Teaching in the CTEI

In this first episode of a two-part series, Angela leads a panel discussion on the role generative AI can play in helping faculty complete their many tasks and responsibilities. Panel experts discuss ways generative AI can be used to create and modify course materials, refine individualized feedback to students, and save time with common, but time-consuming tasks, such as writing emails and letters of recommendation. Our guests also discuss concerns both faculty and students share about the ethical implications of using AI in teaching and learning. We are so grateful to our guests for their participation and brilliant insights! Find the episode transcript and summary here. Justin Shaffer, PhD, is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and a Teaching Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering and in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Shaffer is the author of the forthcoming book High Structure Course Design which gives practical hands-on advice for creating STEM courses that engage students in and out of the classroom and improve student outcomes. Dr. Shaffer is an award-winning educator who has taught 8500+ students since 2012 in the areas of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, biology, and anatomy and physiology and has published 25+ peer-reviewed journal articles and teaching materials on the efficacy of high structure courses, active learning, and related topics. Dr. Shaffer is the founder of Recombinant Education where he provides STEM program characterization and professional development to faculty and administrators in the areas of course and curriculum design, evidence-based teaching practices, and discipline-based education research.  Lilian Mina is Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the Graduate School in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She’s also Associate Professor of English and the  Director of Freshman English program. She researches and publishes on digital writing ad teachers’ use of digital technologies in teaching writing. She leads AI-related initiatives at UAB. WIth colleagues at the English Department, she created different integration models of GenAI technologies in all English courses. She also led a university-wide committee that created guidelines on the use of AI technologies in graduate research projects. She leads professional development on using AI in teaching writing, mentoring graduate students in the age of AI, and ethical and responsible use of AI detection tools.  Dr. Heidi Watson-Held is an Instructional Designer in the eLearning Design Innovation Group in the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University. Heidi has worked for the Pennsylvania State University for 25 years in program design, development, and delivery in a variety of capacities. She completed a D.Ed. in Administration and Leadership – Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012. She received my M.Ed. in Adult Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2004.  Heidi has been teaching for Purdue University in their Learning Design & Technology program in the department of Curriculum and Instruction since 2016. Heidi enjoys teaching and learning with AI, designing courses, creating video shorts, and working on assessments. When she is not working for Purdue or Penn State, she is involved in gardening, painting, taking care of family, or writing stories. Andrew Bell, PhD, is a technology consultant in the Teaching and Scholarship Hub where he consults with University of Richmond faculty on effective integration of digital tools into their teaching and scholarship. Andrew is also an instructor in the FYS (First-Year Seminars) program, Robins School of Business, and Psychology department where he teaches courses in neuroscience and data analysis.

In this episode of Teaching in the CTEI, we explore the nuances of team-based learning with Dr. Trevion Henderson, Dr. Tara Mason, and Dr. Robin Fowler. Our guests discuss power dynamics in student teams, strategies for creating inclusive group environments, and methods for teaching effective collaboration skills. From managing diverse perspectives to addressing systemic inequities, this conversation offers practical insights for educators looking to enhance team-based learning in their classrooms. We are so grateful to our guests for their participation and insights! Episode transcript. Trevion Henderson is Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University School of Engineering. Henderson earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. He received his M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University, where he also earned his B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering. Dr. Henderson holds secondary appointments in the STEM Education program in the Department of Education and the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction (IRLI). As a first-year professor at Tufts, Trevion will teach courses on engineering design education and engineering education research methods. Tara Mason, Ph.D., is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Consultant at the Center for Teaching and Learning. She provides faculty development that supports inclusive, accessible, and assets-based pedagogy, with a specialized focus on challenges and opportunities for students with disabilities. Before joining UC Berkeley, Dr. Mason directed a special education teacher preparation program at both the graduate and undergraduate levels as a faculty member at a public liberal arts university in Colorado. Before her university career, she worked as a K-12 educational professional. She is the author of a mentoring guidebook, Mentoring Partnerships: A Guidebook for Inclusive Special Education, and her research interests include faculty development, joyful pedagogy, UDL, and ways to create equitable and inclusive teaching environments. Robin Fowler is a Teaching Professor in Technical Communication and an Engineering Education researcher at the University of Michigan. Her teaching is primarily in team-based engineering courses, and her research focuses on equity in communication and collaboration as well as in group design decision making (judgment) under uncertainty. She is especially interested in how power relationships and rhetorical strategies affect group judgment in engineering design; one goal of this work is to to understand factors that inhibit full participation of students who identify with historically marginalized groups and investigate evidence-based strategies for mitigating these inequities. In addition, she is interested in technology and how specific affordances can change the ways we collaborate, learn, read, and write. Teaching engineering communication allows her to apply this work as she coaches students through collaboration, design thinking, and design communication. She is part of a team of faculty innovators who originated Tandem (⁠tandem.ai.umich.edu⁠), a tool designed to help facilitate equitable and inclusive teamwork environments.

