Abstract: College students who engage in first-year programs such as peer mentorship are correlated with increased achievement, subjective enjoyment of their university experience, sense of belonging, and campus participation. While the effects of peer mentorship have been consistent, there has been little information shared considering the characteristics of peer mentor programs nor the implementation of these programs in a strategic and effective way. Thus, the need for a controlled peer mentorship program arose. This mixed-methods study assessed a class leader (CL) peer mentor program, which showed up to 10% difference in persistence and up to a 0.4 increase in first-term GPA for students who had a CL during their first semester versus those who did not. Qualitative data was also collected to examine the impact of the CL program. Information presented outlines the results, subsequent recommendations, and implemented changes over the course of two years, including recommendations made for year three.

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Abstract: To support university students’ learning, teaching should build on students’ prior knowledge. Therefore, teachers need skills to pay attention to students’ knowledge in teaching-learning situations. Teachers’ underlying conceptual knowledge affects the way they see and interpret situations in classrooms, which is called professional vision. This study examined university teachers’ (N = 53 from different faculties, current and future faculty) professional vision and misconceptions from the perspective of the role of prior knowledge in learning, when watching and interpreting short videos of teaching-learning situations at the start of and after a short pedagogical training. Additionally, participants’ conceptions, beliefs, and approaches to teaching and learning were investigated with a questionnaire. The results show that before the training, there were differences between the teachers from different faculties, but after the training all the teachers scored better in their professional vision concerning prior knowledge. Prospective teachers’ professional vision developed even more than those of current faculty. Furthermore, more developed professional vision was related to more constructivist beliefs of learning. The results show that even short pedagogical interventions can improve teachers’ pedagogical vision. Pedagogical implications of the results are discussed.

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Abstract: Many Higher Education institutions outsource online course development to an online program management (OPM) provider because of a lack of budget, staff, and technology. Current research indicates that OPM providers often do not have instructional design (ID) services tailored to a specific university. This research uses a case study to analyze a business partnership between a research university and an OPM provider. The activity theory framework was used to direct inquiry and analysis. Results show a serious lack of consistency in the ID services provided by the ID firm outsourced by this OPM. The faculty needs and background were not considered by the OPM. The OPM partnership model does not consider tailoring the ID needs to the specific university environment.

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Abstract: High-impact experiences, such as service-learning opportunities or hands-on laboratories, have been shown to enhance student learning, course satisfaction, and attitudes and behaviors. Thus, it is essential to incorporate these experiences into psychology curriculums when possible. However, it is also critical to analyze the impact of these experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate student opinions of a service-learning laboratory experience to determine how impactful it was. Twenty-three psychology master’s students who completed an operant conditioning laboratory at a local animal shelter were surveyed about the experience. Although students did have recommendations for improvement, the laboratory was viewed as effective and impactful. Students highlighted many aspects of the laboratory and indicated that it was educational and enjoyable. Service-learning experiences such as these can impact student learning and personal growth while also impacting the community. Instructors should consider offering these experiences but should be aware of challenges in implementing a laboratory such as this one.

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Abstract: Internationalisation is an important part of higher education. An increasing number of higher education institutions offer online degree programmes that enable studying in intercultural, global online contexts. This design-based research paper focuses on the holistic design of international online degree programmes. It investigates how students in a culturally and linguistically diverse online degree in Finland experience international and intercultural aspects. The approach was a mixed methods of electronic survey (N = 59) and thematic semi-structured interview (N = 7). Whilst studies seem to develop students’ intercultural communication skills, results reveal training needs for teachers in culturally diverse online contexts in terms of materials, tools, communication, groupwork, and leadership, and support needs for organisational and online culture. As a conclusion, design principles for international and intercultural aspects in online degree programme design are presented. Results can be utilised by administrators and educators that wish to design degree programmes in international and intercultural online contexts.

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Abstract: The desire to broaden participation and increase campus diversity requires more than simply recruiting students of color. Faculty members’ education equity mindset may be useful for determining their motivation to provide students with opportunities to achieve at their highest capacity. The extent to which faculty members think about inclusion and equity and act on those thoughts reflects the strength of their education equity mindset. To begin filling a gap in the literature, we engaged in a cross-section methodology, collecting quantitative and qualitative survey data from 180 faculty members working at four-year institutions to document their education equity mindset and associated teaching practices. We found the faculty members held a moderate education equity mindset, with differences by gender, discipline, years in higher education, number of students taught, age, and level of instruction. Our findings have implications for preparing faculty members and the focus of professional development provided to faculty members.

