bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond the Discussion Board: Increasing Participation and Engagement in Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Interactions
Authors: Baker Courtney , Smucny Darlene , Tripathy Monisha
Published: August 2016

Online instructors are faced with challenges of facilitating four types of interactions in a virtual learning environment: learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-technology. Research shows that active learner involvement in the online classroom positively impacts student learning, satisfaction, and retention. How can instructors motivate their students to meaningfully engage and interact with their classmates online, synchronously and/or asynchronously? This session is designed for individuals who would like to increase student engagement, interaction, and participation in online courses, through synchronous and asynchronous components. We explore examples of synchronous and asynchronous collaborative learning opportunities in which students are participating via productive online discussions and activities, engaging all learning styles. From online courses in the Mathematics Specialist Program (CEHD), we share best practices and strategies to increase engagement and interactions in synchronous online classes through specific discussion prompts and grouping strategies, using the interactive platform Blackboard Collaborate. From Mason distance education courses (Office of Distance Education), we highlight examples of asynchronous online activities, which promote collaborative and cooperative learning. To benefit from this session, previous experience teaching courses in Blackboard is not required. The information in this session may be transferable to other online learning platforms, across disciplines, and delivery formats.
Project PROGRESS
Authors: Ewell Mary , Seshaiyer Padmanabhan
Published: August 2016

Project PROGRESS (Promoting Renewable energy research On the Grid to create Responsible STEM workforce in Solar Sustainability) is a unique first-time multidisciplinary program that provides an ideal opportunity for all participants, including students, faculty, and the workforce in the state to learn through experience and research. Students in this course are charged to develop innovative ideas to grow and sustain renewable energy research in the commonwealth of Virginia through a hands-on, experiential, and project-based approach. This project has helped to promote the much needed awareness of the importance of community-based solar energy by engaging various stake-holders in studying its impact and assessing its benefits, while supporting and encouraging solar energy growth in Virginia. The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Dominion Power (Virginia), funded this experimental STEM course.The two principle outcomes of this project include: (a) Engaging students in a new hands-on course that will be developed called “STEM for Solar” and; (b) Engaging the students in self-directed research on a variety of projects involving Solar including Virginia energy issues, critical energy infrastructure, smart-grid technology, and sustainability.Project PROGRESS includes a multi-disciplinary team of faculty and experts from various disciplines and industry. Student research projects include developing new designs of technologies to make solar energy economical to storing solar energy and beyond. This course stands a model of collaboration between a local philanthropic organization and GMU. Many aspects of STEM and public policy, applicable to the entire student body of COS, and Engineering are reviewed.
Supporting Faculty Writers and Teachers of Writing with Writing Across the Curriculum
Authors: Holmes Caitlin
Published: August 2016

George Mason University's award-winning Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program supports faculty writers, mentors of writers, and teachers of writing in all disciplines across campus. From Faculty Write-Ins to syllabus and assignment consultations, the WAC Program offers a variety of resources to faculty at Mason. This poster session will display new opportunities and resources that the WAC program will be offering during the 2015-2016 academic year, as well as take suggestions for workshops and events that faculty might find useful.This poster session will also offer images and video from wac.gmu.edu website and our program's scholarly blog, The Writing Campus. The Writing Campus has become a nationally recognized professional development resource amongst scholars of writing. This session will solicit submissions from faculty at Mason who teach writing, specifically in the form of successful assignments, activities used to teach writing, or approaches to mentoring writers of all levels of skill.
Digital humanities across the disciplines
Authors: Eyman Douglas
Published: August 2016

Details coming soon!
Collaborating All the Way to the Top
Authors: Rangwala Huzefa
Published: August 2016

The classes I teach have a predictive modeling component. As a student, having participated in blind protein structure prediction competitions (CASP, http://predictioncenter.org) and data mining competitions like KDD Cup, I have implemented this form of competitions in my bioinformatics and data mining classes. This semester I extended this idea to a different class (Parallel Computing). Specifically, as part of an assignment (or final project) students have to train a predictive models to distinguish a specific class of proteins called "solenoids" using the available protein sequence information. As part of this competition, the truth-values are hidden from the students and they have to make a prediction (guess) and submit their results to the instructor. The instructor then evaluates the results using the truth-values and provides a ranking of the class students based on the predictive performance. The concepts introduced in class allow the students to build base line predictive models, but to improve performance, students have to research, think critically and come up with innovative solutions. In my past two implementations of this project, I have used an in-house evaluation script and requested participants to send me solutions via a simple web server. Both times, the assignment was run for a 4-week period. I have also used technologies like Kaggle to setup this competition. In the future, I would like to implement the competition for the duration of the semester. Students would be taught a concept, and they would implement the same towards improving their predictive models and engineer better solutions as new, advanced concepts are taught.I am also developing a model that allows students to achieve these projects in a collaborative fashion by enabling resources like Wikis and other tools. As such, this session will be an introduction to the tools used and how they could be adapted to general purpose classes
The learning design components of a global collaborative classroom between lebanon and mason
Authors: Reo Rick A
Published: August 2016

