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Reflections
For better or for worse, I need to remind myself when (ah yes, just six months ago) our “new world” came about, and how that world is different now just six months later. As I interact with different people, from students, faculty, staff, and parents to small business and restaurant owners and others, I often have a sense of wonder and hope that their perspectives, actions, and fortitude—as they navigate COVID, racial injustice, illness, and more—will carry the day. This past weekend, I had a flat tire in a store parking lot 12 miles from home. Within four minutes of the car beep starting, six cars and their drivers pulled over to ask me if they could help!
While reading different sources about topics such as sensemaking (I now prefer “meaning making”), leading in a crisis, and resilience—topics of interest to me even before our current state—I ran across the International Futures Forum (IFF) and some of its past work, including the “conceptual emergency.” While it is from a few years ago, I find the work to be relevant to today’s world. The group wrote:
The world…has outstripped our capacity to understand it. The scale of interconnectivity and interdependence has resulted in a steep change in the complexity of the operating environment. We are struggling as professionals and in our private lives to meet the demands they are placing on traditional models of organisation, understanding and action. The anchors of identity, morality, cultural coherence and social stability are unravelling and we are losing our bearings. This is a conceptual emergency.
The IFF offers 10 things to consider and do in a conceptual emergency:
- Design for transition to a new world.
- Try other world-views on for size.
- Give up on the myth of control.
- Re-perceive the present.
- Trust subjective experience.
- Take the long view.
- Take insightful action.
- Form and support new organizational integrities.
- Practice social acupuncture.
- Sustain networks of hope.
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Without providing details, I know that you do or facilitate things for our students using these considerations. Perhaps they can also be engaged to think about these. To them, you are their leaders, their beacons, and I hope you embrace that charge, perhaps in ways you have not done before. I applaud and send you gratitude for all you do and will do for them.
As we head into the new academic year, here is an outline of topics for successful and effective teaching and learning:
I. The Practical
The Fall Semester
- First day of classes is Wednesday, September 9.
- All in-person sessions will end by Thanksgiving.
- New York State has allowed for courses to run 12 weeks (vs. 15) but must meet the required 45 contact hours for a three-credit course.
- Campus re-opening plans are on the Planning for Campus Re-engagement microsite.
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II. Classrooms
An email was sent by Service Central from Laurie Harvey to all faculty last week.
- All classrooms have been upgraded with Zoom plus technology to address not only physical distancing requirements but also students’ needs to participate in different modalities.
- Watch a video that reviews new technologies in the classrooms.
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III. New Resources
Academic Technology Services Department
As announced in my August 10 email, the Offices of Academic Affairs and Information Technology established the Academic Technology Services (ATS) department within IT. Through novel digital content delivery, classroom and meeting room enhancements, and other innovations, the vision of the ATS is to help faculty design and deliver noteworthy New York Tech learning experiences to all students. To accomplish this vision, we will realign the people, systems, and tools currently supporting technology-enabled teaching and learning into what will constitute the core of ATS. We will supplement the ATS team, as quickly as possible, with additional educational technologists, media support specialists, and instructional designers so we can improve our support of faculty across all teaching modalities: in-person, online, and blended environments. Once fully staffed, the one-stop ATS unit will be able to:
- Offer faculty development programs year-round.
- Consult directly with New York Tech faculty and schools/colleges to support technology-enhanced solutions to teaching and learning challenges.
- Design, develop, and integrate new and existing academic technology tools and applications.
- Provide and support technology-enabled services that enhance education and scholarship.
- Collaborate with faculty, schools, and the administration to design, develop, produce, and launch online courses and programs.
- Coordinate efforts to design and support technology-enhanced meeting/learning spaces that align to programmatic needs.
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IV. Academic Integrity
Rethinking Assessments Beyond Traditional Exams
Many faculty members are sharing concerns that students will cheat on exams taken remotely. My suggestion? First, find other ways to assess student learning and select one that’s better suited to the way students are learning now.
