5 Years with CBE: Lessons from a Runaway Pilot

Session Description
Technologies for Academic Success (LTEC 112) launched in Fall 2015 as a competency-based education (CBE) pilot project. Student demand for this fully asynchronous, online course has steadily increased. A design refresh is currently in progress. Dr. McKimmy, a regular instructor of this course discusses the assumptions made in designing this CBE course and contrasts them with his experience in delivering the course over five years.
Presenter(s)
Paul McKimmy
Paul McKimmy, University of Hawaii-Manoa, HI

Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Online Asynchronous Discussion Boards. Busywork Or Beneficial?

Session Description
Asynchronous and blended learning venues are experiencing rapid growth worldwide. Research which provides data to support student success in the increasing sector of online and blended delivery venues can be invaluable for students, course developers and instructors. The purpose of this research is to address a few fundamental questions that have not been adequately addressed in the literature; whether computer-mediated asynchronous discussions achieve the same or similar objectives of traditional synchronous discussions and what elements of an online discussion students found valuable, without value, neutral, or misleading. A mixed-methods survey was sent to all Business students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Worldwide) in both graduate and undergraduate programs. There were 513 usable responses that contained rich data about student perceptions of online discussions boards. Elements evaluated include faculty engagement, student engagement, overall activity value, good and bad practices, as well as student engagement preferences and naming conventions. Statistical analysis and text mining were performed to identify relationships and trends in the qualitative and quantitative data. The results indicated that students find value in online discussion boards although they do not accurately replicate a traditional classroom discussion. Many additional components of good and bad discussion board practices were discovered.
Presenter(s)
Ilene Ringler
Ilene Ringler, Purdue University Global, FL
Ilene Ringler is a full-time faculty member. She serves as the course lead for the business perspectives course (part of the core MBA program) and the MBA capstone course. Ringler started her academic career while working for Bose Corporation and taught MBA courses at Babson University. She brings 30 years of work experience in the business field and is the principal of Ilene Ringler Associates, LLC, which provides services on values-based strategic growth and development. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners Mentoring Program, the Arizona Entrepreneurs, and the Women’s Enterprise Foundation. In addition to advising new and small business owners, Ringler has served as an advisor to the APS Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority, and Women Owned Enterprises program. Research Interests: Ways to increase student satisfaction with discussion boards in the classroom and to promote effective collaborative work.
Carol Shubert
Carol Shubert, Purdue University Global, FL
Carol Schubert is a full time professor at Purdue University Global and course lead for multiple courses within the MBA prgoram.

Carol founded, owned and ran a number of businesses; three veterinary hospitals, and an online accredited continuing education company. She sold all four after 30 years of ownership, and began teaching. While in business, Carol was active in her community; serving as a city council member and mayor pro tem, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, founder and president of Main Street, Tracy (funded by a federal grant that I wrote), and co-chairperson of the fundraising committee of the Arts Leadership Alliance charged with raising $25M to build an arts complex. She served on two bank boards while living in California. Additionally, she founded and funded a $250,000 scholarship program at St. Petersburg College in Florida that provides full academic scholarships.

Carol began and ran the not-for-profit Westside Wildlife Rehabilitation group in Tracy, Ca. This required federal and state licensing, and many volunteers. The group partnered with the local International Baccalaureate Program to provide required volunteer hours for students. Westside Wildlife Rehabilitation was the only such facility in 100-mile radius of Tracy, and specialized in raptors and hummingbirds. This was the only hummingbird facility in Northern California.

