Teaching Enhancement Workshop January 2019

Welcome and Overview

• Cheryl Moore-Thomas, Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Diversity
• Maren Blohm, Associate Professor of Biology and Chair of the Teaching Enhancement Committee

Plenary: "Motivation: Theory in Action"

K-12 teachers, university faculty, and parents lament the lack of student academic motivation. "What's the matter with these kids today?" The simple answer is, nothing, or not as much as you think. Perhaps we need to look inward, both personally and at the higher education landscape more generally to find a more suitable answer. In this keynote, we will reflect on what motivates faculty, discuss academic motivation theory and present teaching strategies associated with higher levels of undergraduate and graduate student engagement in their learning. You might learn something, you will likely be perturbed, but you will not be bored! So come out to the Teaching Enhancement Workshop.

Presenter:

• Joshua Smith, Dean of School of Education

Break-Out Session Descriptions

1."Redefining the College Classroom: Enhancing Student Engagement Using Online Learning Environments"

In this session, we will discuss ways to increase student motivation using online pedagogies. The session will help instructors apply a framework for considering how to connect students to each other, the instructor, and the material in online classroom environments. Instructors will come up with at least one idea for enhancing student motivation in their own online classrooms.

Location: Maryland Hall 242

Presenters:

• Afra Hersi (Teacher Education)
• Elliot King (Communication)
• David Marcovitz (Education Specialties)

Resources:

• "Redefining the College Classroom: Enhancing Student Engagement Using Online Learning Environments (PDF)", Hersi, A., King, E., Marcovitz, D., 2019

2. "Graduate Students Panel: What Motivates Us?"

This panel features an informal conversation with current Loyola graduate students on what motivates them inside and outside the classroom. Students will share their reflections on effective teaching techniques, mentoring, course assignments, and overall motivation strategies that keep them engaged while juggling work, family, and school.

Location: Maryland Hall 244

Presenters:

• Marie Anderson (Liberal Studies)
• Stephanie Andrews (Emerging Media)
• Shantey Jackson (MBA)
• Ellen Kenny (Liberal Studies)

3. "Conditions that Impair Motivation: What They Are and How to Respond"

Mental and physical health conditions can often appear to be low motivation in the classroom. Using the knowledge we have about Generation Z, and considering Loyola's institutional data, we will help create an awareness and clarification about the various health conditions that are growing in severity, scope, and complexity among college students.

Location: Sellinger Hall 221

Presenters:

• Mary Beth Mudric (Office of Student Support and Wellness Promotion)
• Jason Parcover (The Counseling Center)
• Marcia Wiedefeld (Disability Support Services)
  
  Resources:
  
  "Conditions that Impair Motivation: What They Are and How to Respond (PDF)", Mudric, M., Parcover, J., Wiedefeld, M., 2019.

4. "Making Your Course Matter to All Students"

Core courses are often understood as being gateways to major disciplines. But there are ways to make core courses meaningful to all students, no matter their major. Terre Ryan (Writing) and Jean Lee Cole (English) will discuss how they connect core courses taken early and late during the undergraduate curriculum to students’ majors, their passions, and their lives beyond Loyola.

Location: Sellinger Hall 223

Presenters: 

• Jean Lee Cole (English)
• Terre Ryan (Writing)