After a brief hiatus, Teaching in the CTEI is back! We're excited to return with a two-part series on an equal parts challenging and potentially transformative cooperative learning strategy, group work. In this episode, Angela and guests, Lindsay Wheeler, Lynn Mandeltort, Chris Hamstra, and Prabhani Kuruppumullage discuss the ins and outs of organizing, facilitating, and assessing group work. All university faculty from different disciplines, our guests reflect on the types of projects best suited for group work, how to ensure equitable participation among group members, and common challenges and how to overcome them. We are so grateful to our guests for their participation and insights! Correction: POGIL (discussed around 9:42 minutes) should be Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry, not peer-oriented. Thanks for the correction, Lynn! Episode transcript. Lindsay Wheeler is Associate Professor and Senior Associate Director in the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia. She leads the CTE's research and assessment efforts to drive program development and understand the impact of various programs. Lindsay’s teaching interests include implementing inclusive and reflective teaching practices, developing and utilizing inquiry-based curricula, supporting TAs in instruction, and implementing active learning strategies in large-enrollment courses. She has taught large introductory chemistry laboratory courses, small foundational chemistry courses, and seminar courses to graduate and undergraduate students in the sciences. Lynn Mandeltort is Assistant Director of Engineering Education Initiatives in the Center for Teaching Excellence and Assistant Professor, General Faculty at the University of Virginia. She works with instructors and teams across disciplines to advocate for effective teaching and develop equitable curricular experiences. She regularly facilitates programming for course design, collaborative learning, large enrollment courses, and transparent teaching. Her current interests include relational pedagogy, curriculum redesign, and co-teaching. Chris Hamstra is an award-winning instructor, speaker, writer, and global traveler who serves as an Associate Professor of Communication. As a two-time Fulbright Specialist Scholar (Greece 2023 and Iceland 2019), he has helped global leaders to fine-tune their Leadership Life Stories. Chris began his career in radio and television as a disc jockey and sports reporter. Chris Hamstra has a passion in the areas of communication, storytelling, and leadership, that connects individuals toward their personal and professional goals. Chris serves in the Online and In-person classroom and actively seeks connection among learners.   Prabhani Kuruppumullage is an associate research professor in Statistics at Penn State University and serves as the director for online classes offered via Penn State World Campus by the Statistics department. Prabhani joined Penn State in 2018 and has collaborated with Penn State Shreyer Institute of Teaching Excellence on multiple projects. One of her main research interests is how group work can be incorporated into online asynchronous classes. She and her collaborators recently received an NSF improving undergraduate STEM education (NSF-IUSE) award which will focus on approaches to foster team-based learning in asynchronous online and hybrid learning environments.

Now that we've hit our 3-year anniversary (woohoo!), we are due for a little hiatus. But, don't worry, we'll be back with new and exciting episodes soon. In the interim, we are revisiting our greatest hits. By far, our most popular episode is #13 from August 2022: What Does an Instructional Designer Do? Looks like so many of you want to know, so let's jump right in! In this episode, Angela speaks with a handful of Instructional Designers working at Rush and various universities throughout the country about their profession. Among other topics, these designers share their passion for their work and the many, often surprising ways they support faculty, from simply helping to lighten the workload when getting a course off the ground to offering insight into creative solutions for teaching problems and course design by applying their expert knowledge of learning tools and online pedagogy. The big takeaway: Your course is still yours. We're just here to help you make it happen and realize your vision! A big thank you to our guests: Peg Checchi: Instructional Designer, Rush University Cindy Cooper: Instructional Designer, Eastern Kentucky University Steve Shisley: Instructional Designer, Eastern Kentucky University Courtney Hebert: Sr. Learning Experience Designer, Louisiana State University Episode ⁠transcript⁠

