Summary of 2001

Instructional uses of the new video
conferencing equipment

Jacqui Smith, and Colleagues at CAPE
December 2000 - January 2001

• We presently have the capacity to broadcast or receive video conferencing involving > 2 separate locations at once.
• Videoconference classes need more planning and organizing than regular classes
• It is important to have a back-up plan in case the technology is not working
• The technology itself is very easy to use and assistance is usually available during the regular workweek.
• Very important to keep students at distance sites involved and active
• The document camera portrays 3 dimensional objects or movement very well and the broadcast is good
• Slide presentations work well with yellow print and a blue background, pastels work well for background
• If you will be using a graphic, enlarge it to 36 font size before putting it on the document camera

Using Concept Mapping as a content
integrating technique

Shanaz Tejani-Butt
January 2001

• Place central concept or disease in center of map, name all of the supporting concepts or disciplines in circles around the main concept
• Students on their own or in class work on filling in all details on the supporting concepts
• Useful strategy in helping people organize knowledge about a subject
• Developing a concept map should help students to acquire deep learning about the subject
• Helps to show students why prerequisite course are important
• Encourages students to learn how to learn about a concept, disease, etc.
• Constructing a concept map helps students to reflect on their learning
• Currently the way we teach does not support concept integration
  

Instructional possibilities for the
new multi-media work station

Jacqui Smith, Al For,
Nicole Duncan-Kinard, Bill Horton
January - February 2001

Current capabilities of the Learning Resources multi-media WorkStation include:

• Can burn data onto a CD
• Can scan about 50 pages in 1 minute (original can be in many different forms)
• Scans into PRF so it can be uploaded into Eres, into Dobie
• Nicole available to train people, has made a how-to handout
• Can scan in pictures, change features of pictures
• Can put in sound
• Can edit digit or scanned pictures
• Can convert slides to computer presentation, and reverse
• Can put pictures on Website

A 1st year experience as a way to improve
student success

Melanie Rago, John Moore
February 2001

• Concept of 1st year experience courses has been around for about 30 years, majority of the colleges have them
• In many colleges, this is a 3 credit, graded course
• Section size needs to be small, optimal size needs to be <30
• In an active learning format, teach students how to organize their lives, study and success skills
• Each assignment meets several objectives – learning content, process and learning how to learn
• Students learn how to learn, make presentations, work in groups
• Students who participate in 1st year experiences have higher grades, have higher retention rates, feel better about their college experience, use University services more often, more appropriately Will be piloted with 1 section of Pharmacy Dean’s Seminar in Fall, 2001

Promoting on-line information
literacy within majors

Mignon Adams, Leslie Ann Bowman,
Lili Fox Velez
February - March 2001

• On-line literacy includes the ability to locate, use and evaluate on-line information
• While students learn the basics of these skills in required courses, greater reinforcement is needed in other courses, particularly courses in the majors
• Students often have difficulty with contradictions in the literature, they tend not to report on contradictions
• Students have difficulty distinguishing between objective and subjective interpretations
• If contextual information is lacking, students have difficulty understanding what they are reading
• Formulating an appropriate search (yielding the desired information and only what is needed) using correct words is a skill that needs practice
• Faculty might need to model an appropriate search within a specific discipline
  

Assessing English competency with non-native
English speakers

Miriam Diaz-Gilbert
March 2001

• High scores on English proficiency exams for non-native speakers does not mean they are prepared for academic work
• Immigrant students often have different language learning experiences than International students
• Students coming from different cultures have different types of English skills – e.g., some can read but not speak well,
• Recommendations include:
  • All students for whom English is not their first or best language should be required to take an English proficiency exam
• Students who lack English proficiency may need extra intensive English instruction
  • May be advised to only take intensive English courses or part time academic work
  • Students with low reading comprehension should be advised to take a reduced load
  • Important to assess students for listening and reading comprehension, ability to speak, in addition to knowledge of vocabulary and grammar
  • Students without English proficiency might be accepted provisionally and allow them opportunities to become proficient
    
    

Using digital and scanned images in teaching

Roger Ideishi, Joan Tarloff
March – April 2001

• Scanned images take up a huge amount of space
• The higher the resolution of the images, the more space the image takes up
• To save space can imbed link to Website. This can be risky if the server is down
• Can download images from the Internet, including famous art work, detailed medical slides of parts of the body, slides from microscope, etc.
• If one gives the source on the bottom of the image, one is not violating copyright laws
• With permission can download pictures from a textbook
• Can put pictures shown in class on ERes for students to use in their studying
• Uploading pictures to ERes is time consuming
• Simple drawings often show better and take up less space
• Scanned images can show sequential progression nicely
  

