Conference on Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology

From: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher
Education [mailto:POD@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Bill Hill
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:22 PM
To: POD@listserv.nd.edu
Subject: [POD] Conference on Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology

Good Afternoon:

The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), the National Institute
on the Teaching of Psychology (NITOP), and the Kennesaw State University
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) are excited to
announce the fourth conference in the popular "Best Practices in
Teaching Psychology" series. Following the successful Assessment (2002),
Teaching Introductory Psychology (2003), and Teaching Statistics and
Research Methods (2004) conferences, the 2005 conference will focus on
innovative and effective strategies and techniques for teaching critical
thinking across the psychology curriculum.

The 2-day conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Perimeter
NW Hotel. Modeled after the format of the previous conferences, the
meeting will include keynote speakers (Carole Wade and Jane Halonen),
concurrent symposia and workshops, and a poster session. Our target
audience includes teachers from high school, 2-year, 4-year
college/university, and graduate school settings.

The conference Web site includes the full schedule (including session
abstracts) and registration information (see
http://www.kennesaw.edu/cetl/criticalthinking/ccindex.htm). The
conference announcement brochure will be mailed to STP members by mid to
late July.

Because previous conferences have filled close to capacity, we encourage
early registration to ensure a space.

Bill

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Bill Hill, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and Professor of
Psychology Kennesaw State University 1000 Chastain Rd., Building 54
Mailbox #5400 Kennesaw GA 30144-5591
EMAIL: bhill@kennesaw.edu
PHONE: 770-423-6410
FAX: 770-499-3253

Director of Programming, Society for the Teaching of Psychology,
Division 2 of the American Psychological Association
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Re: [ED-TECH] FW: UM Employees Using BellSouth DSL may not be able to Access University of Miami Website

Michel Dupagne reports that the problem seems to have been resolved as of 10:20 am.

 

Bill Vilberg

305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

[ED-TECH] FW: UM Employees Using BellSouth DSL may not be able to Access University of Miami Website

If you are using BellSouth DSL it appears there is a problem with access to some of our web sites. IT Security is working on it.

Bill Vilberg
305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

From: System Administrators [mailto:SYSTEM-ADMINS@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Ganga, Rishi Roger
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 9:42 AM
To: SYSTEM-ADMINS@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: UM Employees Using BellSouth DSL may not be able to Access University of Miami Website To: All System/Network Administrators
From: IT Security
Cc: Stewart Seruya

Hello to All,

UM employees using BellSouth DSL may be experiencing not being able to access any of the three University of Miami campuses’ websites: http://www.miami.edu/, http://www.med.miami.edu/, and http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/; we have informed BellSouth and we will send an update, to this listserv, once we receive an update from BellSouth. Any questions or concerns, e-mail us at security@miami.edu.

[POD] Declining by Degrees

Interesting list of skills (?) that CEOs are looking for from college graduates. -- Bill Vilberg

-----Original Message-----
From: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher Education [mailto:POD@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Theall
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 12:25 PM
To: POD@listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: [POD] Declining by Degrees

The interesting report (based on work by Peter Ewell) linked for us by Mike Chejlava raises a question.  [BV - See http://www.cic.org/publications/comm_resources/archives/August99_context.asp for the report.]

First, here are the main things CEOs want:

Problem solving. Business today is looking for "higher order applied problem solving skills." This translates into the ability to identify problems as well as solve them, and the skills to recover and move on when experiments fail. Ewell said business leaders want employees who are capable of "intellectual broken field running."

Enthusiasm for life-long learning. Because of the need for constant training and employee retooling, employees would like to see graduates who are invested in an enthusiasm for continual learning--not in the sense of developing an avocation, but in the sense of recognizing the importance of continual training as a job requirement in today's fast pace, competitive marketplace.

Responsibility. Employers want to hire graduates who come to them with a strong sense of responsibility for their actions in organizations and society.

Bridging cultures. Employers want employees who have the skills to bridge cultural differences. This is a different order of skill, Ewell argued, from simply understanding or having exposure to a diverse culture.

Communication skills. Even more important than the ability to write well is the need for employees to communicate and collaborate interpersonally, orally, and in teams.

Professionalism. Employers want employees who are inculcated with a well developed sense of professionalism on the job--or "sheer civility," as Ewell termed it.