Establishing and maintaining a culture of trust in the classroom isn't easy and the advent of generative AI has made this task all the more challenging for teachers at every level. In this episode, Angela and guests, Nadine Lerret, Wendy Zajack, and Laura Dumin discuss their strategies for building and maintaining trust in their classrooms in the age of AI. While emphasizing ethical, responsible, and transparent use by both teacher and student, guests reflect on to what degree they use AI in their teaching and allow students to use it in their learning. Concrete steps for building trust, as well as positive and negative experiences and how to overcome them are also discussed. A big thank you to our guests for their insights and for leading the way in this emerging field! Episode ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠. Nadine Lerret: Dr. Nadine Lerret obtained her PhD in Immunology from RUSH University in 2011.  She is currently an associate professor and the program director for the Medical Laboratory Science program here at RUSH University.  Her position as a passionate educator and director in the underrepresented field of medical laboratory science enables her to spread enthusiasm and knowledge while serving as a mentor for the next generation.   Dr. Lerret has been exploring the use of AI alongside her students in the classroom and also as an administrator in higher education and recently gave a talk at the 2024 Clinical Laboratory Science Educators Conference titled “Elevating Education: Harnessing ChatGPT and Generative AI for MLS Educators and Program Directors”.  She is also giving a RUSHU Tedx talk next month focused on the use of AI in healthcare education.    Wendy Zajack: With more than 20 years of experience in public relations, marketing, media relations and internal communications, Dr. Wendy Zajack thrives on working to make complex topics easy to understand, exciting and relevant to broad audiences. She spent her corporate career working for large, global organizations building messaging for multiple audiences and using a variety of marketing channels. She now spends her time thinking about the intersection of education, communications and technology and how to thoughtfully deliver tailored, personalized and impactful curriculum to adult learners. She is a faculty director and associate professor of the practice for a master’s level Integrated Marketing Communications and a Design Management Communications program in the School of Continuing Studies. She is an active blogger and enjoys speaking at industry conferences and universities about the power of branding and communications, personal branding, salary negotiation, business marketing trends, importance of ethics, online education, education technology as well as educating millennials and GenZs. Laura Dumin: Dr. Laura Dumin obtained her PhD in English from Oklahoma State University in 2010. She is a professor in English and Technical Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma. She has been exploring the impact of generative AI on writing classrooms and runs a Facebook learning community to allow instructors to learn from each other https://www.facebook.com/groups/632930835501841 When she is not teaching, Laura works as a co-managing editor for the Journal of Transformative Learning, directs the Technical Writing BA and advises the Composition and Rhetoric MA program, and was a campus SoTL mentor. She has created four micro-credentials for the Technical Writing program and one for faculty who complete her AI workshop on campus.

In this episode, Angela and guests, Stephanie Richter, Melody Buckner, and Laura Ramp discuss the value of university centers for teaching and learning (CTLs). While they may go by many different names and acronyms, CTLs are vital resources for faculty, offering among other things, instructional, curricular, and LMS support, and as always, a sympathetic ear. Our guests, all leaders at their respective institutions, reflect on the variety of services provided by their centers and how CTLs can support faculty especially in times of change or difficulty. Also discussed are suggestions for how CTLs can demonstrate their value at their institutions. We are so thankful to our guests for their participation and insights and for the work they do to support faculty and students! Stephanie Richter serves as the Director of Teaching Excellence and Support in the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Northern Illinois University. Melody Buckner serves as the Associate Vice Provost of Digital Learning and Online Initiatives for the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT) at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Laura Ramp serves as Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at PennState Harrisburg. Episode transcript.

In Part 2 of this series, Angela continues this important conversation with three new guests: Drs. Tomeka Dowling, Caleb Simmons, and Darlene Ritz. Building upon topics discussed in Part 1 , Angela and guests reflect on the often unseen emotional labor of teaching. Topics discussed include managing student issues and needs and societal norms around emotion in the classroom. Guests offer suggestions for how to cope with these often unwritten expectations. TW: This episode contains a discussion of domestic violence. Please listen with care and contact the Nation Domestic Violence Hotline if you need help. CTEI extends a big thank you to our guests for their participation! Dr. Tomeka Dowling is an Assistant Professor and Director of DNP Curriculum and Operations at Rush University College of Nursing. As director of a nationally ranked DNP program, she is focused on ensuring standardized processes within the program, college, and university that promote educational equity, inclusive learning environments as well as integrate instructional strategies for diverse learners. Dr. Dowling has a passion to move beyond the rhetoric of inclusion and diversity to integrating strategies that promote inclusion in, and resilience beyond, the classroom. Dr. Caleb Simmons is the Executive Director of Online Education overseeing Arizona Online, UArizona's online campus serving over 9,000 students. He is also Professor of Religious Studies, and Faculty Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. He specializes in digital and online learning and religion in South Asia, especially Hinduism. He has recently been named a Center for University Education Scholarship (CUES) Distinguished Fellow for his research on online pedagogy. Dr. Darlene C. Ritz is Higher Education Product Specialist for Beyond Campus Innovation and is dedicated to improving the student experience in online learning. Darlene has been in the classroom for two decades and understands that education is a transformational process, and requires a holistic approach. Episode transcript.

