TLPDC Video Seminars

Readying Ourselves for the New Core Curriculum: Helping Your Students Understand Social Responsibility by Dr. Aliza Wong

Join us as Dr. Aliza Wong considers strategies for a variety of disciplines as we strive to help students understand their social responsibility, one of the six component areas of the new core curriculum. This workshop will engage in the difficult and worthwhile work of incorporating the goals of "intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility," and enhancing students' abilities "to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities" into the classroom while allowing instructors the maximum flexibility, creativity, and intellectual integrity of teaching the subject at hand.

Readying Ourselves for the New Core Curriculum: Helping Your Students to Write More Effectively by Dr. Susan Lang and Dr. Kathy Gillis

Join us as Dr. Susan Lang and Dr. Kathy Gillis discuss strategies that will help faculty members enable their students to write more effectively, regardless of the discipline. Drs. Gillis and Lang will  examine the use of formal and informal writing assignments for use both in and out of the classroom. Faculty will leave the workshop with concrete ideas for helping students improve their communication skills, one of the six component areas of the new core curriculum.

Readying Ourselves for the New Core Curriculum: Understanding The VALUE Rubrics by Dr. Gary Elbow and Dr. Jason Rinaldo

Join us as Dr. Gary Elbow and Dr. Jason Rinaldo address the VALUE Rubrics from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and its application to Texas Tech University core curriculum course assessment. These rubrics were a crucial framework in the development of objectives for the new core curriculum that will be implemented in fall 2014. This session will discuss how the VALUE rubrics can easily be adapted to guide assessment in TTU core curriculum courses.

Readying Ourselves for the New Core Curriculum: Encouraging Strong Verbal Communication Skills and Presentations by Dr. Juliann Scholl

Join us as Dr. Juliann Scholl, Communication Studies, identifies strategies that instructors might use to develop and assess strong verbal and written communication skills with their students as required by the new Core. Any interested faculty members or TA is invited to attend, regardless of whether or not you teach in the Core.

What the Best Teachers Do: Lessons from Teaching in the Law School

Panelists: Jennifer Bard, Nancy Soonpaa, Gerry Beyer

The American philosopher John Dewey once said, “Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a better condition of things than existed earlier.”  What do the best teachers do to bring about better conditions in their classrooms?  How do they motivate students and help them to engage with the material?  Much can be gleaned from listening to peers and particularly those who are known for their teaching.  Join us as distinguished Texas Tech Law School faculty members and recipients of the President’s Excellence in Teaching award share some of the changes they’ve made to their teaching in order to benefit student learning.

9th Annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference: “HeadsUp: Mobile Software to Facilitate Small-Group Discussions” by James Langford

Small-group discussions are often hampered by time-consuming grouping strategies, poor group dynamics and vague, ineffective topics and prompts, and unclear group roles. HeadsUp was developed through consultation with faculty and students to minimize these barriers to classroom discussions. Bring your iOS or Android smart phone or tablet to this hands-on session to learn how to use HeadsUp in your class.

9th Annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference: “66.4 ways to engage students (and 19.3 ways not to)” by Mark Phillips

Higher education is one of the few things in life that people pay good money for and then work like crazy to avoid receiving.” Every teacher has asked the question, “Why don’t my students care more?” Some conclude it’s the students’ problem; others work even harder, convinced they can force their students to engage. The reality is probably somewhere between the two. This session will provide tools to help you help your students engage. It will also include a generous dose of absolution for those days you just flat-out failed, as well as just a touch of humor.

9th Annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference: Keynote Session "In Search of Better Courses: Building Harder Courses that Actually Engage Your Students" by Dr. Peter Felten

Dr. Peter Felten is assistant provost, director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, and professor of history at Elon University. He has published widely on engaged learning and the scholarship of teaching and learning, and is co-author of forthcoming books on faculty peer mentoring and on student-faculty partnerships in teaching and learning. Peter recently served as president of the POD Network, an international association for teaching and learning centers in higher education. His teaching at Elon aims to help students think critically and write clearly about the connections between the lives of individual people and larger themes in history.

New Faculty Teaching Foundations: "Enjoying the Adventure and Managing the Chaos - Teaching What You Just Learned" with Dr. Therese Huston

New Faculty Teaching Foundations: "Connecting Your Classroom to the Next Generation" with Dr. Scott Burris

New Faculty Teaching Foundations: "How Do I Know They Are Learning and I'm Teaching Effectively - The Use of Lesson Learning Objectives" with Dr. Audra Morse

Ethics Series: "FERPA & Student Data: The Ethics of Information Sharing in Higher Education" with Dr. Jorge Iber, Ms. Brenda Martinez & Sofia Rodriguez

Presenters: Dr. Jorge Iber (College of Arts & Sciences), Ms. Brenda Martinez (Office of the Registrar), & Sofia Rodriguez (Student Judicial Programs).

How do you handle a phone call from a parent inquiring about a student’s grade? In this session, panelists will discuss the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and ethical considerations of protecting information/data as we deal with today’s helicopter parents. Panelists will also discuss the specific, protected rights regarding the release of student education records and institutional compliance with FERPA guidelines. Faculty members and graduate students need a working knowledge of FERPA guidelines and this discussion will provide you with the necessary information about FERPA.

8th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference Keynote Presentation: "Evidence Based Teaching: Strategies for Motivating and Helping Students Learn” with Dr. Marilla Svinicki

Presenter: Dr. Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas at Austin

It is a fairly common situation that the practices we use in teaching come not from the literature on learning and motivation but on what we experienced as students. There has been a lot of progress on finding good practices through research in educational psychology for the last 25 years and it seems reasonable to put that research to use. The focus on this session will be on a small number of evidence-based practices for supporting student learning and motivation that can be incorporated into classes without major overhauls of the curriculum. In addition to learning about the research and the theories on which it is based, you should come away from the session with at least four good ideas, 2 to help students learn and 2 to make them want to learn as well.

"Grading Subjective Assignments in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences" with Drs. Dennis Fehr, John Hollins and Francesca di Poppa

An art student once asked a painting professor, "How can you possibly grade a painting?" Her tone suggested that it couldn't be done. He replied, "I'm a painter and I've been teaching it for twenty years. Grading paintings is easy." Expertise and experience are parts of the answer, but what else is involved in grading the subjective content of the arts, social sciences, and humanities? Can aspects of it be quantified? Is effort a legitimate component?

Ethics Series: "When Scientists Cheat: Colleagues as a Defense Against Bad Science" with Dr. Gerald P. Koocher

Presenter: Gerald P. Koocher, PhD, ABPP - Associate Provost and Professor of Psychology, Simmons College.

Join Dr. Gerald Koocher from Simmons College for a discussion on dishonesty in the scientific community.  This presentation will present survey data and case examples that highlight causes of and strategies to reduce scholarly dishonesty in the behavioral and biomedical scientific community.  Additional discussion will focus on strategies for how to intervene and gentle alternatives to whistle-blowing.

John M. Burns SoTL Conference: Beyond Repetition: Revisiting Skill Instruction and Practice with Dr. Carla Davis Cash

Beyond Repetition: Revisiting Skill Instruction and Practice with Dr. Carla Davis Cash, Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, School of Music. Research has provided increasingly accurate descriptions of how humans process skill memories, often prompting a reexamination of long held pedagogical approaches. Dr. Cash presents recent findings and discusses how learners can optimize practice time for more productive learning experiences.

John M. Burns SoTL Conference: Intelligence and Creativity: Afternoon Session with Dr. Rex Jung

John M. Burns SoTL Conference: Intelligence and Creativity: Morning Session with Dr. Rex Jung

Named in honor of Professor John M. Burns for his support of the teaching mission at Texas Tech University, the conference features plenary speaker Rex Jung, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico and a practicing clinical neuropsychologist. Dr. Jung’s research focuses on structural correlates of higher cognitive functioning in health and diseases including traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and systemic lupus erythematosus. His groundbreaking research led to the first model describing a network of brain regions critically linked together in service of intellectual pursuits – the Parieto-Frontal Intelligence Theory (or “P-FIT”). Over the last several years, he has turned his attention to how creativity is manifested in the brain – a cognitive capacity perhaps critically dependent upon, yet distinct from intelligence. The author of over 40 scientific publications, his research has been widely featured in popular media outlets including CNN, BBC, Psychology Today, New Scientist, The New York Times, and Newsweek.