Aaron Glassman
Aaron Glassman, Purdue University Global, FL
Dr. Glassman is an Assistant Professor of Management and IT Strategy in the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide. Dr. Glassman is the Chair of the Management & Technology Department and previously served as the Program Chair of the Master of Science in Management (MSM) Program. Prior to that he served as the Director of Academics for two ERAU-WW campuses. Dr. Glassman began his career at ERAU over a decade ago as an adjunct while still working in the aviation industry.
Dr. Glassman has a Doctorate of Management with focus on Management and IT Strategy from the University of Maryland University College; a Master’s of Aeronautical Science with dual specialization in Aeronautics and Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development from Empire State College.
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
AUDIENCE

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Creating eBook Collections on the Bryant & Stratton College Virtual Library

Session Description
Bryant & Stratton College is preparing to shift course delivery format to a session model in which students will spend a significant portion of class time each week in the online environment doing preparation and research. At the Cleveland and Solon, Ohio, locations, LibGuides on the Bryant & Stratton Virtual Library are being leveraged to provide subject collections of eBooks that students can browse and select in ways comparable to browsing physical library shelves. The proposed session will present to participants how standard library practices, specifically collection development, cataloging, and item display, are being adapted to the Virtual Library environment to provide students and faculty with a curated collection of electronic materials selected to be in line with the BSC curriculum and the research needs of the College community. Visual elements of the presentation will include screen shots to demonstrate how individual items are selected and processed.
Presenter(s)
Joseph Dudley
Joseph Dudley, Bryant & Stratton College, OH

Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Quantum Teaming: How to create a virtual internship to provide online students with real-world experience

Session Description
This presentation will provide insight into the creation of a successful virtual internship program. We will discuss/share all aspects of our virtual internship program to include how to establish and set up a virtual environment for students to interact and learn real world applications with hands on activities. We will also explore the academic side of the internship program from the development side to the instructor side. This is meant to be the type of presentation with informal information and plenty of opportunity for questions/remarks from the audience.
Presenter(s)
Glen Jenewein
Glen Jenewein, Purdue University Global, IN

Desiree DePriest
Desiree DePriest, Purdue University Global, IN

Marjorie Furay
Marjorie Furay, Purdue University Global, IN

Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Virtual Support Services for Online Students: Embedding the Library at Point-of-Need

Session Description
With more than one in three learners taking at least one online course, and one in seven taking all of their courses at a distance, how do academic libraries expand services to meet evolving digital preferences? Berkeley College offers a robust embedded librarian instructional program, an array of virtual support services, mobile-friendly eResource collections available at point-of-need in the learning management system, and a variety of virtual co-curricular events and programs. Discover strategies to transform online communication, networking, and collaboration. Explore tactics for leveraging existing and emerging technology infrastructure in preparation for a virtual library of the future.

The following topics will be discussed by the presenter:

  1. Virtual reference: proactive live chat support, text messaging, online appointment booking, virtual office hours, videoconferencing, screen sharing, meeting the needs of non-traditional students (working parents, etc) and global students (across time zones);
  2. Electronic collections: the transition from physical to virtual, embedding articles, eBooks, streaming media, & digital magazines at point-of-need in the LMS, delivering physical materials to online students, mobile access and app integration;
  3. Embedded librarianship: online faculty support, virtual information literacy instruction, course-integrated interactive learning objects, library orientation for distance learners;
  4. Online library events: cultivating a virtual community through co-curricular programming, Online Book Club, Virtual Art & Creativity Festival, live-streamed guest speakers, eScavenger Hunts
Presenter(s)
Matt LaBrake
Matt LaBrake, Berkeley College Online, NJ
Matt LaBrake serves as the Senior Director, Online Library & Technology Services, at Berkeley College. LaBrake provides leadership and vision for all aspects of distance learning library services, while also working across six physical campuses and Berkeley College Online in the exploration and integration of new and emerging technologies for teaching and learning. He serves nationally as Co-Chair of the ACRL Distance Library Section Instruction Committee, creating professional development opportunities for distance librarians. Matt presents internationally on topics related to distance learning, library services, instructional design and educational technology. Connect with Matt here – www.linkedin.com/in/matthewlabrake
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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The Effect of Plagiarism Detection Tools on Student Ethical Behavior and Academic Integrity Policies

