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Center for Teaching and Learning

USNA’s Fourth Annual Conference on Teaching & Learning


USNA’s Fourth Annual Conference on Teaching & Learning

Time / Location
Session
Event Listing
May 14, 2019
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Sampson G-14
May 14, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-14

In this session, we will explore the seven practices described in Jo Boaler's article, "How a Detracked Mathematics Approach Promoted Respect, Responsibility, and High Achievement" (_Theory Into Practice_, 45(1), 40-46, 2006). What do these practices look like in example situations? How could they be adapted to other subjects? How can these practices promote equity? Could that go wrong, and if so, how?

May 14, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-15
  • Joan Chevalier (Languages & Cultures)
  • MAJ Ryan Curry (Leadership, Ethics, & Law)
  • Clementine Fujimura (Languages & Cultures)
  • Roger Herbert (Leadership, Ethics, & Law)
  • Crain Holt (Physical Education)
  • CAPT Bart Marsh (Office of the Superintendent)
  • LT Rob Roy (Office of the Commandant)

This roundtable discussion will feature both civilian and military USNA graduates of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). Participants will discuss how participation at NOLS has changed the way they work with midshipmen and colleagues and whether and how it has helped them develop their leadership skills. This discussion will also address broader issues relating to faculty and staff teamwork and the unique challenges presented at the Naval Academy. Participants will share their perspectives about the ways in which their professional lives have been enriched by leadership experiences.

Concurrent Session: “Beyond Lab Reports: A Fresh Approach to Technical Writing"
Carolyn Judge (Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering)
May 14, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-06

Engineering lab reports are hard for students to write and, generally, miserable to grade. Yet there are very important skills learned through writing up lab experiences from class. Technical writing is not only an important communication skill all engineers should have, but can promote reflection and critical thinking. I will be presenting a set of lab report assignments I modified for EN455 (Seakeeping and Maneuvering) that changed the experience of lab report writing for both my students and for me. I now look forward to reading what students write and regularly have students comment that the lab reports are one of the most effective learning experiences in the class.

Brown Bag: Talking about Teaching Affinity Circles
Join the circle for whichever one of your identities you chose
May 14, 2019

Sampson G-05, 03, 17, 17
  • Sampson G-05            LGBT Faculty & Staff—LT Kris Moore, Facilitator
  • Sampson G-03            Faculty & Staff of Color—Sharika Crawford, Facilitator
  • Sampson G- 16           Women Faculty & Staff—Michelle Koul, Facilitator
  • Sampson G-17            All Faculty & Staff—Max Wakefield, Facilitator
  • Joel Esposito (Weapons, Robotics & Control Engineering)
  • Jaye Falls (Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering)
  • Carolyn Judge (Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering)
  • Jin Kang (Aerospace Engineering)
  • LCDR Ethan Lust (Mechanical Engineering)

While the types of projects and technical challenges vary widely between programs, many aspects of teaching an engineering capstone course are similar. Issues involving student motivation, funding challenges, and student management are issues all capstone faculty are familiar with. This panel will focus on common challenges and concerns across the E&W capstone courses. The idea is to share ideas on how to handle common concerns or ways faculty can help each other be successful. In particular, a question for the panel is "What is the goal of capstone for our students?"

Concurrent Session:“Leading Change”
LCDR Alex Dietrich (Leadership, Ethics, & Law)
May 14, 2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sampson G-15

There are two big conversations happening in higher education that are largely separate, distinct, and siloed from each other. The first conversation is about organizational change and institutional transformation. The second conversation is about learning, learning design, and the potential of technology to transform education. Watching the Cyber building rise on the cusp of a new strategic vision for the most diverse incoming Plebe class in history, we'll explore Leading Change & Change Management for our own Academy.

May 14, 2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sampson G-06
"Sir, could you do an example problem for us?" "I'd be delighted. I'll post it to the Google Drive by close-of-business." I don't spend class time on example problems, nor do I spend class time demonstrating how to use a piece of software, or how to do a problem in Matlab. Instead, I use my iPad to make a 8-10 min video to hang on the course website, or I do the demo problem on my laptop with some screen capture. Their learning actually improves! They can review my problem on their own time and pace, reviewing as required. And, I can reuse that video for years.
May 14, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:45 PM

Technical readers expect technical prose to lead them through the inductive argument towards the author's conclusion. The US Naval Test Pilot School has long employed the 6-part paragraph as the schema for helping young professionals improve their technical writing, and specifically to build arguments towards that author's technical judgement upon which they want their reader to act. This session will introduce the 6-part paragraph schema, an approach to technical paragraphs grounded in the inductive reasoning process.

May 14, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Mahan 220
Karyn Sproles with our African Military Education Program Partners from Benin, Djibouti, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, & Nigeria
May 15, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-14

This session presents preliminary findings from one year spent using a flipped classroom approach to teaching material. During Academic Year 2019, I taught two Intermediate Level Mathematics classes using a flipped classroom approach to lecturing, an approach that left more time for student-centered activities in the classroom. The results were encouraging, but leave room for improvement. While the approach was successful and the results produced results that were no worse than daily lectures in the classroom. I will discuss the parts of my approach that I found to be most effective as well as those that were not as fruitful. I will also present some observations about what aspects I am considering changing to help improve the student experience. These observations may also be helpful in suggesting ways that the flipped mathematics classroom for students at USNA and beyond.