"Professional Development for Academic Advisors - Education Advisory Board" by Dr. Jennifer Mason

Professional Development for Academic Advisors - Education Advisory Board: "Meeting Student Demand for High-Touch Advising: Elevating the Student Experience"

As the importance of high-quality advising to student success becomes increasingly clear, colleges and universities are seeking new strategies for elevating advising across the institution. The question with which many are now grapping is whether student needs can be more realistically met by redoubling efforts at improving the quality and consistency of faculty advising or by increasing reliance on self-advising tools and non-faculty advisors, making faculty one of several sources of expertise and mentorship in a suite of student support services.

This presentation examines innovative approaches that colleges and universities have used to improve the quality and continuity of students’ advising experiences. Case studies from institutions across the nation profile sophisticated advising self-service tools that increase student academic and co-curricular intentionality, strategies for engaging faculty more deeply in advising, and innovative models for deploying non-faculty advisors in collaboration with faculty and staff.

Jennifer Mason is a Practice Manager with the University Leadership Council. She specializes in issues related to faculty affairs, curricular and instructional innovation, and student success. Her recent research initiatives have focused on increasing faculty diversity, improving student retention and graduation rates, redesigning undergraduate advising, developing academic leaders, and managing the expansion of online education.

Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Mason conducted scholarly research in nineteenth-century American literature and taught in the English departments at Skidmore College, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Texas at Austin. In 2000–2001, she held an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Humanities Consortium at UCLA. She is the author of Civilized Creatures: Urban Animals, Sentimental Culture, and American Literature, 1850-1900 (Johns Hopkins UP, 2005).

Dr. Mason received her bachelor of arts from Smith College and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin.

Download handouts: Meeting Student Demand for High-Touch Advising

"Engaging Students in their Out-of-Class Learning" by Dr. Linda B. Nilson

The core out-of-class assignment that we give our students is readings.  Yet, without incentives to do so, not many college-level students regularly do the assigned readings.  With some students, the problem is not just reading noncompliance but also low reading comprehension.  By the end of this workshop, you will be able to view reading assignments, their difficulty, and their relative costs and benefits through the average student’s eyes and to explain reading noncompliance as a complex interplay of students' skills, values, and experience and our own misconceptions and behavior.  Then, working from this research-based understanding of the problem, you will consider what can and should be done about it.  When you leave, you will be able implement numerous measures for fostering reading compliance and increasing reading  comprehension.

"The Scientific Value of Different Learning Styles" by Dr. Linda B. Nilson

This workshop addresses five leading learning styles frameworks: Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences; the Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles (ILS); Fleming and Mills’ VARK model; Kolb’s Learning Styles Model and Experiential Learning Theory (ELT); and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  After this workshop, you will be able to explain their scientific and statistical status (reliability, validity, and effects on student learning) and draw on cognitive psychology research to account for how some can seem so useful while resting on shaky scientific and statistical grounds.  In addition, you will be able to apply this research to design effective assignments and class activities that allow students to process knowledge and skills through multiple senses and in multiple modes.

Linda B. Nilson is founding director of the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation (OTEI) at Clemson University and author of Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors, now in its third edition (Jossey-Bass, 2010) and The Graphic Syllabus and the Outcomes Map: Communicating Your Course (Jossey-Bass, 2007). She also co-edited Enhancing Learning with Laptops in the Classroom (Jossey-Bass, 2005) and Volumes 25 and 26 of the major publication of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, To Improve the Academy: Resources for Faculty, Instructional, and Organizational Development, as associate editor (Anker, 2007, 2008) and Volumes 27 and 28 as head editor (Jossey-Bass, 2009, 2010).

Dr. Nilson has also published many articles and book chapters and has presented conference sessions and faculty workshops at colleges and universities both nationally and internationally on dozens of topics related to teaching effectiveness, assessment, scholarly productivity and academic career matters.

Jumpstart 2011
"Changing Student Populations - Understanding Who is in Our Classrooms and Recognizing their Needs"

Dr. Michelle Kiser, Dr. Larry Philippe, and Dr. Ryan Van Dusen
Introduction: Dr. Scott Ridley, Dean, College of Education

Do you know who is in your classes?  Today's student population is changing rapidly as we enter classrooms filled with more diversity than ever before, and understanding our institution's demographics plays an important role in connecting with your students.  In this session, join us as experts from three areas describe characteristics of students with disabilities, military students and veterans, and under-prepared/at-risk students, and discuss strategies for improving their classroom experiences.

Jumpstart 2011
"A Culture of Cheating: Student Perspectives on Academic Integrity"

Undergraduate Student Panel: Neil Hester, Hannah McKenzie, Damonte Jackson, & Ann Marie Scott. Introduction: Dr. David Roach, Associate Dean, Arts and Sciences

The New York Times recently reported that 61% of undergraduates have admitted to some form of cheating on assignments and exams. Join us for a conversation with undergraduates about the student perspective on academic integrity and this seeming “culture of cheating” in higher education and society at large. They will consider how the educational system or other factors play a role in unethical behavior by students, and what might be done to effect change regarding this social problem and instill stronger ethical sensibilities. In other words, what can we do to make cheating “not worth it?”

Jumpstart 2011
"Can I Learn in Your Class? Reflections from Faculty Members Participating in Cross-Disciplinary Peer Observations"

Panelists: Dr. Jim Brink, Dr. Audra Morse, Dr. Bill Dean, and Dr. Leslie Thompson
Introduction: Dr. Michael Dini, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Teaching Academy Executive Council Member

Can we learn from simply observing each other's classes?  Observation practices are often thought of as punitive or unpleasant experiences, but voluntary observation experiences can prove insightful. In a self-reflective exercise, four experienced faculty members from significantly different disciplines spent time this summer observing each other's classes.  Their roles were to make observations not as critics, but as advocates for teaching and learning and to consider how this peer observation experience might influence their own teaching. Join us as we discuss their thoughts, shared practices, and differences as we examine lessons learned from this powerful experience.

Jumpstart 2011
"Pecha-Ku What? Using the Pecha Kucha Presentation Method in the Classroom" with Dr. Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp

Pecha Kucha is a new Japanese PowerPoint presentation method in which the presenter has 6 minutes 40 seconds to show 20 images. In this session we will introduce the Pecha Kucha method and explore its promise for enlivening classroom instruction and for reenergizing instructors and students who are trapped in a PowerPoint coma. And we promise we’ll teach you how to pronounce it!

Jumpstart 2011
"Hats on, Hats Off: Decision Making in Teaching" with Dr. Melanie Hart

Researchers have always taken a systematic approach to conducting quality research. This has worked well; however, when we are making decisions about engaging, effective, and quality instruction, it is necessary to utilize a more creative approach. By putting on and taking off de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, improvements in our teaching and other decisions can be greatly  enhanced. Join us in this featured session with Dr. Melanie Hart, Associate Professor in Health, Exercise, and Sports Science, and Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, as she discusses her own journey and the evolution in her teaching.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference with Dr. José Bowen
"Teaching Naked 1: Embracing Technology Outside of the Classroom"

José Antonio Bowen is Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts, Algur H. Meadows Chair and Professor of Music, at Southern Methodist University.  Bowen began his teaching career at Stanford University in 1982, first as the Director of Jazz Ensembles, and then for the Humanities Special Programs and the Afro-American Studies Program.  In 1994, he became the Founding Director of the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (C.H.A.R.M.) at the University of Southampton, England. He returned to America in 1999 as the first holder of the endowed Caestecker Chair of Music at Georgetown University where he created and directed the Department of Performing Arts.  In 2004, Miami University named him Dean of Fine Arts and Professor of Music.

He has written over 100 scholarly articles for many journals including the Journal of Musicology, The Journal of Musicological Research, Performance Practice Review, 19th-century Music, Notes, Music Theory Spectrum, the Journal of the Royal Musical Associations, Studi Musicali, the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and in books from Oxford and Princeton university presses. He is the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Conducting (Cambridge University Press, 2003) and received a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship.

Abstract
The most important benefits to using technology occur outside of the classroom. Use technology to free yourself from the need to “cover” the content in the classroom, and instead use class time for direct student to faculty interaction and discussion.