Session Description
Student plagiarism continues to be a major concern among instructors and institutions. Fortunately, over the years several plagiarism detection tools have become available to help curb the unethical behavior of plagiarizing another’s work. Tools such as Turnitin and Grammarly have assisted students and instructors in managing potential academic misconduct by highlighting similarities between the student’s current submitted work and previously submitted work by another student. If similarity results are high, the instructor must wonder if the unethical act was intentional and if so what motivated the student’s behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) developed by Ajzen (1991) “addresses the individual’s intention to perform a given behavior.” In this model, “intentions are assumed to capture the motivational factors that influence a behavior.” One such study confirmed that the application of the TPB model “predicted intentions to plagiarize as a function of one’s attitude toward plagiarism” (Camara et al., 2017). Understanding students’ attitudes along with plagiarism detection tools can help instructors determine how a student perceives what plagiarism is. One item that can put all parties on the same page is the institution’s academic integrity policy. This document should be more than simply an honor code which students sign. Institutions must be committed to establishing a culture of integrity in which “the sense of membership in a community with moral expectations tends to trump temptation” (Scott, 2015). This presentation will explore how plagiarism detection tools can assist instructors in determining a student’s intent to plagiarize and how that behavior might affect an institution’s academic integrity policies.
Presenter(s)
Lori Brooks, PhD
Lori Brooks, PhD, University of Phoenix, AZ
Professor Brooks has been an instructor at University of Phoenix since 2003. She typically facilitates entry-point courses. She also facilitates Education graduate courses and is particularly interested in technology and pedagogy. She has a Ph.D. in Education and a Master of Science in Management.
Judy Drilling, MA
Judy Drilling, MA, University of Phoenix, AZ
I have worked in Education for the past 15 years and my passion is assisting students to succeed in meeting their educational goals. As an instructor, I strive to create a learning environment which encourages students to grow academically, professionally, and personally. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from California State University, Fresno in 1999. I began my professional career in teaching as an Independent Living Skills Instructor. In this position I provided education and training to at risk youth in the areas of home management, educational planning, health matters, employment, as well as interpersonal skills. I then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership in 2002 as well as a Certificate in Human Resources Management in 2004. I have been teaching online for University of Phoenix since 2008, teaching mostly Critical Thinking and Psychology of Learning classes. I also taught an Introduction to Psychology class at a local career college.
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
Novice

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Do We Practice What We Preach? An Exploration of Wellness

Session Description
This presentation will focus on a recent study looking factors of wellness and burnout in counselor educators, comparing teaching settings. While the focus of the study was on those who teach counseling, the role of wellness and burnout in online educators is important to address.

In a world and profession that seems to demand more and more of ourselves, it can seem that these increasing pressures can leave us feeling a bit empty and run down. Keeping up with the fast pace of academia can lead to issues of self-esteem and self-confidence. Examining these factors can help us to understand how we can continue to do what we love, with confidence and keep up our self-esteem in order to avoid burnout.

It is vital to understand the contributing factors to create an environment that is more conducive to genuineness, confidence, and enhanced self-esteem. The factors that play into wellness and burnout might not be the same across settings in relation to teaching location, for example, online versus in-seat. Thus, it is important that we look at unique factors in each setting to enhance ourselves and our team as educators.

The goal of this presentation is to educate professionals of the factors that influence burnout and wellness, learn how to adjust our own work to lessen the impact of burnout factors and increase wellness, and how to not lose ourselves in the process.

Presenter(s)
Sarah Jarvie
Sarah Jarvie, Colorado Christian Univeristy, CO
Dr. Sarah Jarvie is an Assistant Professor at Colorado Christian University. She has been a full-time counselor educator since 2014. She has a background in community mental health and private practice with clients of all ages from children to adults. Dr. Jarvie enjoys infusing connection between clinical practice and the classroom. Her research interests include person-centered education, teaching applications to counseling, and counselor and counselor educator wellness.
Cara Metz
Cara Metz, Ashford University, CO
Dr. Cara Metz is an Assistant Professor at Ashford University. She has been a full-time counselor educators since 2013, and a licensed professional counseling since 2006. She mainly worked with adolescents and adults in her practice. Dr. Metz’s theoretical orientation is person-centered, which she uses both in professional practice and teaching. Her research interests include, person-centered education, online education, and wellness.
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Our Two Cents: How to Make Online Learners Feel Inclusive?

