{"title":"Teaching Spirituality in Higher Education Graduate Programs","authors":"Ricardo Montelongo, Cherjanet Lenzy","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i2.356","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i2.356","url":null,"abstract":"How has a profession centered on care become one struggling to sustain a core foundational principle – spiritual development of learners? This question provides critical reflection on teaching within higher education graduate programs. The authors use duoethnography to dialogue on what it means to develop a “pedagogy of spirituality” within their respective higher education graduate programs. Metaphysical and monastic philosophies provide the guiding and differing forces shaping our dialogue and pedagogical thoughts.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138958925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incorporating Positive Psychology into the Post-Secondary Classroom","authors":"Beverley Myatt, Lynne N. Kennette","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i2.378","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i2.378","url":null,"abstract":"The principles of positive psychology have been studied for many years, but it seems to be only recently that the benefits of these techniques are being accepted by the wider community of mainstream pedagogues. In this article, we describe the principles of positive psychology and then highlight its benefits for both students and instructors. Finally, we discuss strategies and tips for implementation in the higher education classroom, both in-person and online.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138962437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth Jones, Scott Hicks, Joshua Busman, Kelly Barber-Lester, Jennifer Jones-Locklear, Camille Goins
{"title":"Indigenous cultures and communities in higher education teaching and learning","authors":"Elizabeth Jones, Scott Hicks, Joshua Busman, Kelly Barber-Lester, Jennifer Jones-Locklear, Camille Goins","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i2.382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i2.382","url":null,"abstract":" Our initial impetus for this project stems from the development of UNCP’s Indigenous Cultures & Communities (ICC) graduation requirement and the efforts of individual faculty representing disciplines in the arts, education, humanities, library, and nursing to redesign class activities and courses and share models and templates for readers’ use and adaptation in incorporating Indigenous-centered pedagogies in their own courses. We have curated our practical and philosophical methods for engaging Indigenous knowledge and using Indigenous-centered pedagogies in college courses and curricula through the lens of faculty efforts to redesign their courses in support of a newly instituted graduation requirement focused on Indigenous cultures and communities.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138959539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using Design Thinking to Solve Real-World Problems","authors":"Jill Waity, Alicia Sellon, Bailey Williams","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i2.350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i2.350","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents an innovative pedagogical model that incorporates components of team-based learning, problem-based learning, and design thinking in the context of a community-engaged applied learning experience. Students participating in this project build 21st century skills needed to be successful in their future educational and career pursuits. Undergraduate sociology and master's level social work students partnered with community organizations to solve a real-world problem for that organization. They were coached through the process by their instructors. Before participating in the project, students reflected on what they hoped to get out of the experience. After completion, they reflected on the process and what they learned. Analyzing student reflection papers, we found three themes: excitement and fears, challenges and opportunities, and personal and professional growth. We conclude by describing how instructors can incorporate aspects of this model into their own classroom, and the importance of teamwork skills, design thinking skills, and meaningful community engagement.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138959822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Students’ Use and Perceptions of a Due Date Extension Policy","authors":"Stefanie Boswell","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i2.379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i2.379","url":null,"abstract":"Students may sometimes benefit from due date extensions due to significant extenuating circumstances. These circumstances, though, may not be supported by documentation as required by university policies. Given this, I implemented a flexible due date policy called the Pause Button (PB) in a 16-week behavioral sciences research methods course. Students could use the PB to extend two due dates up to seven days each if they did not qualify for other university-approved extensions. Twenty-three students completed a survey about their use of the PB and perceptions of its helpfulness and benefits. Overall, students perceived the PB as very helpful, improving their ability to learn and complete greater quality coursework. Moreover, they perceived that it allowed them to better manage their academic workload, personal responsibilities, and stress. One of the PB’s perceived benefits, though, was dependent upon the assessment to which it was applied. This paper also suggests concerns for instructors who are considering implementation of a PB policy. It also contains recommendations for its use.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138961152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Oral Exam","authors":"Shylaja Akkaraju","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i1.354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i1.354","url":null,"abstract":"To reduce academic dishonesty and strengthen learning outcomes, I adopted in-depth oral examinations as my benchmark and summative assessments in a Human Anatomy & Physiology course taught in an online asynchronous setting. This decision led my students and me down the transformative path of mastery learning. This was a threshold experience for my students who were learning how to think and express themselves as physiologists. This was also a threshold experience for me as I explored the scope of the oral examination in promoting skill acquisition while nurturing a relationship-rich learning environment. By employing deliberate practice principles including basic drills, one-on-one weekly check-ins, and small group recitation sessions, students exceeded benchmarks for conceptual understanding, mastery of fundamentals, and application of concepts to clinical scenarios. Students consistently reported that they were happy within this learning environment. With meticulous planning, it is possible to motivate students to learn for mastery and acquire expertise by employing oral exams as the pivotal assessment strategy in an online course thereby also making academic dishonesty almost irrelevant.