What happens when technology fails: beyond the obvious

John Connors, Jeanette McVeigh, Andrew Peterson
April 2001

• Plan for back-ups, alternative plans if technology fails
• Make a dry run with the equipment you will be using to be sure the computer has the right version of the software you need
• Make sure everything is connected then turn on power
• Bring extra batteries, bulbs, etc.
• Call Learning Resources to notify them if equipment needs to be serviced
• If you are giving an on-line exam, build in a couple of extra passwords in case students cannot get with their assigned passwords and have a few paper and pencil exam copies if necessary
• Have the phone numbers with you for all supports
• If you are using Websites in teaching, capture them in advance and have them marked on the computer you will be using
• If you are doing a presentation off campus, make a paper and overhead copy of the Websites to use if necessary
• Don't blame technology in front of students. This sends a message not to try to use technology or something new. Just adapt the presentation.
• Make a handout of slides using 3-6 slides/page, printing only in black and white and talk from your handout if necessary

Using Peer and Self Evaluations

Peter Miller, Sarah Spinler
April 2001

• Given the proper climate, most students accept peer and self evaluations
• If faculty model how to evaluate a presentation, student evaluations often are similar to what the faculty said
• There is easier acceptance for self-assessment than peer assessment
• With fewer criteria for evaluations, most students are rated well, i.e., restricted range of scores
• When the criteria for evaluations are expanded, scores tend to be more spread out indicating both strengths and weaknesses
• When a group assignment is given, the group product can be assigned one grade, but individuals in the group may receive a higher or lower grade from the group grade depending on their assessments from their peers
• As a result of self and peer assessment on group projects, students tend to be more involved in their work and do a better job throughout
• Students are very interested in the feedback given by their peers in addition to the grades assigned

Using Active Learning Techniques
in classes of any size

Phyllis Blumberg
Given in May and August 2001

The participants engaged in (and learned about) the following active learning techniques:

• Setting expectations for learning
• Active, purposeful reading
• Individual work
• Developing applications of what learned to real situations
• Developing specific examples of how techniques can be used
• Collaborative learning
• Larger group discussions
• Guided note taking
• Classroom assessment techniques
• Knowledge assessment
• Summarize what did/ learned
• Application assessment
• Complete a matrix
• Peer teaching
• Active learning in lectures
• Discussion techniques
• Recall of lecture information
• Synthesize lecture material into a graphic representation
• Establish work buddies for future work

Meeting the Need of Our Students:
Using Survey Results and Experiences
to meet the needs of our students

Bob Boughner, Eric Boyce, Paula Kramer,
Ken Leibowitz, Fred Schaefer, and Mac Turner
August 2001

A summary of the results of last year’s student satisfaction survey and admissions profiles were presented:

• Majority of the applicants get accepted to USP, but only about 1/3 of the accepted applicants choose to come here
• Our students rate themselves lower on self-confidence than students nationally at other 4 year institutions
  For 30% of our students English is not their native language
• Many of our students feel they will need tutoring in English, writing and science than nationally
• We have a much higher retention rate than nationally
• Students come here to receive the credentials to be able to get a good job and not as concerned with many of the other aspects of college, such as making friends, broadening one's perspectives, etc.

Small groups discussed the implications of these findings for their own teaching
A panel discussion of experienced faculty with 1-2 years of teaching experience here shared their insights on teaching

• Students here are more serious about their studies than other places
• Students here are great memorizers, but may be less inclined to ask questions for meaning
• Generally our students are respectful and well behaved
• Our students are very career minded
• Students often question the relevance of courses that they do not perceive as directly relating to their major. Students may question courses in the core curriculum.