Teaching Naked 1: Embracing Technology Outside of the Classroom
Technology and accountability are changing higher education, but the greatest value of a residential university will remain its face-to-face (naked) interaction between faculty and students. The new tools that technology offers can increase student preparation and engagement and create more time in class for interaction and make the residential experience worth the extra money it will always cost to deliver.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference with Dr. José Bowen
"Teaching Naked 2: Teaching Change Inside the Classroom"

Teaching Naked 2: Teaching Change Inside the Classroom
The root of learning is change. Technology offers a new way to present content, but that rarely sparks the sort of critical thinking or change of mental models we seek. If technology can give us more classroom time, how can we design experiences that will maximize change in our students?

Homework
Read the short article first: “Teaching Naked: Why Removing Technology from Your Classroom Will Improve Student Learning” National Forum for Teaching and Learning, Vol 16, No. 1, December, 2006), p. 1-5. Online at http://www.ntlf.com/html/ti/naked.htm

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Syllabus Development as a Core Teaching Skill"

This session is presented by Dr. Jacki Fitzpatrick and Ms. Erin Kostina-Ritchey, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University

The purpose of this workshop session is to provide an orientation to the syllabus development process.  The orientation will not focus on syllabus issues that are applicable to only one type of course or subject area.  Rather, the orientation will be transdisciplinary in its approach.  Syllabus literature from various fields will be integrated into the session.  The session will not be an opportunity for instructors to receive an individual review of their syllabi.  However, the session will allow the participants an opportunity to engage in some activities (e.g., think-pair-share, small group discussions, write-to-learn) such that they can actively work with syllabi concepts during the session.  Prior teaching or syllabus development experience will not be necessary to participate in this session.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Use PowerPoint for Good & Not for Evil"

This session is presented by Dr. Jose Vasquez, Assistant Director, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Texas at San Antonio

We have all experienced it before:  a slide full of text that is not only difficult to read but is also boring to look at.  Documents and slides are not the same thing.  The best slides allow the instructor to be the center of attention, and the best presentations encourage students to focus on the story, not to transcribe the PowerPoint text. Spreading quickly throughout the business community, this new visual approach relies on principles such as simplicity, naturalness, and restraint.  Using humor and interactivity we will answer the following questions:  How do you create great PowerPoint presentations?  What are the new “laws” of visual design?  How can you use multi-media for effective teaching?  Where do you find these media, and how to embed them into PowerPoint?  How can you use design intentionally to create effective visuals?  How do you create effective handouts?  And much more.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Learning Outcomes to Improve Teaching (SACS Compliance – a Side Benefit)"

This session is presented by Dr. Jeff King, Director, Koehler Center for Teaching Excellence, Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, Texas

Assessment, Accountability, Transparency — these are often pejorative terms in faculty’s minds.  How do you overcome that skepticism to help faculty understand student learning outcomes (SLOs), how to assess them, how to write good SLO assessment rubrics, the difference between grading and assessing outcomes, and — maybe most important — how to use the resulting information and data to improve subsequent teaching and learning?  Details, reports, faculty video clips, results, and lessons learned will be shared about TCU’s Learning Outcomes Manager initiative, now in its third year.  If an accreditor wants to see close-the-loop evidence of improved teaching and learning based on use of assessment data at the class level, we can now provide it.  The better outcome for us, though, is faculty adoption of the process as a means to improve their courses and their teaching.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Questioning:  A Essential Ingredient to Mastering Good Teaching"

This session is presented by Dr. Audra Morse, P.E., Department of Civil and Envirnonmental Engineering, Texas Tech University

Questioning is a basic technique used to involve students in the lesson, assess student understanding of lesson or course material and bring inattentive students back into the fold.  A poorly worded question may leave the student unsure of the intent of the question and afraid to answer for fear of looking foolish in front of their peers.  Just as the structure of the question is critical to effectiveness, the response to a question is just as critical.  A poorly answered question may leave the students unsure of the correct answer as well as unwilling to answer future questions.  In the workshop, the elements of good questions will be presented, examples given, and the participants will have an opportunity to practice question development.  Appropriate and less than appropriate responses to questions will be presented.  The workshop will be example driven and will provide ample time for questions!

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Writing to Think: Strategies that Foster Student Learning"

This session is presented by Dr. Anisa Zvonkovic, Rachel Engler, M.A., & Katherine Gerst, M.S., Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University

The goal of this workshop is to teach professionals and educators how “Writing to Think” activities can be implemented in the classroom to promote critical thinking skills and enhance learning and understanding. “Writing to Think” techniques are often informal writing tasks designed to encourage student thinking and allow students to develop, clarify, and experiment with ideas through writing activities. These techniques help instructors tap into a variety of student thinking processes and can be used before, during or after class to assess student learning. Instructors have the ability to monitor the student learning process and assess the thinking skills of students. Concretely, instructor can check for student understanding, assessing for example when students might be missing key content or when they need more challenging material. The workshop will also discuss benefits from both student and instructor perspectives, a variety of techniques and activities that can be used across many disciplines, and suggestions for evaluating student writing and giving students feedback (while avoiding a paperwork nightmare).

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Cyber-Class: Strategies for Enhancing Online Instruction"

This session is presented by Dr. Ruby Willey-Rendon, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, West Texas A&M University

This interactive presentation will demonstrate how to implement the following technological strategies to encourage critical thinking and higher standards in the online classroom. Learn how implement class interaction through various types of threaded discussions, apply self-reflection or group reflection through class blogs, realize critical thinking activities through the use of content related video, technology integrated activities and WebCam Instruction, and employ a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"The Necessity of Interdisciplinary Education: Testing the Pedagogy of Collaboration at our University"

This session is presented by Dr. Cherif Amor, Interim Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Design, Texas Tech University

The lack of collaboration, accreditation boards’ recommendations, and the pedagogic exigencies of the era compelled the development of an interdisciplinary course at TTU that brought together three design disciplines—architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.  This collaboration studio course is offered every fall semester, team taught by faculty from the three disciplines, and partnered with a design firm to provide the programmatic data for the projects and review of the different phases of the project. This session will include a digital presentation followed by a panel discussion to pave the way for more elaboration on the present pedagogic initiative including but not limited to the importance, problems, and consequences of collaboration.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Instant Gratification: Product vs. Process"

This session is presented by Drs. Michael Berry, Thomas Hughes, Stacey Jocoy, and Angela Mariani, School of Music, Texas Tech University

Studies have shown that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at anything. These same studies have demonstrated that there are no shortcuts to this goal. Most people will take any opportunity to shorten that amount of time, and with the availability of so many sources of instantaneous gratification, it seems very possible to achieve expertise in less time than this. This raises several pedagogical questions. First, as teachers, do we embrace the new technology and teach to it? Do we try to slow our students down? Are the Means (i.e., learning how to learn) more important than the Ends (i.e., being an expert)? Can one be an expert without knowing how to learn? This panel tackles these questions by addressing specific learning modes and audiences in an effort to confront our constantly accelerating social and education expectations. Michael Berry discusses how to incorporate the writing process into a graduate seminar. Stacey Jocoy addresses the importance of evaluating the authority of online content. Thomas Hughes examines the relationship between media and technology consumption and the changing physical needs of students. Angela Mariani tackles the challenges of educating freshman that were most likely educated in a system without books and in which standardization is the norm.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Do It Yourself: Helping students create their own open-source textbook"

This session is presented by Dr. Mark Phillips, College of Business Administration, Abilene Christian University

During the fall 2010 semester, 20 students in an Introductory Business course were challenged to create their own textbook. This project, completed on top of the normal course requirements, forced them to consider how and why they use textbooks. It also required each student to become deeply immersed in one specific area of the course material. The end result of their efforts now serves as the sole textbook for the course. This interactive presentation will examine the rationale for this effort, the hurdles and pitfalls, the benefits (including the $15,000 saved each year by students), and specific ways that other faculty can achieve the same results.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Improving Academic Integrity: Helping Students Avoid Plagiarism"

This session is presented by Dr. Amy Andersen, Associate Professor, Department of Education & Director, Teaching Excellence Center, West Texas A&M University

The traditional age college student has grown up with technology and instant access to information at all times and may have difficulty defining and recognizing plagiarism. Higher education faculty need to help students understand definitions of plagiarism as well as reasons why it is unacceptable. This presentation will investigate definitions of plagiarism, possible causes, and strategies faculty can use to help students understand these ideas. The use of software/submission sites such as TurnItIn will be discussed with practical ideas for how to use these tools to inform students before plagiarism occurs. Participants should leave with practical strategies they can use immediately in their courses.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Cross-cultural Teaching Strategies: Developing Syllabi for Inclusive Teaching Across Disciplines"

This session is presented by Dr. Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Assistant Professor,
Department of Human Development & Family Studies

Integrating a cross-cultural perspective into higher education curriculum has been identified as a central concern during the last decades. Previous evidence shows that study participants have a marked preference for training that is innovative and interesting, well-facilitated, and delivered with attention to participants’ own pace, context, and needs. Furthermore, scholars have found that cultural competency is most effectively achieved through experience-based learning techniques that encourage critical thinking through the exploration of personal biases and the construction of an inclusive perspective that supports sustainable internal growth. The proposed workshop aims to review basic knowledge on models of learning and teaching and to provide “how-to” guidelines for incorporating a cross-cultural perspective in syllabi across disciplines.  Participants will engage in a small-group exercise to examine sample syllabi and sample instructional materials and discuss ways to improve their own syllabi using the samples provided as models.