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Abstract: The purpose of this survey research study was to examine Tennessee community college student preferences and experiences with print and digital course material formats. Analysis considered which format students prefer between print or digital, the reasons behind those preferences, and whether those preferences significantly differed based on demographic characteristics, perceived levels of technological savviness, and/or the availability of home internet access. Students enrolled for the fall 2019 semester at community colleges across the Tennessee Board of Regents system were surveyed using both open- and closed-ended questions (n = 1,912). Results showed that most students (63.6%) preferred to use print materials, with no significant connections based on demographic characteristics (non-White, low-income, age) or home internet access. Student voices woven throughout provided an additional layer of insight for educational leaders seeking to examine how policies and practices accommodate student preferences, which in turn may improve their experience and ultimately impact the performance of the institution.

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Abstract: Argumentation is central to science learning. Students in every domain of science should have the opportunity to develop the ability to think and act in ways associated with argumentation. When engaged in argumentation, students learn how to puzzle through problems, to see multiple ways of finding solutions, to gather and evaluate evidence on different sides of issues, and communicate scientific knowledge. These skills can ultimately equip students with the ability to function effectively at work and in the everyday world. In this study, argumentation was processed as a dialogical interaction for students who are in a dialogical relation with others, and who contribute to a conversation by means of thinking, sense making, reasoning, and problem solving in the science classroom. Eighty-seven students completed 48 written tasks, twelve of which deal with problemsolving tasks on mechanics concepts and 36 other tasks concerned with features of how they make and defend arguments. The results show that about two-thirds of the students tended to place primacy on claim making and evidence evaluation on problem-solving tasks that have clear solutions. However, when they had to solve problem tasks that have multiple solutions or no clear-cut answers, regardless of the type of scenarios, their performance dropped considerably. These findings provided additional insight for where more emphasis needs to be placed in both students’ arguments and pedagogical explanations on how argumentation in science classrooms can be conceptualized.

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Abstract: Minimal research exists investigating the effect short-term international allied health internships have on subsequent higher-level internships. In occupational therapy, these internships are called fieldwork. Researchers completed a retrospective data analysis of the Level II Fieldwork evaluation scores of 274 occupational therapy students attending a Master of Science program. Final Level II Fieldwork performance evaluation scores were compared between one group of 212 students who completed a domestic Level I Fieldwork and 62 students who completed a faculty-led international Level I Fieldwork. An independent t-test comparing all areas of Level II Fieldwork performance revealed that students who attended an international Level I experience scored statistically higher in the Fieldwork II evaluation sections of basic tenets and intervention skills on their second Level II Fieldwork. The corresponding p-value for the basic tenets section was 0.020. Similarly, the average score for intervention skills was significantly higher in the international cohort with a p-value of 0.012. Results show statistical significance in two of the seven evaluation sections for students who completed a faculty-led international Level I Fieldwork supporting the active learning pedagogy that was applied during Level I Fieldwork. Findings provide evidence to support the hypothesis that international fieldwork experiences have a positive effect on student outcomes. Study results can be considered across professional disciplines.

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Abstract: This article describes a four-month-long MBA course on business communication taught at NUST Business School, National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. A workshop-style approach was adopted in the course that helped the students break their emotional glass ceiling and become comfortable in their skin. The course enabled the students to work in teams to learn the art of verbal and non-verbal communication through exercises and case studies spread throughout the semester. The system was also helpful in teaching the students to develop an impactful resumé and improve job interview skills (through mock interviews). The course ended with the development of business communication case studies written and taught by students. Some of the students published their case studies in a UK-based case publishing house. The article describes a unique pedagogical approach for preparing this course and the instructor’s experiences during and at the end of the course.

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Abstract: University students crave immersive, collaborative, interdisciplinary, applied learning contextualized to real world sustainability challenges. Liberal arts and sciences institutions are particularly well positioned to respond. Here we report on our high impact, cross-disciplinary, biomimicry-themed firstyear experience (FYE) curricula. Biomimicry is an emerging, multidisciplinary approach to innovative problem-solving that seeks to emulate functional biological adaptations to inspire more innovative, efficient, resilient, and regenerative solutions to human challenges. In the classroom, biomimicry fosters higher-order thinking, creativity, and imaginative problem-solving while teaching the fundamentals of functional biology, STEM research, communication, and systems thinking. The highly integrative, skills-focused, experience-based, and philosophy-grounded nature of our curricula is optimized for the liberal arts and sciences FYE mission. Our goal is for students to successfully begin their transition to the liberal arts and sciences undergraduate setting, relate more strongly to the natural world, and draw inspiration for human problem-solving from nature. Merging the first-year seminar and biomimicry pedagogies seems to amplify learning in both areas. We share highlights of our curricula and pedagogy to encourage the development of more nature-based biomimicry first-year seminars promoting global citizenship at other liberal arts and sciences institutions.