May 15, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-05

This session will introduce attendees to new ways of thinking about developing research assignments. Using a workshop format, participants will gain hands-on experience integrating information literacy goals into their assignments. This session will also highlight the ways that assignments can be tailored to the distinct collections at Nimitz Library. Finally, we will discuss research assignment strategies that promote sensitivity and awareness to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Concurrent Session: “Leading from Below”
CAPT Evan Field (Leadership, Ethics, & Law)
May 15, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-06
In case you are still accepting proposals...

“Leading From Below” is a session aimed at raising awareness of an issue that has become apparent teaching the 4th year law and ethics class NL400, “Military Law for the Junior Officer.” While the Midshipmen’s four-year curriculum is designed to provide numerous opportunities to inculcate them with lessons of leadership, they appear unprepared for the reality that as a junior officer, there will be many circumstances in which they are not the decision-maker, e.g., operational planning, subordinate misconduct, personnel issues, and other legal and administrative matters. Put another way, as much as they are taught to lead, they also need to understand that their exercise of leadership is almost always for the purpose of supporting a higher commander’s objectives and decisions. This requires the ability to communicate effectively not just down to subordinates, but also up the chain of command, and recognize when to adjust assessment and presentation, depending on the situation and the direction of information flow. The session will demonstrate how NL400 uses a very common task for a junior officer - conducting an administrative investigation for the command in response to an incident - to teach the students the importance of knowing a commander's priorities and understanding their role in educating a higher authority to support well-informed decisions. If time allows, operational orders, particularly the nesting of task and purpose within a higher commander's mission and intent also provides another avenue for demonstrating this concept. Input and experiences will be solicited from participants to enrich the discussion and provide additional examples and ideas of how to impart this lesson to students across different disciplines.
  • Svetlana Avramov-Zamurovic (Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering)
  • Eyo Ita (Physics)
  • Shirley Lin (Chemistry)
  • Amy Ksir (Mathematics)
  • Steve Miner (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Christy Stanlake (English)
  • Brian VanDeMark (History)

Equity, diversity and inclusion are among the most important Navy core values. In this brown bag session, faculty, staff, and all within the USNA community are invited to talk with each other and members of the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee about the role of identity in workplace interactions with the goal of envisioning pathways towards creating a sense of belonging for everyone at USNA.

Theo Greenblatt (English, Naval Academy Prep School), Syretta Massey-Jimenez (English, Naval Academy Prep School), Adam Milano (Life Skills, Naval Academy Prep School)

The NAPS battalion is roughly 60% students of color from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. This creates a unique learning environment in which we, in English, have both an opportunity and an obligation to introduce a diverse range of reading and writing assignments. For students of color, these assignments may speak to their own experiences for the first time in a school curriculum; for white students, these assignments expose them to new cultures and ideas, also potentially for the first time. Instrumental to teaching with diversity, inclusion, and equity in mind is acknowledging that there is a need for it. In our panel, we’d like to share some of the ways we have been implementing such curricula at NAPS. We will discuss how we use our individualized syllabi to teach and instill diversified critical thinking skills, imperative not only to students’ experience in the prep program, but also at the Academy and far beyond. In addition, we will describe how we carry this initiative outside the classroom to the life skills arena, and to local events, guest speakers, and group activities that emphasize the need for cultural understanding and inclusion.

Allison Warner (English, The Writing Center), Emily Alianello Kotarek (English, The Writing Center), Sharea Harris (Writing Specialist), Joan Shifflett (Writing Center Director)

At the USNA Writing Center, tutors witness many different kinds of prompts for writing assignments in all fields. Part of a tutor's job is to help students interpret these prompts in order to write successful papers. Along a continuum, some prompts are better than others. Based on research, practice and experience in the Writing Center, we identify several factors of writing assignment prompts that help set up students for success. Our session will include a discussion and hands-on workshop of examples of writing prompts from several fields. Theme related note: Writing prompts with clear expectations about genre and specific conventions of the field (English, Leadership, Math, Science) are a tool for opening up the world of the academy to those from a variety of high school backgrounds/kinds of academic preparation. In our presentation, we will expand the elements of "a good prompt" to include this specific angle related to the theme of Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity.

May 15, 2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sampson G-06

As a Modelmaker supporting all the Engineering studies at USNA for nearly 40 years I have witnessed and participated first hand, in the evolution of Project based learning as a valuable "proof" of classroom pedagogy. The engagement and focus of students in making physical models and connecting with the skills of experienced artisans is a wonderful thing and is often an experience carried forward throughout their lives. The role of the capable craftsman who has previously built similar fabrications can be a valuable mentoring resource and enable students to design and build with increased confidence, resulting in an increased project scope with favorable outcomes. The session will describe the source of this increased engagement, the safe and sensible planning to best utilize this resource and the outcomes observed over my unique perspective of participation in the evolution of Project based learning.

