Articulating the Value of What You Teach
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A common complaint of faculty is that their students are unmotivated to learn. It does seem at times that our most brilliant lecture or most well-designed homework assignment just elicits blank stares and yawns. We know from the significant body of research on motivation (see Ambrose et al. (2010) for a succinct summary of the research) that one of the major factors affecting motivation is that the student values the task at hand. Students in upper-level courses in the major, for instance, often are interested in what they are studying and can see that the work they are doing will lead directly to goals after college, so they have a mixture of intrinsic and instrumental values at play that lead to high motivation and good outcomes. On the other hand, we may have more trouble getting students motivated in a general education or foundational class required for the major or for graduation.
In a class that looks to students as just a hurdle to be jumped over on the way to the good stuff, we need to think more deeply about what we do to communicate value. I once asked a pre-calculus teacher why students should take her course; her response was “it’s a pre-requisite for calculus.” When pressed to articulate the value of learning pre-calculus, she couldn’t do it. If we can’t articulate the value of what we teach, how will students appreciate the value?
Here’s a little exercise to stretch your ability to communicate value. Imagine a student can choose between your course and another course to fulfill a requirement. Using only a discussion about the value of the course, convince this student to take your class. Try writing down your argument. Think about how course content connects to student interests, the skills students will learn, the habits of mind they will develop. Here’s a
guide
to help you with this thinking exercise.
Then start communicating that value starting from day one on your syllabus and throughout the semester. You may see your students’ motivation rise before your eyes.
– by Stephanie Laggini Fiore, Assistant Vice Provost, Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Temple University
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The 18th Annual
Posters-at-the-Capitol
will be Thursday, February 21, 2019
Deadline for online registration: Friday, October 12, 2018 by 6pm EST
Posters-at-the-Capitol provides undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in scholarship, research, and creative work that is important to their educational experience and professional development. We encourage faculty to have their students participate in
Posters-at-the-Capitol to help those in Kentucky who fund higher education understand why these experiences are so important.
Important Links:
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Professional Development Opportunities
on Campus
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Here are opportunities for PD on campus:
Crafting Quality Mission Statements for Academic Programs:
- Oct. 10th (Today) from 9:30am to noon in Combs 413 - This training will focus on writing good mission statements for academic programs. It will also explore the new MSU strategic Plan (SOAR) and talk about how unit mission statements should be crafted to align with the institutional strategic plan while providing examples of good mission statements for such units. Those interested in attending should register by emailing Kathy Hargett at k.hargett@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-5470.
Crafting Quality Mission Statements for Administrative & Educational Support Units:
- Oct. 11th (Tomorrow) from 9:30am to noon in Combs 413 - This training will focus on writing good mission statements for administrative and educational support units. It will also explore the new MSU strategic Plan (SOAR) and talk about how unit mission statements should be crafted to align with the institutional strategic plan while providing examples of good mission statements for such units. Those interested in attending should register by emailing Kathy Hargett at k.hargett@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-5470.
Writing Effective Outcomes, Choosing Measures and Setting Targets for Academic Programs:
- November 20 (Tuesday) from 2pm to 4:30pm in Combs 413 - This training will focus on writing concise and appropriate learning outcomes, choosing appropriate measures and setting appropriate targets for academic programs. The training will delineate the differences in goals and outcomes and how to articulate outcomes, specifically define what student learning outcomes are and provide examples of good outcomes for such academic programs. Also, the training will explore appropriate measures to utilize based on the outcome to be assessed. Setting appropriate targets and how to articulate targets will also be discussed.
- What is a student learning outcome?
- Examples of good student learning outcomes
- What are appropriate targets for my unit?
- Those interested in attending should register by emailing Kathy Hargett at k.hargett@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-5470.
Career Exploring Appropriate Outcomes, Measures and Targets for Assessing Administrative & Educational Support Units:
- February 22 (Friday) from 2pm to 4:30pm in Combs 413 - This session will focus on formulating appropriate outcomes, measures and assessment plans:
- Defines outcome
- Choosing appropriate outcomes
- Define measures
- Direct vs. indirect measures
- Appropriate measures for different types of outcomes
- Setting appropriate targets
- Completing action plans/continuous improvement
- Those interested in attending should register by emailing Kathy Hargett at k.hargett@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-5470.
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Events on Campus for Students
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Here are opportunities for students (and maybe you) on campus:
Career Services (ground floor of the Camden-Carroll Library):
- LinkedIn or Left Out - Nov. 7th (Wednesday) from 2pm to 4pm in the Bert Combs Building, Room 302. Drop in and learn how to build or improve your LinkedIn profile and use it to expand your professional network. Come professionally dressed for a free photo.
