Teaching Professor Online Conference

Poster Sessions

Conference Track: Assessment and Feedback

A Principle-Based, Student-Centered Approach to Providing Feedback for College Students

Dr. Alicia Carthell
Associate Professor (English), Murray State University

This poster is based on a 2026 publication entitled, “Promoting Learning and Academic Success: A Principle-Based, Student-Centered Approach to Providing Feedback in College Writing Courses.” It illustrates how draft review feedback sessions in college writing courses can be grounded in three of Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick’s (2006) Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice: Facilitating Self-Regulation. The poster highlights these three principles and demonstrates how draft review sessions align with their overarching concepts.

Developing Transparent Assignments and Rubrics: Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments

Hannah Mechler
ECE Instructor, Grays Harbor College

This poster session will focus on fostering transparent and inclusive learning environments by integrating TILTed (Transparency in Teaching and Learning) assignments along with designing equitable rubrics. The TILTed assignment framework encourages educators to focus on the purpose, the task, and the ways in which assignments are evaluated before students begin these assessments (Winkelmes, 2009-2023). Similarly, engaging in equitable grading entails creating rubrics that measure learning outcomes of assignments and overall course outcomes. When rubrics include qualitative indicators, such as “meets expectations” or “needs revising,” growth is encouraged, rather than focusing on the reduction of points.

Evidence of Impact: Assessing a Structured Approach to Graduate School Readiness

Christy Ball
Associate Professor of Practice, University of Arizona

Can a structured course significantly improve graduate school readiness? This poster assesses an intentionally designed graduate preparation course using pre/post self-assessment data (N=111). Students demonstrated statistically significant gains across eight readiness domains (e.g., application components, program fit, personal statements, interviews, and alternative planning). This poster session outlines the course structure, key assignments, and instructional strategies associated with increases in students’ perceived knowledge, ability, and readiness for the graduate school application process.

Rubrics: Debunking the Myths to Make Them Work for You

Robyn Brinks Lockwood
Lecturer; Stanford University

As the teacher’s job gets more stressful with less time to do more work, assessment can cause anxiety. Teachers don’t have time to study the theory supporting the use of rubrics. Many teachers, especially new and pre-service teachers, don’t realize that creating an assignment is creating an assessment. This poster highlights how teachers can create, administer, and understand the results of rubrics to improve student learning. Rubrics can provide tools that help teachers become more transparent assessors of their students’ work. This poster will debunk some myths commonly associated with rubrics and share transparent, step-by-step instructions to help teachers create their own assessments.

Conference Track: Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the Classroom: An Observation-Based Framework within Place-Based for Sustainability

Alba J. Brugueras-Fabre
Assistant Professor, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón
Co-presenter: Iliana Ballester-Panelli

Complex challenges such as climate change, inequality, migration, and public health often cross disciplinary lines, yet coursework is often organized around individual disciplines. This poster presents a transferable observation-based framework grounded in place-based learning that transforms the surrounding community into an authentic learning environment. Students move through four stages: observing the local territory (culture, economy, environment, community actors), analyzing challenges through a sustainable development lens, engaging with stakeholders, and communicating findings to authentic audiences, while developing systems thinking and evidence-based decision-making.

Beyond the Grade: Using Self-Assessment to Increase Student Engagement and Ownership of Learning

Tiffany Shonerd
Assistant Professor, Doane University

This poster demonstrates how structured self-assessment can serve as an accessible, adaptable, and human-centered approach to increasing student engagement across academic disciplines and institutional contexts. By encouraging students to reflect on their learning, identify areas for growth, and engage in meaningful dialogue with faculty, self-assessment can strengthen student ownership and deepen engagement beyond the grade itself.

Conference Track: Educational Technology and AI

Artificial Intelligence Use and Attitudes among Higher Education Faculty

Joshua Williams
Assistant Professor of Physical Education & Exercise Science, Saint Peter’s University
Co-presenters: Nicole Luongo, Michael Finetti, Jay Garrels

This poster presents findings from a fall 2025 survey examining higher education faculty members’ use, perceptions, and attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI). Data from full- and part-time instructors across disciplines were analyzed to explore AI adoption patterns, frequency of use, perceived benefits, concerns, and factors influencing implementation. The primary finding was strong associations between these variables and faculty years of experience. Overall findings provide insight into how faculty are navigating AI in teaching, research, and professional responsibilities while highlighting opportunities and challenges associated with its growing role in higher education.

