Let’s Hangout – Successful Student Study Groups – Snacks Optional

Session Description
Over the past several weeks, I have introduced the idea of online student study group to my different math courses. Still in the early stages, I have found that the students have enjoyed setting them up and interacting with each. There are pros and cons to this idea which I will continue to research and explore in the upcoming terms. This is a concept I would love to share with my colleagues across all curriculums.

Forming study groups is a very valuable strategy for enhancing learning. This is because groups share unique insights and learn from each other. In this presentation I will share the benefits of beginning and joining a student lead study group, ideas that can help a study group flourish and succeed. I will also introduce the different methods of where a study group can be help.

I am hoping that by helping students see the advantages that participating in a student lead online study group will increase their academic performance as well as improve their confidence, communication skills among their peers, and become aware of the diversity of the classroom.

The outcomes of this presentation will help in connecting globally by providing suggestions on creating a highly social learning environment. Holding group members accountable for the growing success of the students while learning new ways to approach subject matter. Finally, providing students with a support system that gives and receives motivations and support from fellow students in the group.

Presenter(s)
Candy Mowen
Candy Mowen, Greencastle, United States
Candy Mowen has received the distinction of CFD (Certified Faculty Developer) from the Learning Resources Network which enables her to train faculty in the latest, most advanced faculty development strategies and techniques. I have been a college professor for the past 11 years and also teach in the public sector at Franklin County Career and Tech School.
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Exploring Place for Online Learners in Hawaiʻi

Session Description
Place-based learning is a pedagogy and a learning strategy through which learners engage with themselves, with each other, their larger communities, and with the natural environment. Real-life learning experiences enhance and anchor learning and increase student engagement. Current social time-constraints and individual’s abilities to learn in convenient environments have aided a proliferation in distance education programs as a popular and preferred path to learning. Online courses may be convenient for the busy 21st century student. However, there is still a need for online courses to create and foster community. Can these two learning strategies, which seem so distant in scope from one another, come together in one blended course?

Rather than just reading about local plants and their uses, learners can go into the field and experience it for themselves. Native Plants of Hawaiʻi: Exploring Waikīkī was created to inspire inquiry of the local culture and environment, while supporting and enhancing learners’ cognitive abilities. This course seeks to incorporate online, asynchronous learning with a required field day. The online learning orients students to identification knowledge of native plants they encounter and their traditional (historical and contemporary) uses. The physical encounter assists with recall for students’ future application. The dual experience strengthens knowledge from simply “knowing” as they have had physical, active encounters with what they were learning. This session will share relevant, place-based assessment and what that could look like for local learning communities in online courses.

Presenter(s)
Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay
Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI
Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay is a graduate student in the M. Ed. Learning Design and Technology program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she received a BA in Hawaiian Studies. She is an alternative educator, interested in creating and fostering learning environments external to the typical classroom. Future plans include creating an online Girls Rock Camp, developing educational content for Kānaka Maoli, and obsessing more about Kānaka Color Theory.
Sarah Nakashima
Sarah Nakashima, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI
Sarah Nakashima regularly looks for strange articles revolving around animals and cults. As a Humanities Librarian at Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), she uses the found information to engage undergraduate students in the research process. Her excitement for student engagement and her desire to broaden the library’s reach motivated her to pursue online learning. Currently, Sarah is finishing as a Master’s candidate in the UHM College of Education, Learning Design and Technology department. Her research focused on incorporating online learning strategies into current library instructional roles.
Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Developing an Online Training: U.S. Passport Application Acceptance Agent Pre-Certification

Session Description
U.S. Passport Application Acceptance agent candidates are asked to attend the certification training workshop at the Honolulu Passport Agency and take the exam the same day. Candidates will be attending the class without any prior knowledge of the content and will be taking the certification exam the very same day. Candidates feel that a one-day training workshop and being tested the same day is not realistic to pass the certification exam. By giving the candidates pre-training, it will lessen their stress and pressure by giving them the idea of what is to come. This online course will prepare the candidate with basic knowledge of accepting U.S. Passport applications and increase the pass rate for the certification exam.

