2023 Virtual TASS Conference
May 15 - June 15, 2023
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent sessions will be added to this listing after each round of review and upon acceptance by the proposal review committee for presentation. Check back periodically for updated concurrent sessions
Sessions for 2023 Virtual TASS Conference: Sessions are in alphabetical order by last name of each presenter. Where there is more than one presenter, the session is listed by the presenter's name appearing first on the proposal.
Evaluating the use of Mobile Devices for Increasing Student Engagement
Presenters: Dominique Bailey, Julian BourneSmothers
Florida A&M University
Summary:
Over the past decade higher education institutions have seen an increase in usage of mobile devices incorporated to engage students and improve motivation towards learning outcomes. Mobile learning (m-learning) has evolved as a powerful component of education through learning and teaching. Mobile learning uses small portable devices, instead of laptops, and desktops. Some of these technological devices include iPads, tablets, and smart phones. Mobile devices have introduced a new generation of educational tools for creative exploration which allows instant access to a wealth of resources. The noteworthy features of m-learning include briefing materials, multimedia, and education-technology related pedagogies that encourage student participation past the traditional educational methods (i.e., lectures, paper-based activities, and assignments). Mobile learning in higher educational settings can have the potential to increase student's interests, creativity, enthusiasm, participation, motivation, independence, self-regulation, and improve productivity. This study will analyze the impact of mobile learning devices on student engagement, motivation, academic retention, and academic success for students in academic recovery. This research will focus on instructors and recovery students' views about the use and influence of mobile devices, specifically iPads, and how it impacts students' engagement, motivation, communication, and collaboration.Research and Development - College Literacy and Learning -SIG
Presenters: Kristin Conley, Monica Frees, Lou Ann Sears
Ferris State University
Summary:
The session will center on recent research and best practices for enhancing college students' literacy skills. Members of CLL-SIG will highlight their most recent research and share details about the Journal of College Literacy and Learning.Using Faculty Discourse Analysis to Expand Student Success
Presenters: Kristin Conley, Debra Courtright-Nash, Mary Zimmer, Lauren Cavner Williams
Ferris State University
Summary:
As individuals invested in higher education, we continually strive to find effective ways to increase retention and support student success. The Cross Curricular Career Community Scholar Program (C4), a multi-semester, interdisciplinary learning community program has shown success for underprepared students entering the university needing additional support in three areas: math, English, and reading. In the three years of the program, the first-to-second year retention rate of C4 program students was approximately 75% with an average GPA of 3.19 in comparison to non-C4 developmental students with a retention rate of 55% and average GPA of 2.34. Given these statistics, the research team was tasked with scaling the program. In scaling the program, we wanted to ensure the key components were retained. We hypothesized that the bi-weekly meeting of participating faculty to identify issues and brainstorm holistic solutions is one of the most promising variables that contribute to student success (Dudley, 2013). This was a place that we were often able to identify cognitive and non-cognitive factors/barriers for individual students and speculate as to whether those issues were isolated or pervasive. These conversations allow us to utilize raw data and findings to improve experience through swift and agile interventions to class, advising, and study sessions while at the same time constantly providing feedback for future curriculum and program guidelines. This presentation will focus on the power of faculty discourse as a tool for student success (Duffy & O'Rourke, 2015). Faculty will present their preliminary findings on the impact of collaborative instructional approaches to meet the needs, cognitive and affective, of program participants. The presentation will conclude with a question and answer section focused on the how and why associated with implementing student-centered faculty conversations. TASS attendees will leave with a packet of resources connected with discourse analysis.Using Scaffolding Strategically in Classroom Instruction
Presenters: Kristin Conley, Rebecca Williams Jackson
Ferris State University
Summary:
Part of the freshman group of classes required for students based on testing, or total lack of testing scores for open enrollment, include a reading course, designed to teach students to critically respond to text at a college level. Remediation classes focusing on reading and language skills increase college persistence and degree rates (Boatman and Long 2010). The course is a hybrid course, with on-line and in-class work required, and is part of a focus on student retention. Testing scores on the ACT were depressed in 2022, following a continued pattern of decline, and only 22% of students taking the ACT met college readiness benchmarks. (Profile report-national-act.org 2022) The incoming class of 2022 had the added transition of moving from COVID-19 restricted classroom attendance and inconsistent access to educational technology (COE - Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Elementary and Secondary Education System 2022) (Stelitano, L. et.al 2022) to in-person classroom attendance with increased academic expectations. To meet the needs of students who have not had equal access to computers, instruction or experience with college benchmarks and social interactions in the classroom, scaffolding techniques are employed. Scaffolding, or a tiered system of teaching, (Wilson, K, & Devereux, L, 2014) helps students transitioning to college courses scale up with social support and structure. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate scaffolding techniques designed to meet the needs of transitional students building reading and writing skills, in a 45-minute presentation. Types of instruction that include social engagements and cooperative learning communities have been shown to increase student learning (Johnson, et. al 2006), and increased social and academic engagements positively impact college persistence (Hu, 2011). This session focuses on scaffolding and supporting student success.On-boarding your graduate school students
Presenter: Donald DeSormoux
Keiser U
Summary:
Graduate education brings learners together from many different higher education backgrounds. New Student Orientation introduces new students to the campus culture and available resources. It allows students to connect to departments and develop a sense of community. This session will explore a successful self-paced and live online Graduate School Orientation process. We will explore innovative approaches and examples that will support overall growth for an undergraduate or graduate orientation model. New graduate students often need to prepare more because they have been out of the classroom longer than others. Creating a structure that can meet the various needs of today's learners is essential for a collaborative learning environment. The examples shared and audience participation will examine practical methods to enhance effective ways to connect with students during the orientation process. The overall design support students in acclimating to the online learning environment. We will review a sample course that provides suggestions and tips on a wealth of resources for an online class. We will further explore a structure of steps that will engage students in the academic community. We will take an opportunity to analyze class discussions and videos along with a learning badge reward. A glance into the session: Getting Started Step 1: Meet the campus information Step 2: Intro to the LMS platform Step 3: Student Success Step 4: Practice Step 5 A Helping Hand Step 6 Earn a badge by taking the New Student Orientation Completion Quiz and Certification Step 7 Complete the Student Feedback Survey Step 8 Attend LIVE Orientation.Serving the Whole Student: Transforming Silos into A Singular Coordinated Care Network
Presenters: Sheila Fabius, Adam Derosa
Broward College
Summary:
Welcome aboard Broward College's Airways airlines where take-off and every altitude climb towards a passenger's destination embodies a culture of care. BC is a high minority-majority serving institution with a focus on equity in access, learning and success. In 2019, to increase optimum performance Broward College Airways merged Enrollment Management Student Onboarded and Academic Advising to service on average 5000 incoming passengers per academic term. Each Student Success Coach steward navigates 1800 passengers in their caseload from application to enrolled and paid status. While on board, passengers who require supportive resources are alerted to one or more of the 16 different Academic Advising's Coordinated Care network members. This session will discuss the evolution of BC's student onboarding, and its merger with Academic Advising to personalize the first flight experience while maximizing equity and student success.Striving to Thriving: Mental Health Support at Broward College
Presenters: Melanie Gnaizda-Gilson, Lisa Elsinger
Broward College
Summary:
Broward College has made significant progress during the past year in defining and enhancing strategies that move students from surviving to thriving. Both formal and informal approaches to addressing mental health through multiple stakeholders, along with program outcomes, will be shared and discussed.Maroons - Marooned in Memory
Presenter: Gene Klein
Broward College
Summary:
Kidnapped Africans brought to what would become the United States resisted their forced enslavement almost from the very beginning of this forced enslavement. Known as marronage until the invention of the railroad, this resistance has been forgotten and replaced by a memory of the Underground Railroad that places Whites in leadership positions. This collective amnesia contributes to the Lost Cause's denigration of Blacks. This loss of a noble legacy of resistance may disadvantages Blacks in educational settings.Storytelling: A Perfect Beginning for the First-Year Writer
Presenter: Donna Nalley
South University
Summary:
The narrative is the perfect first essay for a basic writer in developmental English or Composition I. After reading examples, learning techniques, and choosing a topic, any beginning writing student can progress to telling a story in narrative essay format and feel successful. That first success is crucial to building confidence and having a positive mindset and a sense of belonging to the learning community.Strategies to Enhance Undergraduate Research in the Humanities
Presenter: Jacqueline Pena
Indian River State College
Summary:
Undergraduate research has been revered as a high-impact practice in higher education for decades, but most of the attention on undergraduate research was on STEM courses and programs. We have seen a shift in the last two decades as STEM became STEAM in many K-16 activities such as school or district symposia. Aside from the broadening of our focus on undergraduate research, the definition and examples of undergraduate research have been expanding as well, opening more opportunities to integrate humanities research in undergraduate courses. In this virtual session, attendees will learn about current definitions and characteristics of undergraduate research in the humanities to obtain a general foundation for future implementation. Then, virtual attendees will learn about different models of undergraduate research in the humanities using examples from various institutions followed by an explanation of the undergraduate research spectrum that could be used as a framework for the implementation of undergraduate research strategies in any course or co-curricular activity. The session will include undergraduate research implementation strategies and examples. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be familiar with how to implement or enhance undergraduate research in their humanities courses, academic programs, or co-curricular programs.Politics of Attracting and Supporting First Gen Students
Presenters: C Phoebe Reeves, Greg Loving
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
Summary:
College-educated voters now reliably vote Democratic; non-college-educated voters are increasingly Republican. How do we attract and support first generation students who may see higher education as antithetical to their values?Utilizing Manipulatives to Build Respect, Appreciation and Celebration of Diversity in a First-Year Education Course
Presenter: Caitlin Riegel
Niagara University
Summary:
In an effort to lead by example, manipulatives were used to model an activity that builds respect, appreciation and celebration of diversity in an educational setting. This presentation shares the activity design and outcomes that took place in a first-year education course. First year education students may take a course entitled Equity, Diversity & inclusion which introduces prospective teachers to the issues of respect, appreciation and celebration of diversity in the educational setting. The course examines the myths and origins of prejudice and discrimination. Prospective teachers explore student-responsive strategies (in a constructivist environment) to enhance learning for students with cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, physical, and mental differences. With the knowledge that issues related to diversity often plat a role in students academic success, an activity was developed to take place within the first week of classes that used manipulatives (i.e., clay models) as an example of constructivist practice to highlight the class diversity, open up a dialog regarding the topic as it pertains to the freshmen students within the class, and discuss best practices for valuing the diversity of their own future students. Students were tasked with using colored clay to mold an item of importance to them. The presentation will highlight how student diversity was ever-present throughout the activity; artistic ability, item selection, prospective of representing their item, and specific use of colored clay to mold their items all demonstrate student diversity before conversations surrounding diversity even begin. Images of these items will be shared to demonstrate the varied approaches. Planned discussion points will be shared with audience members. Additionally, unplanned divergent discussions that resulted surrounding community building, freshman relationships with peers in their programs, and the importance of positive feedback will be shared. Future intentions to incorporate the activity into other courses, as well as activity modifications related to item selection will also be shared. TASS attendees will leave with a best practice model of an activity that builds respect, appreciation and celebration of diversity in an educational setting to help navigate student diversity.The Impact of COVID-19 on Music Listening
Presenter: Sarah Satterfield
College of Central Fl
Summary:
In this presentation, Dr. Sarah Satterfield, Senior Professor of Music and Humanities at the College of Central Florida, shares her research findings on how the music industry was impacted by COVID-19. Dr. Satterfield explores changes in music listening behavior, including the music listening behavior of students. Dr. Satterfield also discusses compositions written in response to the pandemic and lives lost. The presentation concludes with suggestions for using music and meditation to reduce stress and anxiety, experienced by many of our students.How to Plant the Seeds of Reading