Chatbot Tutors and Student Self-Efficacy: A Course-Embedded Case Study

Iliana Ballester-Panelli
Professor of Strategic Communication, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón

This poster presents findings from a four-semester embedding of a custom AI chatbot (“Bot Tutor”) in an undergraduate strategic communication course, designed as a guided-inquiry support tool rather than a content generator. Drawing on logged student-chatbot interactions (n=84) across every project stage, plus survey data (n=59) from a related AI-integrated assignment, the poster shows how deliberately scaffolded AI use can strengthen students’ confidence, understanding, and critical thinking. Attendees will see data on task clarity, ease of use, and critical-thinking outcomes, plus design principles for building AI tools that support rather than replace student reasoning.

Documenting the AI Landscape Foregrounded by University Educators Transformation

Katherine Herbert
Sub Dean Learning and Teaching, Charles Sturt University

Drawing on qualitative thematic analysis and thick description, this study examines educators lived experiences as they interpret, adapt, and implement AI in their teaching, exploring how established pedagogical approaches are being reconfigured alongside the challenges and successes encountered across disciplines. In doing so, the research seeks to understand how tried and tested pedagogical approaches are being reconfigured in response to AI, as well as the challenges and successes educators encounter across disciplines. I ask the question: How are educators adapting traditional practices and educational contexts in the age of AI?

Gamifying Anatomy: Using AI to Transform Practice-Based Learning for Gen Z

Saso Krstovski
Adjunct Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Macomb Community College

This poster explores how AI-powered tools can be used to gamify anatomy education and increase student engagement. By shifting from traditional lectures to practice-based learning, the approach emphasizes active recall, spaced repetition, and immediate feedback through AI-generated question banks and adaptive quizzes. Drawing on real classroom implementation, the poster highlights how these strategies improved participation, motivation, and retention. It also discusses practical considerations, including accessibility, scalability, and the role of AI in supporting inclusive, student-centered learning environments.

How Often Do Students Cite Their Usage of Artificial Intelligence?

Allison DCosta
Professor of Biological Sciences, and Technology, Georgia Gwinnett College

As student use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools continues to grow, questions remain about how often students disclose and cite that use in academic work. This poster presents findings from a semester-long senior biology capstone course in which students worked in groups to research interdisciplinary biological topics and share their findings through a journal club, grant proposal, and final presentation. Students were encouraged to use AI throughout their projects while also developing AI literacy skills relevant to the workforce. Instruction included demonstrations of large language models, guidance on citing AI use, and expectations for documenting how AI supported the learning process.

Perceptions of AI-Generated Designs in a University Exhibition Guest Book

Cynthia Gentzel
Lecturer of Fashion Design, University of North Texas

AI-generated content in design education raises ethical questions about student work. Although AI can support creativity and idea generation (Chandrasekera et al., 2025), it is often viewed negatively (Horton et al., 2023). This study analyzed 191 valid guestbook comments from a U.S. university exhibition on AI and design. Three themes emerged: rejection of AI (62%, n=119), acceptance of AI as a creative tool (27%, n=51), and ambivalence (11%, n=21). Visitors often described AI as “lazy,” “plagiarized,” or “soulless,” while supporters saw it as enhancing creativity. References to “art” (51) far exceeded “design” (9), suggesting limited distinction between the two. The exhibition fostered candid public dialogue, likely supported by anonymous participation (Pan et al., 2023).

Short Interactive Videos: A Four-Semester Comparison

Renee Bator
Professor of Psychology, State University of New York at Plattsburgh

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of short, evidence-based interactive videos in an in-person undergraduate course. Student outcomes in the same class across two semesters without videos were compared to two semesters with videos. Results indicate that access to interactive videos were associated with modest improvements in exam performance and larger gains in final course grades, without reductions in attendance. Findings suggest that short, well-designed videos can function as an effective supplemental scaffold that enhances learning without displacing in-person instruction.

Using AI to Design Tech-Free Active Learning in Nursing Education

Amy Yarbrough
Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of West Georgia
Co-presenters: Susie Jonassen, Cindy Johnson, Mandy Bowman

Nursing education is increasingly influenced by digital tools that can promote rapid answer retrieval rather than deep clinical reasoning. This poster will display a teaching innovation describing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a faculty design tool to create a technology-free, active learning experience fostering increased student engagement, verbal participation, reflection, and collaborative reasoning, promoting the components of clinical judgement development in a third-semester medical-surgical nursing course.

