Big XII Teaching and Learning Conference: Session II Description

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6th Annual Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference

June 13 - 14, 2019 | Austin, Texas

Individual Session Descriptions

The following schedule will be updated until the start of the conference.  Unless otherwise indicated, all events will take place in the Texas Union.


Thursday, June 13, 10:15-11:15am: Session 4 (Santa Rita Room)

"A Beautiful Mind: Critical Thinking in the Arts and Humanities"

Mick Charney (Kansas State University)

While STEM courses are solidly grounded in mindful acts of critical thinking, an appreciation of the arts and humanities is often cloaked in intuitive speculation, personal taste, or emotion—an “art is in the eye of the beholder” mentality. The creative arts would seem to defy precise definition and measurement; but this session contends that exacting habits of mind and sound judgments areas integral to exhaustive investigations and penetrating critiques of the creative fields as they are to any of the STEM fields.The transdisciplinary definition of critical thinking propounded by the Association of American Colleges and Universities affirms that the presumptive supremacy of intuited suppositions about any artistic creation is illusionary. Instead, only a truly rigorous application of rational methods of inquiry, seemingly so contrary to the very nature of artistry, can unmask the multidimensional intentions of all manner of artifacts and opuses no matter how enigmatic or opaque.When students are confronted with masterful but perplexing artistic creations, the deliberate leveraging of analytical skills can help them formulate well-reasoned, insightful critiques precisely because the vagaries of ambiguity, context, and metaphor will have usually constituted the very foundation upon which such truly consummate artworks were constructed in the first place.Learning outcomes include: understand critical thinking in transdisciplinary terms; design intentional critical thinking classroom activities that render course content more relevant; bolster long-term retention and curiosity; employ reflective exercises to assess students’developmental progress from the novice through expert stages; and nurture life-long natural dispositions to think critically.

"Teaching Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum"

Amy Sanders (University of Texas at Austin)

So you don't teach journalism or political science. Who cares? Everyone can teach digital literacy to improve student learning and increase civic engagement. Learn practical tips to weave digital literacy skill-building into your courses regardless of the discipline. Brainstorm learning objectives, assessment ideas and other ways to incorporate digital literacy skills into your syllabus. Take away specific assignment ideas that you can implement in the fall semester.

"Informed Pedagogy Through Collaborative Assessment"

Laura Tadena, Portia Vaughn, and Katie Hansen (University of Texas at Austin)

Using examples of data mining, attendees will learn how to approach participative assessment to create learning outcomes.  Attendees will also learn about information literacy assessment as it applies to the discipline and creating the "now what" post-assessment goals.  Other key takeaways are information literacy resources, rubrics for assessment and evaluation, and an understanding of different techniques based on competencies used to conduct information literacy assessment.  At the end of the sessions, users will be able to identify the strengths of working with an embedded librarian and how using participative assessment can help guide the "now what" stage of instruction. 


Thursday, June 13, 10:15-11:15am: Session 5 (Eastwoods Room)

"Designing Communities for Inclusive Learning: Tracing Process and Sharing Practices"

Katie Tackett, Andrew Dell’Antonio, Steve Lundy, Nico Osier, Jim Patton, and Lisa Sigafoos (University of Texas at Austin)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curricular and instructional design based on the science of learning; the goal is creating equitable access to education for all students. Most of the literature on UDL focuses on its application to elementary and secondary classrooms with scant attention paid to higher education. Accumulating evidence suggests applying UDL can improve learning processes.  In this facilitated discussion, participants will hear from several faculty members who are part of an interdisciplinary learning community focused on UDL. The learning community was formed with assistance from College Star and the Center for Teaching and Learning at The University of Texas at Austin. Members include faculty of different rank and/or positions  from five different departments.  We will begin with a discussion of the general principles of UDL and how they can be applied in higher education. We will then share several specific examples of how UDL principles were applied in a number of undergraduate courses (online, face-to-face, large lecture, and small writing-intensive courses). If time is available, we can workshop one or more willing participants‚ course or assignment frameworks to make them more inclusive using the framework of UDL.  Finally, we will discuss how the learning community was formed, our collaborative work, and the lessons we have learned thus far in working together. We will offer concrete steps participants can take to start a learning community on UDL or other topics on their own campus.


Thursday, June 13, 10:15-11:15am: Session 6 (Quadrangle Room)

"Learning Beyond the Classroom: Active Learning through Interdisciplinary and Research Programs"

Jeanette Herman, Robert Reichle, Mackenzie Finklea, and Kelsey Mumford (University of Texas at Austin)

This panel will share two different programs in the School of Undergraduate Studies (UGS) at the University of Texas at Austin that engage undergraduate students in active learning through undergraduate research and interdisciplinary experiential education.  

The first panelist, Dr. Jeanette Herman, the Assistant Dean for Academic Initiatives for UGS and Director of the Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP), will discuss the BDP model for integrating interdisciplinary and disciplinary learning with hands-on experiential learning experiences. She will share how the BDP engages students in taking ownership of their educational journeys, provides them with opportunities to define and refine educational and career goals through research and internship experiences, and engages them in reflective writing to integrate learning in the classroom with experiential learning. She will also discuss assessment tools and outcomes that demonstrate the program's efficacy.

Next, Dr. Robert Reichle, Senior Research Program Coordinator for UT's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), will discuss processes for creating new undergraduate research initiatives that support active learning, including strategies we have developed to support student training in research communication (the Texas Student Research Showdown; the Academy of Undergraduate Researchers Across Texas). He will also discuss some of the positive outcomes and challenges of supporting undergraduate research at the institution level.

Our third panelist, a BDP alumna who has also participated in OUR initiatives, will share how these activities have shaped her experiences as an active learner.

Registration

Registration for the conference opens in late January 2019.


Conference Links

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