OK.  I'll take these at face value and agree that that's what CEO's SAY they want.

Now here's the question:

Faced with college graduate employees who possess these skills and the chance to outsource jobs and reduce personnel costs by 50% even if the new hires don't possess all these skills, which CEOs would hold to their list of desired characteristics as unassailable retention criteria?
Recent history & trends answer that question.

If colleges could guarantee such graduates, would business commit to protecting them?

mike

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[ED-TECH] TV Show - Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk looks like it will be an interesting PBS show on higher education.  It is modeled on the report "A Nation at Risk" which greatly influenced the current assessment processes in K-12 education such as FCAT. 

 

I can't tell you exactly when it will be on, since PBS stations set their own schedules.  Some people have said that WLRN will show it 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM today (Thursday) as well as at later times, but I cannot find it on their schedule at http://www.wlrn.org/.  I found it on the WPBT schedule at http://www.channel2.org/ for 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM on Sunday. 

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

How good is higher education in America?

 

In this revealing documentary, veteran correspondent John Merrow takes you behind the ivy-covered walls of our colleges and universities to see if they are delivering on their promise.

(From the http://www.decliningbydegrees.org/ web site)

 

“Something is seriously wrong” on college campuses in the U.S., asserts education journalist John Merrow, who outlines problems in higher education as he visits the Universities of Arizona and Western Kentucky, Amherst (Mass.) College.
(From the program description on the wpbt web site.)

RELATED LINKS

The Carnegie Foundation article by co-editor John Merrow with an attached discussion board:

http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/perspectives/perspectives2005.May.htm

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education review, "Whining View of Higher Education" in the June 17 issue:

(access restricted to subscribers) http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i41/41b01101.htm

 

Interview with Richard Hersch, former president of Trinity College and co-editor of the book:

http://www.universitybusiness.com/page.cfm?p=835

 

The book which spawned the documentary:

http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&btob=Y&pwb=1&ean=9781403969217

Bill Vilberg

Associate Director of the Instructional Advancement Center (new title!)

[ED-TECH] Word's "Track Changes" problem

I recently received a price quote, in Word, and noticed that Track Changes was enabled.  I was looking at the final version of the document.  I went back to look at the original version of the document and got to see a complete price quote that was sent to another institution.  I could see every change that was made when that price quote was modified for us.  The company didn't want me to see that, I am sure. 

 

In order to make sure this never happens to you, consider having the "Remove Hidden Data" tool added to Office XP.  (NORMAL DISCLAIMER:  If someone else manages your computer, contact them to find out whether they think this should be done.)  The "Remove Hidden Data" tool not only removes all the changes and comments that might have been added, but also removes the personal identification information that is normally attached to an Office document.

 

The tool is available from Microsoft on the http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=144E54ED-D43E-42CA-BC7B-5446D34E5360&displaylang=en web page.  If that link doesn't work because it is too long, use my http://www.snurl.com/9wb3 shortcut.  Once installed it adds the "Remove Hidden Data..." command to the File menu in Word.  It saves a "clean" copy of your document.

 

Microsoft has an article that discusses some of this on the http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010983881033.aspx web page, although the only solution mentioned there is to accept each of the changes. 

 

Finally, if you want to spend a little time learning to use the track changes features, go to Google and search for "track changes tutorial" to find some learning materials.

 

By the way, the company should have send a PDF file, not a Word file, since they did not want me to edit it.  When you are sending out proposals or papers that you want other people to work on, you will be sending the Word document.  Remove Hidden Data can be useful in that case.

 

Bill Vilberg

Instructional Advancement Center

[ED-TECH] Word Annoyances

Summer is a time for recreation.  For many of us, our performance run ends with Commencement. We often use the summer to recreate ourselves, preparing for the next performance.  Here are descriptions of two things that drive me crazy when typing in Word.  Perhaps I can be of help to you as you recreate yourself by showing you how to change your computer settings to avoid or mitigate these problems.

-----

 

PROBLEM:  I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE cAPS lOCK KEY AND EVERYTHING STARTS LOOKING LIKE THIS IN mICROSOFT wORD. 

 

SOLUTION PART 1:  Have the computer beep when you press the Caps Lock key.  That way you will know you have done it and be able to correct the situation immediately.

