NLCC 2013 Workshops
Thursday, November 7, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Learning Beyond Cognition: Embodying Integration
* Jack Mino, Holyoke Community College
* Patricia Sandoval, Holyoke Community College
Encouraging the kind of student engagement that leads to deep learning can be challenging even in learning communities. Adding an experiential element to the course can often result in a form of deep learning known as embodied learning. According to Bass and Eynon (2009), embodied learning "engages affective as well as cognitive dimensions, not merely through the role of emotion, but through creativity and intuition, through expressions of self-identity and subjectivity as the foundation of intellectual engagement." The first part of this workshop introduces participants to the theory and research of embodied learning using samples of student work from a sophomore interdisciplinary learning community, Smells Like Teen Spirit: Performing Adolescent Identities. The second part of the workshop sets the stage for embodied learning by providing participants with a heuristic to design and “perform” a variety of improvisations or E.L.A.s (embodied learning activities) that engender integrative learning of an embodied kind.
Thursday, November 7, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Learning Community Assessment
* Michele Hansen, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Carlos Huerta, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Bring your questions about assessing learning communities on your campus to this panel and workshop. This preconference workshop will help you learn effective assessment strategies and develop next steps for your assessment program at your institution. The workshop will begin with an overview of learning community assessment. There will then be two breakout sessions: One session is designed for those new to learning community assessment. The other breakout session is designed for those with with assessment experience who are seeking to learn about advanced assessment techniques.
Friday, November 8, 9:45am - 11:30am
Learning Communities 101
* William D. Young, Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods
* Rich Higgason, Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley
* Greg Sanford, Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley
This workshop is a hands-on introduction to building Learning Communities, from pairing faculty members, exploring common themes, creating assignments, overcoming the administrative hurdles and creating assessment measures. Participants learn the advantages of LC’s for faculty and students, the different types of LC’s, issues for faculty and administrators, how to identify non-faculty support team and troubleshooting basics.
Friday, November 8, 1:30pm - 3:15pm
Effective Integrative Assignments
* Greg Hinckley, Seattle Central Community College
In recent years, student-centered research has demonstrated that integrative assignments are more effective than finding just the right learning model. Among other advantages, a well-designed integrative assignment offers high-quality knowledge construction for students that encourages – indeed requires – them to integrate knowledge across the curriculum. This session is designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of integrative assignments.
Friday, November 8, 3:45pm - 5:30pm
Professional Development for Learning Community Faculty
* Devin Henson, Jan Jake and Cindy Rogers - Midlands Technical College
* David Sabol and Nancy Goldfarb - Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Rita Sperry and Michelle Riley - Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Panelists from three institutions will discuss professional development for faculty in their learning communities programs. This will be an interactive session with time for questions and sharing between panelists and participants about how to engage faculty in discussions about teaching in learning communities.
Saturday, November 9, 9:45am - 11:30am
Flipping, Wrapping & Integrating: Refocusing Students on Learning
* José Antonio Bowen, Southern Methodist University
Technology provides new ways for students to receive first contact with material and also better ways to ensure that students are prepared for class. We will begin by searching for new sources of online content and exploring the benefits of podcasts and online exams. We will play games and practice creating active learning assignments that use free internet content, laptops, tablets or phones in or out of the classroom. Technology can also be used to lower the stakes and raise standards with micro tests, improve reading and writing, and even create opportunities to study source documents. All of these offer opportunities to sparks the sort of critical thinking or change of mental models we seek. If technology can give us more classroom time, how can we design experiences that will maximize change in our students? Dee Fink provides an excellent model for designing courses, but technology creates many more opportunities to rethink the sequence of activities. We will examine how first contact, learning activities and assessment can all be reworked to focus students on learning.
Saturday, November 9, 1:15pm - 3:00pm
Building and Securing Learning Communities in Banner
* Steven Schwerin, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
“Building” learning communities in Banner can be a daunting task with short deadlines that affect student registration. In this workshop, we will use a cookbook approach that sets up blocks of the courses for each learning community, demonstrates methods of securing the learning community for specific populations of students, and controls how the learning community is shown online for students registering.
Saturday, November 9, 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Learning Community Troubleshooting
* Catherine Bradford, Kennesaw State University
* Betheen Glady-Teschendorf, Delta College
* Lauren Schmidt, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Anne Mahoney, Metropolitan Community College
* Steven Schwerin, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
This perennially popular session is for anyone who faces "challenges" related to learning communities at his or her campus. The panelists will moderate this open discussion of topics introduced by participants. Advice, suggestions, and empathy from the audience are welcome. The session is intended to help identify workable, positive solutions.