7th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference, Pre-Conference sessions
"Forget the Bells and Whistles - Ten Basic Tips for Effective Online Teaching"

This session is presented by Dr. Stephanie J. Jones, Assistant Professor, College of Education, Texas Tech University

There is a misconception in online education that the more multimedia and bells and whistles provided in a course the more entertaining the course will be, resulting in a better quality online experience for students.  Unfortunately, entertainment does not always lead to successful student learning and it can actually increase the stress levels experienced by the faculty member, as well as the students.  This session will take us back to the basics of teaching – where good pedagogy is good teaching - working within the confines of distance learning.  We will look at ten basic tips that will help you improve your online teaching, relieve your stress levels, help you become more efficient, as well as provide a better online experience for your students.

Engaged & Integrated Scholar Lecture Series: "Rising Voices: Engaged and Integrated Scholarship for Social Change" by Dr. Amy N. Heuman

This lecture focuses on the development and implementation of a public speaking program facilitated by her TTU COMS students. The Community Engagement Public Speaking (CEPS) program assists underserved and underrepresented PreK-6th grade youths in developing a public and civic “voice” through instruction on public speaking and community engagement. CEPS also encourages mentoring relationships between children and college students as a means of promoting higher education as a goal and option for disenfranchised young people. The active learning that takes place via community engagement heightens TTU students’ awareness of intercultural and gendered communication at work within their social worlds. Dr. Heuman will discuss the ways in which this form of engaged pedagogy and community engagement interweaves with her program of research focusing on intersections of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality in the Communication Studies discipline.

The TLPDC and TTU Ethics Center Spring Series: "Justice and Genetic Discrimination" with Dr. Cheryl Erwin

Cheryl Erwin, JD, PhD, Visiting Professor, Texas Tech University Law School
Genetic discrimination is the denial of rights, privileges, or opportunities or other adverse treatment based solely on genetic information.  Individuals worry about potential discrimination at a higher rate than which they experience such incidents. This worry may motivate them to place subtle and/or overt limits on themselves, such as keeping their family history a secret, abstaining from genetic testing, or passing by opportunities to change employers.  While the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 seeks to address these concerns, it is not clear whether these worries have been allayed, or whether the perception of genetic discrimination has diminished. This discussion will highlight Genetic Discrimination, the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008, and Huntington’s disease.

"Promoting INteraction in Online Courses" by Dr. Mary Fehr

Learn how to bring an online course to life with a variety of options for online interaction.  Find out how to integrate them into an online course to facilitate engagement and build a community of learners.

"So You Want to be a Professor" Series: "Writing a Research Statement" by Dr. Dominick Casadonte

Upon venturing into the job market, many academics – particularly those in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) – are asked to provide hiring committees with a “research statement.” But what exactly is a research statement? What information  should be included? How long should it be?... Join Dr. Dominick Casadonte, Minnie Stevens Piper Professor from the Department of Chemistry, as he discusses the ins and outs of the elusive and enigmatic research statement.

"Research Services: NSF Fastlane" by Colette Solpietro

Documents download:

Biographical Sketch

Plans for Data Management

Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan

The TLPDC and TTU Ethics Center Spring Series: "Research Ethics Topics and Values" with Dr. Howard Curzer

Most classes aim to instill knowledge and/or skill, but Research Ethics aims to motivate behavior, too. Forbidding wrongdoing and threatening punishment are insufficient; they merely produce increasingly clever rule-breaking. To succeed, one must get buy-in from the listener by explaining why the wrongdoing is wrong in ways that the listener will accept. That is, one must connect the desired behavior with values already held by the listener. In my Research Ethics course I grapple with a range of RCR topics: Scientific Misconduct, Authorship, Dual Use Research, Publication and Peer Review, Conflicts of Interest, Intellectual Property, Mentoring and Collaboration, Data Management, Responsibilities to Animal Subjects, and Responsibilities to Human Subjects. To these topics correspond a range of ethical behaviors. What values do listeners already possess that enable them to buy into these behaviors? How does one motivate virtue?

"Research Services: Budget Basics" by Colette Solpietro

Graduate School Grant Writing Workshop with Dr. Clifford B. Fedler

This workshop will include resources to help you search for external funding opportunities as well as grantsmanship tips to help you in the proposal writing process.

9th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning featuring Dr. Kristen Renn

Afternoon Session – Classroom Climate and Beyond: Optimizing Student Learning and Success.

In this session we will discuss barriers to and facilitators of inclusive teaching that promotes student learning and success. Classroom climate is one factor in inclusion, and we will consider strategies to create welcoming environments for all students. We will also discuss the ways that tensions existing across groups can themselves be leveraged to stimulate student learning. We will discuss inclusive factors beyond classroom climate that can be used in different disciplinary contexts to promote optimal learning.

9th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning featuring Dr. Kristen Renn

Morning Session – Understanding Intersecting Processes: Complex Ecologies of Diversity, Identity, Teaching, and Learning.

Although it is tempting to believe that issues of diversity and multiculturalism in education have been fully addressed, abundant evidence suggests that this is not the case. Students and faculty bring complex, evolving identities to the processes of teaching and learning, and scholars cannot fully understand teaching and learning without considering these identities. Using examples from her research with mixed race students and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, Dr. Renn will discuss the ecology of teaching and learning in an era when identities based on categories such as race, gender, and sexual orientation are evolving into new forms.

Ethics Series: "The Gulf Oil Spill: Some Questions to be Asked and Initial Lessons to be Learned" with Rich Burgess

This presentation is by Rich Burgess, Deputy Director for Distance Learning, Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism.

The recent Gulf oil spill has highlighted the importance of ethics in the practice of engineering and will be a source of critical lessons for engineers of all disciplines.  In the direct aftermath of the explosion and spill, emphasis has been placed on 1) stopping the leak/containing the spill and 2) determining responsibility for the disaster.  While this emphasis is appropriate, it is incomplete.  Little of substance has been said about what we, the general public, should learn from this disaster.  Which questions ought to be asked?  What, if anything, should we do differently as a result of this disaster? This presentation will explore some of these questions and lessons.

Jumpstart 2010
"Teaching in Your Pajamas: Preparing to Teach Online" with Dr. Mary Fehr

Distance learning is becoming increasingly important at TTU. Find out what makes a good online course, a good online instructor, and all the "insider" information for gearing up to design and teach it.  Topics will include six required steps to follow before creating your course, an overview of exemplary online course features, teaching tips and time management for instructors, TLPDC Instructional Design options to help you develop a great online course, and ideas for evaluating your course.

Jumpstart 2010
"The Changing Roles of the Professor" Panelists: Dr. Laura Beard, Dr. Lou Densmore, Dr. Melanie Hart, Dr. William Westney, and Dr. William Lan (moderator)

In an age of unpredictable economic crises and societal transformations, universities themselves may continue to experience changes, along with certain aspects of the job of “professor.” Among the changes that you will face as university educators is a new generation of students; many of these individuals seem to feel (or at least act) more and more entitled. How do we reach them, instill in them the desire to learn and excel and convince them that hard work will pay off?  How do the changing technologies and skill sets of new generations of students affect the way we deliver content knowledge and curricula? How do we adapt to change (and prepare for change) in our roles as professors?  What kinds of changes might we face from grad student to assistant professor to associate professor to professor or even to department chair?  What can we be doing now to be ready to embrace those changes when they come?  Join this panel discussion with members of the Teaching Academy as we consider the changing roles of the professor.

Jumpstart 2010
"The Evolution of a Professor" with Dr. Mark Webb

In this session, Dr. Mark Webb, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy, will share his reflections on his years of experience in higher
education, his “hits and misses” as a teacher, and how he has changed and grown as a result.