The purpose of this online training module is to prepare the employees at Kapiolani Community College (KapCC) in the Hospitality and Tourism Education department to be a certified U.S. Passport Application Acceptance agent so the KapCC U.S. Passport Application Acceptance office can service and meet the growing demand of U.S. citizens to obtain Passports. This training uses the Social-Cognitive Learning theory. The learners learn by the examples the instructors give and activities using picture images, videos on youtube, flipgrid and H5P hotspot. The assessment of their learning will be done using Kahoot!, and a traditional multiple-choice test. The whole training course will be held online on Laulima. The highlight of the training will be the activity using Flipgrid to create a fun interactive discussion.

Presenter(s)
Julie Takeda
Julie Takeda, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Jessica Lum
Jessica Lum, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Local Literatures of Hawaiʻi: A “Talk Story” and Place-Based Approach to an Online Literature and Culture Course

Session Description
Drawing upon the concept of “Talk Story” and place-based pedagogy, this instructional design focuses on a 16-week English 272: Introduction to Culture and Literature course (ENG 272) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Themed as “Claiming Culture and Place Through Local Literatures of Hawaiʻi,” ENG 272 explores the ways local literatures establish local identities and complicate issues regarding whose voices are privileged within local communities, challenging metaphors of Hawaiʻi as a “melting pot” or “mixed plate.” ENG 272’s designation as a Writing Intensive course also emphasizes the development of students’ abilities to read, analyze, and interpret literary text through written form.

The focus of this course draws upon place-based writing theory and practices to facilitate students’ connections to Hawaiʻi. Scholars in the field of composition have advocated for place-based writing to be integrated into classrooms because writing that’s tied to place and community encourages students to seriously consider the effects of their interactions, their intended audiences, and underlying purposes of their content (Esposito, 2012). Through the course’s Canvas website, students will engage in “Talk Story” activities through Flipgrid that analyze works from both Native Hawaiian and local scholars and writers while responding to the ideas and questions posed by their peers. By engaging with place and literature, students can explore their relationships and responsibilities to the communities in Hawaiʻi, which are lessons students from Hawaiʻi, the continent, and other countries can benefit from.

Presenter(s)
Avree Ito-Fujita
Avree Ito-Fujita, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Kindergarten Classroom Website: A Usability Study of a Teacher Website

Session Description
Communication between a teacher and families is critical for a positive learning environment. Various forms of communication between the teacher and families can encourage parent participation as well as foster the growth of existing relationships. It is important for parents to have access to important school and classroom information in one convenient location. The current school website has limited features and design capabilities for teachers to provide information to parents.

To address this need, a teacher-created classroom website was created. The purpose of this usability study was to develop and evaluate the ease-of-use and navigation of a Kindergarten Classroom Website: A Usability Study of a Teacher Website (https://kinderclasswebsite.weebly.com) designed to provide parents with one convenient location to find all important and necessary school and classroom information. The website was created using Weebly, a cloud-based web development platform. The design of the website used Gestalt’s Principles with components from Rosena and Purinton to focus on the cognitive parts of the design. Three rounds of usability testing were conducted with three participants in each round. Data was collected via surveys and during the walkthrough sessions. Revisions were made based on feedback received from participants to improve the overall site and user experience. Based on the data, minor revisions were made to the site. The methods, participant data, design implications, and website modifications will be further discussed in this presentation.

Presenter(s)
Morisha Ogata
Morisha Ogata, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

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Medical Simulation Specialist 1

Session Description
The Medical Simulation Specialist I is a 5-week online course created to fulfill the need to train technical assistants in medical simulation. Simulation using patient manikins can place a high cognitive load on medical educators facilitating students in a scenario. Medical subject matter experts who facilitate simulation often benefit from assistance with the computer-manikin interface and simulation environment. Volunteers, staff or students can be trained to assist facilitators as simulation specialists. The standards of best practice in simulation operations list criterion specific to the role of simulation specialist’s including understanding of the principles of simulation in education and teaching methods, set up, operating and maintaining equipment, staging, and the use of moulage. This course introduces the student to the use of simulation as a strategy to train healthcare providers, terminology, technology, robotics and a practicum. Merrill’s principles of instruction (2002) were used to plan student learning centered on relevant real-world tasks. Bloom’s Taxonomy revised in 2001 was used to develop the cognitive framework and objectives in the curriculum. Laulima was used as the learning management system (LMS). Since the last week of the online course is a practicum in a simulation room, it was a challenge to develop a method to allow students who were off-site to complete this module. However, various methods were developed to enable the student to fulfill the final checklist and will likely be refined through instructor and leaner collaboration.
Presenter(s)
Kris Hara
Kris Hara, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI
Kris Hara is the chief simulation specialist at SimTiki Simulation Center located at the John A Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, Hawaii. She grew up in Pupukea, HI and earned her respiratory therapy degree from Loma Linda University and Wayland Baptist University. She is currently a masters candidate at the University of Hawaii in Education, learning design and technology (LTEC). Her background as a registered respiratory therapist, pulmonary rehab specialist allowed her to actively engage in patient and staff education and clinical service for many years. In beginning a career in medical simulation in 2006 she fell even more in love with education. As a certified healthcare simulation operation specialist by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare she loves supporting medical students and faculty as the operations director of the simulation lab at JABSOM. Being a part of the LTEC ohana (family) has been a privilege and a joy!
Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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Dungeons and Dragons in Education: A Usability Study