Conference Track: Inclusive Teaching and Learning

A Graduate Case Study on Reclaiming Critical Thinking Through Mastery Grading

Kerri Olore
Assistant Professor of Special Education, Bridgewater State University

This SoTL case study outlines a course redesign using a grading for growth framework to prioritize a growth mindset over point chasing. To reduce AI reliance and champion critical thinking, the design emphasizes the process and benefits of messy learning. Low-stakes, no-point practice sessions precede high-stakes authentic applications. To combat implicit bias, a single rubric maps course outcomes across four proficiency levels with multiple opportunities to showcase mastery. Iterative feedback loops shift the focus from traditional point deductions to meaningful revision. While overall opinions of the grading system varied, student feedback was unanimous when reflecting on their mastery of the course outcomes.

An Examination of Faculty Development in Digital Accessibility and UDL

Alex Walters
Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina

How can faculty move from understanding inclusive teaching concepts to implementing them in practice? This poster shares findings from a qualitative case study examining the impact of an online professional development course focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and digital accessibility. Participants reported increased knowledge, practical course design skills, and a stronger commitment to creating inclusive learning environments through strategies modeled by the instructor.

One Lab, Two Pathways: Creating Flexible Physical Science Laboratories

Amber Harrington
Associate Professor of Physics, Arkansas Tech University
Co-presenter: Jessica Conry Young

Laboratory experiences are often the most difficult component of a science course to make accessible when students face unavoidable absences. Student-athletes, students experiencing mental health challenges, and others with temporary barriers may miss critical laboratory experiences despite remaining engaged in the course. This presentation describes the redesign of an introductory physical science laboratory curriculum to align in-person and online laboratory experiences while maintaining common learning objectives.

Partnering With Students to Build Inclusive Learning Communities and Empower Student Voice

Kerri Olore
Assistant Professor of Special Education, Bridgewater State University

This poster session explores how to transform course design into an intentional partnership that empowers student voice and promotes equity. Rather than treating course frameworks as static mandates, this approach utilizes initial structures as collaborative tools to invite students into active participation. Attendees will examine how the process of co-creating class norms, refining policies, and aligning personal goals fosters a safe learning environment. By sharing authority, this practice elevates historically marginalized voices and fosters deep psychological safety. Student feedback highlights a heightened sense of accountability and valued mental health.

Conference Track: Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience

Done Before Beginning: Burnout Perceptions Among Physician Assistant Students

Iris Villanueva
Assistant Professor and Physician Assistant, University of the Pacific

Burnout is a growing concern in health professions education, affecting student well-being, learning, and professional development. This qualitative study explores physician assistant (PA) students’ perceptions of burnout, its contributors, coping strategies, and recommendations for program-level interventions. Through focus groups with PA students across training stages, participants identified emotional exhaustion, internal pressures, academic demands, and assessment-related challenges as key factors. Findings highlight actionable strategies, including faculty support, wellness resources, peer connection, and curricular flexibility, to promote student well-being and reduce burnout.

Conference Track: Preparing Your Course and Curriculum

Human-Guided, AI-Assisted: An Innovative Approach to Curriculum Design in Higher Education

Aubrey Statti
Associate Professor, The Chicago School

This poster session will highlight the value of using artificial intelligence (AI) in an ethical way to develop course curriculum in higher education. Human-guided, AI-assisted curriculum design combines faculty expertise with the efficiency of artificial intelligence. This poster session highlights ethical approaches to using AI for developing learning outcomes, assignments, assessments, rubrics, instructional materials, and course alignment.

The Intra-Discussion Teaching Approach

Obinna Mmaduabuchi
Assistant Lecturer, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka

This poster explores the Intra-Discussion Teaching Strategy as an innovative, learner-centered approach to course and curriculum delivery in higher education. Grounded in educational psychology and evidence-based instructional practices, the approach is designed to strengthen collaboration among instructors, improve consistency in teaching, and promote active, meaningful learning. The poster will highlight how the strategy can be incorporated into course preparation and classroom instruction, as well as its potential to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.

Conference Track: Student Engagement

But Why? Engaging Students to Think Beyond

Erin Montgomery
Assistant Professor of Nursing, Chair, RN-BSN Program, Gardner-Webb University

This engaging approach helps students focus on the “why” behind the “what,” fostering deeper reasoning, improved curiosity, and meaningful learning. Participants will discover a fresh, fun, and interactive approach to purposeful questioning that promotes critical thinking, self-reflection, and learner engagement. Classroom examples, such as gamified activities and interactive live polls, will give participants practical ideas for questioning that move learners beyond task-oriented thinking and empower them to make thoughtful, evidence-informed decisions.