The poster presents an informational visualization of the key design components and the team teaching strategies for a Global Collaborative Classroom (GCC) awarded by the Office of Global Strategies for delivery during Fall 2016.  The GCC we have planned involves a six-week, four-phased, fully online group project between University of Balamand, Lebanon and GMU that is designed to expose students to international perspectives on instructional technology topics and engage them in highly interactive learning activities for the six-week period.  The collaborative classroom centers on the development of an instructional technology integration product such as a lesson, tutorial, or e-learning module, and involves global learning outcomes that foster student examination of systematic cultural issues impacting technology integration in various educational settings. In addition to knowledge-based global outcomes, there are affective global outcomes attained through multi-cultural learning activities that emphasize experiential, collaborative learning and intercultural communication.  A global skills instrument will be used to assess student intercultural skills development. In summary, the poster will be organized to include sections that visually describe the following GCC components:  1) course and student details, 2) GCC design goals, strategies, assignments, 3) global learning outcomes implementation, 4) global skills inventory integration, 5) four-phased, group project learning design, 6) technology integration, and 7) team teaching approach.
Bibliographic Essays - Inquiry and Engagement
Authors: Schoeny Mara
Published: August 2016

The focus of the demonstration is how I have used a bibliographic essay assignment in teaching a program evaluation course. The assignment framework was originally presented in a GMU teaching professional development workshop (developed and presented by Jim Young, Library Services). Assigned as a group project, it requires investigating, analyzing, and organizing existing resources for evaluation into a narrative discussion and review, written to help orient those new to the subject. The assignment works well as a mechanism for getting students engaged in current reports from government agencies and NGO's that often provide the most up-to-date information on particular contexts and evaluation efforts, as well as general texts on evaluation and academic articles. Over time, I have adapted and further developed the assignment, using it at first to assist students in constructing resource handbooks for underdeveloped sectors of the field. As evaluation efforts have exploded in our field, the current focus is as often on information management, where students are confronted with an overwhelming quantity of information that they must learn to navigate, analyze and interpret. The essay is used to support their final project focused on evaluating particular types of programs.
Teaching Critical Thinking Skills for Evidence-Based Reasoning Across the Curriculum Using COGENT
Authors: Boicu Mihai , Tecuci Gheorghe , Marcu Dorin , Lukes Laura , Sprague Debra , Trefil James
Published: August 2016

Evidence-based reasoning is at the core of many problem-solving and decision-making activities in a wide variety of domains, including all natural sciences and engineering (e.g., for experimental methods), law, intelligence analysis, forensics, medicine, history, archaeology, and many others. However, many students lack the skills to develop sound arguments based on evidence. This session will present a general systematic approach to evidence-based reasoning and a computer system called COGENT (Cognitive Assistant for Cogent Analysis) that are proposed to be used for teaching critical thinking skills for evidence-based reasoning in a variety of courses, through an effective hands-on approach. Examples of using COGENT in current or future courses in intelligence analysis, physics, geology, and other domains will be presented. The audience will have an opportunity to use COGENT in short, hands-on exercises. The main goal of this session is to encourage other professors to adopt these innovations in their courses as a step toward teaching of evidence-based reasoning across the curriculum.
Creating an inclusive classroom experience
Authors: Eby Kimberly
Published: August 2016

Details coming soon!
The role of peer review activity on graduate student learning experiences
Authors: Gewa Constance , Kuo Ying-Ying
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how a term paper peer review activity enhanced students’ collaboration and promoted their critical thinking skills. This study was conducted in a fully online graduate course, which was first offered in the Summer 2014 semester. Students were required to take the course as part of the Masters of Science in Global Health and Masters of Public Health programs. The course was offered via the Blackboard platform and utilized multiple strategies to enhance student participation. The course was designed in a modular format with course activities including individual watching streaming lecture videos, discussion blogs, journal article reviews and presentations in video delivery, synchronous case study in Blackboard Collaborate sessions, and term paper writing. The term paper peer review activity was added in the Summer 2015 semester. The purpose of the peer review activity was for students to learn from your peers' feedback as they work towards completing their term paper. Expected learning outcomes for the peer review were that students would become competent in scientific writing. Students’ feedback indicated their appreciation of the support from team members. Preliminary analysis indicated that students became more reflective during the writing process and a better quality of term paper was shown in their final grades. Faculty in either undergraduate or graduate program will learn the design of peer review and how it promotes students’ interaction and support in a group setting in online environments.
The Beauty of Teaching Interdisciplinary Courses: How Does a Combination of Technology-Based Lectures and Writing-Intensive Assignments Promote Learning?
Authors: Kim Younsung
Published: August 2016

