Reaching Higher
Asynchronous Session
Leveraging Technology Across Signature International Business Experiences View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mourad Dakhli, Marta Szabo White
A globally networked teaching and learning paradigm, virtual exchange promotes cross-cultural competencies across shared and diverse learning environments. This paper reviews the growing body of scholarly and practice-oriented literature on virtual exchange and its value in higher education. We describe three signature experiences where virtual exchange was used to connect university students and ideas across geographies, and report on the results from South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia across multiple assessment instruments. We conclude with recommendations for designing and implementing virtual exchange projects to create unique and impactful learning opportunities.
Updating Classroom Presentations for the 21st Century: Digital Resources to Transform Student Presentation Projects View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Krysta Murillo
Student presentation assignments in higher education have traditionally been prepared using digital resources such as PowerPoint or Google Slides and presented live during class meetings. The current global pandemic has resulted in many course modalities changing to accommodate online learning options. In my hy-flex course, I provided students with a modified presentation project using virtual presentation tools. Students were able to prepare their presentations using an assigned problem-based learning topic. Students presented their project by recording themselves using Zoom, Canvas Studio, Vidyard, or PowerPoint Recording. Whether students presented in pairs, groups or individually, the resulting assignments submitted were more engaging and of better quality than past semesters. Students of the 21st century are demonstrating that they are more adept at using online learning tools, more engrossed in learning when provided access and opportunity to use these tools, and more enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge using today’s technological resources to support higher education. The psycho-social needs of modern college students are also supported by this learning model. Students that communicate presentation anxiety when required to present in class are provided an alternative approach to successfully completing the assignment requirements. Modified approaches to meeting course project requirements encourage instructors to consider the needs of 21st-century learners, in addition to utilizing their strengths in technology use.
Exploring the Use of Popular Culture Texts in Higher Education: Constructed Conversations between Teachers and Students View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Donna Rooney, Francesca Patten, Kaela Jubas
In this paper, we share interview and focus group data from a qualitative multi-case study underway with teachers and students engaged in university-based professional education courses that incorporate popular culture texts (e.g., film, television, music). By “professional education,” we refer to programs delivered in education, nursing, social work, and other fields related to practice. Rather than attending to popular culture resources as texts that can be analysed according to genre, theme or other elements, we are interested in how instructors create ties between cultural texts and core theories, concepts, and sensitive issues covered in the course and regarded as relevant to the development of practitioners who embrace critical thinking, analysis, and reflection—qualities of curiosity that signal responsible, ethical, humane practice. Teacher participants discussed why they used cultural texts, how they used them, and how they saw their use contributing to learning outcomes. Student participants discussed their experience in these classes and how engaging with the cultural texts supported their learning. There were areas of both convergence and divergence of teachers’ and students’ experiences and recollections, as well as some cautionary notes for instructors contemplating this sort of pedagogical move. In structuring this presentation, we put teachers and learners in dialogue to explore complexities that surface when using popular culture texts as pedagogical resources in professional education. Although we spoke separately with instructors and students, we use data gathered with both groups to bring them into conversation with one another.
What Is It Worth If You Get It for Free?: The Value of Open Educational Resources to Retention, Tenure, and Promotion View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Elaine Correa, Alexander Reid
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting closures of in-person interactions required colleges and universities on a worldwide scale to rapidly establish alternative modalities of instructional delivery with significant consequences to teaching as well as impacts on faculty meeting tenure and promotion scholarship requirements. Faculty quickly converted courses to a digital format, which involved a significant time commitment. These efforts were applauded by administrators without additional compensation or recognition for the value of this work during what has remained a challenging time for institutions of higher learning. One consequence of the global pandemic has been that many faculty members remain unable to complete their own research and scholarship which is a requirement for their advancement and promotion in the tenure review process. Thus, the value of seeking alternative avenues for assessing faculty scholarship contributions is needed, especially as faculty encounter the sentiment of "what is it worth if you get it for free?" when providing Open Educational Resources (OER) to assist student learning during COVID shut down orders. The value of OER to Retention, Tenure, and Promotion is considered in this study, particularly with emphasis on the challenges of utilizing new modalities for teaching and learning to address changes in institutional practices within of higher education.
The Influence of Emotional Wellness on Student Success Pre-pandemic View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Paris Saruna
Educational psychology has always directed research toward improving student learning and development while needing to take student individuality into account. This study explores the influence that emotional wellness has on student success. Student success in the context of this study was considered to be a combination of academic achievement, social wellness, and behavior. Emotional wellness was categorized as a combination of self-esteem and stress-resistance. There were two research questions: (1) is there a relationship between student emotional wellness and student success?; and (2) can emotional wellness predict student success? A sample of 343 first-year university students (72% female) completed a demographic survey (age, gender, ethnicity, and GPA) and four self-report measures: self-esteem, stress, sociability, and self-care and safety. Correlation and linear regression analyses indicate that emotional wellness had a significant relationship with student success. Results support the hypotheses, which suggested that individuals with higher emotional wellness were more likely to have higher student success. The discussion presents implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research.