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Mini Grants Available for
Alternative Spring Break Trips and Activities
Applications open October 1st
KyCC has received Volunteer Generation Funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) for alternative service activities that:
- are in Kentucky
- include reflection for participants
- include an intergenerational component
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Teach Abroad
Deadline: October 15, 2018
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Faculty are invited to apply to teach a course on a KIIS Winter 2019-2020 two-week program. KIIS operates four Winter programs:
- ITALY (open to courses in all academic disciplines)
- MAYA MEXICO (open to courses in all academic disciplines)
- PARIS-MUNICH (open to courses that focus on elements of food and culture from a variety of academic disciplines)
- ZANZIBAR ISLAND, TANZANIA (open to courses in Business, Administration, Social Work or all areas of Health - Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, etc.)
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The Faculty Winter application deadline is October 15, 2018. Click any “Apply Now” button at
kiis.org
to begin your application. For information about your application, visit the “Faculty” dropdown at kiis.org. For information about the Winter programs, see the “Programs” dropdown.
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Kentucky Convergence Conference
Save-The-Date: October 17-19, 2018
The 2018 Kentucky Convergence Conference will be held October 17-19 at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus. This year’s theme is “The Next Reality: Doing it Farther, Faster, and Better.”
Convergence is the single event that brings together professionals in information technology, academic libraries, online learning, and instructional design from all the public and private colleges and universities in Kentucky and the surrounding states. Sponsored by Kentucky post-secondary institutions and private sector partners, Kentucky Convergence is a conference that emphasizes innovations and best practices in the fastest-growing areas of higher education. For more info:
http://kyconvergence.org
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2018 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis
October 21-23, 2018
The Assessment Institute in Indianapolis is the nation's oldest and largest event focused exclusively on outcomes assessment in higher education. This event is designed to provide opportunities for (1) individuals and campus teams new to outcomes assessment to acquire fundamental knowledge about the field, (2) individuals who have worked as leaders in outcomes assessment to share and extend their knowledge and skills, and (3) those interested in outcomes assessment at any level to establish networks that serve as sources of support and expertise beyond the dates of the Institute.
For more info, click
here.
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Teaching Professor Conference - (June 7-9) - New Orleans
The Teaching Professor Conference, is accepting proposals for concurrent sessions and poster presentations.
New this year is a proposal to present a 20-Minute Mentor session, which will be published as a Magna Webinar (yes, that's the ones we feature below).
The deadline for submitting a proposal is
October 31
. The conference is June 7-9, 2018, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Conference information and session proposal can be found
here
.
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Stem+ Monthly Webinar
First Friday of Every Month: 3-4pm EST
The Next Webinar: November 2nd, 2018
KyCC has created a monthly webinar for STEM+ faculty to connect with each other and learn about effective practices. The webinar is on the first Friday of the month from 3-4pm EST.
To read their latest newsletter and get the link for the webinar, please go
here.
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2019 Gateway Course Experience Conference
Atlanta, GA / March 17-19, 2019
Proposal Due Date: November 26, 2018
Higher education faculty, professionals, students and educators are invited to
submit proposals
on a topic addressing:
- Share innovative ideas and practices you are using to solve problems and enable transformative course redesign at your institution.
- Connect and collaborate with colleagues from other institutions who are working to integrate active learning and other strategies into how they teach gateway courses.
- Share evidence about how your course redesign efforts are improving student success and learning and/or advancing more equitable outcomes.
- We value your students' perspectives in all aspects of teaching and learning and encourage you to consider having a student(s) as co-presenter(s).
Early submissions are welcomed and appreciated.
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Magna (Online) Webinars
24/7 Professional Development for Faculty
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Featured Webinars:
How Flexible Should I Be With Non-Traditional Students?
Non-traditional students face a unique set of challenges when they go to college. This webinar:
- Outlines five specific approaches to support the success of this specific student population.
- Explores how faculty can strike the right balance between being inflexible and a pushover.
Beyond the Discussion Board: How Can I Engage Online Students?
Discussion boards are a useful tool for engaging students in online classes. In this webinar, you will explore how to:
- Implement multiple options for online engagement.
- Overcome common discussion board challenges.
Accessing Webinars:
These licensed Magna resources are available through a password-protected website. For access, faculty need to:
- Log into MSU’s employee portal;
- Look under the My Classes (Blackboard) section for the Magna Training Site;
- If Magna isn't showing up in your list of courses, please send a request to be added to msuonline@moreheadstate.edu.
- When you click on the Magna Training Site, the Blackboard shell will open. Please note, you will be asked to submit a "Terms of Use" agreement before viewing any webinars.
Benefits of Magna Webinars:
I understand that you have a lot on your plate, so let me give you a few reasons why you should consider trying a Magna webinar:
- Each webinar takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
- All webinars are available on your schedule since they are online and easily accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Webinars include supplemental materials such as bibliographies and handouts.
- Certificates of completion are available for professional portfolios and Faculty 180.
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Ambassadors for Excellence in Teaching
Morehead State University
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