Session Abstracts

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Teaching Excellence: What It Is and How It Can Wield Power in Higher Education

Dr. Corbin Campbell

Dr. Corbin Campbell is the acting co-dean and professor at the School of Education at American University. Her research, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Spencer Foundation, examines three interrelated streams: equity-based college teaching, assessments of higher education quality, and the organizational environments that support college teaching improvement. Her 2023 book, Great College Teaching: Where It Happens and How to Foster It Everywhere, published by Harvard Education Press, describes the findings of the College Educational Quality study of more than 700 courses in different institutional contexts. Her current research examines the systemic policies and organizational practices to support the broad-scale improvement of equity-based teaching in higher education. Prior to coming to American University, Campbell was a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Campbell’s research has been published in several top-tier journals, such as the Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, and Teachers College Record. Her work has been highlighted in news venues, such as Inside Higher Education, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the New York Times. Dr. Campbell has served on several editorial boards, including Review of Higher Education and Review of Educational Research as well as a committee of the National Academies on assessment and college student success.

Co-constructing Research with Graduate Students: Determining a Course’s Pedagogical Impact

Dr. Jennifer Sparkman Bartee

Our research team, a professor and four graduate students, studied the beliefs and attitudes of pre-service teachers as they first encountered arts integration techniques through hands-on participation. The research approach for this study was built using Chang, Ngunjiri, and Hernandez’s (2013) work on collaborative autoethnographic research. Analysis of data collected from open-ended surveys, interactive interviews, written reflections, lesson plans, and alternative forms of representation (Eisner, 1994) revealed two primary themes: the impact of learning theory through application and the empowerment of future professionals. This session will examine how similar techniques can be transferred to impact different disciplines across the university.

Learning Objectives

• The presenter will discuss how she co-constructed the research project with her graduate students.
• Participants will share ways they have successfully conducted research with their own students.
• The presenter will lead a brainstorming session to encourage future professor-student co-constructed research projects.

Faculty Engagement Correlates to the Sense of Belonging for Students

Dean Frenika Rivers

As Universities seek to increase retention and completion rates, faculty engagement with students should be considered as a method to help students reach commencement. Student interactions with faculty are frequent, instructive, and often meaningful for both students and faculty. This often creates a greater sense of belonging for the student, leading to higher student campus engagement. This session will focus on practices and methods for faculty engagement to create belonging in the classroom and on campus.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding “belonging” as a DEIB initiative
• Best Practices for creating belonging in the classroom

Discovering and Measuring the Impact of Teaching Practices on Students’ Success and Retention in General Chemistry

Dr. Uche Udeochu

Recognizing the multifaceted nature of student experience, this presentation seeks to provide an understanding of the factors and specific teaching practices, and interventions that contribute to a positive and inclusive learning environment in view of students’ success and retention in STEM disciplines. NEAT STEM project survey methodology employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative metrics and qualitative insights to capture diverse facets of the perception of students from various disciplines taking a General Chemistry lecture course, reflecting the university’s demographic diversity. Preliminary results highlight correlations between positive experiences in four dimensions and enhanced overall student satisfaction.

Key aspects of the teaching practices discussed include:

1. Self-Efficacy
   1. Investigating students’ belief in their ability to succeed academically in General Chemistry course through examination of the impact of instructional methods, feedback mechanisms, and support services on students’ confidence and motivation.
2. Belonging and Respect
   1. Exploring the sense of belonging within the classroom community through assessment of the influence of inclusive practices, social interactions, and institutional support on students’ connection to the university.
   2. Examining the level of perceived respect within the learning environment by delving into students’ experiences of respectful communication, fair treatment, and equitable opportunities within the classroom.
3. Peer Culture
   1. Investigating the dynamics of peer interactions by exploring the role of collaborative learning, group projects, and peer support in shaping positive and enriching academic culture.
4. Comfort Making Mistakes and Asking Questions
   1. Recognizing the importance of a psychologically safe environment, this aspect assesses students’ comfort levels in taking intellectual risks, making mistakes, and seeking clarification without fear of judgement.

