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Session 1: 9:00-9:30
No more peek-a-boo: Using rubrics to promote grading transparency and student development
Presenter: Edwina Haring, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online and hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
The presentation introduces development of the balanced online group project rubric. Informing literature includes grading transparency, product and process assessment, and individual and group grades for group assignments. The goals of the online group project assessment, capitalizing on evaluation research and employer teamwork skill needs coupled with the challenges of online group work behavior, drove the revision of group assignments and development of the rubric. Online group projects can be especially vulnerable to student participation inequities such as social loafing or aggressive communications. Rubrics, visible to students, serve as both the instructional component to guide student effort and as the assessment component which promotes grading transparency and student self-monitoring. Process and product criteria, as well as individual and group grading, balance student expectations, promote fairness through transparency, and reduce what-does-the-professor-want anxiety, thus fostering healthy instructor-student interactions. The presentation is designed for attendees who have some knowledge or experience with rubrics and are ready to elevate rubric development and use in their courses.
What type of researcher are you: an innovative active learning activity
Presenter: Dana Kemery, Nursing, Drexel University
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: South BC
Research courses provide a basis for research methodologies and protocols. The information learners receive helps them to determine the best approach for their research plans. But where and how do learners learn what type of researchers they are now, how their current thinking helps them to create and plan research activities? By using YouTube and VoiceThread in an asynchronous online research course, learners were able to experience a shared event and share their observations in VoiceThread. They also constructed a research question and plan based on their observations. Peers provided feedback on the VoiceThread, helping to hone the research questions and plans of others. Finally, the learners determined the most unique and practical research plans. Learners commented on the differences in how they saw themselves as researchers and how this activity helped them to think differently about future research plans.
Integrating screencasts and videos for learning and assessment
Presenters: Ron Caro & Douglas Harvey, Education, Stockton University
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: West ABC
This presentation will demonstrate how screencasting, video, and Google applications can be integrated within the learning environment for learning and assessment. Currently, students within a hybrid technology course, at a liberal arts higher education institution, are integrating their accessibility and technology skills within student-centered Project Based Learning. Presenters will share the type of learning and assessment strategies with examples that harness the accessibility of technology and skill level of today’s 21st century learners.
Evaluating Practice Skills: Using Kaltura with students
Presenter: Sara Beth Plummer, Social Work, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: Executive Meeting Room
The presenter will explore the use of Kaltura as part of a multi-pronged assignment in a social work course. In order to fully demonstrate their recently obtained knowledge and abilities centered on social work practice skills (i.e. engaging a client, interviewing skills, appropriate body language, etc.), students are asked to create a script that details the conversation between a social worker (the student) and client (friend or family member) and then asked to use Kaltura to video an actual depiction of the script. Students are then asked to complete a reflection paper on the video experience. Students are always concerned about this experience of videotaping initially but reflection paper results suggest students really enjoy this project and feel that watching themselves helps them to view their strengths and areas they can work towards improving.
Session 2: 9:35-10:05
Building virtual communities to increase student engagement in online courses
Presenter: Charles McLeester, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses, Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: Multipurpose Room
Teaching online requires different skills from those used in face-to-face learning. You may be an extraordinary classroom teacher, but engaging students without your physical presence requires different tools. One of the biggest challenges is building an online community that successfully engages students to participate regularly in your online course. You have to create an online presence that acts as a surrogate for regular classroom meetings in order to fully engage students in the online learning experience.
This presentation provides tips for executing three essential elements to create an engaging online environment:
- Create and maintain a strong instructor presence
- Require regular student interaction and collaboration
- Integrate active learning techniques throughout all aspects of the course
Taking a hands-on example of experimental design to the online classroom
Presenter: Robrecht van der Wel, Psychology Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: South BC
In this presentation, I will discuss some of the hurdles of converting a face-to-face course into an online course. In particular, I will focus on the way I transformed an experiential learning portion in which students designed an experiment and collected data by shooting basketballs in the Rutgers-Camden gym for ten class periods of a traditional Winterim course into its conceptual equivalent in the online version of the course. While this seemed daunting to do at first, the example will show participants that rather than losing something in the conversion, it became an even richer teaching and learning experience for the students in the course. I will discuss other smaller challenges as well.
Using technology to handle challenges of large groups, learning assessment, and little time
Presenter: Laura Grayson Roselli, Biology/Biotechnology, RCBC
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: West ABC
Educators face many challenges as they attempt to cover a great deal of material with limited time, all the while handling students with different learning styles by using various presentation and assessment modalities. During this presentation, I will discuss how I have used features within learning management systems (LMS), online assessment apps and video recordings within a large-lecture setting. The time saved allows me to focus on higher-order learning such as analysis and evaluation. The tools include pre, mid and post-lecture assessments, paperless quizzes, team assessments and attendance tracking. These tools offer insight to both professor and student as to the students’ level of understanding before a major exam gives the—sometimes disappointing—answer. I will also discuss how I have changed the way I post course materials on the LMS to help students better navigate the myriad of powerpoint slides, videos, and assignments for my courses. With large classes and technology, the personal connections can be lost. I will offer a few suggestions on how to get to know students and get them to engage with one another.
