Expanding Horizons in Online Educational Environments
Teaching Talks include:
- Using Simulation to Promote Experiential Learning - Avinash Mainkar - To enhance real-life learning, I use an online simulation in my class. Students, in teams and in individual capacity, run an athletic footwear company in head-to-head competition against companies run by other class members. With more than 50 decisions in multiple functional areas, the simulation is complex. But it gives students a hands-on exposure to formulating and implementing a sustainable business strategy. By drawing on this experience, this proposal will describe in detail how I have used this simulation in my class. To make it useful to a wider community, the emphasis will be on the generic principles and processes rather than on the specific decisions in the simulation that I use.
- Handout Hacks: Enhancing Student Engagement with UDL - Heidi Blackburn - To enhance student learning experiences, we must look to best practices for universal design for learning (UDL) and explore how to apply these strategies effectively in our teaching. This presentation aims to share a practical approach that elevates student engagement with presentation handouts by centering on UDL principles. This strategy focuses on seamlessly integrating UDL best practices into PowerPoint slides and handouts for use after class. By using UDL, we create learning materials that cater to students from diverse backgrounds, including English Language Learners (ELL), international students, those with learning disabilities, and neurodiverse learners. Traditional dense handouts and lengthy presentation slides—often posted on platforms like Blackboard—can overwhelm students, leading to missed information and diminished engagement. Instructors teaching courses with supplemental documents, including Microsoft Word handouts, PDFs, and PowerPoint slides, will find practical insights to enhance accessibility and engagement.
- Transitioning from Respondus LockDown Browser to Honorlock - Avinash Mainkar - The aim of the upcoming ITL conference is to “highlight strategies for thriving in an ever-shifting educational landscape.” One shift for Mason faculty going forward, among others, will be the use of Honorlock instead of Respondus LockDown Browser. The Stearns Center has offered workshops to educate faculty about Honorlock. I attended one such workshop during 2023. In spite of being an experienced Respondus user, I struggled with the hands-on Honorlock activity. This proposal will show a side-by-side comparison of the steps required to implement Respondus and Honorlock. Because most Mason faculty are familiar with Respondus, the steps will be anchored in how we implemented Respondus in our prior courses. This could potentially make the transition to Honorlock more seamless and efficient. Honorlock need not be limited to asynchronous, online courses. It could be used in face-to-face courses as well.
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