Session Description
When it comes to this generation of learners, common challenges that often arise for educators include engaging learners, helping them process information, and getting them to apply that information. Game-based learning has been defined as learning that utilizes games to encourage students to be self-motivated and self-driven by presenting learning material as something enjoyable and thus facilitates engagement (Game-Based Learning: latest evidence and future directions).

In order to address these issues, a web-based instructional resource was developed on the topic of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) in education. The target audience of the instructional resource includes educators seeking a way to facilitate learning engagement and assess learning transfer. The web-based resource is located at (https://tasian1.wixsite.com/dndineducation).

A usability test was conducted to evaluate multiple aspects of the web-based instructional resource. The researcher conducted two rounds of usability testing with a total of eight participants. Data collected from the study indicated an overall positive reception towards the content, graphics, and layout of the web-based instructional resource. Revisions were made according to user feedback.

This session will discuss the overall design of the project as well as the usability study’s methods, data, and results. By conducting this study, the researcher was able to obtain data that improved the instructional design of the website. Ideally, this helped provide a site for teachers looking to try a different method of engagement and learning assessment. Through this project, the researcher was able to expose teachers to this new method of teaching and in turn, has learned how to better present this material so that it is more accessible for educators.

Presenter(s)
Tasia Nakasone
Tasia Nakasone, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

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English Basics and Foundations for 9th Grade

Session Description
English Basics and Foundations for 9th Grade is a 15 week course focused on learning various types of writing, with emphasis on the development of written communication skills, how to analyze text, and collaboration. There are five main modules for the course that deal with narrative, poetry, drama, rhetoric, and research. The researcher spent time talking with former students and close relatives about their experiences in the english classroom. Through an exercise in empathy, the researcher was able to understand the wants, wishes, and needs of these students that played an important role in the development of this course.

This online English course was designed using Canvas for students to develop writing and reading skills at the 9th-grade level. Courses are designed to give students the opportunity to build upon foundational skills in english with personalized feedback and instruction. It is important to build upon foundational skills because these are the skills that students will be carrying with them for the rest of their lives. If they do not have a proper foundation, they will not be prepared for the “real-world.” Knowing how to write, read, and communicate are essentials to building a successful life and go beyond academics. According to ACT.org, the official site of the ACT, developing foundational skills are “essential to conveying and receiving information that is critical to training and workplace success” (ACT, 2014).

The session will discuss the design, objectives, development, and findings of this project. The course was designed in accordance with peer/instructor feedback and target audience’s reactions and opinions. The Universal Design for Learning was used while considering the development of the course.

Presenter(s)
Tasia Nakasone
Tasia Nakasone, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI

Session Type
LTEC Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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Strategies for helping first-year online students with stress management

Session Description
Research shows that stress is an issue for many college students; with the addition of online or distance learning factors such as unfamiliar technology and isolation issues inherent to online courses, this stress can be magnified and can lead to poor academic performance and other negative effects (Cohen, 2019). One contributing factor is that most first-year online students are not provided with stress management techniques as part of their courses.
The goal of this presentation is to discuss and elicit participant interaction based on the following questions:

  1. What instructional practices can be used to help first-year online college students with stress management?
  2. How does the online course set-up contribute to first-year student stress and what can faculty members do to mitigate this given Learning Management System (LMS) constraints?
  3. What additional resources both inside and outside of the online classroom can help first-year students with stress management?