Sustainability is not solely a scientific issue or an environmental issue. It presents enormous challenges to human and natural systems and includes political, economic, legal, and ethical dimensions. Instructors who teach sustainability-related courses face significant challenges following from the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. Some students lack an interdisciplinary approach, as they have been strongly ingrained in traditional natural or social science academic domains. In other instances, students are unaware of or unconcerned about environmental or sustainability issues, being less actively engaged in classroom discussions. This session presents strategic pedagogical techniques that have been implemented in a single interdisciplinary sustainability course titled, "Environmental Policymaking in Developing Countries." The course, which has been offered to upper-level undergraduate students in Global Affairs and other majors, also meets the university's writing-intensive course requirements. The findings suggest that technology-based learning tools, including video clips and game simulations, are useful in integrating multiple sources of information and ensuring students receive a more inclusive perspective than they would from consulting a single conventional textbook. Research-based writing assignments, in which students apply concrete learning concepts to real-world sustainability challenges, are shown to be a powerful vehicle for enhancing students' understanding of the multifaceted concept of sustainability. This session provides insights into how to build interdisciplinarity into teaching that are relevant for instructors in a broad range of courses in various academic domains.
AMP: Mentoring and Advising Platform to Foster Learning
Authors: Alvarado Rhina , Reyes Laydy
Published: August 2016

Mason's college access program, Early Identification Program (EIP), houses the Academic Mentoring Program (AMP): a platform that provides mentoring and advising to over 575 first-generation college students in grades 8-12 in the Northern Virginia area from seven local public school systems. AMP provides academic enrichment and support to complement coursework taught at students' base schools. AMP creates a positive learning environment that embodies a student-centered approach that is holistic. AMP offers outreach support to engage students one-on-one to allow them an outlet for self-expression that contributes to their well-being. AMP provides students with over 50 academic mentors: current Mason undergraduates, graduates, international students, and alumni from a wide range of majors across Mason's schools and colleges. Academic mentors play a leadership role in mentoring and advising students regarding college access issues to promote academic development, self-advocacy, and major/career exploration. Blooms taxonomy, inquiry-based learning, and StrengthsFinder are implemented as tools for mentor-mentee engagement. In addition, AMP actively seeks collaborations with Mason units around leadership training and curriculum around study skills, learning styles, and metacognitive strategies and the ways in which these practices contribute to the science of learning.
Fostering creativity through the active learning model Kanban2C
Authors: Pierce Robert A.
Published: August 2016

To many instructors, the cultivation of creative and reflective thinking contradicts a main aim of most university classes, the transmission of knowledge. The roots of this imagined opposition, thinking versus knowledge-transmission, is old. In the modern era, it originated early in the twentieth century when progressives, wanting to foster thinking skills, broke ranks with traditional instructors focused on the transmission of knowledge. Imagining creative thinking and knowledge acquisition as opposites, however, diminishes the importance of both. Knowledge is central to understanding contexts with potential value, while creative thinking skills are necessary to producing originality within (and thus enhancing) those contexts. Creativity requires both: originality and value.This session has two aims. The first is for participants to understand the main elements of creative thinking. Grounded in research, the theoretical half of the session will cross disciplinary boundaries, as creativity in any discipline rests on the same elements of thinking. The second aim is for participants to experience an active learning model called Kanban2C (Kanban-to-Creativity), which fosters elements of creative thinking. Grounded in practice, this flexible instructional model – suitable for use in many disciplines – demonstrates how elements of creative thinking can develop in content-specific (knowledge-transmission) contexts. This session will be interactive and include several different hands-on creativity exercises to explore key elements of creativity. Then, participants will experience Kanban2C: work cooperatively, move around, think creatively, and, in the process, learn how to foster creativity while transmitting knowledge. Afterwards, participants will brainstorm ways to apply Kanban2C to their academic discipline.
The Mason Water Forum
Authors: Houser Paul , LaCivita Lisa , Lemasters Bernadette
Published: August 2016