In this episode, Angela speaks with guests about a topic not often discussed in higher education or faculty development, the emotional side of teaching. Guests Maggie Ervin, Autumn Cartagena, and Stephanie Blaher reflect on what it means to consider the emotional labor involved in teaching, how to manage it and support your students in the process. Topics include the emotional challenges of teaching college students, the social and relational elements of teaching and learning, and how emotion can and should be built into existing processes, faculty training and support. We thank our wonderful guests for their vulnerability, humility and excellent suggestions! Maggie Ervin is the Specialist for Alternative Credit and Credentials at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  Prior to her current position, she worked as an Assistant Professor in the Education and English Departments of Greenville University.  Maggie’s teaching experience spans almost twenty years, twelve of which were spent teaching high school. Autumn Cartagena is a staff member in the Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University where she coordinates accreditation, facilitates faculty training, and supports course design.  She is also an adjunct instructor and former online program director in the Department of Psychology at Waldorf University. Stephanie Blaher is a Collegiate Associate Professor at University of Maryland Global Campus. She specializes in the Program and Career Exploration courses (PACE), working with both students and adjunct faculty to ensure students are prepared for a successful academic and professional career. She has worked in online education for over 10 years, supporting students and faculty in both first-year and information technology courses. Episode transcript.

It's likely that many of us have experienced or practiced traditional lecturing where all or the majority of class time is spent with the instructor giving a lecture and the students passively absorbing it. You may have heard it described as the "sage on the stage" approach, and we all know how that often goes, in one ear and out the other. Know that if you're doing this, you're not alone. Many of us start by teaching how we were taught, and lots of us were taught through traditional lecture. Are you interested in making a change and looking for other ways to teach, approaches that engage your students with the material and move them from passive to active learners? If so, you've come to the right place! In this episode, Angela and honored guests, Ashley Tharpe, Branka Manojlovic, Chris Ferrigno, and Mike Bradaric discuss alternatives to the traditional lecture and reflect on their own experiences learning and teaching using active learning strategies. They offer practical advice on how to reserve in-class time for discussion, application, and group work, while still allowing time for lecturing as needed, and the pedagogical reasons for doing so. They also discuss how faculty can get help implementing these changes. CTEI extends a big thank you to our guests and their valuable contributions to this discussion! Dr. Ashley Tharpe is an Online Chair in the School of Business and Associate Professor for the Department of Public & Community Health at Liberty University. She holds an EdD in Educational Leadership, Master of Public Health, MA in Human Relations, a MS in Health Sciences, and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She is currently serving as the past-president of the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) and serves on several health-related committees with ImmunizeVA, VPHA, and the Northeastern Distance Learning Association board of directors. Dr. Tharpe is passionate about online education, supporting faculty, and the optimal health of people and communities. Branka Manojlovic is an Instructional Designer (ID) at the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Rush University. Branka has been working in the field of Instructional Design for the past 10 years. Prior to coming to CTEI, Branka worked as an ID at Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies and Indiana University Northwest Center for Innovation and Scholarship in Teaching and Learning. Dr. Chris Ferrigno is an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Prior to coming to Rush in 2011, he was a Physical Therapist. He completed his PhD in Anatomy and Biomechanics at Rush University in 2015, and subsequently joined the Rush faculty. He teaches courses in gross anatomy and neurobiology for the medical, nursing, and health sciences colleges at Rush. His clinical research interests are in the areas of knee osteoarthritis and gait analysis, as well as anatomy education. Dr. Michael Bradaric is an associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the current Director of Pharmacology for Rush Medical College. Mike has a PhD in pharmacology and was a cancer researcher specializing in gynecologic malignancies. Prior to his position at Rush, he taught integrated pharmacology for Chicago State College of Pharmacy, where he researched anticancer compounds from marine sources. Episode transcript