May 15, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Sampson G-14

CAPT Dave Yoshihara, USN (ret.) (Director, Naval Analytics Office), Tammy Tippie (Chief Scientist, Naval Analytics Office)

Key Note Panel: “Retaining a Diverse Faculty: the E & W Mentoring Program”
Rich O’Brien (Senior Professor, Engineering & Weapons)
May 16, 2019
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Sampson G-14

We'll use the NERCHE self-assessment rubric to evaluate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at USNA. The rubric helps to identify ways that we can move towards a more equitable, inclusive and diverse workplace.

May 16, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-05

Do you have a standard lecture based on a class reading that you want to turn into an interactive learning opportunity? Instead of forcing your students to experience "death by PowerPoint," design a deconstructed / reconstructed group activity. Divide the class into groups and your standard lecture into prompts. Provide each group students with a topic from your lecture to cover in a PowerPoint lecture. By the end of class, each group will present its topic to class, and a complete lecture on the required reading for class will be delivered. The trick - use Google Slides and have the class work on the same presentation, simultaneously, during class. This is a fun and engaging learning activity that demonstrates the values of preparation, teamwork, and collaboration.

Concurrent Session:“Student Choice in Leader Development”
CDR David Wallace (Leadership, Ethics, & Law)
May 16, 2019
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Sampson G-06

This presentation will discuss the process by which individuals choose among leader development opportunities in which to engage. We will review the individual differences that influence the choice to engage in learning about leadership and then the individual differences that influence how students choose among a variety of options. This will conclude with a discussion about how educators might influence these choices.

Brown Bag: Board Games!
Carolyn Chun & Franklin Kenter (Mathematics)
May 16, 2019
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
Mahan 220

Panel: Fostering Diversity and Inclusivity in the Classroom

Presenters:

  • Silvia Peart (Languages and Cultures)
  • Judith Rosenstein (Leadership, Ethics, and Law)
  • Sharika Crawford (History)
  • Megan Geigner (English)

An inclusive classroom requires faculty to design and execute curricular activities keeping in mind the diversity of their students’ experiences. While diversity is viewed often either in gendered or racial and ethnic terms, it is not limited to these specific dimensions of the human experience. Diversity includes socioeconomic background, religious or political beliefs, language, sexual orientation, and even mental or physical ability. These specific aspects of students’ unique backgrounds enrich classroom discussion and facilitates greater empathy. In this panel, our faculty will share the benefits and limitations to our efforts to foster diversity in the sociology, history, English, and Spanish classrooms. Silvia Peart (Languages and Cultures) will explore the interplay between language, race, and power. In doing so, she will underscore how this relationship recognizes cultural value in certain linguistic practices while others are stigmatized. Particularly, she will focus on how to question this dynamic in the language classroom. Megan Geigner (English) will talk about getting diverse voices into the core courses (HE 111 and HE 112) through choice of reading and using active learning activities that encourage students with different learning styles to participate. She will also talk about modeling allyship in the classroom. Judith Rosenstein (Leadership, Ethics, and Law) will discuss intersectionality, diversity of experience, and privilege. Finally, Sharika Crawford (History) will focus on the globalizing of the core course HH 216 The West in the Modern World as a way to showcase the diversity of the human experience. She will discuss the importance of advance course design that requires careful selection of readings, video or audio clips, and even PowerPoint slide images to avoid a Westerncentric interpretation of modern world history.

May 16, 2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sampson G-15

This interactive session will discuss how TurningPoint can be used to support a variety of learning theories including Immediate Feedback, Engagement, Peer Instruction, and Gaming. These concepts have been proven to increase comprehension and retention among students. Attendees will leave the session with three simple ways to incorporate TurningPoint so that it adds significant value in their classrooms.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sampson G-06
Perhaps due to the turn toward 'active learning' and away from lecture, our students are much less inclined toward--and likely also much less adept at notetaking during lectures and class discussions. Are they learning less as a result? (Some at St. John's College might argue that they are learning more.) If so, how might we get our students to take notes on what they hear, and think, in class--and, moreover, take notes that are excellent in quality and quantity?
May 16, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Sampson G-05
May 16, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Sampson G-04

In my presentation, I focus on the articulation of the several of most commonly problematic sounds that American learners of Arabic experience in pronunciation. Specifically, these are the emphatic consonants /ș/ and /ţ/, alveolar and rolled /r/ and pharyngeal phonemes /Ӽ/, /ʕ/, /ʔ/ and /ḥ/. I explain the reasons of these phenomena and describe the most common mistakes of learners

May 16, 2019
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Sampson G-16

Frustrated with hitting paywalls for articles? Interested in sharing your research with a wider audience? In this introductory session, attendees will identify how information privilege affects them and explore how the open access movement can make a difference to faculty as producers and consumers of information.

Workshop #3: “Creating Faculty Development Programs for African Military Educational Institutions from Orientation to Evaluating Teaching,”
Karyn Sproles (Center for Teaching & Learning)
May 17, 2019
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Mahan 220
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