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135236186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Creating Trauma-Informed Higher Education Classrooms","authors":"Tommy Wells","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i1.336","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i1.336","url":null,"abstract":"Colleges and universities may desire to become more trauma-informed in light of our growing understanding of the impact that trauma can have on student outcomes. However, there has been little research on what strategies and practices colleges and universities should implement to become more trauma-informed. One approach to this work could be to start in the college classroom to determine which trauma-informed strategies and practices are most beneficial to students with an understanding that undergraduate and graduate students may have different needs. In this study, I surveyed 60 School of Education students, including both undergraduate and graduate students, to evaluate their perceptions of the importance of specific trauma-informed strategies and practices in the classroom, as well as their perceptions of how trauma-informed the host university is overall. Both undergraduate and graduate students believed the host university is moderately trauma-informed. However, there was a perceived significant difference between undergraduate and graduate students as to how important specific trauma-informed classroom strategies and practices were. I discuss the importance of faculty reflecting on various trauma-informed strategies and practices they could implement in the classroom.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49512533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Celeste E. Suart, Martha Cassidy-Neumiller, Kelsey Harvey
{"title":"Modalities of Faculty Engagement with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning","authors":"Celeste E. Suart, Martha Cassidy-Neumiller, Kelsey Harvey","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i1.320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i1.320","url":null,"abstract":"This article reports on a mixed-methods study examining the ways in which faculty and staff engage with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at a medium-sized research-intensive university in southern Ontario, Canada. Survey data was collected from fifty-six faculty and staff respondents, along with eight faculty completing follow-up semi-structured interviews. We found respondents used multiple engagement modalities to stay informed on SoTL literature, carry out SoTL research, and disseminate their findings. Barriers to SoTL participation include lack of dedicated time, limited formal SoTL training, and inexperience with different disciplinary norms found in SoTL articles. Participants emphasized the importance of collaborative SoTL inquiry, highlighting in particular the benefits of partnering with students on scholarly projects. Additionally, participants underscored the importance of implementing evidence-based teaching strategies. Our findings mirror trends in the literature regarding SoTL engagement activities, barriers to participation, and faculty perceptions of SoTL. This study contributes novel insight into the ways faculty choose to engage with SoTL and common obstacles, as well as suggestions for how teaching and learning centers can use engagement data to better support faculty and staff SoTL scholars.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49239458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reflections of Adult Learners in Asynchronous Online Degree Programs","authors":"Jonathan D. Baker, Sophya Tukhvatulina","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i1.344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i1.344","url":null,"abstract":"The growing prevalence of online higher education courses has attracted millions of students, many of whom fall outside the traditional student demographic. This investigative study aims to close the existing knowledge gap about the experiences and preferences of adult asynchronous learners. The study was conducted as a series of semi-structured interviews with adult students enrolled in free-tuition online asynchronous programs (N = 26). The interviews were then coded using the content analysis technique. The findings suggest that the lack of consistent communication with faculty and university staff is the biggest issue faced by adult students online. Respondents also reported missing the sense of community. Despite that, it is the ability to do work on one’s own schedule and flexibility in choosing the format for learning materials and assignments that are valued the most by adult students. Other findings and their implications are discussed further in the article.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48850149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Traditional, Mixed-Mode, and Online Instruction for Microbial Metabolism Before and During COVID-19","authors":"Dylan Thibaut, K. Schroeder","doi":"10.36021/jethe.v6i1.301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v6i1.301","url":null,"abstract":"As COVID-19 restrictions are removed, instructors are faced with two questions: should the course be taught online, via mixed-mode, or through traditional methods, and what effect did online instruction have on students in the course in regards regarding enrolled across eight semesters of metabolism courses using traditional, mixed-mode, and online methods. Post-hoc analysis of a repeated-measures ANOVA determined that while mixed-mode outperformed traditional methods on metabolism exams involving introductory concepts on the first exam (4.47 ±4.24, p= 0.012) and on the cumulative final exam (8.15 ±4.24, p= <0.001), traditional methods were superior to both mixed-mode (9.21 ±4.24, p= <0.001) and online methods (6.37 ±5.76, p= 0.006) at teaching alternative pathways of metabolism and lipid, nucleotide, and amino acid synthesis pathways. All methods showed poor student scores on glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation topics. Online methods performed nearly equally to mixed-mode, though there was not a significant difference on the first exam’s content as was found with mixed-mode. It is evident that, based on this study, a different approach to teaching basic central metabolic cycles such as glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and the electron transport chain is necessary to improve student understanding of these topics.","PeriodicalId":93777,"journal":{"name":"Journal of effective teaching in higher education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47744602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}