Technology & Learning Faculty Conference: Increasing Student Engagement and Measuring Learning with Clickers

On September 14, 2011 Pepperdine University will be hosting its Inaugural Technology & Learning Faculty Conference.  I will be presenting on Increasing Student Engagement and Measuring Learning with Clickers.

Here is an excerpt from the program:

Professor of Law Gregory McNeal is no novice to teaching with technology. Professor McNeal, who teaches in a traditional lecture style, talks about using clickers to gain feedback from students and engage with them in the classroom. In this session you will experience what his students experience as he takes you through a lesson focused on the-beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard in a homicide case. This interactive presentation will demonstrate how clicker technology facilitates learning and critical thinking, and allows for immediate assessment. If you are interested in using clickers in your classroom, you should consider attending this session.

My presentation will demonstrate the use of Turning Technologies clickers (pictured at right).

The full agenda appears below:

8:00-8:30 Breakfast

8:30-9:15 welcome & keynote

Welcome
Gerry Flynn

Keynote
Darryl Tippens

9:25-10:10 Session 1

1A: Transitioning from Lecturer to Facilitator
Susan Helm (Seaver, Nutritional Science)

Dr. Susan Helm, professor of nutritional science, shares with you her experience in integrating technology into her lesson plans for the first time. With the use of iPads allowing for more discovery-learning activities, Dr. Helm found herself changing her lecture-style method of delivering knowledge to a group-activity style of delivering the same knowledge. In this session, Dr. Helm speaks about what she has learned from this experience in hopes that other faculty who face similar challenges will be inspired by her solutions. If you are interested in integrating a learning device into your course, you are encouraged to attend this session.

1B: Facilitating Social Interaction in the Classroom with iPads
Timothy Lucas and Brian Fisher (Seaver, Mathematics)

During this workshop, mathematics professors Dr. Timothy Lucas and Dr. Brian Fisher, will focus on using iPads to foster  forms of social interaction that contribute to a vibrant learning community. You will participate in sample iPad activities, learn about ongoing classroom studies in mathematics, and see how iPads can be used to promote cooperative learning within a discipline. If you are interested in the iPad’s effect on student interaction in the classroom, you are encouraged to attend this session.

10:20-11:05 Session 2

2A: Increasing Student Engagement and Measuring Learning with Clickers
Gregory McNeal (Law Professor)

Professor of Law Gregory McNeal is no novice to teaching with technology. Professor McNeal, who teaches in a traditional lecture style, talks about using clickers to gain feedback from students and engage with them in the classroom. In this session you will experience what his students experience as he takes you through a lesson focused on the-beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard in a homicide case. This interactive presentation will demonstrate how clicker technology facilitates learning and critical thinking, and allows for immediate assessment. If you are interested in using clickers in your classroom, you should consider attending this session.

2B: Using Courses to Connect and Communicate
Sharyl Corrado (Seaver, Humanities)

Attend this session to learn how Dr. Sharyl Corrado, professor of humanities, uses Courses to keep over 200 students informed and on task in her undergraduate humanities class. She will share with you her successes and challenges using the University’s learning management system, Courses, and talk about how her use of Courses has changed over the semesters in response to student feedback. Join us to gain valuable tips on Courses features such as Assignments, Gradebook, Links, and other features to reap big benefits with less effort.

11:05-11:30 Hands-on learning Sessions

Educational Technology Partners

This session gives you the opportunity to learn more about emerging educational technologies at Pepperdine University and to test them on the spot. Talk with vendors and IT staff to learn how programs like Courses, and technology like iPads and clickers can be used in the classroom and incorporated into your teaching process.

11:30-12:35 Session 3

Identifying Effective Teaching Practices
Bob McQuaid (Graziadio, Information Systems) and Spring Cooke (GSEP, Education)

In the closing session, two professors will discuss the practical and theoretical components of effective teaching. After years of using technology in his curriculum, Dr. Bob McQuaid, associate professor of business at GSBM, believes there are an equal number of good and bad choices for faculty to consider with regard to selection and implementation of technology solutions. McQuaid will share successful teaching techniques he has used in his courses and Dr. Spring Cooke, visiting faculty at GSEP, will discuss the learning theory behind these techniques. Attend this session to learn about different teaching styles and techniques that you can apply to your classroom.

12:30-12:45 Closing

Gerry Flynn

12:45-2:00 Lunch