In discussing these questions, the authors will provide research and personal experience-based information in the areas of instructional practices, classroom set-up and resources for helping online college students with stress management and success in college overall. As full-time faculty teaching at one of the largest distance education universities in the United States, the authors have researched this topic as part of a project related to helping first-year online students overcome feelings of stress and isolation.

Presenter(s)
Tracy Crawford
Tracy Crawford, University of Phoenix, CA
Tracy Crawford, MAEd, is a full-time faculty member teaching entry point and foundational courses for the College of General Studies with University of Phoenix where she has been working as a staff member for the past 15 years. She earned a Master’s degree in Education – Curriculum & Instruction/Adult Education Distance Learning and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program for her Elementary teaching certificate. Tracy has been involved in education not only as a teacher and administrator, but also as a volunteer with United Way as a volunteer Reading Buddy, Head Start, Art Masterpiece and she has served as a Faculty Supervisor for student teachers. Tracy is a Certified Advanced Facilitator, has served as a Faculty Trainer, and facilitated both faculty and student workshops at University of Phoenix. Tracy’s true passion is helping students learn and grow!
Jennifer Romano
Jennifer Romano, University of Phoenix, CA
Jennifer Romano is a graduate of Auburn University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Mass Communication. While attending graduate school at Auburn, Jennifer was an instructor of Public Speaking. Upon graduating she became an adjunct professor at The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, followed by a full time instructor at Faulkner State Community College (now Coastal Community College) in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She taught communication and public speaking courses at both colleges. Then in 2007 Jennifer became a full time faculty member at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, followed by Herzing University in Birmingham, Alabama; she was an instructor of mass communication, public speaking and humanities course. In 2013 Jennifer became a full time faculty member at University of Phoenix, where she is currently working as a full time instructor of General Studies and Humanities courses. She has over 15 years of experience with online instruction and LOVES being an instructor at University of Phoenix!
Session Type
20-Minute Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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Empowerment Teaching: Creating “Mobile” Learning in an Online Experiential Learning Theory Environment

Session Description
American public universities are under increasing pressure to recruit, retain, and graduate students (Bowen, Chingos, & McPherson, 2011; DesJardins, Kim, & Rzonca, 2003; King, 1993; Spight, 2013). This presentation will show how an Honors online experiential learning theory writing intensive course coupled with Face-to-Face office hours and advising provides an effective and caring framework to implement an empowerment teaching and advising curriculum for students from diverse backgrounds. The embedded scaffolded and intentional caring and engaged pedagogy in this course supports and enhances critical thinking, academic capital, writing skill acquisition, emotional intelligence, and models information fluency. This builds on an information literacy learning cycle, thus providing the stepping stones for student success. In this course, using an empowered teaching and advising model, students connected with one another in an online environment, with hybrid elements, turned praxis into theory and back again in an iterative and sustainable life-cycle that has potential to be applied in many academic pathways, and beyond. Students were introduced to academic and life core resilience skills such as growth mindset (Dweck, 2014), “not yet but soon,” and scholarly performance based on an inside-out (Sinek, 2009) approach, which students have self-reported via survey has led to better college coping skills.
Presenter(s)
Siobhán Ní Dhonacha
Siobhán Ní Dhonacha, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, HI
Siobhán Ní Dhonacha is an Assistant Faculty Specialist for the Honors Program and Regents and Presidential Scholars, and a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Fellow. Indigenous Irish, Dr. Siobhán was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland.

Dr. Siobhán studied in New York and London, and then went on to earn a B.A. in Political Science and Politics of Theatre from Western Washington University, an M.F.A. in Theatre/Playwriting at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), a PhD in Education from the College of Education at UHM with a focus on the Ethics of Care, Higher Education Policy/Philosophy, and Student Success Strategies, and a COLT Graduate Certificate in online learning and teaching from the UHM College of Education.

Teaching since 1995, Dr. Siobhán has worked with students in Washington State, New York, and Hawaiʻi, and at UH since 2009. Her teaching and research are focused on Empowerment Advising ©, experiential learning, resilience, critical thinking in the 21st Century, writing praxis, the philosophy and ethics of care in academic policy and praxis, high achieving students, mentoring as a tool for student success, under-represented student recruitment and retention, emotional intelligence, cognitive development, student persistence, diversity and equity, and actively supporting UH to be a Native Hawaiian place of learning through incorporating Aloha ʻĀina and Kapu Aloha through curriculum design and advising practice.

Session Type
45-Minute Interactive Session
Audience
Novice

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