Engaging Future School Administrators Through Real-World Scenarios

Jenny Tellez
Assistant Professor, Alliant University

Graduate programs in Educational Leadership are responsible for preparing future school administrators to make complex, high-stakes decisions in real-world environments. However, fully online learning can sometimes limit opportunities for applied, experiential practice. This poster presents an instructional model that integrates real-world, scenario-based learning into online graduate courses to increase engagement, deepen critical thinking, and strengthen leadership readiness in fully online learning environments.

Engaging Minds Online: Assignments That Promote Higher-Order Thinking

McKenzie Rabenn
Adjunct Professor, Universities of Wisconsin

Online learning can be more than lectures, quizzes, and discussion boards. This poster showcases adaptable assignments that foster critical thinking, collaboration, and meaningful engagement in online courses. Participants will explore strategies such as hexagonal thinking, social annotation, concept mapping, multimedia reflections, and choice-based activities that can be implemented across disciplines. The poster includes assignment examples, implementation tips, and technology recommendations that faculty can immediately adapt to create more interactive, student-centered online learning experiences.

From Script to Skill: Teaching Conflict Resolution Through Performance

Shannon Scott
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Woman’s University

Communication and conflict resolution are among the most requested—and least practiced—workplace skills in higher education. This poster presents a rehearsal-based module in which students perform a short theatrical conflict script, then debrief it through an interests-versus-positions lens, nonviolent communication, and an eight-step problem-solving model, before completing a personal action plan they keep. Performing a conflict before analyzing it lowers stakes, surfaces emotion safely, and bridges the theory-to-application gap. The poster shares the full module design, sample script excerpts, debrief protocols, a grading rubric, and an adaptable action-plan template.

Meeting Today’s Workplace Demands Through Interdisciplinary Approaches

Melody Shumaker
Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Columbus State University

Interdisciplinary studies online course programs provide learners with unique opportunities to address workplace demands with sustainable practices through engaging learning experiences that provide an environment conducive to addressing real-world needs while engaging the whole person. These programs give learners a foundational knowledge base to address contemporary problems with solutions based on integrated disciplinary approaches that foster active participation of all students while supporting student purpose and meeting community needs. These approaches are needed to meet complex issues in the workplace and to prepare students to engage collaboratively in the desired field.

Music as a Generative Pedagogical Framework for Student Engagement

Catherine Kendall
Professor of Interior Architecture & Design, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Co-presenter: Wesley Gibbs

Building on research linking music with creativity and learning, this presentation examines music as a generative pedagogical framework for enhancing student engagement in foundational design education. A qualitative study of 60 undergraduates found that music integrated learning fostered emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement through active listening, discussion, design exploration, and evidence-based design justification. Findings show music provides conceptual scaffolding and sensory learning that deepen engagement, creative confidence, and students’ connection to course content while complementing technical instruction.

Unlocking Engagement: Reframing Stress Through Collaborative Book Discussions

Kristel Gallagher
Professor of Psychology, Thiel College

Students view stress as harmful and overwhelming. What if we could challenge them to see the “upside” of stress? This poster describes a four-week book club module developed to help students rethink their relationship with stress while increasing engagement. The book club entailed weekly readings, reflections, and structured small- and large-group discussions. Students’ stress appraisals were assessed pre- and post-module. Findings indicated a significant shift from viewing stress as a threat to seeing it as a challenge, and increased perceptions of available resources. This interactive, low-stakes approach created sustained engagement and has become the most memorable course experience.

Conference Track: The Online Classroom

Reflective Practice in Action

Lisa Bunkowski
Associate Professor of HE Leadership, Texas A&M University–Central Texas

This poster presents findings of a study of effective online teaching and course design through the lens of reflective practice. It uses guided interviews and a qualitative survey with 26 faculty members across a range of disciplines. It highlights how structured reflection, grounded in the work of Brookfield (2017), Gibbs (1988), Schon (1987), and others, can support professional growth and enhanced teaching effectiveness. Augmenting early findings presented in 2025, this presentation includes an overview of reflective practice frameworks, detailed findings aligned with the literature, suggestions for applying reflective strategies to improve online instruction, as well as useful resources.

When Team-Based Learning Meets HyFlex: Preserving Engagement, Equity, and Fidelity

Oleksii Hliebov
Associate Professor, Ross University School of Medicine

This poster examines how team-based learning (TBL) can be adapted for face-to-face, online, and HyFlex teaching. Drawing on a critical narrative review, it highlights benefits for engagement, accountability, and short-term learning, while identifying risks related to remote learner inclusion, team stability, cognitive load, technology, and faculty workload. It offers a practical framework for deciding when to use standard TBL, modify it for HyFlex, or adopt case-based, flipped, or blended alternatives.