The Mason Water Forum (MWF) is an interdisciplinary effort formed to foster communication, collaboration, research and education on the science and policy of water related issues. Our goal is to increase communication and collaboration between GMU undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, researchers, 4-VA Alliance Universities, K-12 schools, agencies, other institutions of higher learning and the public. The initiative began with a meeting of students and faculty during the fall 2013 semester. Ideas were proposed for activities and actions. It was decided that a monthly seminar could help showcase GMU water related research and a listserve could help share water related events and opportunities.Three members of the MWF applied for a 4-VA Innovation Grant. This grant funded two graduate students and one undergraduate student to help establish the Mason Water Forum. Seminars, a listserve, Water Awareness Month activities and a Mason Water Forum webpage have been undertaken by these students. Planning is underway for a fall semester Water Research Symposium, summer field trips, and outreach to undergraduates and to 4-VA partner institutions. This poster will feature activities to date and future plans. The presenters welcome ideas and input for the MWF's support of participants' research and educational goals.
Experiential learning for the classroom and beyond.
Authors: Heath David , Rodman Catherine
Published: August 2016

This poster will exhibit the benefits of using experiential learning techniques facilitated through The EDGE – The Mason Center for Outdoor Experiential Learning.  Theoretical foundations of experiential learning (Dewey, 1925/1998; Itin, 1999; Kolb, 1984) will be highlighted that will contribute to student development and academic growth.  Research (Baker, Jensen, & Kolb, 2002) has shown experiential learning to be an effective approach in strengthening class discussions that are essential in innovative and dynamic learning environments.  The EDGE is a Mason resource that Faculty can utilize to support foundational learning components such as critical thinking, communication, resource management, and productive relationships as well as provide opportunities for facilitated group reflection. Faculty and Staff will become aware of The EDGE’s offerings as a tool to establish a thriving learning environment and to increase their students’ confidence, competence, capacity and collegiality.
Instructional Design Cycle Applied to an Online Psychology Course
Authors: Brielmaier Jennifer , Kuo Ying-Ying
Published: August 2016

Regardless of the discipline, an effective instructional design is critical for development of a high quality online course. Instructional design involves a closed cycle that includes task analysis, design, development, implement, and evaluation. This presentation will demonstrate a showcase of the development of a fully-online course, Physiological Psychology (PSYC 372). This showcase will explain how the lesson was tested in a formative evaluation during the development phase as well as evaluated by the students who took it in a fully online setting. In order to understand how students had learned, a survey which included ten questions using a four-point Likert scale and three open-ended questions was delivered to collect students' feedback on their learning. The data was analyzed and used as an input to support the design criteria and for the revision of the course design.
Getting students to think critically through undergrad research
Authors: Luther David A
Published: August 2016

As academics we use research to advance our respective fields but there is a place in the classroom for the same research approaches and inquiry based learning that can help undergraduate students use critical thinking and inspire their curiosity. Here I will present several examples of using research in and out of the classroom to inspire critical thinking and curiosity in undergraduates from 100 to 500 level biology courses.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Research through Experiential Learning
Authors: Hirsch Susan , Paczynska Agnieszka , Gamaghelyan Philip
Published: August 2016

For a number of years, a student/faculty team at the School for Conflict Analysisand Resolution has been developing experiential learning activities (ELAs) toincrease student learning, student engagement, and students' critical thinkingabilities. The team developed several new activities focused on improving studentlearning of research skills and conventions in the interdisciplinary conflict analysisand resolution field. During this session, presenters will discuss activities andmaterials developed for the program's capstone course, CONF 490, wheretheoretical readings and class activities that helped students prepare their finalresearch product were supplemented by examples of real-life research.
Librarian-instructor partnerships: Empowering students to share their research with the community
Authors: Kirker Maoria , Folan Kerry
Published: August 2016

In the fall of 2015 a George Mason University librarian and a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) in the English department, designed an extensive collaboration for a Composition 101 research project. Through this collaboration, not only did students’ research skills improve, but students also reported feeling empowered to reach out to the librarian directly to make appointments; to use the library independently (a resource most of them had not yet utilized in their time at Mason); and to approach librarians they did not know personally. Students designed a creative solution to a community problem, framed as a “proposal for change.” For extra credit, students had the option to “go public” with their proposal, sending it to the community member with the ability to implement the suggested change, indicating a sense of pride and confidence in their work. This presentation will outline the logistics of the instructor/librarian collaboration; identify the elements to change in the future; and offer suggestions for instructors trying to form a similar partnership. Additionally, it will offer three perspectives on the success of the collaboration: the instructor’s, the librarian’s, and the students’, which were collected through written surveys and oral interviews. This session will appeal to GTAs, course coordinators, FYC instructors, gen-ed faculty, and librarians. At the conclusion of the session, the audience will have insight into the pros and cons of the “proposal for change” assignment design, student reactions to this co-teaching strategy, and strategies for building a similar partnership in their own classroom.
Creating Global Learning Experiences: Course Design Fundamentals for Internationalizing the Curriculum
Authors: Filiatreau Svetlana , Reo Rick
Published: August 2016