Session Description
We often think online is a neutral place to communicate and there’s no exclusion at all. However, people feel othered or excluded for various reasons online as in face to face classroom. The reasons for feeling othered are attributed to various membership categorization in which students put themselves. Some students think they are old and lack of technology skills compared to young digital natives. If students first joined a program, they might think their knowledge level is way lower than other incumbent students taking the same course and hesitate to share their voice. International students may struggle due to lack of language proficiency and cultural differences. They sometimes do not understand what domestic students intend to say or simply feel offended because of different writing style. Misunderstandings often happen in the cyber place due to delayed communication and lack of personal intimacy. Because many online learners are professional, they might feel excluded when other students know each other from face to face classes. There are many more reasons why online learners feel othered, excluded, and isolated. It is very important for online instructor to understand those reasons and find ways to mitigate such negative feelings to make online learners feel more inclusive. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore online learners’ feelings of and reasons for otherness based on our interviews and provide some useful tips and tricks for online instructors.
Presenter(s)
Hajeen Choi
Hajeen Choi, Florida State University, FL
Hello, my name is Hajeen Choi and I am a doctoral candidate in the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program at Florida State University. My research interests include social learning, motivation and engagement in online learning, informal learning, and social media in education. Currently, I am working on the projects such as the feeling of othering in online learning, using social media to foster social engagement in formal learning, and Twitter Conference Backchannel for building PLN and online presence. In regards to teaching, I teach an educational technology course to pre-service teachers and had been working as a teaching assistant for various online courses.
Ömer Arslan
Ömer Arslan, Florida State University, FL
My name is Ömer Arslan and I am a second-year doctoral student in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program at Florida State University. My interest in online learning began when I was a master’s student in Turkey. I learned about socio-cultural dynamics manifested in learning environments. Currently, I engage in activities that contribute to my personal and professional development inclusive of enrolling in graduate courses, teaching Introduction to Educational Technology, participating in research projects, and research group meetings. I am local to Tallahassee, Florida for more than one year, and spent my spare time walking around lakes, jumping rope, and listening to music.
Dan He
Dan He, Florida State University, FL

My name is Dan He, from Chengdu, China. I’m a first-year doctoral student in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program at Florida State University. Before my doctoral program, I earned my master’s degree in Foreign and Second Language Education at FSU. My current area of interest includes online students’ collaborations and interactions within multi-cultural groups in higher education and the impact of social media in both formal and informal learning. I’m also drawn to technology-enhanced language learning because of my previous learning and working experience as a Mandarin and English teacher.
Vanessa Dennen
Vanessa Dennen, Florida State University, FL

Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Shifting to Specifications Grading: Two Design Cases

Session Description
Most formal learning experiences result in some sort of assessment and acknowledgement of learning outcomes, which may range from a certificate of completion to a grade on a rating scale. Whatever system is used, instructors and students benefit from clear expectations and well aligned learning objectives and assessment measures. Specifications grading is one approach that promotes a focus on achieved learning outcomes by clearly articulating expectations and the relationship between competencies and grades. This paper presents two university-level course design cases, one undergraduate and one graduate, in which a shift was made to a specifications grading system. The redesign required careful consideration of key competencies, competency indicators, mastery thresholds, and revision opportunities. At each course level there were different challenges to address, reflecting different levels of course difficulty and anticipated student maturity. Issues such as providing student feedback in a specifications system, handling situations where students challenge the system, and conversion to standard university grading scales also are discussed. Benefits included increased student self regulation and ownership of the learning and assessment processes.
Presenter(s)
Vanessa Dennen
Vanessa Dennen, Florida State University, FL
Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies at Florida State University and Editor-in-chief of The Internet and Higher Education
Lauren Bagdy
Lauren Bagdy, Florida State University, FL

