DOLCE - November 1, 2024 - Student Engagement and Assignment Makeovers

We enjoyed presentations by two DOLCE speakers.

Cam Hostinar

Professor Camelia Hostinar from the Department of Psychology presented a talk called “Reigniting Student Engagement After Pandemic Disruptions: Brainstorming Solutions.” Dr. Hostinar presented some initial ideas regarding barriers that prevent students from being engaged within classrooms and possible strategies for overcoming these barriers.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Dr. Hostinar studies how the social environment shapes health, with a focus on the activity of stress-response systems. 

Mark Verbitsky

Mark Verbitsky from the Department of Political Science presented a talk titled “Assignment Makeovers: Updating Assignments in Light of GenAI.” Professor Verbitsky shared ways he has been changing his assignments to respond to generative AI concerns. Dr. Verbitsky focuses on the uniquely human aspects of learning and prepares students to critically engage with AI outputs. Dr. Verbitsky shared some strategies and examples and welcomed hearing others’ approaches to teaching and assessing students in the AI era.

As an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Political Science, Mark Verbitsky is widely recognized for his innovative assignments and teaching strategies.

• Talitha van der Meulen gave a talk at SITT 2023 on social office hours that could help with community: Social office hours: all around conversations by Talitha van der Meulen
• Here is another event where James Housefield talked about his approach to office hours and the impact on students: "Redesigning Office Hours as an Accessible Learning Environment"
• Mark Verbitsky’s SITT 2024 on-demand talk: “Navigating Concerns about Student Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence” 
• About Bloom’s Taxonomy: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/ 
• Tor Cross’ SITT 2024 on-demand talk also presents a template to guide students to use (or not use) GenAI in their reading: “Using GenAI to Support Learning: Reading Empirical Articles” 
• Debbie Fetter talked about her process of moving to open book exams: “DOLCE-June 4, 2021- Open Exams, Alternative Assessments” 
• CEE’s Faculty Learning Communities
• CEE’s Teaching Squared Reading Circle
• For the beginning of a potential rabbit hole into upgrading ;)
• Derek Bruff, Assignment Makeovers in the AI Age (Blog, NTL Forum)
• Derek Bruff podcast interview (Teaching in Higher Ed, ep #481)