The Psych Life: Developing Career-Decision Efficacy for Life Now and Beyond the Degree

Dr. Afiya Fredericks, Dr. Kelli Hill, Dr. Dhymsy Vixamar-Owens

Who says fostering student success should be limited to success in the college setting? Perhaps fostering student success should include building pathways to graduate education and job/career opportunities and complementing classroom lessons with experiential experiences. Listen in as three psychology faculty share evidence from UDC’s Psych Life Series, career-readiness classroom practices and engaging research opportunities. Then join in on the conversation: give your opinion on career readiness as a measure of student success; share some successes (and challenges) of your own; and/or suggest ways that today’s academicians can help foster students’ career-decision efficacy for life now and beyond the degree.

Learning Objectives

• Explore what it means to support student success
• Reflect on graduate school-focused and/or career-related activities and events in your academic program/department
• Discuss ways that today’s educator can contribute to developing the whole person

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Practices Into our Teaching

Dr. Helene Krauthamer, Dr. Bethany Monea, Dr. Cherie Ann Turpin

In this panel, members of the CAS DEI Committee will present multidisciplinary strategies on course design, assignments, and assessments for courses that support the committee’s mission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We will provide examples from our experiences, reflecting on lessons learned. We will also discuss the importance of academic freedom in meeting our mission goals.

Learning Objectives

• Evidence-based and practical tips for creating a more inclusive and diverse learning environment by inviting students to demonstrate their learning through multiple media
• How to assess these projects
• The impact of pronouns
• Classroom approaches to pronouns
• Insights concerning DEI issues

Developing Implementation Fidelity Data to Align Outcomes for Teaching Ethics

Dr. Andrea Adams

Implementation fidelity data have been used to measure the alignment of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments with the intervention students received to better interpret assessment results. This practice links learning improvements to specific interventions to aid in selecting the most effective intervention or in making informed changes. Moreover, scholars have recently questioned the effectiveness of the different learning modalities (face-to-face, hybrid, and online) for teaching ethics. This presentation discusses the development process and initial outcome of collecting implementation fidelity data for the Ethics in Public Service course and its potential use for other ethics curricula.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the benefits of integrating “Implementation Fidelity Data” in course design
• Discuss emerging factors that affect modality attributes for effective ethics instruction
• Participation in intervention alignment exercise for ethics courses

Modeling a Diversity Curriculum Through Local Cultural Diplomacy Opportunities

Dr. Jasmine Noelle Yarish, Ms. Daniela Tinajero Ortiz

Since the launch of the Global Studies concentration in Spring 2021, student participation has steadily increased. This presentation will highlight a UDC senior pursuing the concentration who embraced the opportunity to formulate a bilateral policy proposal spearheaded by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Mexican Embassy to the US and students at American University to commemorate the 200th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. This presentation will also feature the successful completion of this opportunity, mirroring the student learning outcomes central to UDC’s IGED capstone sequence while embedding UDC pedagogy beyond the formal classroom.

Learning Objectives

• Increase awareness of the Global Studies Concentration Curriculum and Pedagogies at UDC
• Identify high competency for the Global Learning Value Rubric (AAC&U) amongst candidates for student ambassadorship between higher education institutions
• Demonstrate alignment with high-impact practices for capstone courses (e.g., IGED 391/392)

Moderated Panel Discussion Exploring the Intersectionality Between Teaching and Leadership

Dean Anika Spratley Burtin, Dean Kimberly Crews, Dr. Alexander Howe (Moderator), Dean Jeffery Fleming, Dean Frenika Rivers

“I am the Griot”: Open Discussion and Storytelling

Dr. Kelli Hill

In traditional African theatre, the Griot is the storyteller of history and culture. According to Carl Jung, people from the same background or community often share a collective unconscious. When I combine these concepts, I find students are willing to engage in open discussions and storytelling to create a Push/Pull pedagogy for shared experiences in the classroom. Countless statements from mid-term surveys and student evaluations express an appreciation for the open discussions, stories shared for examples, and a sense of transparency. Transparency creates a reason for students to observe lessons; it motivates them to learn and it keeps them engaged.