If you want to rethink your assessments, start with your student learning outcomes, and use them as a guide. What should students be able to do once they successfully complete your course? Those are the types of tasks on which you should evaluate them, and those are the types of tasks they should do during the semester.
Alternative assessments can be more creative, simulating the type of work students might do once employed and enabling you to assess higher levels of student learning, such as their application of knowledge. In addition, students often find these assessments more engaging, and are more highly motivated to complete them.
As you think about assessment of student learning, consider these questions:
- Which of the specific learning objectives will you be measuring?
- Do you want to assess your students’ understanding of content knowledge, their ability to apply that knowledge in a range of situations, or their ability to build on what they have learned to create new knowledge?
- Do you want your students to reflect on their own learning process?
- Do you want your students to demonstrate their learning in a way that is authentic to the workplace?
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Here are some interesting and helpful references:
To explore different ways to assess student learning, see these resources from UC Berkeley and from Indiana University, Bloomington, or contact the folks at the Center for Teaching and Learning.
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V. A New Resource for Students
Please Let Your Students Know About This—Especially Freshmen
- Online Learning Student Support – Student success will now require an additional skill: proficiency in online learning. To that end, we are currently finalizing a course this week, Finding Success in Online Learning, that will help prepare students for the virtual environment. This course, which will be accessible via Canvas, will cover topics such as: technology basics, staying focused in an online course, finding a suitable work environment, virtual time management, and study tips. Once the course is live by week's end, we ask for your support in encouraging students to take advantage of this resource.
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VI. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
- CTL concluded its summer workshop series this week, with a session on Effective Feedback. Recordings, slides, and materials from all sessions can be accessed from the CTL web page. Please send suggestions and workshop requests to Jackie Jacoby at jjacoby@nyit.edu.
- Tara Lifland, an instructional designer, has joined the CTL and is available to work with faculty on fall courses. To request an appointment, please complete the online form. We plan to bring on more Instructional Designer help soon.
- We are happy to welcome six new tenure-track faculty (5 in CAS, 1 in SOM), 3 new teaching faculty (2 in CAS, 1 in CoECS), and 1 postdoctoral teaching scholar in CoECS. New Faculty Orientation, held yesterday, was abbreviated due to physical distancing requirements and potential for Zoom fatigue (yes, it’s a real thing!). Our new faculty will be invited to join a community of practice throughout the academic year.
- We had a strong response to a survey asking faculty if they will teach on Blackboard or Canvas in the fall: 323 (44%) responded, with 175 (54%) saying they will use Blackboard for at least one of their courses this semester, and 148 (46%) saying they will use Canvas for all their courses.
- This fall’s reappointment, tenure, promotion, and sabbatical processes will proceed normally. Directions, deadlines, and documentation can be found on the Academic Affairs web pages.
- The libraries are preparing for fall and need your reserve readings! This year, with so many students participating in class remotely, they are digitizing many of the reserve readings. Please send your lists (so materials can be ready before students need them) to Rosemary Burgos-Mira (rburgosm@nyit.edu) in Long Island, Elisabete Ferretti (eferrett@nyit.edu) in New York City, and Vanessa Viola (vviola@nyit.edu) for art and architecture courses.
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VII. Certification for Online Courses and Interesting Articles
Given questions from faculty who have been teaching online about the “need” for certification, here are some statements from experienced senior faculty about certification for Canvas. Faculty are remunerated for their time learning and completing the three modules. Two interesting articles also follow our colleagues’ recent experiences.
Stan Silverman:
“The move to Canvas provides faculty who have been teaching online, for a number of years or are new to the online world, with a series of internal tools and resources that will enable them to fully engage their students cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally without cobbling together their own resources. To take full advantage of these tools and resources, it is critical that faculty participate in the training available on the use of the tools to either achieve new certification or to enhance their existing certification.”
Mike Uttendorfer:
As a faculty member who has taught online courses for nearly 20 years, I found the new online Canvas training modules critical for understanding the structures and features in Canvas that are significantly different than in Blackboard. Although content from my Blackboard courses was easy to migrate into Canvas, there were significant structural adjustments that were required. The training modules provided hands-on experiences that were invaluable in understanding the new system. The Studio module was particularly helpful in organizing and delivering rich media content to enhance learning.