Participants will discuss the integration of global learning into the curricula and examine comprehensive frameworks for global learning. This session will engage participants in designing curriculum/assessment tools and developing partnership strategies that advance an intentional approach to global learning throughout the undergraduate experience. Using the AAC&U Global VALUE rubric, which shows how course specific global learning outcomes (GLOs) align with dimensions of student development, we will cross-reference the rubric to instructional strategies that optimize the achievement of the GLOs; drilling down further, we show how examples of how these GLOs align with appropriate learning activities, assessments, and related learning technologies. Following this basic template, we lead participants working in pairs through an analysis of their syllabi and through a series of structured exercises (worksheets and small group interaction) to co-develop a course learning module or collaborative assignment segment that integrates at least one global learning outcome.The goals of this session are compatible with Mason's Collaborative Global Classrooms (CGC) Initiative, where faculty are funded to partner with one or more international peer faculty who together transform and then co-teach an existing course or course component into a CGC course. The signature learning experience of a CGC involves high levels of student collaborative engagement with international peers and intercultural skills development in a co-taught learning environment.
From Pedagogy to Policy: Supporting International Students and Multilingualism at Mason
Authors: Wells Mary , Henry Sonya , Mallett Karyn , Habib Anna
Published: August 2016

What are common pedagogical concerns among faculty with regard to teaching Mason's growing multilingual and multicultural student populations? What are some promising practices for establishing an effective pedagogy of inclusion? To help facilitate the success of increasing international and multilingual student enrollments, this interactive session will provide tools which promote positive interactions and communications both inside and outside of the classroom. At the policy level, the session will also outline particular challenges and restrictions faced by international student populations and the specific offices involved in their support.
Teaching Research Data Management
Authors: Mann Wendy
Published: August 2016

In January 2014, Mason Libraries along with four other libraries in Virginia used 4-VA telepresence technology to teach a two-day boot camp to graduate students on research data management. Our workshop generated greater than expected interest from graduate students here at Mason. One lesson learned is that there appears to be a gap in the curriculum across all participating schools regarding the teaching of data management skills to budding researchers. This session will be an overview of the learning outcomes from the Data Management Boot Camp, how the University Libraries' Data Services carries out research data management training, and discussion of future plans for helping researchers organize and manage their data.
Flipping the Cosmos: Using Active Learning Techniques in a Large-Enrollment Astronomy Class
Authors: Ericson Rebecca , Gliozzi Mario , Fariss Katelynn , Meier Robyn
Published: August 2016

We will demonstrate turning the "cosmos" of general education astronomy upside-down with a studio-style class. Four components that matter:Move what students can do alone: listening, reading, and practice activities outside the classroomUse classroom time to address difficult concepts and techniquesEmploy learning assistants to engage with students as knowledgeable peersLeverage classroom energy with structured groups and activities that concentrate on examining processes through the lens of specific content. Participants will engage in activities similar to those in our active learning astronomy classrooms. They will work through several short learning activities while presenters circulate to guide and focus the work, demonstrating the flow and structure of a typical class session. Small white boards allow us to simulate "writing on the wall" activities, so we can see quickly where groups of participants are grasping concepts and where they bog down. "Mini-lectures" will highlight some of the technology in the high-tech classroom, as we discuss what worked and what didn't work so well. At several points, we will open discussion so participants can examine how the technique or technology might work for them, regardless of discipline.
Creating digital portfolios for reflective learning
Authors: Davis Molly , Lewis Amy , Guingab Terri Ann
Published: August 2016

