All Posts By

Francesca Joyce

Practical Approaches for Reaching Gen Z Students

 

Who among us has not had moments of frustration staring out at a sea of young faces beaming looks of boredom or, worse, staring glassy-eyed into their phones? Join other Smeal instructors and instructional designers to share experiences and discuss creative connection strategies for today’s higher education classroom.

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PPT: Approaches for Reaching Gen Z
Smeal Academy Session: Active Learning Strategies

Communication Skills for Teaching and Presenting

Skilled staff and professors must possess technical expertise AND communication skills that generate interest in their areas of expertise. This could mean the difference between success (or failure) in the classroom, earning a grant, or garnering support from the community at large regarding why your work matters. This session will introduce the strategies required to garner audience interest and support. Andy Gustafson is a professor of Leadership Communication in the Smeal College of Business. He has taught Penn State MBAs for almost 30 years. In addition to the work that Andy does with the college, he has also provided Communication Consulting for firms like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanely, Lockheed-Martin, McDonald’s, and PNC.

The Blue Folder: Breaking Down Smeal’s Academic Integrity Violation Process

Join Michelle Darnell, Smeal’s Director of Honor and Integrity, and Lisa Posey, Smeal College Academic Integrity Officer, for this “must-see” session. Whether you have been teaching for years or this is your first semester, you will learn helpful information to streamline the academic integrity violation process. In this session, Michelle and Lisa:

  • discuss the process for instructors who suspect an academic integrity violation in their course,
  • clarify requirements for documentation submitted to the online Academic Integrity System, and
  • review the guidance for GenAI plagiarism detection tools from Faculty Senate and the Joint Standing Committee on the Effective and Responsible Use of AI in Higher Education Instruction.

 

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Fall Kickoff: Start the Semester Strong

 

Join us for a Smeal Academy session designed to provide tips and strategies to put the finishing touches on your Canvas courses for the upcoming semester. We’ll cover some Canvas basics, provide a checklist of must-do items before publishing your course(s), and share tips and strategies for a successful start to the semester. New this year: We will discuss best practices for creating a positive first impression and first-day strategies for faculty based on Sarah Rose Cavanaugh’s book The Spark of Learning, which we read for the Smeal Academy Book Club. This session will help you ensure a strong Fall kickoff.

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Discussions & Announcements Redesign: Worth the chatter?

On May 7, 2024, Canvas’ Discussions and Announcements Redesign will be forced on for all Penn State courses. There is no migration or transition needed from the old discussion format to the new one, but this change will affect the look and feel of Canvas discussions. In this session, we review the updates and talk about how to maximize their potential in Canvas.

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Transitioning to Canvas New Quizzes: An ID Perspective

Penn State now supports the creation of quizzes using Canvas’s New Quizzes​ ​tool. Are you ready to jump in?

Join the eLearning Design & Innovation Group (eLDIG)in the Smeal College of Business as we gather to learn from an instructional designer who has successfully navigated the transition to New Quizzes!

Becky Moulder, Senior Instructional Design Project Leader from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will be leading a session on New Quizzes from an ID perspective. She will share advantages, stumbling blocks, and the potential for New Quizzes to engage learners. We will also hear Wharton’s recipe for success when supporting faculty in making the switch!

Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in Business Education and Research Reading and Discussion Group (Session 3)

The third session of a Smeal series on the role of artificial intelligence in our teaching and research focused on our shared commitment to preparing leaders to responsibly leverage artificial intelligence responsibly in business. Ed shared some trends in the field of accounting and how they impact his approach to teaching at Smeal. Ed recently wrote an article for Tax Adviser. (Page 42.) A teaching ethics article (Page 46) may interest those who watch this session recording.

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Student Disability Resources

Join us for a special Smeal Academy session with disability specialists, Krista Biesinger and Fran Zola. We discuss the basics of who SDR is and SDR’s role on campus and go into specific strategies for helping support student learning and accommodations.

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Supporting Student Wellness Through Course Design

A recent survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse revealed that college students want their professors and advisers to be very involved in promoting their mental health and well-being. What does that mean for us in higher education? In this session, we will share some easy teaching strategies that you can implement today to support students that might make your job a little easier too.

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