Thursday, November 7, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Learning Beyond Cognition: Embodying Integration
* Jack Mino, Holyoke Community College
* Patricia Sandoval, Holyoke Community College
Encouraging the kind of student engagement that leads to deep learning can be challenging even in learning communities. Adding an experiential element to the course can often result in a form of deep learning known as embodied learning. According to Bass and Eynon (2009), embodied learning "engages affective as well as cognitive dimensions, not merely through the role of emotion, but through creativity and intuition, through expressions of self-identity and subjectivity as the foundation of intellectual engagement." The first part of this workshop introduces participants to the theory and research of embodied learning using samples of student work from a sophomore interdisciplinary learning community, Smells Like Teen Spirit: Performing Adolescent Identities. The second part of the workshop sets the stage for embodied learning by providing participants with a heuristic to design and “perform” a variety of improvisations or E.L.A.s (embodied learning activities) that engender integrative learning of an embodied kind.
Thursday, November 7, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Learning Community Assessment
* Michele Hansen, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Carlos Huerta, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Bring your questions about assessing learning communities on your campus to this panel and workshop. This preconference workshop will help you learn effective assessment strategies and develop next steps for your assessment program at your institution. The workshop will begin with an overview of learning community assessment. There will then be two breakout sessions: One session is designed for those new to learning community assessment. The other breakout session is designed for those with with assessment experience who are seeking to learn about advanced assessment techniques.
Friday, November 8, 9:45am - 11:30am
Learning Communities 101
* William D. Young, Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods
* Rich Higgason, Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley
* Greg Sanford, Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley
This workshop is a hands-on introduction to building Learning Communities, from pairing faculty members, exploring common themes, creating assignments, overcoming the administrative hurdles and creating assessment measures. Participants learn the advantages of LC’s for faculty and students, the different types of LC’s, issues for faculty and administrators, how to identify non-faculty support team and troubleshooting basics.
Friday, November 8, 1:30pm - 3:15pm
Effective Integrative Assignments
* Greg Hinckley, Seattle Central Community College
In recent years, student-centered research has demonstrated that integrative assignments are more effective than finding just the right learning model. Among other advantages, a well-designed integrative assignment offers high-quality knowledge construction for students that encourages – indeed requires – them to integrate knowledge across the curriculum. This session is designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of integrative assignments.
Friday, November 8, 3:45pm - 5:30pm
Professional Development for Learning Community Faculty
* Devin Henson, Jan Jake and Cindy Rogers - Midlands Technical College
* David Sabol and Nancy Goldfarb - Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Rita Sperry and Michelle Riley - Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Panelists from three institutions will discuss professional development for faculty in their learning communities programs. This will be an interactive session with time for questions and sharing between panelists and participants about how to engage faculty in discussions about teaching in learning communities.
Saturday, November 9, 9:45am - 11:30am
Flipping, Wrapping & Integrating: Refocusing Students on Learning
* José Antonio Bowen, Southern Methodist University
Technology provides new ways for students to receive first contact with material and also better ways to ensure that students are prepared for class. We will begin by searching for new sources of online content and exploring the benefits of podcasts and online exams. We will play games and practice creating active learning assignments that use free internet content, laptops, tablets or phones in or out of the classroom. Technology can also be used to lower the stakes and raise standards with micro tests, improve reading and writing, and even create opportunities to study source documents. All of these offer opportunities to sparks the sort of critical thinking or change of mental models we seek. If technology can give us more classroom time, how can we design experiences that will maximize change in our students? Dee Fink provides an excellent model for designing courses, but technology creates many more opportunities to rethink the sequence of activities. We will examine how first contact, learning activities and assessment can all be reworked to focus students on learning.
Saturday, November 9, 1:15pm - 3:00pm
Building and Securing Learning Communities in Banner
* Steven Schwerin, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
“Building” learning communities in Banner can be a daunting task with short deadlines that affect student registration. In this workshop, we will use a cookbook approach that sets up blocks of the courses for each learning community, demonstrates methods of securing the learning community for specific populations of students, and controls how the learning community is shown online for students registering.
Saturday, November 9, 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Learning Community Troubleshooting
* Catherine Bradford, Kennesaw State University
* Betheen Glady-Teschendorf, Delta College
* Lauren Schmidt, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
* Anne Mahoney, Metropolitan Community College
* Steven Schwerin, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
This perennially popular session is for anyone who faces "challenges" related to learning communities at his or her campus. The panelists will moderate this open discussion of topics introduced by participants. Advice, suggestions, and empathy from the audience are welcome. The session is intended to help identify workable, positive solutions.