This session will showcase reflective learning through the creation of digital portfolios. The integrative nature of portfolios allows students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and developmental progress toward becoming a professional in their field. Guiding inquiry throughout the development of digital portfolios gives “voice to each artifact” and creates a teaching-learning environment supportive of “action research” (Johnson, Mims-Cox, & Doyle-Nichols, 2006, p. 55).In this session, e-portfolio models that encourage reflection will be highlighted with separately established examples from the INTO Mason International Graduate Pathways Program and the Department of Social Work. Strengths and challenges discovered in the promotion of greater skills and reflection in students will be discussed.  Portfolio tools available both within and outside of Mason will be described, along with best practices for integrating reflective learning through portfolios in a variety of disciplines.Johnson, R. S., Mims-Cox, J. S., & Doyle-Nichols, A. (2006). Developing portfolios in education: A guide to reflection, inquiry, and assessment. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Adding Value to the Discussion: Deep Engagement, Productive Participation and Effective Learning in an Online Course
Authors: Gouleta Eirini , Nodine Steve
Published: August 2016

One tool that is ubiquitous to online courses is the Discussion, but many facultyare dismayed to find that their students' discussions lack energy, focus, and depth.We developed a strategy in a 100% asynchronous course that offers studentsownership of their discussions, leads them to draw from their own experiencesas well as class resources, and engages them with the content and with eachother. The result is deep engagement evidenced by sustained conversations thatare largely student-driven, interaction beyond the discussion assignment, andproductive solutions to the scenarios presented to them.
Students as scholars courses and student learning outcomes: A realignment
Authors: Usher Bethany , Hazel Stephanie
Published: August 2016

During the summer, a group of faculty will be looking at the Students as Scholars student learning outcomes and course definitions. After five years, we have seen that some of the elements are too broad or too narrow, and that the course descriptions are difficult understand. My expectation is that, at the least, there will be a simplification in the elements of the student learning outcomes. This poster will be a visual representation of those changes, presented as a part of a campus-wide discussion of any changes. I will provide a full abstract of the poster at the end of the summer.
Improved Learning at Environmental Studies on the Piedmont
Authors: Wood Tom
Published: August 2016

Environmental Studies on the Piedmont is a 1000 acre field station near campus available for adding value to many existing courses, or for creating exciting new courses. In this session we will provide an overview of opportunities for faculty from any discipline to utilize course visits to the field station. We will discuss existing courses that use active learning practices that are highly valued by students and exceed the old notion of a "field trip". We will present ideas to add value to any course and promote deeper learning. We will show you how students will self identify increased interest, capacity and ability to apply their canonical knowledge and consequently improve understanding and retention of new knowledge. Regardless of the discipline, experiences students have on the field station enrich their learning. Join us to see if the field station can add value to your teaching experiences.
Preparing Millennials for the 21st Century
Authors: Johnson Jennifer , Owen Julie , Clay-Rooks Saskia , Goldman Jonathan
Published: August 2016

Slow employment growth after the "Great Recession" of 2008 has been blamedby employers on the mismatch between their needs and the skills held by jobapplicants. This has led to fears that recent college graduates might become a"lost generation" unable to advance in the current economic climate. Recent yearshave seen the convergence of two demographic trends. First has been a shift in thenation’s economy from dependence on the conversion of raw materials to goodsto a knowledge age dependent on the conversion of data to valuable information.Second has been the arrival of the "millennial" generation in higher education andthe workplace. Employers in today’s economic climate prefer adaptable employeeswith thinking, communication, innovation, and process skills over those withfocused job-based training. However, today’s college students want explicit rulesto govern their decisions and expect grades based on work quantity instead ofquality. Three Mason faculty and staff with experience and research expertise instudent learning, generational characteristics, and career services will discusshow faculty can help students develop the skills they will need in the workplace.
Multimedia in Teaching and Learning: Content Acquisition Podcasts
Authors: Evmenova Anya , Weiss Margaret
Published: August 2016

The use of multimedia in K-12 and higher education is expanding. This presentation will discuss the use of Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs) for providing accessible professional development in evidence-based practices (EBPs) for current and prospective teachers as well as the further use of CAPs in K-12 classrooms. CAPs are multimedia-based instructional vignettes that deliver instruction for any topic, created using Mayer's 12 effective instructional design principles (Mayer, 2009). Only essential information is presented in CAPs, excluding any irrelevant or extraneous information. All text, images, as well as human and engaging narration used in CAPs are aligned and presented in close proximity. Explicit cues are used to signal the important information, so that the text on the screen highlights the importance of the presented information. CAPs provide multiple practice opportunities for the content and can be accessible for students at any time, not just during class. Sample CAPs have been created in Microsoft PowerPoint using the built-in narration feature and can be found at www.SPEDIntro.com. While the examples provided are all in the area of special education, CAPs can be created and used in absolutely any discipline. Attendees will learn about the research activities and results of the 4-VA grant (CAPs-for-CAPs) recently awarded to the presenters.
Conference & Planning Committee Information
Authors: Lukes Laura
Published: August 2016