Jumpstart 2010
"Teaching Beyond Diversity: Becoming Culturally Competent" with Dr. Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo

Multiple institutional barriers have been identified as risk factors for educational attainment across educational settings. This session will provide guidelines for becoming a culturally competent teacher, discuss culturally responsive pedagogical strategies, and demonstrate the implementation of cross-cultural teaching strategies across academic disciplines.

Jumpstart 2010
"Surviving the Snake Pit: Coping with Academic Burnout and Learning to Adapt" with Suzanne Tapp and Dr. Allison Boye

Have you or your colleagues ever experienced any feelings of “burnout” with your work? Why might so many academics be workaholics? This discussion-based session will examine unique factors in the academic culture that contribute to faculty burnout and compassion fatigue, and consider workable strategies for coping with and preventing those feelings of frustration and defeat while developing positive support networks and organizational approaches.

Jumpstart 2010
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Manuscript: Detecting and Preventing Plagiarism" with Arlene Paschel and Brian Quinn

The focus of this session will be on understanding why, how, and where students obtain plagiarized material and what you as a faculty member can do about it. Although the emphasis will be on detecting plagiarism, the topic of prevention will also be addressed. Attendees will learn the sources of plagiarism, how to recognize it, and how to determine if the material is not original. Particular attention will be paid to the role of technology in both facilitating and exposing plagiarism. Learn practical strategies and techniques for uncovering plagiarism and discover ways in which you can make plagiarism less likely to occur among your students.  By understanding the root causes of plagiarism, you can transform it from a witch hunt into a teachable moment and rekindle student respect for you as a teacher and for the value of higher education.

Jumpstart 2010
"Teaching Versus Research???” with Dr. Alice Young and Dr. Michael San Francisco

Increasing demands on faculty are being made from different directions. Demands for increased research productivity may place a heavy burden on those of us in the proverbial “trenches” - but we can find synergies in our teaching and research.  The whole scholar is one who effectively integrates research activities and responsible conduct of research into traditional and non-traditional teaching.  We will discuss strategies and opportunities to facilitate these activities.

"Everyday Practices for Responsible Conduct of Research" with Dr. Alice Young

How do we model effective responsible conduct of research practices for our students?  What have we learned about integrating research ethics into our research training?  Please join Dr. Alice Young, Faculty Fellow for Research Integrity, Professor of Psychology, and Professor of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, as we consider these questions and responsible conduct of research.

Download PowerPoint slides in PDF: Ethics and Research

"How Do I Get More Students to Participate in Class?" with Dr. Bob McDonald
A session in “So You Want to be a Professor?” Series

Facilitated by Dr. Bob McDonald, Associate Professor, Marketing, 2008 Recipient of the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award, The Rawls College of Business. Common wisdom tells us that too often a limited number of students make the majority of contributions in our classes.  Although getting more students to participate can be challenging, it can be done. Dr. Bob McDonald will facilitate a discussion about encouraging classroom participation based his teaching experiences and interactive teaching style.

Ethics Series: "Responding Effectively to Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct" Panelists: Dr. Greg Elkins, Dr. Ralph Ferguson, and Drew Canham. Facilitator: Dr. David Roach

There are indications that academic dishonesty has become a significant problem on college campuses today. How can we implement positive strategies and solutions that foster classroom environments in which academic integrity matters? Join Dr. Greg Elkins (Student Affairs and Dean of Students), Dr. Ralph Ferguson (Graduate School) and Drew Canham (Ombudsman for Students) as they share insights from their experiences in dealing with students and updates regarding the new academic dishonesty policy.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"A Graphic Novel Approach to Business Education"

This workshop is presented by Dr. Jeremy C. Short, Associate Professor, Management and Aaron McKenny, graduate student.

The goal of this session is to present the graphic novel as an emerging medium for university education. We provide examples from two recent graphic novel format works that incorporate key concepts relevant to business management education. The first, Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed, is the first management graphic novel. Second, the iPremier case is a Harvard Business Case that chronicles an information technology incident. Theoretical and practical advantages of this unique medium will also be discussed, and questions from audience members will be answered based on our experiences using this pedagogical tool.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Enhancing Learning with the Use of Games"

This workshop is presented by Dr. David Howle, Associate Professor, School of Religion and Philosophy, Wayland Baptist University.

When traditionally aged university students list the distractions which keep them from study, playing games and social networking are high on the list. If these are natural interests of students, why don’t we try to understand how these activities could actually be used in the classroom to enhance education? Learning games can be effective not only for stimulating interest, but also for increasing comprehension and retention of university-level content. Many such games appeal to the postmodern preference for community-based learning and can aid in the development of critical thinking skills. Participants in this session will experience playing several learning games: pencil sketching, team competitions, brainstorming, cartoon completion, and cross-cultural exercises. Takeaways include resources for many more games, samples of game paraphernalia, and objects used in the session. Participants will develop ideas for classroom games and will evaluate application of a game in a college classroom setting as presented via video. The value of the session to participants will be a supply of ideas for using games productively in classrooms of 10-48 students.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Foreign Language Classrooms: Interaction Hives"

This workshop is presented by Dr. Idoia Elola, Assistant Professor, Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, and Ana Cawthon, Pablo Domínguez Abraham Mata and Laura Valentín, Graduate Students, Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.

This presentation provides an overview of tasks that can be greatly beneficial to promote interaction among our students in the classroom or while learning on their own. Although these tasks are designed with foreign language development in mind, we will present a sequence of exercises that can be integrated across disciplines and fields: we will (1) explain tasks with techniques that can raise the self-confidence of the students so they feel more comfortable working with others; (2) present tasks whose main goal is to promote idea sharing and information exchange that allows students to take control of their own learning; (3) present tasks that foster oral interaction to help students with the content in their writing assignments; (4) provide samples of collaborative writing through the use of wikis and chats; and, finally, (5) include a section of game-based tasks that can promote the knowledge of concepts and general information.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Adaptability in Course Planning: Can We Accommodate Student Interests, Concerns, and Desires to Express Themselves in Our Courses?"

This workshop is presented by Dr. Ken Baake, Associate Professor, Department of English; Dr. Jen Shelton, Associate Professor, Department of English; Dr. Rebecca Rickly, Associate Professor, Department of English; Dr. Anisa Zvonkovic, Human Development and Family Studies.

The goal of our workshop and discussion is to consider how faculty can make their courses relevant to students and timely in terms of the events of their lives, while still delivering necessary content and skills training. We ask whether courses can be planned to allow for enough flexibility in content and class activities so that topics of relevance to students that emerge as the class progresses can be accommodated in the curriculum. Having a flexible syllabus is easy in some classes we consider, such as English classes where the main goal is for students to become better writers. What would seem to be more challenging is in courses where content mastery is a primary goal. We propose to begin this panel by presenting some teaching techniques we have used successfully in order to make our writing and literature classes relevant to student concerns and to motivate student engagement. We will then do a brief survey of teachers attending from other disciplines to see if they have strategies. At the end of the workshop we would hope to have enough notes available from the discussion to offer salient advice on how to make courses relevant and timely while still maintaining more timeless content and skills standards.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Diversity Matters: Interactive Approaches to Incorporating Diversity Topics in the Classroom"

This workshop is presented by Dr. Kanika Batra, Assistant Professor, Department of English; Dr. Laura J. Beard, Associate Professor, Department of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures & Faculty Liaison, Cross-Cultural Academic Achievement Center; Dr. Priscilla Ybarra, Assistant Professor, Department of English and former Faculty Liaison, Cross-Cultural Academic Achievement Center.

In this workshop, we will share activities we have found useful in our classes to underscore our commitment to diversity issues, exploring different kinds of activities that can be used towards different pedagogical goals. Examples include Peggy McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Knapsack of White Privilege” and a similar activity that explores heterosexual privilege; one that both addresses racial and ethnic terms used to describe groups of people in the United States and reveals how individuals from those races or ethnicities respond to the terms; peer group activities as a useful strategy in courses that address topics and contexts not familiar to many students; and the importance of community speakers in the classroom to address a variety of crucial topics.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Reflections on Ten Years of Teaching Online Architectural Design Studios"

This workshop is presented by Robert D. Perl, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Professor of Architecture.

