NED Teaching and Learning Conference: Evidenced based teaching practices

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) are often presented and discussed as distinct from one another even though they share the common goals of removing educational barriers, creating equity, and viewing student differences as strengths rather than deficits. In this session, participants will learn practical strategies for integrating these two pedagogical frameworks into their curriculum simultaneously. Common concerns that often prevent instructors from implementing UDL and/or CSP will be discussed as well, such as: How do I provide flexibility for students without doing a ton of extra work? How do I maintain course rigor? How do I maintain “fairness” for all students? Won’t too much flexibility make students ill-prepared for the “real world”?

Revolutionize your online learning environment by integrating virtual circles, designed to transform discussions into dynamic spaces of collaboration and engagement. This session explores the power of combining structured academic discourse with the richness of personal connections within virtual spaces. Participants will learn how to facilitate discussions that not only deepen understanding of course content but also foster a sense of community among learners. Discover innovative strategies to enhance engagement and leverage the collective insights of your students. Experience firsthand the profound impact of shared knowledge in creating an interactive and supportive online learning experience.

You can leverage the power of instructor presence to strengthen relationships with students and enhance communication and engagement in your online courses. The efforts that we make to connect with our students in our online courses can increase student success. In addition, instructor presence in online courses is also central to a set of regulations from the federal Higher Education Act that cover distance learning, commonly referred to as “regular and substantive interaction (RSI).

In this session you will explore the concept of instructor presence, its importance for student learning in online asynchronous courses, and its relationship to the U.S. Department of Education’s regulations on distance learning. You will also discuss and share ways that you currently create instructor presence in your online courses, and brainstorm ideas for how you might enhance your instructor presence.

This interactive session will provide an overview of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and help you get started with a plan to improve an assessment, teaching material, your class policies, learning activity, or project. We will explore the why, the what, and the how of UDL and learn how UDL creates more accessible and equitable learning classrooms and attitudes. We will focus be on the UDL interactive guide and its organization to help us understand how to coach our students to become expert learners. Come join us to begin the transformation to the UDL approach in the design and implementation of deeper learning for each of your students.

In this panel session, learn about Minnesota State REFLECT, a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning opportunity for all Minnesota State faculty. Hear from Minnesota State REFLECT participants about their experiences and teaching-based research projects.

Many students lack study skills and the self-awareness to seek help. This session highlights strategies for incorporating notetaking and time management skills into introductory classes.

Students from marginalized communities may underperform in classes because they have underdeveloped study skills. Because these students “don’t know what they don’t know” and because they may struggle with barriers such as poverty and resource insecurity, they don’t seek help to develop their skills. Faculty may not know how to help students develop study skills or they may feel they do not have time to explicitly teach them. However, it can be argued that, not only is it possible to embed foundational study skills such as notetaking and time management strategies into class activities and assignment design, but that doing so is an equity practice. This session focuses on specific in-class strategies faculty can use to improve student notetaking, foster more effective homework sessions and embed time management strategies into multi-part projects such as research papers.