Theme:Transformational Learning Campuswide: Insights to Enhance Student EngagementSeptember 20, 2013 Conference Director:Kimberly Eby (Center for Teaching & Faculty Excellence) Conference Coordinator:Ashleen Gayda (Center for Teaching & Faculty Excellence) (Retroactive) Conference Proceedings:Laura Lukes (Center for Teaching & Faculty Excellence)Chyna Staten (Center for Teaching & Faculty Excellence) Logistical Coordination:Karen Tai (Office of Events Management) Logistical Support:Events productionShannon DavisRebecca JonesLisa ListerSamira LloydLindsey LowenbergDenise NazaireHermoine PickettShawn Lee’s Tourism StudentsThe Writing Center Tutors Co-Sponsors: Blackboard, Inc.; 4-VA; Cengage Learning; Center for the Arts; College of Education and Human Development; College of Health and Human Services; College of Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Science; College of Visual and Performing Arts; Division of Instructional Technology; GMU Bookstore; Graduate Student Life; Higher Education Program; Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel; Of ce of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research; Online Education; School for Con ict Analysis and Resolution; School of Management; School of Public Policy; University Libraries; University Life; Volgenau School of Engineering; Writing Across the Curriculum; and The Writing Center.
Scaffolding Critical Reflectivity in Graduate Students
Authors: Dodman Stephanie , Holincheck Nancy , Fox Becky
Published: August 2016

This presentation details findings from a study in the Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning (ASTL) program. We studied the development of critical reflectivity in our graduate students over the span of five courses. Critical reflection is the act of analyzing and challenging one's assumptions and predispositions. This act is often very difficult for students who have been socialized to consider their experiences at face value and not necessarily analyze the broader sociopolitical influences on, and consequences of, their actions and experiences (Brookfield, 1990). To foster critical reflection in students, ASTL's core courses actively engage students in formal inquiry. Faculty also explicitly teach students about critical reflection by introducing them to a three-tier model of inquiry that is continually returned to throughout their core coursework. We framed reflection as a tangible construct and a skill to be developed; this framing aided students in establishing critical reflection as a habit of mind. To examine the development of critical reflection, faculty collected and analyzed formal writings of students. While conducting the study, the analysis also drove instructional changes. This ongoing research by faculty positions critical reflection as an endeavor undertaken by all, not just students. By systematically analyzing students' reflective writings, faculty found themselves engaging in critical reflection about their own practice.
Learning with fun in the Mason instructional design special interest group (MID-SIG)
Authors: Joseph Katrina , McLean Jim , Harris Constance
Published: August 2016

We propose to introduce participants to the Mason Instructional Design Special Interest Group (MID-SIG). Mason faculty members, staff, and graduate research and teaching assistants with an interest or involvement in instructional design are invited to join.This poster session intends to demonstrate a small scale version of a Technology Speed Dating Event. During this event, we will share ideas on the topic of 3D print design in a fun and engaging way. We will demonstrate how a 3D print design activity can challenge students to embrace learning as a creative and reflective process. This session offers instructors an engaging way to cultivate creative and intentional learners through 3D print design using 3D capture mobile technology and 3D printers.Participants who attend this poster session will walk away with an understanding of 1) how 3D print design activities are used in education, 2) how to capture and print a 3D image using a mobile device, and 3) how joining the MID-SIG is aligned with the Mason value “We thrive together.”
An Introduction to 3D Printing in the STEM Classroom
Authors: Sander Evelyn , Manon Christopher A , Seshaiyer Padmanabhan
Published: August 2016

This session is designed to introduce the use of 3D printing in a mathematics or science classroom to those with little or no experience with the technology. It will be a hands-on introduction to design of models using two STEM-focused software packages: Mathematica and OpenSCAD. The audience will come away with a knowledge of the entire progression of 3D printing from an in-class design to the technical aspects of printing. The presentation is based on group-based lab materials created for the calculus classroom (funded by a 4-VA innovation grant). This project demonstrates how inquiry-based approaches can be employed to enhance student learning using a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).The session will start with a 30-minute lecture, including a demonstration of 3D printing, a review of the types of scientific models available publicly, a discussion of some of the classroom models we have designed, and a summary of the labs given in the calculus classroom. The next hour will consist of a hands on introduction to designing printable scientific models in Mathematica and in OpenSCAD, an open source CAD-based system.
Adding Fuel to the Fire: Sparking Student Engagement and GlobalAwareness by Simulating Energy Resource Negotiations
Authors: Gatsias Athanasios , Mescioglu Gur Gul , Lazarus Ned
Published: August 2016