 

SOLUTION PART 2:  Have the Shift key release the Caps Lock key, just like it works on a typewriter.  (I know my students have never used a typewriter, but I will assume that you know what I am talking about.)  With this change things will be corrected after the first upper-case letter. The sentence above, if I didn't notice the beep and just kept typing, would look like, "I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE Caps Lock key and everything starts looking like this in Microsoft Word."  Ok, it doesn't completely solve the problem, but at least there should never be more than one sentence that needs to be fixed.

-----

 

PROBLEM:  I press some key while editing and all of a sudden whatever I type replaces what was already there.  This one is terribly disconcerting since I have to figure out what was there before and I have to figure out how to insert it into the document rather than continuing to overtype things.

 

SOLUTION:  The problem is caused by pressing the Insert key, a key I don't even see since I don't use it for anything.  The problem is solved by disassociating the Overtype action from the Insert key. 

-----

 

Rather than including the technical details for each of these, let me refer you to my Tips and Tricks blog.  You can find the entire blog at http://wrvtips.blogspot.com/.  Each of the specific techniques can be found as follows.

 

Beep when the Caps Lock key is pressed:

http://wrvtips.blogspot.com/2005/06/beep-when-caps-lock-key-is-pressed.html

 

Turn off Caps Lock with the Shift key:

http://wrvtips.blogspot.com/2005/06/turn-off-caps-lock-with-shift-key.html

 

Turn off the overtype problem in Word:

http://wrvtips.blogspot.com/2005/06/turn-off-overtype-problem-in-word.html

 

Two of these link to descriptions already on the Internet.  Rather than writing the instructions myself I simply provide links to existing copies.  I hope you don't mind.

-----

 

DISCLAIMER 1: These changes are solutions to problems that I encounter.  If you don't encounter these problems the solutions will add nothing to your computing experience. 

 

DISCLAIMER 2: If someone manages your computer for you, check with that person before attempting to make any changes to your computer, including changes such as these. 

-----

 

Bill Vilberg

305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

 

[ED-TECH] WARNING: phishing email specific to UM

I am forwarding this notice from UM Security.  They have identified a phishing attack that looks like it comes from UM security and is directed at people based upon their UM e-mail accounts.  Phishing is sending out an e-mail that looks like you need to take action, but if you do what it says you will really be providing some unauthorized person with your information.  To my knowledge opening the e-mail will not cause any problems for you, but YOU SHOULD NOT CLICK ON THE LINK AND SUBMIT ANY INFORMATION.

 

DISCLAIMER:  This message is only a warning.  It does not tell you to take any direct action, only to avoid taking possibly risky action.  Therefore I shouldn't get in trouble with anyone who managers your computers.  But, based on the assumption that anything is possible, let me reiterate my belief that you should not be managing your computer if there is someone else who has that responsibility.  Leave it up to the other person.

 

Bill Vilberg

305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

 

---

From: System Administrators [mailto:SYSTEM-ADMINS@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Seruya, Stewart
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 9:32 AM
To: SYSTEM-ADMINS@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: WARNING phishing email specific to UM

Please note there is a phishing attack being sent to University of Miami employees, a sample is being listed below.  This email was customized for UM, therefore it is very deceptive.  IT Security is trying its best to block the IP addresses that the link points to, but they’re constantly changing the target address making virtually impossible to block all.  Please let all your customers know this is not a real email and it’s to be ignored.

       
Thank you

Stewart Seruya

University of Miami

Information Technology

==================================

==================================

==================================

Dear Valued Member,

According to our site policy you will have to confirm your account by the following link or else your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.

http://www.miami.edu/confirm.php?email=mary@miami.edu

Thank you for your attention to this question. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,Miami Security Department Assistant.

==================

==================

==================

"Boot Camps" for faculty who want/need to improve

"The question (from the Provost) is what to do with a small number of
faculty who continue to perform poorly on their teaching evaluations."
([POD] Any other ideas?, Friday, June 03, 2005 11:05 AM, Walt Wager,
Coordinator IDS | ODDL) "If they have participated in your program and
still not improved, what next?"

-----REPLY 1-----
Dear Stephen, Walt and others interested in this situation,

Our firm, and at least one other of which I am aware, provide individual
mentoring/coaching for individuals in the situation you describe. Many
clients find this approach less threatening and more objective than can
be provided by an in-house source.