Have you experimented with ChatGPT, Google Bard, or DALL-E, also known as generative AI tools, but are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer pace with which these tools are transforming education and society at large? Since AI is rapidly evolving, as educators, it's hard to know where to begin and how or if to utilize Generative AI in our teaching. In this episode, Angela and guests, Emily Rush, Matt Swagler, Kerry O'Grady, and Claudia Martinez discuss how they've used generative AI in their teaching and professional practices and what their student responses have been to the advent of these tools. As early adopters, they also share their advice on how to incorporate AI in classroom activities, assignments, and what they've learned in the process. They also reflect on how AI has forced them to reconsider their teaching and design practices as a whole. The big takeaway: to paraphrase Brent Anders, it doesn't have to be all or nothing with AI. Being intentional about if, how, and when we use it is key! Thank you to all guests for your valuable insights and your impressive leadership in the realm of AI and education! Dr. Emily Rush is an instructional designer for CTEI at Rush, where she assists instructors with course design and faculty development. She also brings to her role prior experience as a university-level instructor in the humanities. Emily is passionate about putting learning science into practice and is a self-described AI enthusiast. Dr. Matthew Swagler is an Assistant Professor of History at Connecticut College, where he also teaches in the Africana Studies, American Studies, and Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies programs. Matt was previously a faculty member at Williams College and worked at the Baruch College Writing Center.  Dr. Kerry O’Grady is an Associate Professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communications. Kerry has been teaching at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels for 14 years and is currently on the Pre-College teaching support team at Columbia University, as well as a faculty affairs and curriculum consultant at The Rochester Institute of Technology. Threads: @DrOGrady  Claudia G. Martinez, MA, is a faculty member in the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program at Rush University, where she is teaching Professional Writing this summer. Martinez is also an award-winning published writer of several books for young readers. Episode title suggested by Claude.ai Episode transcript

Are you a new college faculty looking to develop your teaching skills and confidence in the classroom? Or, perhaps you are an experienced professor who wants to level up your skillset? In this episode, Angela speaks with Dr. B. Jean Mandernach, Dr. Eileen O'Brien, and Rush's own Peg Checchi about how faculty can increase confidence in their teaching and improve their skills. Practical and action-oriented suggestions are given, all of which are supported by best practice recommendations. Among other topics, guests discuss the importance of relationship building, faculty learning communities and peer mentoring, professional development opportunities, and of course, our invaluable centers for teaching and learning. Many thanks to our esteemed guests! Dr. B. Jean Mandernach is Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Research on Teaching at Grand Canyon University. Her research focuses on enhancing student learning experiences in the online classroom through innovative instructional and assessment strategies. She explores strategies for integrating efficient online instruction in a manner that maximizes student learning, satisfaction, and engagement. In addition, she has interests in innovative faculty development and evaluation models, teaching and learning analytics, emergent instructional technology, and faculty workload considerations. Jean is an active researcher, author, presenter, and consultant in the field of online education. Dr. Eileen O’Brien is a Principal Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. She joined the department of Psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2003 and has been a Course Redesign Fellow through the National Center for Academic Transformation and within the University System of Maryland. Awarded the 2015 University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Dr. O’Brien maintains associate faculty membership in the Gender and Women’s Studies department teaching cross-listed courses in Gender and Psychology, and teaches varied courses in family and child psychology. Dr. O’Brien has also led several Scholarship of Teaching and Learning workshops related to pedagogical innovation. She worked with the UMBC Faculty Development Center to create the Faculty Learning Communities program. Peg Checchi, M.Ed. is an Instructional Designer with Rush University's Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI). She began her career in the culinary world and subsequently in culinary education, and has worked for over twenty years in instructional design & technology. Peg has an M.Ed. in Education, Learning & Technology and has cultivated a lifetime of learning, continuously rolling new layers into her skill set. Enthusiastic, passionate, and committed to advancing higher education, she is dedicated to teaching and enhancing the learning experience for faculty and students. Episode transcript

Are you looking for new ways to assess your students, especially those that have shown to boost retention, foster peer-to-peer interaction, and reduce test anxiety? Then, collaborative testing may be for you! In this episode, Angela speaks with Dr. Maureen Rutherford, Associate Professor of Psychology at Indiana University Northwest, about her experience introducing collaborative testing into her teaching practice. Among other topics, she discusses her process, the results, and student feedback, which has been overwhelmingly positive. Also discussed is Dr. Rutherford's research on the subject, including her 2019 study, "Collaborative Quizzes: Impact on Student Performance and Attendance", which investigated the impact of collaborative quizzing on upper-level psychology students. CTEI thanks Dr. Rutherford for her valuable insights and recommendations! Also see: Rutherford Lab Episode transcript. CTEI Discovery Session: Collaborative Group Exams & Quizzes