The seminar course online: challenges and rewards
Moderator: Rick Demirjian, History, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Executive Meeting Room
Many faculty members have experienced the rewards of teaching seminar-style courses. The discursive environment and real time exchange of ideas in a seminar sharpens students’ communication skills, emphasizes critical thinking, builds community both within the class and a department, and allows faculty to lead deep dives into reading and film materials. It is typically a gratifying experience for both the student and the professor, yet such courses are usually aided by student enrollment coming primarily from a “home” department. The success of a seminar experience is always contingent on students completing the assigned reading. Yet as we know, the face-to-face accountability in weekly discussion exerts a certain pressure on students to come to class prepared.
Can this stimulating atmosphere, or some approximation of it, be created in an online environment? This roundtable session will provide a forum for faculty to discuss and exchange ideas on how to create a seminar-style environment online. Whether their interest might be in teaching a seminar online or in enhancing the student discourse in an existing course, tactics and strategies for both scenarios can be shared and explored. The hope is that more faculty will be encouraged to explore teaching such courses online and may take away new ideas for deepening students’ critical thinking and communication skills, creating an online “community of scholars” in their classes, and enabling them to explore materials that are both challenging for students and enjoyable for themselves.
Session 3: 10:10-10:40am
Flipping online discussions from text to video
Presenters: Jackie Murphy & Joanne Farley Serembus, Nursing, Drexel University
Track: Teaching online and hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
Online learning can be isolating for students who often state that they prefer interacting with classmates and faculty. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000), faculty searched for a way to engage students and faculty as “real” people. In lieu of one-dimensional text-based discussion boards, Flipgrid was initiated. Flipgrid is a web-based video discussion platform that allows meaningful collaboration in an online environment. Students respond to a text-based or video question posed by faculty. Brief videos to which students respond can also be uploaded to Flipgrid. Students can use their computer or smart phones to respond to faculty and peers through video messages. Online students have commented that by using Flipgrid they feel more connected to their peers. Outcomes resulting from the use of this tool will be shared. Additionally, participants will engage in a discussion about different uses for this tool and be able to test it out.
Enter your online class like a wrestling superstar
Presenter: Brooke Hoffman, Instructional Technology, RCGC
Track: Teaching online and hybrid courses | Location: South BC
What does your Instructor Introduction communicate to your students about your personality and teaching style? In this workshop we will look at best practices in instructor introductions in a bold and different way—by taking pointers from professional wrestlers! By just walking into the ring, audiences know a wrestler’s personality, and whether to cheer them on for the match. How can you create that same energy and communicate your personality in a short introduction video for your class? We will give tips on video production and sample instructor videos using our methods. Be prepared to release your inner superstar and create an engaging intro video.
Flipgrid Fever
Presenter: Angie Corry, Psychology, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: West ABC
Flipgrid is a video response platform where educators can have online video discussions with students or other educators. Educators can provide feedback to students AND, better yet, students can provide feedback to one another. This platform allows students who are introverted a chance to communicate with other students on a variety of topics without the stress of answering questions in the traditional classroom. This incorporates a new form of engagement in the traditional face to face classroom. An additional component is also offered with this platform where classrooms can link with other students from around the world to gain perspective on a number of international issues.
Using technology to redesign course assessments
Moderator: Kristin August, Psychology, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: Executive Meeting Room
This presentation will focus on ways to redesign in-class assessments using technology to promote student engagement. Traditional approaches will be compared to technology tools, and both benefits and potential limitations of each approach will be delineated. Specific assessments discussed will include course attendance, student comprehension of material presented, in-class quizzes, and a student project involving an experiential learning component. The two specific technology tools that will be discussed are Socrative, a website/app for student assessments, and Wakelet, an active learning tool in which students can curate different types of information. A moderated discussion will follow, which will address audience questions and experiences, overcoming challenges in implementation, and consideration of other assignments for which these tools can be used.
Break: 10:40-10:55
Session 4: 11:00-11:30am
Helping students transition to Canvas
Presenter: Carly Finkel, World Languages, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online and hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
Session canceled
Kick-start your course development by reimagining assignments for the online environment
Presenters: Jessica Morris & Cathy Turner, Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Pennsylvania
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: South BC
Do you need to create a new online or hybrid course or revise an existing one? In this session, we will use backward design and authentic assessment as frameworks for the online course development process. In this active session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect, connect, and collaborate to consider:
- What should students get out of the course?
- What are culminating assignments that feel authentic to the topic or discipline?
