Pedagogo

There’s little doubt as to the value assessment can bring to the classroom. But what if we are underutilizing assessments and under-appreciating the areas where they can lead to insights? Tune in today to hear Dr. Valentina Iturbe-LaGrave, Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices at the University of Denver,  talk about sources of trauma in our students’ lives; how the chemistry of the traumatized brain interrupts deep learning; and how low-stakes, alternative assessments facilitate deep, transformative learning, and are a first step toward ensuring our students are supported in a way that acknowledges trauma. Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave and Dr. Case discuss the nature of trauma-informed pedagogy and how the insights gleaned from low-stakes assessments can translate to large gains in traditional assessments. Tune in to learn what steps you can take to create a classroom of inclusive excellence.

Show Notes and Resources:
‘This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action and Do the Work’, Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand

Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave mentions conducting a critical incident questionnaire which comes from the book "Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms" by Brookfield and Preskill

Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave mentions including a basic needs security statement in our syllabi. A modified example of UVA's Center for Teaching Excellence Basis Needs Security Statement is provided here, but many more examples can be found via an internet search. "Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the for support. Furthermore, please notify the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable them to provide any resources that they may possess."

For more information about responding to trauma in the classroom, read Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave's article of the same name here: https://otl.du.edu/responding-to-trauma-in-the-classroom/

For transcripts, show resources, and other Pedagogo episodes, visit https://examsoft.com/pedagogo

While it’s clear no one was a fan of the rapid transition to online learning in Spring 2020, do you know what distinguishes sustainable, enjoyable remote learning from Spring’s emergency remote teaching? Join Dr. Allison Case, along with her guests Lauren Wright, Director of Program Development at Wiley Education Services, and Jimmy Arvan, a senior at Boston University, as they explore the hallmarks of sustainable online learning, and how to create intentional, meaningful online environments where students thrive and faculty presence is felt throughout.

Show Notes
Teaching Online:  A Practical Guide- By Susan Ko and Steve Rossen
How Learning Works By Susan Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman
Online Teaching At Its Best By Linda Nilson and Ludwika A. Goodson
Small Teaching Online:  Practical Strategies to Increase Student Engagement and Learning By Flower Darby

Disclosure: The resources Lauren shared with us are published by Wiley.

With Fall 2020 beginning mid-pandemic, mid-protest and mid-election cycle, it's more important now than ever to invite culture to inform our pedagogy,  but doing it "right" can be daunting.  Join host Dr. Allison Case as she sits down with two thought leaders on the topics of cultural attunement and responsiveness, NYU's Michele Crespo-Fierro and UNT Dallas College of Law's Angela Downes as they discuss what cultural attunement is, what information and tools you have available to you right now, how to use them to know, honor and connect with your students, and to be encouraged that it's not just about getting it right but making the effort that matters.  Don't miss this powerful first episode of Pedagogo, Season 2. 

Show Notes and Resources

• View the infographic based on today's episode at examsoft.com/pedagogo
• Allison referenced Brené Brown's book, Dare to Lead, linked here: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/
• Angela mentions the work of Gary Howard @ the Equity Institute. For more information: http://www.ghequityinstitute.com/index.html
• Angela references Harvard University's Project Implicit. You can find more information and tests here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Pedagogo is back! Welcome to Season 2 of Pedagogo, the podcast on all things higher ed. We're back talking with faculty, thought leaders, and subject matter experts about the latest and greatest trending topics affecting our lives in the classroom and beyond. We’ll also hear from students this season as we aim to cover all points of view to inform our pedagogy. This season, our focus is on equity and enablement in the classroom, in assessment, and in education’s communities. Tune in to the prologue to hear host Dr. Allison Case talk about the topics to come in Season 2, like best practices for a robust virtual classroom, inclusive assessment, trauma-informed pedagogy, and more.  We’ll kick off the season with a powerful first episode on cultural attunement in our classrooms.  Be sure to join us Tuesdays starting next week for Season 2 of Pedagogo.

Mark Spitzer is back for this bonus mini-sode to talk about remote proctoring services. If you’re already using proctoring services, Mark and Allison will discuss tips and best practices for seamless implementation of remote proctoring for your assessments in a virtual classroom. If you are new to the proctoring scene, Mark and Allison talk about the considerations you need to be aware of to make a sound choice, the types of proctoring services available and the pros and cons of each.  

As classrooms and exams move online, the role of privacy has been thrust into the spotlight. From articles reporting students feeling "creeped out" by online proctors to students refusing to be assessed online, robust privacy policies play a central role in ensuring students can still make progress towards their degree from the safety of their home. Tune in today to learn about different types of privacy, who should participate in framing new privacy policies, the difference between privacy and policy, and to learn whether you're a data processor or data controller.  Guests Eric Connolly, Vice President of Client Development with ExamSoft and Devon Lash, IT administrator at the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences join Allison to talk privacy and to get you up to speed for a successful fall with robust policies in place. 

This week, we're continuing the conversation with academic leaders about how to define and achieve success in fall amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This week's guests are John Murray, Provost at Barry University and Aaron Cyr, Director of Assessment and Evaluation at Arizona College.  John and Aaron talk about how to define success for Fall and beyond, how to maintain rigor in assessment and in preparation for accreditation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. 

Wonder what academic success can look like for universities in the Fall? Interested in hearing the strategies your colleagues are using to liaise with administration to be successful, innovative, and effective? In this episode of Pedagogo, Allison sits down with academic leaders to discuss ways to define success for Fall and what it looks like to succeed, no matter the modality used to deliver classes.

Allison and Mark talk about what features to look for in a digital assessment platform.  We discuss the "need to haves" and the "nice to haves" including syncing with an LMS, seamlessly integrating with proctoring services, supporting new and emerging item types like hot spots, easing faculty burden, and generating data in support of accreditation efforts. 

Allison and Mark talk about the benefits of remote assessment, the whys and why nots of throwing in the towel and just assessing students using “group chat” for the remainder of the semester, and some common stumbling blocks and building blocks when attempting to execute fair, high-fidelity, secure remote assessments in a COVID-environment.