Hybrid

Impact of OER Materials on Student Grades in a Coding Course

Submitted by Tim McMichael on

The rising costs of textbooks may be a barrier to student access, and most of those books are not well-suited for CIS150AB students. Traditional textbook authors approach coding from a Computer Science perspective, which doesn’t quite align with the occupational nature of CIS150AB. And while technical reading is a critical skill for professional programmers, the depth of these textbooks results in large chapters that may be intimidating to students.

Connecting the Dots: Improving student learning and note-taking skills through concept mapping in Bio156 General Biology Course.

Submitted by Hikmet Nural-Guvener on

Introductory biology courses serve as a foundation for upper-division coursework and are expected to develop not only content knowledge but also essential skills such as note-taking, organization, and conceptual understanding. A persistent challenge in BIO156 is that students struggle to identify key information, organize their notes, and connect concepts, often relying on memorization of isolated facts. This limitation affects their ability to apply knowledge and create effective study tools, such as exam cheat sheets.

A Team-Based Clinical Case Approach to Collaborative Diagnostic Reasoning in Microbiology

Submitted by Matthew Starr on

Described is the use of a team-based healthcare case activity in BIO205 Microbiology to strengthen student diagnostic reasoning, communication, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making. Working in randomly assigned groups, students were tasked with diagnosing a patient case while operating within a fixed budget and justifying each selected task or test to a simulated attending provider. The activity required students to interpret emerging evidence, revise their plans, and submit a final diagnosis supported by specific findings.

Assessing Accounting at the Program Level

Submitted by Kortney Song on

This assessment analyzed student mastery of three Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) across the sequential accounting courses (ACC111, ACC112, and ACC212) in the Associate of Business Administration (ABUS) program. Following new course designs and textbook adoption in Fall 2023, faculty embedded PLO assessments in Canvas to track learning progression.

A Year of Work Ready Wednesday

Submitted by Grace Kirker on

Work Ready Wednesday launched in Fall 2024 hosting sessions weekly to prepare students for the workforce by building a toolkit of essential professional skills, exploring trending topics in the workforce and connecting to industry leaders. Over the 2024–2025 academic year, the program hosted 25 sessions with 368 students and 60 staff or faculty attending. A 54.76% increase in attendance from fall to spring reflected the impact of campus collaboration, consistent scheduling, engaging guest speakers, faculty support, and targeted marketing.

Laptop Checkout and Student Success

Submitted by Chad Galligan on

The necessity for the laptop checkout program became evident in the academic year 2019-2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and students were required to complete the Spring 2020 semester online. The laptop checkout process was identified as a need by students who did not have the proper equipment to complete a course(s). The results indicated that the course completion rate of students who checked out a laptop is consistently close to students who did not check out a laptop.

Game On! A Taboo-Inspired Approach to Interactive Learning

Submitted by Ashley Burkart on

This CATs explores the use of a game-based learning activity, modeled after Taboo©, to boost student engagement, communication skills, and conceptual understanding across disciplines. Students worked in pairs to describe and guess course-specific terms without using certain "taboo" words, reinforcing complex concepts while improving verbal and listening abilities. Mixed-methods assessments revealed increased engagement, deeper understanding, and enhanced skills critical for STEM, healthcare, humanities, and social sciences.

Café Mariposa

Submitted by Cecilia Rosales on

Café Mariposa is an open pedagogy and experiential learning project. Students engage with the content and the campus community in a relaxed atmosphere where they can build Spanish vocabulary, and hone listening and interpersonal communication skills.