The world of higher ed. is all abuzz with the word "ungrading". You may have heard of the term, also referred to as "alternative grading", but what does it mean exactly? How can the practice of ungrading transform your teaching and your students' learning? In this episode, Angela and distinguished guests, Susan Blum, Katie Lee Bunting, Kasey Edwardson, and Jesse Stommel demystify all things ungrading. Among other topics, they discuss how they began the practice of ungrading and why, how they've seen it affect students and the quality of their learning, and what institutions can do to better support faculty who want to implement this transformative and empowering practice. Within this, practical steps and suggestions for faculty are also discussed. CTEI extends a big thank you to our wonderful guests for their participation and empowering insights and recommendations! Susan D. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Her work has roamed around the fields of cultural, linguistic, and psychological anthropology, in the context of China but most recently in the quest to understand the nature of institutional education. She is the editor of the collection Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) (West Virginia University Press, 2020) and has just completed book 3 of her education trilogy, Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic and Joyful Learning. The previous two books were My Word! Plagiarism and College Culture (2009) and "I Love Learning; I Hate School": An Anthropology of College (2016), all published by Cornell University Press. Katie Lee Bunting is a white settler, abled, and cis-gender woman. She is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. Katie is deeply grateful to the Musqueam First Nation on whose ancestral, traditional and occupied lands she works. She teaches in the Master of Occupational Therapy program and is the Curriculum Chair. Katie is a firm believer in values-based teaching, and unabashedly centres critical and relational approaches in her work. Outside of work, she is a mom to two young kids, and enjoys spending time with them, her senior dog, and her partner. Kasey Edwardson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She has taught at all levels of medical laboratory education programs, from associate’s in medical laboratory technology to doctorate in clinical laboratory sciences. Her PhD is in Educational Leadership and Higher Education, and her research focus is primarily on learner experiences and outcomes in medical laboratory education programs.  Jesse Stommel is currently a faculty member in the Writing Program at University of Denver. He is also co-founder of Hybrid Pedagogy: the journal of critical digital pedagogy and Digital Pedagogy Lab (2015-2021). He has a PhD from University of Colorado Boulder. He is co-author of An Urgency of Teachers: the Work of Critical Digital Pedagogy. Jesse is a documentary filmmaker and teaches courses about pedagogy, film, digital studies, and composition. Jesse experiments relentlessly with learning interfaces, both digital and analog, and his research focuses on higher education pedagogy, critical digital pedagogy, and assessment. He’s got a rascal pup, Emily, a clever cat, Loki, and a badass daughter, Hazel. He’s online at jessestommel.com and on Twitter @Jessifer. Episode transcript

What is a proctored exam? What does it mean to give an assisted online proctored exam vs. a monitored exam? What is the evidence surrounding the efficacy and equitability of these various testing modalities and what are faculty and administrators' attitudes toward them? The answers are more complicated than you might think! In this episode, Peg Checchi, CTEI Instructional Designer, and esteemed guests, Judy Frei, Michele Gribbins, and Jarret Dyer examine several common assumptions around proctored exams, including their necessity at the college level and the ability of online and assisted online proctoring and monitoring software to effectively and equitably imitate the in-person experience and assess student knowledge. In light of recent lawsuits and concerns about student privacy, the ethics and legality of online proctoring and monitoring are discussed and debated, as are alternatives to proctored exams. Dr. Judith (Judy) Frei is an Assistant Professor of Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing in the College of Nursing at Rush University. Michele Gribbins is the Director of the Center for Online Learning, Research & Service at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). Jarret Dyer is a former President of the National College Testing Association (NCTA), Chair of the Academic Integrity & Testing Committee at NCTA, and a Test Center Administrator at the College of DuPage. We thank our guests for their wonderful and enlightening contributions to this discussion! Mentions: National College Testing Association (NCTA) - Proctoring & Monitoring Definitions Academic Dishonesty and Testing: How Student Beliefs and Test Settings Impact Decisions to Cheat

In this first episode of season three, Peg Checchi, an Instructional Designer with CTEI, speaks with Dr. Patrice Torcivia Prusko, MBA, PhD, Director, Learning Design, Technology and Media in the Teaching and Learning Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education about how to recognize and reduce biased language in our teaching and course design. In addition to defining biased language and identifying steps that all educators can take to remove it, more broadly, Peg and Patrice discuss the importance of creating equity-centered learning experiences that include students in the conversation and above all, do no harm.  Follow Patrice @Profpatrice or listen at #3WeduPodcast. Many thanks to Dr. Prusko for her valuable insights! 

In this final episode of season two, Angela talks with CTEI's new Instructional Technologist, Daniel Martin. In addition to his many talents in digital media and educational technology, Daniel is a pro when it comes to all things video production. Among other topics, Angela and Daniel discuss best practices around video creation, but more importantly, the value of imperfection, authenticity, and teacher presence when using video as an instructional tool. CTEI is delighted to welcome Daniel to our team!  CTEI also thanks our listeners for supporting our second year of Teaching in the CTEI! As always, if you have topic suggestions or would like to be a guest on our podcast, please reach out to [email protected]. We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season. We'll be back in 2023!

