failing courses or failing out of a program entirely. This session will discuss the pilot implementation of a short curriculum of workshops designed to educate first-year graduate students on evidence-based learning strategies for success in graduate school. The content and learning activities from the workshops will be discussed as well as outcomes and lessons learned for future delivery of the workshops.

In this session, I will:

Highlight the need for teaching students about evidence-based learning strategies.
Educate participants on evidence-based learning strategies.
Discuss a pilot program for assisting the transition of students into graduate level learning.
Share outcomes from the pilot program to inspire ideas for educating students about effective learning strategies.

Learning Outcomes:

Recognize the need for instructing students in evidence-based learning strategies.
Contrast ineffective learning strategies with evidence-based learning strategies.
Describe the role of metacognition in learning strategies.
Justify expected study time for students by using the Carnegie seat time formula.
formulate ideas about how to engage their students with effective learning strategies.

Title: Photovoice as a Service-Learning Reflection Tool: An Innovative Approach to Assessing Service-Learning Course Outcomes

Presenter: Moya Alfonso, Ph.D., MSPH, Director/Associate Professor, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences

Description: Service-learning is a long-established, effective approach to instruction. The integration of service-learning in public health classes provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to apply theory-based knowledge to practical applications that increase their learning. The purpose of this session is to explore the use of Photovoice as an assessment tool for service-learning courses. This session is relevant to educators within higher education settings. The following research question guided the study discussed in this presentation: Is Photovoice a feasible and valid approach to assessing the effects of service-learning on master’s level community health students perceived learning gains and self-efficacy for conducting a community health assessment? Eleven Master’s students in the Department of Community Health Behavior and Education comprised the study sample. A concurrent mixed-method research design was used to address the guiding research question. A combination of field notes, student surveys, and Photovoice were used to gather information specific to perceived learning gains and self-efficacy for conducting a community health analysis. The following themes emerged from the individual interviews where students discussed their photographs: Connection to Community Health Analysis, Role, Self, Access, Community, Development, Disconnect, Gentrification, and Neglect. Survey results supported the qualitative findings and suggested significant learning gains. Photovoice emerged as an innovative, reliable, and valid assessment approach for use in graduate classes.

Learning Outcomes:

Discuss service learning as an approach to engaging students in course material and connecting them to communities.
Evaluate assessment approaches for service-learning courses.
Evaluate Photovoice as a method for assessing service-learning courses.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using Photovoice as a reflection method for service-learning courses.

Title: Using TILT Principles to Increase the Usability of Assignments and Rubrics

Presenters: Eric Mason, Ph.D., Associate Professor, NSU Halmos College of Arts & Sciences, Faculty Coordinator, Writing & Communication Center and Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D., Executive Director/Professor, Writing & Communication Center, Faculty Coordinator for First-Year Experience

Description: This session will provide an overview of TILT (transparency in learning and teaching) and how using three basic TILT principles can help you revise (or create new) assignments and rubrics that are easier for students to understand and apply.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify impediments to student understanding of assignments and rubrics.
Apply TILT principles to course assignments and rubrics.

25-Minute Roundtables (in alphabetical order by title)

Title: Creating Meaningful Social Presence in Online Courses

Presenter: Jennifer Reeves, Ph.D., Director of Dissertation Support Services, Professor, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Description: Using Garrison, Anderson and Archer's (2000) Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework, this roundtable will focus on ways to create meaningful and lasting social presence in your online classes, meetings, and/or virtual conference. According to Garrison et al. social presence is “the ability of participants in a community of inquiry to project themselves socially and emotionally, as ‘real’ people (i.e., their full personality), through the medium of communication being used.” (p. 94). Therefore, this roundtable will discuss various communication mediums and tips for successfully creating social presence that is lasting and meaningful. Ideas such as more personable and exciting introductory posts on discussion boards; affable zoom sessions, including the use of breakout rooms; and personal takeaways will be shared. The moderator will then open it up for additional discussion by roundtable attendees to share their experiences. The moderator will compile all feedback in real time and share with the group for ideas that can be implemented immediately in their own K-20 course, faculty meeting, virtual conference, or any online learning/sharing environment.