In addition to the two “mechanical” training modules, the Fostering Engagement Online module suggested multiple ways to build activities that support active learning and engage students that facilitate intentional interactions between the faculty and students and among students. The specific examples in the module prompted me to redesign course materials that hopefully will engage students in activities to support student success and encourage greater interaction and active participation.
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VIII. Students in Classes and Attendance Notification Policy
New York Institute of Technology recognizes that the current pandemic situation complicates face-to-face attendance for many students. We value the way that being physically present in the same space promotes dynamic interactions and community building. As such, we are making these opportunities available as much as possible. To minimize risk of COVID transmission, New York Tech has modified classroom arrangements, and instructors are modifying their modes of instruction to make the best and safest use of space while also utilizing technology-based modes of instruction that have been shown to meet our learning objectives. Course materials, activities, and assessments will be delivered such that students who cannot come to campus for quarantine, health, or other reasons can still participate fully. The New York Tech policy for Fall 2020 is that students will not be penalized for not being physically present in a classroom.* Students will receive details about how to send their notification request.
*Please note:
- This attendance notification policy does not apply to students enrolled in the School of Health Professions. They must adhere to the attendance guidelines set forth by the Dean of the School of Health Professions. Please email Tara Piechowiak (tpiechow@nyit.edu) for information.
- International students must stay in compliance with all visa requirements regarding class attendance. For assistance or further information, contact the Office of International and Experiential Education.
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IX. What’s Next?
As we move forward with enhancing technology-enabled and digital learning to bring us solidly into the 21st century, a new Office of Online and Continuing Education (OCE) is being organized within Academic Affairs. OCE will be responsible for the strategic vision, direction, organization, and coordination of online and digital programming for New York Tech. OCE will conduct a national search for a director, and an interim director will be named shortly. Its programming will include academic credentials (including micro-credentials, certificates, and degrees) that meet current and anticipate future market demands, as well as other areas. The structure and processes for organizing this effort will include work with the academic schools and colleges as well as with other New York Tech units (e.g., ATS and CTL); external partnerships; consortia opportunities with other institutions of higher education; industry collaborations; and the establishment of quality rubrics and measures for programs and courses.
I am pleased to announce that Stan Silverman, professor of Education and TBLS director, will be a Founding Senior Fellow in the OCE with a first special focus on leading a group to put forth recommendations for the uptake and use of emerging technologies, such as virtual, mixed, and augmented realities and more, in the application to teaching, learning, and scholarship. He has been a leading figure in technology-based learning with special expertise in PK-12 systems and in the use of technology for STEM education through state-funded initiatives like STEP, and he will continue with that work. He has also been a first mover in digital education and teaches in our online graduate education programs.
A second founding member of OCE is Beatrice Figueroa, who comes to us from extensive work experiences managing and leading learning and development programs and projects in higher education, corporations, and nonprofits. Prior to joining the team at the CTL, Beatrice supported and managed the scaling of a startup incubator program, entrepreneurship, and digital marketing and communications at the Tuck School of Business. She also was involved with Northwestern University Kellogg's executive education efforts. Beatrice holds certificates in project management, coaching (she is a Co-Active® coach), and nonprofit leadership. She received her B.A. from New York University in Literature, Film and Theater and her M.A. from DePaul University in Social Cultural Foundations of Education, and is bilingual (English/Spanish). |
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Lastly, as we prepare to start the semester, let us remember our former colleague, John C. Toms, who passed away last month. A professor of English, he was a member of the New York Tech faculty from 1979 to 2010. I am told that his love of that subject and devotion to his students were legendary, and he will be missed by the many whose lives he touched.
Again, I wish to thank you all so much for your efforts to do the best for our students, and many of them have let us know how much they appreciate you. As Albert Schweitzer noted: “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
Have a great fall semester!
Sincerely,
Junius Gonzales, M.D., M.B.A.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs |
Copyright © 2020
New York Institute of Technology |
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