In recent years, the discovery of vast undersea reserves of natural gas has sparked tension in the Eastern Mediterranean region, between parties embroiled in longstanding conflicts over identity and territory – e.g. Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, at Mason, five course sections of undergraduate students have attempted to internalize, articulate, and reconcile the competing claims to drilling rights that are setting that volatile region on a collision course. The framework is Adding Fuel to the Fire: Energy Resources and International Negotiation, a role-play simulation designed by S-CAR’s Undergraduate Experiential Learning Project (UELP). In the simulation, students enact a hypothetical United Nations summit, in which 10 conflict parties attempt to resolve their resource disputes according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Designed for S-CAR’s “Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution" course (CONF 340), this simulation uses a contemporary real-world scenario to enhance understanding of the complex dynamics of conflict and negotiation at interstate, regional and international levels, and the roles of identity, interests, and international law as potential drivers of escalation or resolution. After highly successful simulations at Mason, UELP staff will be bringing the activity to the actual region of conflict this summer, leading simulations on campuses in Malta and Turkey. Presenters will provide a brief demonstration of pedagogical highlights of the simulation, and present comparative evaluation findings from students at Mason and abroad.
Four Methods for Engaging Students with Socratic Teaching Techniques in Large Enrollment STEM Courses Using Notecards
Authors: Schwebach Reid , Johnson Alex
Published: August 2016

Participants will learn four techniques using notecards for engaging students in large-lecture classroom STEM courses, to enhance student engagement. The strategies have these approaches: (1) cold-calling students with impromptu questions (putting the student "on the spot"), (2) asking students to bring questions for next class, (3) giving students the option "to be asked" a question or "to ask" the instructor a question, and (4) identifying reporter students to reflect on group discussion or clicker polling questions. During the session, participants will engage with the techniques and consider data from our research to identify how these methods could be used in other courses to counter communication anxiety, improve grades, increase participation, and increase attendance. These notecards also contain student information such as name, major, and past experiences with science, helping the instructor better know the students in the course. Four semesters of student data were collected. Student survey responses about the benefits of these methods were associated with unique student grades, participation, and attendance. The technique was reported to make a substantial positive contribution to the level of engagement in the course. These techniques are applicable across different disciplines and are an easy-to-learn, student-centered teaching strategy.
Integrating multimedia and LMS tools to cultivate creative and reflective learners.
Authors: Miller David J
Published: August 2016

The challenge for an instructor, no matter the delivery system, is to inspire students towards creative thinking.  Online asynchronous and hybrid courses provide a unique opportunity for instructors to harness mobile multimedia tools such as tablets, and smart phones coupled with Learning Management System (LMS) tools to enhance instructor presence as well as student engagement in the creative process through real-time collaboration and feedback.In this 40-minute “how to” presentation, attendees will be reintroduced to multimedia tools readily available to them like smart phone and tablets along with inexpensive presentation tools such as Camtasia to make engaging presentations.  Using Distance Education courses in media criticism and online journalism, the presenter will demonstrate a few tips and tricks to improve image and sound quality.  In addition to utilizing lecture presentations, attendees will learn how to integrate multimedia into announcements as well as in “instructional” videos on how to think and write creatively and make presentations using video blogs.Finally, the presentation will explore student-teacher collaboration tools such as Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Video Blogging via Kaltura CaptureSpace.  Furthermore, Blue Pulse – a unique social feedback platform will be discussed as it relates to designing engaging content.
Fixed and growth mindsets: practical strategies to enhance creative and reflective learning
Authors: Worek Beverly , Micari Janet
Published: August 2016

Explore the power of a "growth mindset." Through her research on achievement and success, Dr. Carol Dweck (2008) states that "growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts" and "the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development" (p. 7). She has found that "the fixed mindset- creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over" (p. 6).Recalibrating a fixed mindset to a growth mindset reframes the learner’s thought process to allow input that would otherwise be unavailable. Looking at learning through a growth mindset enables individuals to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, reflect on reflect on knowledge acquisition, and see possibilities.Participants will explore their own mindset through a stimulation; they will engage in group activities to sort out ideas about fixed vs. growth mindsets. Attendees will learn strategies to help foster a growth environment. Applying these strategies can cultivate a love for learning, as well as resilience and persistence to attain goals. Participants will develop practical enhance learning and creative and reflective thinking. CitationDweck, C. (2008). Mindset: the new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.