Getting Students to Read Before Class

Phyllis Blumberg
August 2001

The participants practiced using the Readiness Assessment Test technique developed by Larry Michaelson

• Students come to class prepared to take a quiz on their reading
• Students take the quiz individually and then as a group discussing their answers
• After students have heard the correct answer, groups are allowed to complete an appeal stating why their answer was correct
• Teachers can concentrate on those topics the students had the most trouble with and skip those that the students understood

Next the participants learned about 2 techniques called writing to learn

• Students write notes on their reading. These are very rough.
• These notes on reading may be what they understand, questions they have, summaries etc.
• Students come to class ready to engage in a dialogue about the material
• After the class discussions on a topic or chapter, the students write a concept paper
• This is a summary of three main points in the chapter and three supporting evidence on the concepts
• These learning to write assignments count toward their grade

Using Distance Education Techniques
in Traditional Courses

Jacquie Smith and Phyllis Blumberg
August 2001

Distance education includes any instruction other than the same time, same location including

• Asynchronous learning
• Synchronous, but at different sites
• Within a traditional classroom using resources not usually available in traditional classroom

We discussed various techniques available here and answered questions including Educational Web platforms. We currently use WebStudy

• ERes
• Tele-conferencing
• Video-tapes, CD's
• Computer simulations

We watched a videotape about distance learning and large distance learning companies and discussed its implications here

Helping Students to succeed and showing we care

Gayle Garrison, Dan Hussar, Amy Kimchuk,
Diane Morel, Joan Tarloff, Sue Wainwright
August 2001

• Acting to show that the students come first
• Show a personal interest in your students
• Know the students by name and some things about them
• Always be available to listen to them on all topics
• Students will remember how they were treated long after they forget what they were taught
• Treat all students with respect all the time
• Help build self-confidence
• Asking students how they are doing, encourage them to come around to talk on any topic
• Share something of your else to establish a common, personal bond
• Younger faculty can be very helpful to students to make career decisions
• Faculty should provide as much information as possible and assist in decision making, but help the students to make their own decisions

Designing Courses
to increase higher learning

Phyllis Blumberg
August 2001

Faculty can enhance their ability to promote significant learning by increasing or improving their:

• Understanding of the subject matter they teach
• Ability to interact with students
• Ability to design learning experiences

Planning steps in Dee Fink's Integrative Course Design Model:

• Consider situational factors such as the level of the course
• Determine learning goals
• Plan feedback and assessment activities
• Plan teaching and learning activities
  • Striving for deep learning, or learning for meaning (as opposed to surface or superficial learning or strategic learning i.e., to pass the test)
  • Multiple ways to facilitate active learning
• Check for consistence and integration among all the parts of a course

Participants worked on each of these planning steps

Distance Learning Demonstration

Pam Kearney
September 2001

• The OT curriculum requires that the students take a course while they are on clinical rotation in different parts of the country. Therefore, they need to take a distance course
• Prior to taking a distance course, it is a good idea to give students some experience with distance education platforms in an on-campus course
• Faculty and students should prepare their materials in their regular word processing program and then copy and paste them into the distance education platform
• When using the WHYY Webstudy, all faculty and students need to click post-it, otherwise all work is lost and not put onto the web.
• The WHYY Webstudy support is excellent.
• The distance learning platforms can help instructors organize their planning for a new course
• Set aside specific time to do the correspondence and work for the course during the semester, otherwise it can be ignored or can become totally all consuming
• It takes more time to plan an on-line course, particularly if the instructor is not comfortable with the platform. During the semester, it takes about the same amount of time as a regular course.
• Pam recommends that students use the internal email within the distance education platform for all their correspondence with faculty and sending in assignments, that way all of the work for the course is grouped together
• Forum or threaded discussions can engage more students, particularly if they are in different time zones or on different work schedules than a live chat
• The Forum function encourages more in-depth and reflective comments than usually we get in class

Stopping Plagiarism before it happens

Mignon Adams, Michael Dockray, Charlotte Gale
September 2001

• Students can buy finished term papers off the email on many topics
• Therefore, we need to assign paper topics that cannot purchased. The following are some suggestions:
  • Narrow topics are often not available
  • Students should not be allowed to pick their own topics
    Compare and contrast topics are often harder to purchase
  • Require students to use resources that have been published in the last year
  • Require students to use a variety of resources including books and journal articles
• Incorporate aspects of the assignment into class activities: this makes the students see the relevance of the assignment
  • Model aspects of the paper, such as what is acceptable paraphrasing, as an in- class activity
  • Ask students to make a presentation on the topic
• Require students to hand in steps of their paper in advance: this gives a better product in the end also
• Require students to hand in, or tell students to save and they may be required to hand in later, copies of their references
• On the day that the paper is handed in, require the students to do a short essay about what they learned from the assignment
  

Differences between a college and a university:
Is USP really a university?

