Workshops and Events

Theme

The 2024 Symposium will center on cultivating inclusion through connectivity, aiming to unite teaching and research faculty alongside campus educators. Together, we'll explore, discuss, and exchange strategies for linking students with their community, classroom, and campus. Faculty, graduate students, and staff are all encouraged to attend.

To view speakers' talks, you can access our symposium handout. It contains links to a YouTube playlist featuring recordings of the day's events, along with resource documents and slides associated with each session.

Meet the Keynote Speakers

Dr. Julie Dangremond Stanton is an Associate Professor of Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia. Although she was trained as a cell biologist, Dr. Stanton’s passion for helping students learn led her to pursue education research as a faculty member. In her primary research area, she investigates the metacognitive development of undergraduate life science students. In addition, Dr. Stanton studies the strengths and assets of Black science majors with Dr. Darris Means (University of Pittsburgh) and the self-advocacy experiences of students with learning disabilities and ADHD in STEM with Dr. Mariel Pfeifer (University of Mississippi). She is the PI of two NSF grants for biology education research, including a CAREER award to study metacognition. Through her teaching and research, Dr. Stanton is dedicated to helping undergraduates learn and persist in life science majors.

Birook Mekonnen is a Health Services Officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, currently serving as an Emergency Management Specialist in the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response in Washington, D.C. Birook serves as a Health and Human Services instructor for the FEMA Interagency Logistics Course representing public health and medical services federal assistance program categorized as emergency support function #8. Before his current position, he has worked in numerous state and federal public health agencies including the Georgia Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the Immigration Health Service Corps. Birook earned a B.S. in Biology and an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Georgia, He is a former student co-researcher on an NSF study on the success of Black science majors. As a student, he co-authored 3 peer-reviewed papers, including two papers on Community Cultural Wealth. 

About the Teaching Talk Presented by the OU Faculty

How to Train Your Algorithm: Responsible AI in the Classroom
Bridget Kies, PhD | Film Studies and Production, CAS
"I describe strategies to teach students to employ AI and to see it as a tool in their kit instead of a cheat system. Drawing on conventions across disciplines (such as citation, hypothesis and testing), I encourage responsible AI use, preparing students for ethical engagement in creative and STEM disciplines".

Experiences that promote college readiness in learners from low-SES areas
Kyeorda Kemp, PhD | Foundational Medical Studies, OUWB
"College readiness is more than content knowledge and encompasses metacognitive skills, communication skills, learning strategies, and transitional knowledge. Efforts exist to improve college readiness in individuals interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM). This talk explores how internal and external educational experiences promote college readiness in this population."

Interviews as a Learning Activity to Cultivate Connections
Helena Riha, PhD | Linguistics and International Studies, CAS
"Interviews are an engaging applied learning activity. Students conduct interviews with individuals in their social network to test theoretical frameworks and understand familiar individuals more deeply. Interviews enable students to learn analytical techniques through meaningful interactions that allow them to gain an appreciation of others' experiences and ways of thinking".

Campus Farms: Teaching S.T.E.M. Through Food and Farming
Fay Hansen, PhD | Biological Sciences, CAS
"STEM courses are typically taught in disciplinary “silos” that do not necessarily translate to practical real-world problems for students. Everyone can identify with food. Using food as a central theme with the campus farm as a context provides many opportunities for disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, and active learning".

A Competency Approach to Graduate Education

Wednesday, February 8, 3-4pm, 200A Elliott Hall.

Marvin Nieman, PhD, Vice Dean for Graduate Education and Professor, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University will be sharing insights into the reform of graduate education using his work on competency-based graduate training programs. To achieve the goal of training professional scientists, graduate programing can be strengthened by using competencies to focus on both knowledge acquisition and skills, such as critical thinking and communication. View Resources.

Diversity Challenge 2022

The Winter 2022 Diversity Challenge celebrates the expertise, talent and experience of university faculty, staff and students dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. While challenges can be completed at any time, weekly challenges began in January and continue through March. Visit the Diversity Challenge 2022 eSpace (OU login required).

Instructional Fair

Co-sponsored by the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee

Browse a variety of posters and displays with faculty's best ideas on effective instructional strategy, active learning, learning resources, classroom activities that they use to promote student success. The poster presentation format allows attendees to collect guides to these ideas and network with faculty and staff.

Share what works well in your classroom, tips on how to design engaging assignments, or tools and resources that have been helpful in teaching and learning. Presenting with your students is highly encouraged!

View 2019 event video, Instructional Fair Booklet, event photo album, presentation list, plus quotes from faculty and student presenters.

Past Event Resources

Browse the 2018 Instructional Fair Booklet. This includes handouts for all presentations featured at the event.

Download the 2017 Instructional Fair Booklet
Download the 2015 Instructional Fair Booklet
Download the 2013 Instructional Fair Booklet

Guest Speaker Events

In partnership with offices on campus such as Student Affairs & Diversity and OUWB Center for Excellence in Medical Education, we regularly offer special events on teaching and learning. Below are recordings and resources from our past events.

• Cheating Lessons, with Dr. James Lang. Postponed until further notice.
• The Promise and Practice of Inclusive Pedagogy, with Dr. Bryan Dewsbury on June 10, 2019. Resources include keynote video, audio, and his recommended resources.
• What Faculty Can Really Do to Promote Student Learning, with Dr. Diane Ebert-May on June 5, 2018.