- How can assignments be designed to take advantage of the online learning environment?
- What knowledge, skills, or ways of thinking do students need to build throughout the course to successfully complete the final assignment?
By the end of the session, participants will have created a foundation that can be used to design or revise an online course with a focus on what students should be able achieve between their first and last day of class.
Responsive teaching: polling students to drive instruction
Lightning Round Presenters: Rachel Kirzner & Ted Alter, Social Work, Stockton University; Shankar Sundaresan, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: West ABC
Lightning round session 1: Online quiz as exit ticket: using technology to reinforce learning in face-to-face classes; Rachel Kirzner & Ted Alter, Social Work, Stockton University
Teaching courses that are heavy in new concepts and facts can present challenges in keeping students engaged and in reinforcing their retention of material. This presentation combines the educational techniques of the exit ticket (using brief feedback/assessment/activity at end of class) and gamification (using games, generally online, to learn), by discussing the implementation of brief ungraded online quizzes at the end of each class session. The quizzes reinforce mastery through review. They also allow the instructor to assess any trouble spots in that day’s lesson, and briefly revisit any concepts that students have not mastered. This approach is well received by students, who describe the quizzes as fun and as an effective learning tool. While a specific course and quiz site will be used for examples in the presentation, attendees can use a variety of sites and apply the approach to any course.
Lightning round session 2: Improving learning outcomes through a process view using on-the-fly assessment software (Socrative); Shankar Sundaresan, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
On-the-fly assessment software (such as Socrative) can be used for a variety of purposes in teaching and assessment. An innovative area of application of such a tool includes the understanding and influencing of different stages of the learning process. Specifically, this presentation will discuss an experiment in using such an on-the-fly assessment tool to study the “conceptualization” and “application” aspects of learning. A “process” view from the on-the-fly assessment tool helps in understanding how students learn and where they face difficulties and hence can guide the provision of timely assistance to improve learning outcomes.
Creating the perfect? online assessment (and having the courage to fail)
Presenters: Danielle Zimecki-Fennimore & Perpetue Cadet, Academic Compliance, RCGC
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Executive Meeting Room
Creating online assessments can be difficult. With more and more emphasis placed on data collection, learning outcomes, and illustrating programmatic success, the presenters will guide the discussion around the importance of the assessment department, how to use the people and resources available, and how to successfully measure learning outcomes. The presenters will also discuss that trial and error is part of the assessment process and that there is no perfect assessment, or assessment process. Be ready to discuss difficulties and successes in online assessment and how improvement takes time and a collaborative effort.
Session 5: 11:35-12:05
A deliberate approach: An academic department considers online courses
Panelists: Lynne Vallone, Sarada Balagopalan, Ryan Bunch, & Mary Mitsdarffer; Childhood Studies, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
This panel session will discuss the Childhood Studies department’s process to begin offering online courses. The panelists will address topics such as initial departmental concerns, the decision-making and training process, assessing online teaching, and surprises and challenges that were met along the way.
Promoting reflective thinking in an online environment
Presenter: Tricia Nolfi, DPPA, Rutgers University–Camden & Rider University
Track: Teaching online and hybrid courses | Location: South BC
Reflective activities are powerful tools that encourage students to make meaning of their experiences. However, doing so can sometimes be a challenge in the online environment. In this session, specific reflection activities including journaling, story boarding, and force field analysis among others will be discussed. The presenter will demonstrate these activities using the Canvas LMS.
Choosing appropriate technologies and integration toward pedagogical goals: a case of teaching economics and mathematics
Presenter: Babu Dasari, Economics, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: Executive Meeting Room
The primary focus of the presentation is how to teach courses in Economics and Mathematics using appropriate technologies, and thereby achieve pedagogical goals. Teaching courses in Economics and Mathematics involves extensive use of graphs and equations. In this context, which technology or technologies facilitate interactive demonstration of graphs and equations was addressed. There exists very few robust technologies (applications) that facilitate interactive demonstration of graphs and equations. From the available technologies, an appropriate technology was chosen and adopted using a simple SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) keeping the primary focus toward pedagogical goals. In the process, ExplainEverything (an application) was identified as an appropriate technology for this purpose. It was also understood that a single technology would not serve all our purposes. Hence, there exists a need to integrate one or more technologies to achieve the pedagogical goals. In the presentation, how I have integrated various technologies with ExplainEverything will be demonstrated. In addition, some of the limitations encountered in the integration process will also be highlighted. The entire journey taught me two very important lessons which will be narrated in my presentation: One, while using the technology we should all bear in mind that our priority is pedagogical goals rather than technology per se. In other words, technology is a facilitator toward pedagogical goals. Two, sometimes the second-best technological solutions do a better job toward pedagogical goals.