The author will explain the pedagogy behind design studios, a commonly used format in architectural education. Typically, design studios are based on projects, formatted as a series of individual tutorials, and evaluated with critiques of the outcomes. The author will reflect on his evolving approach to studio teaching and his experiences developing a set of techniques utilizing student-designed webpages within individual student-managed public access websites. Students use preliminary weekly postings to show their design processes and use final postings to show their completed projects.

Of particular interest to those attempting to generalize these techniques to their own disciplines, the author will include comments on individual work vs. teamwork, characteristics of appropriate projects, how to balance preliminary processes with final products, and some issues in formal jury critiques.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"How to Avoid PowerPoint Induced Coma"

This workshop is presented by James Hogue, Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems, Wayland Baptist University.

Do your students tune out and enter a coma when you start a PowerPoint lecture? Can, or should, you as a subject matter expert condense everything you want to teach into bullet points? Do your students fail to bring pen and paper to class or never take notes? The overuse of bad PowerPoint has produced a generation of students who are inattentive during presentations and who think everything they need to know will appear on the PowerPoint handout. Thousands of books and millions of words have been written about how to use PowerPoint. The great majority deal with how to manipulate the program or the same tired rules of PowerPoint use. Almost none deal with effective teaching methods. This workshop will challenge the way we typically use PowerPoint. By using a different approach, PowerPoint can be a tool to encourage discussions and promote higher-level learning.

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference
"Teaching Beyond Diversity: Becoming Culturally Competent"

This workshop is presented by Dr. Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Studies and Dr. Malinda Colwell, Associate Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Studies.

Multiple institutional barriers have been identified as risk factors for educational attainment across educational settings (e.g., K-12, college, graduate programs) such as non-inclusive campus environment, ineffective culturally sensitive pedagogical approaches, lack of cross-cultural knowledge in curricula, and lack of institutional diversity commitment among others. In light of the rapid societal and demographic changes, it is critically important that educators not only recognize the importance of diversity and multiculturalism, but that they become culturally competent teachers to enable positive interactions across diverse student populations and to improve interest, learning, and achievement in education. This workshop aims to provide guidelines for becoming a culturally competent teacher, discuss culturally responsive pedagogical strategies, and demonstrate the implementation of cross-cultural teaching strategies across academic disciplines. The workshop will include interactive-feedback segments to engage participants in discussion of teaching challenges in their own disciplines as well as problem-solving exercises in small groups. Practical implications will be discussed and suggested readings and resources will be provided for participants.

Download PowerPoint slides in PDF: "Teaching Beyond Diversity"

6th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference with Dr.Eric Mazur

Harvard Professor – Author of Peer Instruction
Eric Mazur is the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University. An internationally recognized scientist and researcher, he leads a vigorous research program in optical physics and supervises one of the largest research groups in the Physics Department at Harvard University.

In addition to his work in optical physics, Dr. Mazur is interested in education, science policy, outreach, and the public perception of science. He believes that better science education for all - not just science majors - is vital for continued scientific progress. To this end, Dr. Mazur devotes part of his research group's effort to education research and finding verifiable ways to improve science education. In 1990 he began developing Peer Instruction a method for teaching large lecture classes interactively. Dr. Mazur's teaching method has developed a large following, both nationally and internationally, and has been adopted across many science disciplines. Mazur is Chairman of the Instructional Strategy Advisory Group for Turning Technologies, a company developing interactive response systems for the education market.

Dr. Mazur is author or co-author of 219 scientific publications and 12 patents. He has also written on education and is the author of Peer Instruction: A User's Manual (Prentice Hall, 1997), a book that explains how to teach large lecture classes interactively. In 2006 he helped produce the award-winning DVD Interactive Teaching.

Morning session - "Turning Lectures into Learning" - Education is more than just transfer of information, yet transferring information is what is mostly done in the standard lecture -- instructors present material (even though this material might be readily available online or in printed form) and students take down as many notes as they can. There is little opportunity for the students to synthesize all the information delivered to them. Yet synthesis is perhaps the most important -- and most elusive -- aspect of education. I will show how shifting the focus in lectures from delivering information to synthesizing information greatly improves the learning that takes place in the classroom. Classroom response systems make it easy to implement my approach -- called Peer Instruction -- which involves students actively engaged in the process of teaching and learning.

Afternoon session - "Peer Instruction Workshop" - The basic goals of Peer Instruction are to encourage and make use of student interaction during lectures, while focusing students' attention on underlying concepts and techniques. The method has been assessed in many studies using standardized, diagnostic tests and shown to be considerably more effective than the conventional lecture approach to teaching. Peer Instruction is now used in a wide range of science, math, and other courses at the college and secondary level. In this workshop, participants will learn about Peer Instruction, serve as the “class” in which Peer Instruction is demonstrated along with student response using ResponseCards, discuss several models for implementing the technique in the classroom, and learn about available teaching resources.

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

8th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning with Drs. O.C. and Linda Ferrell

Aftersoon Session: "Teaching Organizational Ethics: Concepts & Approaches"

This session will focus on organizational ethics. We will point out that ethical decision making occurs in all types of organizations (non-profit, educational, government, as well as business). Since most students will end up working in an organization, they need to understand the challenges, pitfalls, and how to identify and manage risks within their organization.

8th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning with Drs. O.C. and Linda Ferrell

Morning Session: "The Importance of SoTL Work in Teaching Difficult Subjects"

This session will provide an overview of articles, books, and teaching materials that assist in understanding this complex area. We will overview academic as well as other contributions to knowledge in the area of organizational ethics. We will also discuss ways to publish in the area, create distributive resources such as websites, Podcasts, as well as others.

Jumpstart 2009
"Instructional Strategies, Teaching Style, and Your Online Course” with Bree Denton

Will you be teaching an online or hybrid course soon? In this session, we will explore your teaching style and how that will fit with research based instructional strategies. We will then look at what those will look like in an online or hybrid course. Finally, we will discuss online resources and online ideas for teaching content.

Jumpstart 2009
"Small Strategies for Large Classes” Panel Discussion

Do you teach classes of 50, 100, or 200+ students? How do we create an environment where students do not feel lost in a sea of faces? Join us as esteemed faculty from across campus discuss their experiences teaching large classes at Texas Tech. Our panelists will share the strategies they’ve used for effective teaching and learning in classes of 50 or more students.

Jumpstart 2009
"The Old Ways: Energizing Your Students with Participatory Learning” with Dr. Christopher Smith

Thelonious Monk, asked to “define jazz,” paused, and then replied, “I can show it to you better than I can explain it to you.” Monk’s statement articulates a significant insight—that certain insights can only be taught or learned via non-verbal demonstration-imitation-critique techniques. 21st-century learners respond to diversified teaching. This presentation provides tools and approaches which can energize classroom teaching across the curriculum.

Download PowerPoint slides: "The Old Ways: Energizing Your Students with Participatory Learning"

Jumpstart 2009
"The Myths of Multi-Tasking” with Dr. Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp

Do you notice that your students attempt to “multitask” by performing multiple activities with less than effective results? Multitasking has been proudly heralded as a skill among Millennial students who believe that they can do it all. However, recent challenges to the idea of multitasking have emerged and confirmed that multitasking is, indeed, a poor long-term strategy for learning. This session will examine multitasking trends, recent research suggesting that the emphasis on multitasking creates impatient learners who process knowledge at a more shallow level, and implications for the classroom as we consider the art of paying attention.

Jumpstart 2009
"Tips from a Blackboard Junkie” with Dr. Mary Fehr

Learn time-saving techniques for designing Blackboard courses that have resulted from one user's trial and error. You'll also learn some best practice strategies for designing and replicating course modules, and the latest (easy) technique for including a PowerPoint presentation with audio.

Jumpstart 2009
"Learning from Mistakes" Teaching Academy Panel Discussion, co-sponsored by the TLPDC and the TEaching Academy

James Joyce said that “A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.” As you consider your teaching, perhaps you’ve missed an opportunity to explain a concept clearly, spent too much time policing students instead of teaching them, missed the mark in leading your students in discussion – we’ve all made mistakes! Please join a distinguished panel of faculty members representing the Texas Tech Teaching Academy as they reflect on their teaching, mistakes made and lessons learned in the process.

Jumpstart 2009
"Breaking Bad... Lecture Habits by Using Cooperative Learning" with Dr. Nathan Collie

Tired of giving standard “tell ‘em and test ‘em” lectures in large classes? You don’t have to revolutionize your entire course to engage students in active learning. One way to start is by introducing cooperative learning into your classroom. Breaking students into groups changes the fundamental learning unit from individual students to their group. This encourages the most effective learning tool—peer instruction—to flourish. Exploring the nuts-and-bolts of a cooperative learning classroom may help you get started.