Presenter: Lou Ann Sears
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Summary:
This session will share a 4-step path to promoting growth in reading. We can all agree that the Pandemic stunted the growth of the nation. This may or may not have negatively affected our own reading, but it certainly had negative effects on student performance. We will talk about reasons we should care. Not being confident that alternative solutions have been identified, I will offer four ways we can address this in our lives and in our own classrooms. Path 1 is reflection. Pausing to reflect on our own growth and our students' growth can give us context for Path 2. Path 2 refers to reading books. I will introduce two new memoirs: The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World by Steve Pemberton and The Other Side of Yet: Finding Light in the Midst of Darkness by Michelle Hord. Here we will reflect on what reading closely means. Path 3 will address the concept of book talks and allow us to get familiar with the two memoirs and learn how they advance growth for readers. Path 4 is cultivation. To close the session, I will share 7 powerful strategies for students/readers to employ: leaving the comfort zone, considering what they dismiss, becoming aware of lifelong learning, searching for life lessons, scooping out geography, learning some history, and appreciating philosophy. We can use these tools to cultivate growth for all.Helping Students Identify and Overcome Barriers to Success
Presenters: Lynn Turner, Kenya Floyd, Jennifer Collins
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Summary:
Most academic recovery courses include helping students find the barriers that impede their academic success. In most cases, students and faculty work collaboratively to find the support mechanisms that can be used to mitigate the barriers. Mitigation strategies usually include finding and using university academic resources, developing academic goals, and student-developed accountability plans. This research examines the barriers found by students in an online, asynchronous academic success skills course over eight semesters to figure out if the types of barriers, number of barriers, and student demographics play a role in the students' ability to recover academically. The research will discuss how a barrier identification worksheet can also be used as an early warning system. Finally, this presentation will discuss the significant role of instructors and academic coaches in moving students from simple barrier identification to the implementation of mitigation strategies through intensive coaching and follow-up.A Virtual Presentation of Formative Assessment Activities that Engage Students and Support Success
Presenter: Denise Wilkinson
Virginia Wesleyan University
Summary:
As we move past the pandemic, the need to implement creative approaches to improve student learning has become increasingly important. Focusing on innovative ways to include assessment, specifically formative assessment, is one way to address student engagement and success. There are essentially two kinds of classroom assessment, summative assessment and formative assessment. Summative Assessments are conducted in increments throughout a course. Their purpose is to discover what exactly students have learned within a given instructional time frame. On the other hand, Formative Assessments allow for feedback from both instructors and students on student understanding of content and concepts and uncover any difficulties in comprehension, so that the teaching process itself may be modified as necessary. As an example, students may work toward their learning goals through practice in the classroom or by completing low stakes graded assignments, either of which fosters student motivation and supports student learning in a low-stress environment. This presentation will focus on several formative assessment activities that may be implemented in any classroom to offer feedback for both students and instructors and foster student engagement. A few of the activities that will be demonstrated include: classroom quiz games via Kahoot, an online game platform, to offer practice and feedback on test review content or Flip assignments; Jamboard reflection activities which utilize Jamboard (an interactive whiteboard) for student reflection and feedback on a relevant course topic or as a test review; and Kami, an online document annotation and markup tool accessible to the entire class, to provide a venue for students to practice problems and gain feedback. These activities may be incorporated into a course as no-stakes or low-stakes graded assignments. The presenter will conclude by sharing student feedback specifically about these activities. Session participants can expect to engage in an activity that utilizes at least one of the activities presented to gain a clearer understanding of its usefulness as a formative assessment tool. Resources: Bhat, B. A., & Bhat, G. J. (2019). Formative and summative evaluation techniques for improvement of learning process. European Journal of Business & Social Sciences, 7(5), 776-785. Durga, M. V., & Kumar, M. C. B. (2020). Formative and Summative Assessment for Learning: A Review. J. Res. Sch. Prof. Engl. Lang. Teach, 20, 2456-8104. Garrison, C., & Ehringhaus, M. (2007). Formative and summative assessments in the classroom.