Bob Boughner, Aminta Breaux
And Glenn Rosenthal
October 2001

• Historically a university's mission was to provide service to the public, conduct research to advance our understanding and to teach students
• Today what an institution of higher education calls itself has very little relationship to what it does
• The terms college, university, institute have been weakened linguistically and are used loosely and without clear distinctions
• Participants were very mixed as to whether
• USP functions like a university or not
• Universities generally imply larger intellectual capital, more exchange of ideas
• Regardless of terms used, people felt USP needed more diversity in terms of majors and intellectual diversity in terms of courses
• Participants felt that we needed more community interactions to better prepare our graduates to be citizens of the world
• Next steps were considered to bring USP to function more of what is perceived to be a university (or on a broader, higher level)
• Consider these ideas in the strategic planning currently going on
• Consider these larger issues in future discussion forums
• Think about what we want to be as we allocate resources

Using Museums in your teaching:
History of alternative medicine

Jennifer Connor, Roy Robson,
Ruth Schemm, and Kim Tieger
October 2001

• This TableTalk took place in the Marvin Samson Center for the History of Pharmacy where a new exhibit, Eclectic Road to Health has just been completed
• USP has many varied artifacts in its museum collection and archives. These artifacts can be used for assignments
  • For example, students could be asked to relate the artifact
    to the larger world that the practitioner and the patient lived in
• Philadelphia has a very rich collection of the history of all kinds of medicine and health
  The presenters are developing a course on the history of
  therapeutics.
• Part of the course will consider how the health care tools shape practice
• The course is being proposed to count as a history or literature in the core curriculum
• Our students need a context for their work; museums and the materials in these collections offer one such relevant context
• First year biology majors tour Bartram Gardens to see how nature ties in with biology
• A lecture series is being planned on the social history of therapeutics
  • This series could be part of a continuing education course
  • This series might be offered on-line so that many others around the country could participate

Teaching using Evidence-
Based Decision Making

Roger Ideishi, Pam Kearney
October - November 2001

• Evidence-Based Decision Making is a systematic process for
  precisely defining a question related to a problem
• accessing and synthesizing evidence useful in answering question
• broadly disseminating the knowledge to apply it to practice
• scientific evidence is produced by well designed, well-controlled research investigations
• the standard of evidence varies from discipline to discipline
• In the health professions, the Evidence- based decision making process involves scientific evidence, experience and judgement, clinical/ patient circumstances and patient preferences and values
• A suggested format for writing a searchable question (PICO question)
  Problem or client question
• Intervention
• Comparison
• Outcome
• If we expect students as graduates to employ Evidence-based decision making, then we need to train them to acquire the skills
• give students experience and feedback
• writing searchable questions
• evaluating evidence in research literature
• using the results of a literature search to guide practice

Using a Virtual Personal Network (VPN) or
how to work from home or on the road

George Downs, Pat Lapore, John Masciantonio
November 2001

• The Virtual Personal Network provides access to
  • all documents on the shared network at USP
  • entire email and not just current in box messages
  • all material online in the library including on-line journals, databases, etc.
• documents in network drives and access to these drives need to password protected
• if a user wants to access files from a remote location on their USP computer, but not on the network drive, then their computer must be turned on
• VPN cannot run programs from a remote location (e.g., a specialized statistical program) that are not on that computer, but can access data remotely and use it if the remote computer has the program
• USP has a site license for 200 concurrent users of the VPN
• PC users can get the necessary software for free, Mac users need to purchase the software (costs ~$100.00)
• VPN users need their own Internet provider or can use the telephone withlocal phone companies
• VPN's work best with broad band or cable connections
• Even with cable connections downloading attachments or tables can be slow

Ninety years in the world of work
in America

Pat Peterson
November - December 2001

• Career guidance started at the beginning of the 20th century with the wave of immigrants to America
• By 1990 90% of American children graduate from high school
• Currently almost 70% of women are employed outside the home
• 4 basic work environments exist, each with their own advantages and disadvantages
  • government
  • corporate
  • non-profit
  • education
• 30 thousand different types of occupations exist in the USA today
• www.jobhunt.com is one of the best job search sites
• we need to teach students that
  • jobs no longer have security
  • on every job they need to develop new skills that they can use for the next job
  • due to forces such as globalization and technical advances, the job market and careers are changing rapidly
• Professionalism involves
  • Sufficient skills (including newly developed skills)
  • Being prepared, responsible
  • Maintaining proper etiquette, dress, etc.