5th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference: “The Pushme-Pullme Pressure of Combining Academic Careers with Family Responsibilities” by Dr. Diane Halpern

In Dr. Halpern’s second session, she will address the question, “What is the effect of children and other family care responsibilities on academic careers?” Dr. Halpern writes that “Data from a variety of sources show that the answers depend on whether babies are born ‘early’ or ‘late’ in one’s career (relative to tenure decisions), and whether the faculty member is female or male.” Drawing on her new book, Women at the Top: Powerful Leaders Tell Us How to Combine Work and Family, she will examine compatibility of beliefs about parenting and academic roles and present data from interviews with academics from “a diverse array of professions and across cultures [which] show how they are able to be dually-successful.” Recommendations will be shared for individual faculty members, institutions, and public policies because no one should have to choose between a family and an academic career.

Download PowerPoint slides: "The Pushme-Pullme Pressure of Combining Academic Careers with Family Responsibilities"

5th Annual Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference: “Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking: How to Make Critical Thinking a Learning Outcome” by Dr. Diane Halpern

Certainly critical thinking is one of the buzzwords in academia and a life-long learning goal in many of our classes. Please join us as Dr. Diane Halpern, well known for her research on critical thinking, leads the keynote session for the Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference. According to Dr. Halpern, “the twin abilities of knowing how to learn and knowing how to think clearly are the most important intellectual skills for the educated workforce of the future. The real question is can we teach critical thinking so that the skills generalize across domains and last long into the future. Empirical research has shown that with appropriate instruction, college students and other adults can become better thinkers.” In this interactive session, Dr. Halpern will present a short sampler of applications from cognitive psychology designed to improve thinking skills.

Download PowerPoint slides: "Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking: How to Make Critical Thinking a Learning Outcome"

"So You Want to be a Professor" Series: "Getting Your First Faculty Position: How to Ace Academic Job" by Dr. Tillmann Wagner, co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the TLPDC.

Dr. Wagner speaks about the job search and interviewing process from a perspective of both departments looking for a new hire as well as individual applicants. Key factors are discussed which determine what makes a candidate attractive. The emphasis of the talk lies on how applicants can prepare themselves for initial interviews and learn to adopt the right mental attitude enabling them to succeed and actually enjoy the process.

Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Workshop

This workshop is designed to help students with document formatting and proper citation styles. Workshop is led by the Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation supervisor and coordinator.

"So You Want to be a Professor" Series: "Surviving Your First Year as a Faculty Member", co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the TLPDC. Panelists: Dr. James Simonton, Dr. Anthony Qualin and Dr. Eduardo Segarra

This session focuses on what to expect during your first year as a new faculty member – including the balance of teaching, research, service, and more! You will hear from three different perspectives – the entry level faculty member, the mid-level associate professor and the tenured faculty member. “So You Want to be a Professor” Series are co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center and made possible by a generous funding from the Helen Jones Foundation.

Communicating Your Expectations: Using Rubrics for Grading Effectiveness by Micah M. Logan and Bree Denton

Would you like a better way to assess your students’ assignments and projects? Assessment can be easier and more reliable using rubrics to share your expectations and help students understand requirements and grading. This practical session will examine several sample rubrics and help you learn how to develop and implement this effective assessment technique ultimately helping you align learning objectives with intended outcomes.

Download documents: PowerPoint Presentation: "Communicating Your Expectations", Oral Presentation - Example of Developing a Rubric, Analytic Rubric Sample, Facione - Sample Holistic Rubric, and Holistic Rubric Example

Grant Writing Workshop by Colette Solpietro and Susan Barrick

This workshop helps prepare graduate students on grant writing expectations as they enter their first Assistant Professor position including funding agencies and major components of a grant proposal. This session is a continuation in the “So You Want to be a Professor?” series and is co-sponsored by the Office of Research Services and the Graduate School.

7th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning with Dr. Susie Whittington

Afternoon Session: "Teaching with Flair \fla(a)/(e)r, n. [fr.flairier|. natural ability or capacity]"

Download documents: Variables of Effective Teaching, You Think English is Easy, Vocabulary, Syllabus, e-Moments, and Reflection

7th Annual John M. Burns Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning with Dr. Susie Whittington

Morning Session: "Classrooms: Your Database for Publishing the Scholarship of Teaching"

Download documents: Guided Notes, Prospectus and List of Classrom Research Studies

Named in honor of Professor John M. Burns for his support of the teaching mission at Texas Tech University, the conference features plenary speaker Dr. Susie Whittington, Associate Professor in Human and Community Resource Development at The Ohio State University. Dr. Whittington's research has twice been awarded Author of the Year from the American Association for Agricultural Education.

"Best Teaching Practices Made Cyber-Friendly" with Dr. Andrea McCourt

- Dr. Andrea McCourt will discuss several elements for a successful transition from face-to-face to online courses. Topics include: what your students need to see on the first day of class, transitioning lectures and assessments, and basic active learning skills using threaded discussion and chat rooms.

Jumpstart 2008
"Using Microsoft Excel as a Gradebook" with Steve Jackman

- Wouldn't it be nice to simply enter a student's score on any assignment and have their semester grade generated automatically? Join us as we explore Microsoft Excel and the many features it offers for creating and maintaining a gradebook. In addition, we'll discuss how using Excel as a gradebook can expedite your response to students' questions about their grades.

Jumpstart 2008
"Instructional Design Tips for Online Course Design and Delivery" with Amanda Williams

- Best practice standards for designing exemplary online courses will be discussed. Topics include the introduction of six basic design categories, tips and examples of how to apply best practice standards, and guides to assist in the recognition and development of good online design and instruction practices.

Jumpstart 2008
"Students in Distress" Panel Discussion

- Join us for a discussion of students in distress with Cathy Duran (Rawls College of Business), Evelyn McPherson (Student Health Services), Amy Maynard Murphy (Student Affairs), and Julie Verrone (Student Counseling Center). This practical discussion will help you learn to recognize some of the symptoms displayed by students in distress, respond well to behaviors exhibited in the classroom, and identify ways to help these students through the resources available on campus.

Jumpstart 2008
"Excellence in Teaching: Student Perspectives" Facilitator: Dr. Karen Meaney

- How many times do we ask and listen to students' perspectives encompassing excellent teachers? Join us as students from diverse backgrounds and colleges communicate their thoughts about exceptional teachers.

Jumpstart 2008
"Teaching the Ne(x)t Generation" with Dr. Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp

- In this session we will explore some of the common traits of the "Millennials" or "Net Generations" - students who entered college beginning in the year 2000. We will also discuss what those traits mean for the higher education classroom, and consider the ways both instructors and Net Gen students can meet each other halfway to create the most effective learning environment possible.

Jumpstart 2008
"PowerPoint and the Art of Student Dis/Engagement" with David Faulkner

- This session will explore the "how" and the "why" of using PowerPoint, not only as an efficient medium for information, but also as a tool that can compel your students to participate actively. Topics to be addressed will include effectively using animations and templates, and incorporating video.

Jumpstart 2008
"Going the Distance: Different Perspectives on Distance Teaching and Learning" Panel Discussion

- Join us for a great discussion representing three different perspectives from faculty members with varying levels of experience with teaching and leading online instruction. Dr. Matt Baker (new Dean of Outreach and Distance Education), Dr. John Miller (Associate Professor for Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences), and Dr. Tara Stevens (Assistant Professor for the College of Education) will share their tips to help instructors teaching online, thoughts about how to communicate with your departmental char and others about your online course, and lessons learned from their experiences as distance educators.

Jumpstart 2008
"Survivor: CLassroom Island...Outthink, Outplan, Outlast" with Dr. Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp

- Join this interactive session as we examine the challenges of student unpreparedness, classroom incivility, and lack of student participation and offer ideas for building rapport with students, establishing and enforcing clear guidelines, encouraging students to read, and fostering student involvement.

Jumpstart 2008
"Teach Well! A Practical Discussion about Teaching Effectiveness" Panel Discussion Co-Sponsored by the Teaching Academy

- Our distinguished panelists and members of the TTU Teaching Academy will share the secrets to their success and strategies for making a difference in the classroom.