What is neurodivergence? How does it relate to education? Chances are you've heard it referenced in teaching and learning communities, but you may still be unsure about its meaning. In this episode, Angela speaks with Megan Kohler, Lecturer and Learning Designer at the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn State about neurodivergence, what it is and how educators, fellow students, and institutions can recognize and support such learners. Among other topics, they discuss the unique learning needs and abilities of neurodivergent students and share their personal experiences with neurodivergence. Resources related to neurodivergence are also mentioned, including Nicky Duenkel's article "The Transformative Potential of Creative Assignments in Higher Education" and the recent Stanford Neurodiversity Summit 2022. A big thank you to Megan for joining us for this episode! 

In this episode, Angela speaks with a handful of Instructional Designers working at Rush and various universities throughout the country about their profession. Among other topics, these designers share their passion for their work and the many, often surprising ways they support faculty, from simply helping to lighten the workload when getting a course off the ground to offering insight into creative solutions for teaching problems and course design by applying their expert knowledge of learning tools and online pedagogy. The big takeaway: Your course is still yours. We're just here to help you make it happen and realize your vision!  A big thank you to our guests: Peg Checchi: Instructional Designer, Rush University Cindy Cooper: Instructional Designer, Eastern Kentucky University Steve Shisley: Instructional Designer, Eastern Kentucky University Courtney Hebert: Sr. Learning Experience Designer, Louisiana State University

In this episode, Angela speaks with Aleen Shah, MS, PA-C, Assistant Professor in the Department of PA Studies, and Kenya Johnson, PT, MA, CHC, Manager of Student, Professional & Career Development for Undergraduate Studies, about their work in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at Rush University. Aleen also serves as the Chair of the CHS Diversity Committee and Kenya is Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programming.  Among other topics, Aleen and Kenya reflect on their training and leadership in The National SEED Project and more generally, how to foster a safe and inclusive classroom where students feel empowered to reflect on their own stories and identities as an integral part of their health sciences education and as future practitioners. Specific suggestions are made for how to update your curriculum with inclusive language and approaches while being mindful of diverse perspectives and experiences. For more information on the SEED project and other DEI initiatives at Rush, contact Aleen at [email protected] and Kenya at [email protected]. 

In this episode, Angela speaks with Rush University faculty about their experiences taking CTEI's fully online, five-week teacher training course, Online Teaching and Course Design (OTCD). Among other topics, faculty discuss their motivations for taking OTCD, how it helped them with their teaching, and their favorite parts of the course. The key takeaway: make time for OTCD! It's worth it, it's required, and it's what we owe to our students. We thank our wonderful guests and their thoughtful contributions: Eileen Giardino, Associate Professor, Nurse Anesthesia, College of Nursing; Merima Karastanovic, Interim Program Director and Assistant Professor, Imaging Sciences, College of Health Sciences; and Linda Olson, Department Chair and Program Director for the Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences.  Rush faculty can find the dates of all upcoming sessions on the CTEI website and sign up for the next session, beginning on June 6.

In this episode, Angela speaks with Rush University and guest faculty about how to embrace vulnerability and overcome fear in your teaching practice. With the dizzying rate of change faculty and students have experienced since COVID began, many of us have been forced to rethink how we teach, often by quickly adapting to new technologies or teaching strategies in an effort to connect with and engage our students. In this talk, our guests reflect on the risks they've taken both in the in-person and online classroom, how they did it, and what happened. Hint: it didn't always work out and that's okay! After all, to quote our guest, Professor Lisa Giarda, "you won't know, if you don't try." Thanks again to our guests and their insightful contributions! They are: Barbara Shaw, Assistant Professor, Rush University College of Nursing, Doctoral program for Family Nurse Practitioners, Chicago, IL Lisa Giarda, Adjunct Faculty, Health Sciences, Excelsior College, Albany, NY Christina Fosbrink, Temporary Faculty Member, Public Speaking, California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA Lori Wortylko, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, Cincinnati, Ohio

In this first episode of our second season, Angela speaks with two of CTEI's Instructional Designers, Peg Checchi and Laura Smith. They discuss some of the unusual ways they've assisted faculty with their course design and teaching, as well as what they'd like to do to help faculty. Among other topics, a couple of CTEI's relatively new tech tools are discussed, H5P and Canvas Studio, both of which are fully integrated into Canvas. The big takeaway: reach out to [email protected] for all of your teaching and design needs, even the unusual ones. CTEI Instructional Designers are here to help! 