Learning Objectives

• Create Icebreaker Discussions for transparency
• Discuss topics relevant to students using responses from Icebreaker Discussions
• Reflect on stories related to lesson topics to engage students
• Practice Push/Pull strategies for reciprocal participation

Fostering Belonging and Leading Change

Dr. Aparajita De, Dr. Helene Krauthamer

Numerous studies have indicated that our current student population is undergoing a mental health crisis to which we in higher education need to respond. This presents challenges to professors as we struggle to maintain high educational standards while also accommodating to the needs of our students. This is particularly significant as we now face classes of students who have spent the bulk of their high school education under pandemic conditions, where attendance and lateness policies became somewhat relaxed. What support can we give our students to make all of them feel a sense of belonging and safety in the physical environment? How can we, as educators, lead change for our colleagues and our institutions?

Learning Objectives

• Present some of the strategies we have used at our university to provide support for our students and the challenges we have faced, as well as some of the successes of our efforts.
• Initiate a conversation with participants about their strategies for creating an inclusive environment at their institutions.

Empowering Black Males on the Graduate School Journey to Success

Dr. Delarious Stewart, Dr. James Maiden

This presentation addresses the persistent underrepresentation of African American males in graduate programs. It emphasizes the urgent need to empower this demographic by exploring factors that promote their academic success and persistence. Drawing upon Vincent Tinto’s Model of academic and social integration, the program highlights the importance of fostering a sense of belonging, academic engagement, and social support. Personal narratives, insights from African American male graduate students, and interactive workshops provide practical strategies to empower educators and administrators in promoting diversity and equity in higher education.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding the Challenges: Participants will develop a clear understanding of the unique challenges faced by African American males in graduate programs, enhancing their awareness of the barriers to success.
• Application of Tinto’s Model: Participants will be able to apply Vincent Tinto’s Model of Academic and Social Integration to assess and address the specific needs of African American male students, demonstrating their ability to tailor support strategies accordingly.
• Developing Actionable Strategies: Participants will leave with actionable strategies and recommendations for supporting African American male students in their own educational institutions, fostering their capacity to implement effective support systems and contribute to increased diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Unlocking STEM Diversity at Smaller Institutions – Strategies Informed by Research Integration

Dr. Alexandra Taraboletti

Explore the intersection of research-integrated learning and STEM diversity informed by the paper Unrealized potential from smaller institutions: four strategies for advancing STEM diversity. We will delve into practical approaches for fostering inclusivity and diversity in STEM education. Discover how research integration, especially through the CURE model, engages students and benefits educators. This session provides actionable strategies for educators passionate about creating a more equitable STEM landscape.

Learning Objectives

• Explore the synergy between research-integrated learning and promoting diversity in STEM disciplines
• Discuss practical steps for implementing inclusive research experiences in smaller institutions
• Share success stories and resources for educators committed to advancing STEM diversity

Interdisciplinary AI Integration: Pedagogical Innovation and Instructional Practices

Ms. Gabriella Waters

Gabriella Waters is an artificial intelligence and machine learning researcher and the Director of Operations at the Center for Equitable AI & Machine Learning Systems at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. She is the director of the Cognitive & Neurodiversity AI (CoNA) Lab, a professor at the Propel Center, where she facilitates the Culturally Relevant AI/ML Systems course, and a research associate at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where she leads AI testing and evaluation across three teams.

She is passionate about increasing the diversity of thought around technology and focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations to drive innovation, equity, explainability, transparency, and ethics in the development and application of AI tools. In her research, Waters is interested in studying the intersections between human neurobiology and learning, quantifying ethics and equity in AI/ML systems, neuro-symbolic architectures, and intelligent systems that make use of those foundations for improved human-computer synergy. She develops technology innovations with an emphasis on support for neurodiverse populations.