Jumpstart 2008
"It's Not About You: Student-Centered Learning" by Dr. Bob McDonald

- This session will explorer various pedagogies that faculty can use to engage students and facilitate learning. Join Dr. Bob McDonald, Associate Professor of Marketing and recipient of the Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching Award, for this session on creating a student-centered classroom.

Jumpstart 2008
Welcome Remarks by Dr. David Roach

"So You Want to be a Professor" Series: The Significance of Cross-Disciplinary Research, co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the TLPDC. Panelists: Dr. Cherif Amor, Dr. Lauren Gollahon, and Dr. Aretha Marbley

- Are you a graduate student planning a career as a future faculty member? To help you consider a plan for your prospective research path and scholarly goals, please join us for a panel discussion examining the role and value of cross-disciplinary research. Panelists will share examples from their careers and discuss the benefits of working with and learning from colleagues in other disciplines.

So You Want to be a Professor? Research, Teaching, and Service: An Honest Look at the Balancing Act, co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the TLPDC. Panelists: Dr. Patrick Hughes, Dr. Aliza Wong, and Dr. Tara Stevens

- How do faculty members balance the responsibilities of research, teaching, and service - and manage to have a life outside of work? Graduate students preparing for their first faculty positions will definitely want to join Dr. Patrick Hughes, Dr. Aliza Wong, and Dr. Tara Stevens as they give honest perspectives about their success and difficulties in managing their time and keeping their heads above water.

Who Are They & What Do They Want? Understanding Today's Students
Facilitated by Dr. Jim Burkhalter with Student Panelists Tyler Griffin, Megan Hoffert, Kyle McCall, Jessica Meixner, and Ashley Smith

- Join us with a group of diverse students representing various disciplines as they share about their experiences as learners. What do they expect from their instructions and how do they see their roles as learners? Dr. Jim Burkhalter will facilitate our discussion as we listen to these students' perspectives about teaching and learning.

Advice for New Faculty Members: Strategies for a Successful Transition
Dr. Kamau Oginga Siwatu

- Although eager to begin their career at a post-secondary institution, many academic beginners arrive on campus without the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage their academic careers. A third-year, assistant professor will discuss a variety of strategies that may help prospective faculty members to “hit the ground running” after they have landed their first academic position. The presentation will include topics related to research, teaching, and service.

Teaching with An Understanding of Student Brain Functions
Dr. Roman Taraban

- In this presentation, Dr. Roman Taraban describes how learning is realized in the brain based on principles from cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience.  Dr. Taraban discusses teaching as the brain learns and gives an overview of current research.

If They Write It...I Have to Grade It!: Evaluating Student Writing
Dr. Allison Boye

- Have you ever been faced with a pile of papers to grade and left feeling like you don't know where to start? This workshop will focus on the conceptual and practical aspects of evaluating student writing across the disciplines, and will address how to make the actual process more efficient and effective.

Download documents: Workshop Outline, Sample Analytic Rubric and Sample Holistic Rubric

Preaching to the Unconverted: Tips for Teaching Non-Majors
Dr. Alan Arwine, Dr. Roger Saathoff and Dr. Michael San Francisco

- Have you ever had to teach an introductory or required course? Have you ever been met by a sea of students uninterested in your field and asking, "Why do I have to take this class?" Join our panel of experts for a discussion about the ups and downs of teaching non-majors and some advice for reaching out to students and getting them fired up about a new subject.

Writing Your Teaching Philosophy
Suzanne Tapp & Dr. Allison Boye

- Join us for a hands-on experience as we think through constructing an effective statement of your philosophy of teaching.

Lecture Well Series - Part II
with Dr. Sean Grass

- Part Two features Dr. Sean Grass from the Department of English. Join us as Dr. Grass shares his thoughts about effective teaching and lecturing.

Creating Your Teaching Portfolio
Suzanne Tapp

- Not sure about where to start with your teaching portfolio? Join us for practical tips and a look at many examples!.

Download handouts: Teaching Portfolios & Exercise Key

Lecture Well Series - Part I
with Dr. Michael Dini

- When done well, lectures can motivate students, spur their critical thinking, and help them draw complex connections between ideas. Join us as Dr. Dini shares his thoughts about effective teaching and lecturing.

Jumpstart 2007
"Setting the Tone: What to Do on the First Day and Beyond" by Dr. Sam Jackson, Dr. Lynn Huffman, and Dr. Bob McDonald

- Beginnings are important. Whether you are teaching a large introductory course for freshmen or an advanced course for majors, it makes good sense to start the semester off well. Students decide very early whether they like the course, its content, the teacher, and their fellow students.

Jumpstart 2007
"Survivor: Classroom Island… Outthink, Outplan, Outlast" by Suzanne Tapp and Dr. Allison Boye

- Do you feel like you need survival skills to navigate classroom management successfully in your classroom? Join this interactive session for a look at different case scenarios dealing with common classroom challenges. The presenters, Dr. Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp, will examine the all-too-common challenges of student unpreparedness, classroom incivility, and lack of student participation and offer ideas for building rapport with students, establishing and enforcing clear guidelines, encouraging students to read, and fostering student involvement. These survival skills are guaranteed to help you make peace with the natives and create a winning environment for all members of the tribe.

Download document: Case Scenarios

Jumpstart 2007
"Involving and Engaging Students with Active Learning" by Dr. Debbie Laverie and Dr. Lauren Gollahon

- Learning is not a spectator sport! Students must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. Join Dr. Debbie Laverie and Dr. Lauren Gollahon as they share their thoughts about what works in their classrooms and strategies that they've learned with experience and trial-and-error. This session will include an overview of active learning, practical and proven ideas for your classroom, and lots of participation from workshop participants.

Download document: In-Class Active Cooperative Learning

Jumpstart 2007
"Emerging Technology: Wikis, Pods, and Blogs" by Steve Jackman and David Rodriguez

- Today’s students use internet resources more than ever before. They rely on the internet for their news, weather and sports information as well as communication with family, friends, coworkers, classmates and teachers. This session will discuss some of the latest technologies available to teachers who wish to reach their students in this manner. By incorporating these technologies into your course, you can improve student learning by reaching them through a familiar medium.

Jumpstart 2007
"Zen of PowerPoint" by David Faulkner

- Steve Jobs of Apple Computers has been touted as one of the most effective presenters to date. Join us for a discussion of effective strategies for using PowerPoint based on the “Kanso” method, the same method that Jobs uses in his presentations. Learn to use PowerPoint not only a medium for information in your lecture but also as a tool that compels your students to participate and stay focused on content.

Jumpstart 2007
"Research, Teaching, and Service: An Honest Look at the Balancing Act" by Dr. Todd Brashears, Dr. Mindy Brashears, Dr. Rob Stewart and Dr. Kitty Harris

- How do faculty members balance the responsibilities of research, teaching, and service - and manage to have a life outside of work? Join Dr. Mindy Brashears, Dr. Todd Brashears, Dr. Kitty Harris, and Dr. Rob Stewart as they give honest perspectives about their success and difficulties in managing their time and keeping their heads above water.

"Engaging Scholarship: Integrating Teaching and research through service-learning"
Morgan A. Mercer and Dr. Karen Meaney

- Obtain useful tips and practical advice on how to create an integrated teaching and research program aligned with the principles of scholarly engagement and implemented through service-learning.

"Construction ahead: tips for designing effective tests"
kari wood, m.ed.

Download documents: Construction Ahead Handouts & Sample Test Blueprint

"Ethical Misconduct Disasters:  What is the Role of Ethics Education?"
Dr. O.C. Farrell and Dr. Linda Ferrell

 - We are pleased to bring Linda and O.C. Ferrell to Texas Tech to discuss the role of ethics education and invite you to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from these nationally known experts (www.e-businessethics.com)

"Inquiring Minds Want to Know:  How are My Students Learning
and Why Does it Matter?", Dr. Connie Schroeder

"Conducting and Publishing a SoTL Study:
The Teaching Activity, it Evaluation and the Journal-Submission Process"
Dr. Alan Reifman

"Making the SoTL an Individual and Institutional Priority"
Dr. Connie Schroeder

"How to Ruin Lectures with PowerPoint" by Dr. Erin Hardin

Download Presentation:  "Basic Guide to Using PowerPoint"

"Research, Teaching, and Service:  An Honest Look at the
Balancing Act" Panel Discussion Co-Sponsored by the
Teaching Academy

"Involving and Engaging Students with Active Learning" by
Dr. Debbie Laverie and Suzanne Tapp

"Engage Students with Technology:
The Student Response System"

Download TurningPoint: Link