Session Type
45-Minute Interactive Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Learning to Fail with Immersive Technology: When Student Learning Outcomes Matter More Than Project Output

Session Description
Today’s college students often feel an immense pressure to succeed coupled with a paralyzing fear of failure. Failure in any aspect of college life can increase “fear of not making it” (FONMI), which leads to increased college drop out rates (Hibbs & Rostain, 2019). As instructional technologists, our goal is to find ways to use technology to create purposeful learning experiences for our students that extend beyond the classroom. Considering the fear of failure and incorporating digital tools leads us to questions about student learning experiences and goals. How can educators make failure acceptable in courses and across campus? How can incorporating immersive technologies help students to focus on the learning process over the output?

Through our work with students on virtual reality (VR) and immersive technology projects in traditionally non-technical courses, our goal has been to shift the focus from students completing polished VR spaces to students learning from the nuanced choices and the mistakes they make in the process. While our students have expressed that they learn the most from their mistakes, the fear of failing an assignment can cause anxiety and stress and even stop their willingness to experiment outside of their comfort zone.

This session will focus on techniques and approaches for planning assignments that focus on learning outcomes through experimentation and creation, and how to work through student barriers caused by FONMI and fear of failure. We will share examples from our experiences and invite others to discuss their experiences as well. Our co-presenter, Denison student Ronald Tran, will share insights on working with these technologies from the student perspective. Sample assignments and planning documents will be available for session attendees.

Presenter(s)
Kelli Van Wasshenova
Kelli Van Wasshenova, Denison University, OH
As an Instructional Technologist at Denison, Kelli Van Wasshenova works with faculty, staff, and students to develop a deeper understanding of how digital technologies can enhance learning experiences. Kelli helps faculty develop assignments and course curriculum that expose students to new technologies and digital tools, and she provides support to faculty for digital scholarship and research projects. In addition, she works hands on with Denison students on digital projects and class assignments, and she assists with mentoring the ETS student workers as they begin their careers working in technology.

Everyday, we see the development of new technologies that impact everyone in our society. Kelli strongly believes that, as educators in the twenty-first century, we must prepare students to navigate through this vast digital space and help them to develop the skills to make informed decisions when it comes to technology and digital media. When teaching class sessions, Kelli teaches beyond the tool or software at hand to show students how digital literacy extends outside of that class project and can be applied to life-long experiences.

Kelli’s expertise include multimedia projects (audio, video, websites), instructional design, digital humanities, digital scholarship, and project management. Her professional and research interests include digital learning environments, technology and the first generation student experience, women in technology, and literary text analysis.

Trenton Edmunds
Trenton Edmunds, Denison University, OH
Since joining the Denison community in 2001, Trenton (Trent) Edmunds has assisted faculty and staff in various technological endeavors in the classroom and in research. As part of Educational Technology Services (ETS), he works hands-on with faculty members in course design to incorporate digital tools with subject matter and pedagogical goals.

When confronted with a new idea or problem, Trent focuses on details and explores all possible outcomes and possibilities. Each student brings their own differences and realities in what they are trying to gain through instruction. By fostering their curiosities, Trent pushes students to grow and find paths that lead them to new discoveries and solutions.

Trent’s current focus is using virtual reality (VR) and immersive technologies to teach abstract and complicated subject matter. He also has expertise in geographic information systems (GIS), 3D printing, information transfer, gamification, graphic design, and multimedia software. His professional interest is in the visual and spatial communication of ideas.

Ronald Tran
Ronald Tran, Denison University, OH
Ronald Tran is a junior at Denison University studying Economics. He currently works as a student employee for the school’s Educational Technology Services, working on the development of virtual reality applications for classroom uses.
Session Type
45-Minute Interactive Session
Audience
All Audiences

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