2023 Ohio PKAL Regional Spring Meeting

Students and faculty have experienced unprecedented change in the last three years. This has been driven, in part, by the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolving landscape in higher education. This conference will explore all aspects of “the new normal” in STEM education. Together we will focus on ways to support students and faculty in this new environment, as well as the changing needs of the STEM workforce.

Join Dr. Eric Mazur and Ohio Project Kaleidoscope (OH-PKAL) for our 7th annual one-day conference, What is the “New Normal” in STEM Teaching and Learning? At our first in-person meeting since 2019, Dr. Mazur will offer the keynote address at Kenyon College, Saturday, May 13, 2023. Join OH-PKAL on that day to contribute an oral presentation, a poster, or a workshop on one of the themes below.

Eric Mazur is the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Academic Dean for Applied Sciences and Engineering at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering Applied Science at Harvard University, a Member of the Faculty of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Past President of the Optica (formerly the Optical Society). Mazur is a prominent physicist known for his contributions to nanophotonics, an internationally recognized educational innovator, and a sought-after speaker. In education, he is widely known for his work on Peer Instruction, an interactive teaching method aimed at engaging students in the classroom and beyond. In 2014 Mazur became the inaugural recipient of the Minerva Prize for Advancements in Higher Education. Mazur is a leading speaker on optics and on education. His motivational lectures on interactive teaching, educational technology, and assessment have inspired people worldwide to change their teaching approach.

The rapid transition to online teaching necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic has been a good opportunity to rethink our approach to teaching in any modality. Moving to an online format suggests that many activities that have traditionally been synchronous and instructor-paced, can be improved by making them asynchronous and self-paced. What may have seemed like a challenge at first, turned out to be a great opportunity to improve the quality of education.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration (Gund Gallery Atrium)

9:00 - 9:30 AM Introductory Remarks and Awards (Gund Gallery, Community Foundation Theater)

Jeffrey Bowman, Acting President, Kenyon College

Bradley Wile, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Ohio Northern University; President of Ohio PKAL

Amy Kulesza,AssistantDirector of Education Research and Development, The Ohio State University; Chair of 2023 Ohio PKAL Awards Committee

9:30 – 10:30 AM Plenary Talk - Dr. Eric Mazur (Gund Gallery, Community Foundation Theater)

Introduction: Aaron Reinhard, Associate Professor of Physics, Kenyon College; Chair of 2023 Ohio PKAL ConferenceCommittee

Plenary Talk: Setting Learning Free: Lessons From Online Teaching

Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Academic Dean for Applied Sciences and Engineering at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering Applied Science at Harvard University

10:45 – 11:45 AM Workshop Session 1

Enhancing Motivation in Basic Statistics - Tips and Examples (Hayes Hall 109)

Sherri L. Quinones, Capital University

Self-Authoring Activity for STEM Courses (Tomsich Hall 101)

Simon Garcia, Kenyon College

If You Are Not Teaching DOE, You Are Not Teaching Your Students How to Perform Experiments (Samuel Mather Hall 201)

Rob Thompson, Oberlin College

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch (Peirce Hall Lower Level, Alumni Dining Room)

12:30 – 1:30 PM Poster Session (Peirce Hall Lower Level, Alumni Dining Room Atrium)

1:45 – 2:45 PM Concurrent Sessions

Track A: Promoting Faculty Success (Hayes Hall 109)

1. Preparing the Next Generation of Faculty Through a Community of Practice: the Denison Teaching Seminar for Pre-Tenure Faculty

Lew Ludwig, Denison University

1. Faculty of Color Network

Irene Lόpez, Simon Garcia, Kenyon College

1. Development of Early Faculty Mentoring at a Small Liberal Arts College

Erin Wilson, Westminster College

Track B: Promoting Transferable Skills (Tomsich Hall 101)

1. Developing Professional Skills via First-Year Engineering Design

Kurt R. Rhoads, Kathleen A. Harper, Case Western Reserve University

1. Design of a Capstone Experience in Analytical Chemistry That Promotes Transferable Workforce Skills

Joan M. Esson, Otterbein University

1. Taking the Classroom on the Road

Lynn Ulatowski, Ursuline College

Track C: Supporting Students Using Technology (Samuel Mather Hall 201)

1. Investigating the Use of ChatGPT With Chemistry Exam Questions

Ted Clark, The Ohio State University

1. Improving Effectiveness of STEM Courses via the Use of Video Games

Neelam Soundarajan, Amarth Chen, The Ohio State University

1. Best Practices for Supporting Visually Impaired Students in STEM Courses

Daniel A. Turner, The Ohio State University

Track D: Supporting Students Through Inclusive Pedagogy (Samuel Mather Hall 215)

1. Combating Imposter Syndrome and Fostering a Sense of Belonging in the Classroom

Meredith Erb, Miami University

1. Rethinking Gateway Math Courses - Our PACE Experience

Hoai Tran, Justin Young, The Ohio State University Newark

1. Use of the 5E Instructional Model to Promote Active Learning in the General Chemistry Sequence

Julius Nagy, Siena Heights University

3:00 – 4:00 PM Workshop Session 2

Making Data Science the New Normal (Hayes Hall 109)

Chris Orban, The Ohio State University Marion

Kelsey Badger, The Ohio State University Libraries

Making Videos Interactive to Better Support Learning Outside of Class (Tomsich Hall 101)

Kathleen Koenig, Alexandru Maries, University of Cincinnatti

Robert Teese, Rochester Institute of Technology

Writing Prompts for Classroom Creativity (Samuel Mather Hall 201)

Chris Gillen, Drew Kerkhoff, Kenyon College

Developing Critical Thinking and Communication Skills (Samuel Mather Hall 215)

Edwin Meyer, Baldwin Wallace University

4:15 – 4:30 PM Closing Remarks (Gund Gallery, Community Foundation Theater)

Aaron Reinhard

Paul Wendel, Professor of Education, Otterbein University; Chair of 2024 Ohio PKAL Conference Committee

4:30 – 5:30 PM Social Hour with Drinks and Hors d'Oeuvres (Oden Hall Atrium)

***Following the conclusion of the meeting, you will receive an email from AAC&U about an evaluation. Please fill it out to provide feedback about your experience!***

Please direct questions to the 2023 Conference Chair
Aaron Reinhard
Associate Professor of Physics
Kenyon College

[email protected]