Learning Outcomes:

Describe the CoI Framework.
Discuss strategies for enhancing social presence in your online classes.
Share strategies for enhancing social presence in your online classes.

Title: Making the Most of the NSU WCC

Description: This session will introduce participants to the services and resources provided by the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), which provides individual, group, and programmatic writing and communication support to all NSU students and faculty.

Learning Outcomes

Describe how to access services and resources provided by the NSU WCC.
identify best practices for integrating WCC services and resources into assignments and Canvas courses.

Title: Putting It All Together: Utilizing Student-Curated Portfolio Projects to Engage and Immerse Students from Week 1

Presenter: Christi Navarro, Ph.D., M.S., Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Description: It is not uncommon for educators to assign semester- or weeks-long projects giving students ample time to plan and execute, only to realize that many students choose to complete the assignment the night before the due date. Although the results may vary in the quality of submissions, the intent of educators to have students synthesize course content over the span of the semester may fall flat. The objective of this session is to present a multi-faceted portfolio project that will meaningfully engage students and synthesize course concepts from the onset.

Learning Outcomes:

Define the Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework.
Describe a multi-faceted portfolio project to engage learners meaningfully throughout the semester.
Use an assignment with their learners to synthesize course concepts, promote shared learning opportunities, and practice oral presentation skills.

Title: Proposing New Classroom Delivery Mode to Support Online Learning

Presenter: Steve Kramer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Decision Sciences, ASQ Certified Master Black Belt, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship

Description: At NSU, teaching "online" use to mean teaching in an asynchronous format versus "ground" or “on-campus” which meant teaching face-to-face in a classroom. COVID required us to reconsider how we taught our courses which oftentimes meant teaching online and on-campus together, synchronously. Since COVID is no longer a constraint, colleges have reverted back to the previous course classifications. However, we need to consider the value of synchronous instruction for online courses.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify current NSU teaching modes.
Describe the potential of synchronicity toward learning outcomes.
Appreciate the interest in creating a synchronous online mode.
Discuss the logistical ramifications.

Title: The Universe Explained with LEGO–Building Physics Concepts with Toy Bricks

Presenter: Steve Kautsch, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Physics, NSU Halmos College of Arts & Sciences

Description: LEGO is a versatile pedagogical tool for physical science courses. It can be used to visualize concepts qualitatively and quantitatively in physics. I will show activities using the toy bricks to promote student comprehension of abstract theories and making intellectual concepts touchable. This presentation targets all science educators.

Learning Outcomes:

Use LEGO bricks to visualize science concepts
Use LEGO bricks to implement hands-on student classroom activities
Discuss creative teaching strategies.

Title: Using Khan Academy to Effectively Enhance High School Math Instruction through Best Practices and Research-based Principles

Presenters: Hanna Kramer Negin, Ed.D. & Jared Bucker, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Institutional Review Board Representative, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice, Palm Beach

Description: The purpose of this session is to disseminate findings which resulted from an NSU Doctoral dissertation. The goal of the study was to determine if students’ mathematics skills (achievement scores, the dependent variable) would be affected by active learning strategies. This quantitative, pre/post case study compared 10th-grade students’ math scores before and after an active learning strategy, Achievement scores were assessed using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). MAP was developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) and is a computer-adaptive interim assessment tool that measures academic progress in mathematic concepts, language usage, and proficiency. Khan Academy, a type of Professional Learning Community (PLC) was used as a treatment variable in this research and is an effective online, scholastic resource used to enhance student engagement. The primary findings of this study indicated that PLCs are easily integrating into math courses and offer beneficial strategies which increase academic achievement. This educational cultural framework offers supplemental course materials and is used by educators to inspire, connect and identify learning goals as demonstrated by increased MAP scores by the study's participants and the student’s progress towards those goals. In this study, the PLC consisted of the online materials offered by Khan Academy, administrated by math teachers, the department chair and the head of school. It is hoped that the audience will benefit from exposure to these best practices gleaned from this practical and beneficial research.

Learning Outcomes:

Describe educational resources and concepts that assist with integrating active learning strategies, which in turn leads to increased student performance.
Define Computer-Aided Assistance (CAA), which is integral in our day and age for student engagement and differentiation
Describe Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), and authentic assessment tool used in schools
Describe Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and their benefits