In this final episode of our first season of Teaching in the CTEI, Angela speaks with Dr. Emily Rush, the newest member of CTEI's Instructional Design team. In addition to sharing her wealth of experience in teaching and instructional design, Emily offers some practical recommendations on creating social presence and impactful student learning experiences with minimal faculty effort. Are you looking for ways to promote a sense of community and enhance student motivation and engagement in your course? Well, give this a listen and reach out to CTEI if you'd like some help implementing these suggestions.  CTEI thanks our listeners for supporting our inaugural year of Teaching in the CTEI! As always, if you have topic suggestions or would like to be a guest on our podcast, please reach out to [email protected]. We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season. We'll be back in 2022!

How well do you know what is and isn't working for your students in your course? What changes could you make now to improve your students' learning experiences in this and future semesters? In this episode, Angela speaks with Dr. Yasmin Cavenagh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing, College of Nursing, and Dr. Evguenia (Jenny) Popova, Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, about how they have used midpoint feedback surveys to gather valuable information and make meaningful changes in real time to their courses. Among other topics, they discuss recommended question types, best practices for administering surveys and sharing results, and changes they've implemented already in their Fall 2021 courses based on student feedback. To assist you in creating your own survey, CTEI has also developed this handy resource, Midpoint Feedback Surveys: A Quick Guide. As always, reach out to CTEI and an Instructional Designer for guidance on this and other teaching strategies and tools. 

You don't have to be an expert to teach well with Canvas! In this episode, Angela leads a conversation with thought leaders (and experts) in online teaching and learning about how to harness the power of Canvas to teach effectively in your online or blended classroom. Among other topics, guests discuss best practices for using Canvas discussion forums, groups, grading, and built-in multimedia tools to create a community of engaged learners. The big takeaway: Embrace imperfection, but don't forget to publish! Guests include: Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey, MBA, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Business and Management and the Dean of Online Education at National Louis University. Twitter @DRbouchey Dr. Lisa Bunkowski, Ph.D., Ed.D., Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning John Vivolo, MA, Director of Online and Campus Learning Strategies for the Katz School of Science and Health, Yeshiva University, New York City. Twitter @VivoloJohn

The Fall 2021 term is almost upon us! Is your course ready to teach? In this fifth episode, CTEI Director Angela Solic speaks with Matt West, CTEI's Instructional Technologist, and Micah Murdock, Project Manager for our Canvas migration, about what all Rush faculty need to know when preparing your course in Blackboard or Canvas. Whether you teach fully online or in a blended format, Matt and Micah offer helpful tips and recommendations for creating a well-organized and trouble-free learning experience for you and your students. Topics include publishing your course and course materials, using the "Student View" option, verifying due dates and course enrollment, using your course calendar, and taking advantage of CTEI's instructional design services. 

In this fourth episode, CTEI Director Angela Solic speaks with Dr. Evguenia Popova, Assistant Professor and Dr. Bridget Hahn, Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator, both from the Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health Sciences at Rush. Dr. Popova and Dr. Hahn discuss their recent research on resilience and self-care among Occupational Therapy graduate students and strategies that they have used in their everyday teaching to support student well-being. Among other topics, they offer guidance on promoting faculty and student wellness in and outside of the classroom.  Connect at [email protected] and [email protected]

In this third episode, CTEI Director Angela Solic speaks with Dr. Kathryn Osborne, Associate Professor in the  Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing in the College of Nursing and one of Rush's Canvas Pilot faculty currently teaching in Canvas this summer. Among other topics, Dr. Osborne reflects on the process of getting ready to teach in Canvas, learning the new platform, and collaborating with CTEI staff to develop her course. 

In this second episode, CTEI staff interview faculty and students who have made the transition to Canvas learning management system. Faculty reflect on their own experiences and share helpful tips and recommendations for those now making the big move. The big takeaway...embrace the opportunity and dig deep in that Canvas Sandbox! Guest speakers include: Chef Kat Kessler, Former Department Chair, Baking & Pastry, New England Culinary Institute Chef Scott Richardson, PhD, faculty at Valencia College and Johnson & Wales University Dr. Monica Solinas-Saunders, PhD, Associate Professor, Indiana University Northwest School of Public and Environmental Affairs Joseph Ferrandino, PhD, Director, School of Criminal Justice, Ferris State University Claudia Pouravelis, EdD, Associate Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Engagement & Faculty member, Boston College Dr. Kristin Holland, former faculty, University of North Carolina Kyra Washington, student, Bradley University

For our inaugural podcast episode, the staff of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI) at Rush University will be sharing how CTEI is working behind the scenes to support Rush faculty who are preparing for the upcoming move and why we love working in Canvas.