Session 6: 12:10-12:40
Shall we play a game? Incorporating game mechanics into online course design
Presenter: Shaun Holland, Rowan Online, Rowan University
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
Human beings have been learning through play and games since the dawn of time. How can we take advantage of games in the learning process within the online environment? In this session we will explore a holistic approach to incorporating game mechanics into online course design with the potential for meaningful impact, as well as some technologies that can assist.
Social bookmarking applications for education
Presenter: Ethan Kinory, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: South BC
This presentation will demonstrate how to use social bookmarking to facilitate classroom learning. Unlike traditional browser bookmarks, social bookmarking instantly shares links (URLs) with select group members. Students and faculty then have the ability to annotate linked web pages, search links, and comment on linked content. We will present several educational use cases, including collaborative research, compiling reading lists, supplementing existing textbook resources, and fostering classroom discussions between students.
Encouraging engaged student interactions in online classes
Moderator: Tara Woolfolk, Psychology, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Executive Meeting Room
In online courses, I make a variety of efforts to establish rapport with students and to encourage them to interact with one another regularly. There are many ways to do this, some of which include a multi-component introductory section, early ice breakers to reduce class anxiety, weekly discussion forums with guided topics, and “application assignments” in which students explain facts and theories from class resources while applying examples in a creative way. I will discuss why these multiple methods are important for student outcomes, share examples of the results of these efforts, some of which I hoped to evoke, and some of which surprised me. I will share some strategies I have used to keep the process evolving, and offer ideas with which we can brainstorm more ways to make student interactions engaging and successful.
Lunch: 12:45-1:45
Location: Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room
Face time: Persuading students to put their phones away during class
Panel: Lee Ann Westman, Gender Studies, and students
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: Multipurpose room
This panel will begin with a short introduction to recent scholarship on cell phones in the college classroom, and their impact on student engagement and grades. In addition, the moderator will share a new strategy she introduced this semester to reduce cell phone use, with reports from students on what they think about it. This introduction will be followed by a discussion among the participants about their insights in regard to electronics in the classroom, as well as strategies they have used to reduce cell phone and laptop use during class.
Session 7: 1:50-2:20
Tech Lightning Rounds
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom OR Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
What are tech lightning rounds?
The tech lightning rounds provide an opportunity for you to learn how to use a specific technology. There will be four “stations” set up in the Multipurpose Room. Each station will feature a different technology. At each station, you’ll see a ten-minute tutorial of how to use the demonstrated technology and in many cases, hands-on opportunities to try it. Please bring a device (laptop or tablet) to the lightning rounds, if possible! After each ten-minute round, you can move to a new station. There will be three 10-minute lightning rounds for four stations, so choose which technologies you’d like to learn most.
Stations and demonstrated technologies
| Station # | Technology | Demonstrator |
| 1 | Adobe Spark | Joy McDonald |
| 2 | Powtoon | Tamara Swedberg |
| 3 | Canvas Speedgrader | Priscilla Hockin-Brown |
| 4 | Flipgrid | Joseph Yankus |
Adobe Spark: Adobe Spark is a simple video creation tool that allows users to create professional-looking video without complicated editing tools. Many Rutgers–Camden faculty have put it to use for student projects. Students can create slides with images, text, and video, and add audio narration and music without a long list of clunky steps.
Powtoon: Powtoon allows users to create short videos with animated characters. Add your own voice as narration! These videos could work to present small concepts (such as a scenario or case study) or for student projects.
Speedgrader in Canvas: Are you tired of having to download student files to add comments, grade them, and re-upload them to your learning management system (or maybe even email!)? Speedgrader in Canvas allows you to annotate and comment on student submissions right in your browser. You can even add audio and video feedback. No downloads required!
Flipgrid: Flipgrid is a video discussion tool, providing an alternative to a traditional text-based discussion board. It allows students to easily record short videos of themselves and reply to one another’s videos.
Graphic syllabi – a success tool for the learning economy
Presenter: Steven Pyser, Business, Rutgers University–Camden
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom | Location: South BC
Join Professor Steven N. Pyser as he reveals best practices and lessons learned for facilitating course learning through design and delivery of a Graphic Syllabus — multiple visual designs which can be flowchart, diagram, or picture showing the organization of and interrelationships among your course topics that is, how your course structures the subject matter and its body of knowledge.
Session 8: 2:25-2:55
Hands-on technology workshop
Track: Technology in the face-to-face classroom OR Teaching online or hybrid courses | Location: Multipurpose Room
Bring your own device (laptop or tablet)! This session will be a hands-on workshop so you can walk away with a new skill. We’ll be demonstrating how to use either Socrative or Kahoot, which are both live polling tools. Attendees will be able to vote on which tool they’d like to learn. We’ll demonstrate how to use the tool and then attendees will be given the opportunity to create their own polls and practice using the tool. Presented by Rutgers–Camden Instructional Design & Technology.