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Abstract: In the recent years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) report and its recommendations for post-secondary teaching, Canadian universities and the professors who teach in them are seeking to redefine and restructure their teaching practices, course content, and pedagogies in an effort to meet those recommendations. This involves a focus on and commitment to decolonization and Indigenization. However, many struggle with what that means in practice and how it might be executed in the university classroom. How do we teach decolonization and reconciliation? How do we develop meaningful assessments? This article considers one classroom example, an autoethnography assignment. Based in auto-pedagogy, this article examines the benefits and challenges of using autoethnography in the classroom for both Indigenous and settler students and proposes it as a pedagogy compatible with the goals of decolonization and Indigenization.

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Abstract: Introductory sociolinguistics courses at university can be challenging, especially for students at the very beginning of their tertiary studies. Difficulties may arise due to students not having any prior exposure to the discipline’s content or methodologies, which is likely to be a result of these aspects not generally being taught in high schools. Undertaking introductory sociolinguistics courses may prove even more problematic for students in alternative pathway programs, as they often come from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or have had unsuccessful prior learning experiences. As a result, such students tend to struggle with adequately developing fundamental skills in sociolinguistic, which include objectively analyzing their own use of language and that of others. To assist students in acquiring these and other relevant generic competencies, we developed a teaching tool based on anchored instruction, which comprises a series of filmed scenarios. Preliminary results and feedback from students indicate that the tailor-made instructional videos assisted them in drawing links between their real-life use of language and theoretical sociolinguistic concepts.

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Abstract: Educators face the challenge of continually adapting and evolving their pedagogy to meet the needs of diverse learners. Learner experience design (LX) is a human-centered approach to curriculum and assessment development that is easily learned, adaptable, and repeatable. It focuses on empathy for students and creative problem-solving. In this work, we present an overview of LX and identify its usefulness to faculty in higher education. We proceed to describe a practical set of steps that teachers can follow to gain empathy for their students, identify important insights, and ideate creative solutions that can be implemented quickly, evaluated, and iteratively refined.

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Abstract: Achievement gaps exist along the lines of race, gender, sexuality, social class, and ability status from elementary school to graduate school in the United States. Instructors can help reduce achievement gaps by adopting practices that have been shown to promote the success of students from marginalized groups, so-called “inclusive teaching practices.” In this paper, we present 20 easily implementable inclusive teaching practices for college instructors. Some of these practices focus on changing the behavior of instructors (e.g., establishing a norm of inclusion, presenting intelligence as malleable), while others target student behaviors (e.g., increasing interdependence when working in groups, allowing students to express their values in class). For each teaching practice, we summarize the empirical evidence and discuss its potential to reduce achievement gaps. While no one teaching practice will eliminate achievement gaps caused by structural inequalities, instructors can increase the inclusiveness, fairness, and equity of their classrooms though their actions and pedagogy.

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Abstract: Proficiencies in global knowledge are essential to student growth and preparation in any career, and individual courses have the capacity to achieve important global learning benchmarks. With international students on the decline at institutions of higher education in the United States, and the predicted delay in returning to study abroad after Covid-19, domestic classroom experiences that privilege global perspectives are even more imperative. Courses that demonstrate connections to real world experiences are decisive for successful graduates in a multicultural, globalized world. Based on formal and informal student assessment, this research on the scholarship of teaching and learning reveals how purposeful course development can augment global learning, even in a domestic setting. Although one course cannot adequately achieve every aspect of global learning, this integrative learning class underscores the critical connections between theory and practice by highlighting the human experience. Assessment outcomes reveal student growth in benchmark, milestone, and capstone categories of the Global Learning VALUE Rubric, and demonstrate student investment in developing nuanced and broad understandings of race, ethnicity, and gender. This course reaches several VALUE goals because of its explicit and deliberate inquiry into global systems, multiple perspectives, and connections among numerous societies and the challenges they face. Through attention to global learning gaps, student identities, and structural racism, this research shows how endorsing a humanistic and integrative approach to understanding race, ethnicity, gender, and racism results in student achievement in multiple components of global learning.

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Abstract: Exploring built pedagogy, one college set out to disrupt structure and create a community of research by erecting a teaching lab yurt and inviting faculty to create a cohort of action researchers teaching in the yurt. The round shape of the yurt facilitated a more democratized learning environment where students found themselves a greater part of the learning and experienced their instructors to be positioned, literally, as facilitators of learning rather than keepers of the knowledge, where student accountability was inherent and an auditory/experiential connection to the world beyond the classroom created “aliveness” in learning.

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