Richard Lyons, Senior Consultant
Faculty Development Associates
http://www.developfaculty.com

-----REPLY 2-----
Walt--see http://www.isu.edu/ctl/nutshells/old_nutshells/6_604.htm

We've run close to twenty "camps" over a twelve year period. Over 100
institutions have set representatives and of the several hundred faculty
who have attended, I'd say we had about three failures--a couple from a
class-based inability to stop blaming students that appeared to have an
origination based on culture and one who had such abusive supervisors
that the person's only hope for a fair shake to not be labeled as a
""bad teacher" was to get out of a situation that was destructive. The
person eventually did so. We are probably about full this year. I've
been in Grenada and have not tallied our current count. Will do so this
weekend If not, full, send us a couple of your "worst cases" and see the
results. Feel free to contact other POD developers who contribute to
this program such as Barbara Millis, Bob Noyd, Tara Gray, or Karen
Gustavson.

Ed Nuhfer
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Museum Building 434, Campus Box 8010
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8010
Ph (208) 282-4703 FAX (208) 282-5361 nuhfed@isu.edu

[POD] Group assignment grading - 2

Here is another wonderful response to the group project issue.

Bill Vilberg
305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

-----Original Message-----
From: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher
Education [mailto:POD@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Charles Henderson
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 8:38 AM
To: POD@listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: [POD] Group assignment grading

Joe,

If the student's story is accurate it means that the professor did a
poor job of setting up the assignment. If the students were to complete
a group project then why were they each graded separately? And, if they
were each graded separately, what is the rationale for averaging their
individual grades? It is this type of use by well-meaning, but not
well-informed faculty that can give group assignments a bad reputation.

According to the Johnson & Johnson model of cooperative learning there
are five essential components. A good description of these and a lot
more information about setting up well-functioning cooperative learning
environments can be found at:
<http://www.foundationcoalition.org/publications/brochures/acl_piiapi.pd
f>

Charles

>Joseph A Marolla/AC/VCU wrote:
>
>
>>Fellow Poders,
>>
>>I am dealing with a request from the President's office to deal with a

>>student complaint regarding "group assignment grading". The student
>>claims that the professor formed groups of three with assigned group
>>projects. The grade for the project was determined by averaging the
>>three individual student grades. One student received an A, one a C
>>and one an F. The group project grade was then determined to be a C.

>>The student who got the A is complaining that this is not fair.
>>
>>Do any of you have experience with this type of grading which you
>>could share with me both in terms of a general rationale as well as
>>alternative applications? Thanks.
>>
>>Joe
>>
>>
>>Dr. Joseph Marolla
>>Center for Teaching Excellence
>>Virginia Commonwealth University
>>James Branch Cabell Library
>>901 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, 301C
>>804-827-0839
>>jmarolla@vcu.edu
>>
>>
>>
>--
>
>
Charles Henderson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Physics
Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5252

269-387-4951
Charles.Henderson@wmich.edu
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~chenders

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[POD] Group assignment grading

A student at some school is challenging a grade on a group project. The
three parts of the project, each done by a separate student, got A, B,
and C grades. The average was a B so all three students got a B. That
has started a discussion on how group projects should be handled. I
like this message, which says in part, "the process is as important, if
not more important, than the project itself" and lists a number of steps
that can make the process succeed.

Bill Vilberg
305-284-3949 (work); 786-218-3052 (cell); 305-255-9138 (home)

-----Original Message-----
From: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher
Education [mailto:POD@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Louis Schmier
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 9:25 AM
To: POD@listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: [POD] Group assignment grading

As a user of only community projects, one of the essentials to their
success is to keep on top of each student all the time. I do that with
individual daily student journaling where I can pick up on clues and
cues, periodic "how are things going" student community evaluations of
themselves and each other, student evaluations of their own contribution
as well as each other's for each specific project, similar mid-term
evaluations, and similar end-of-term evaluations. As everything in
education, the process is as important, if not more important, than the
project itself. It is more challenging, takes a lot more time and
effort, and requires a lot more engagement. It is insane to think that
you can assign something different without thinking and acting
differently. It is equally insane to think and act as if everyone is
the same, and that things will go smoothly, evenly, and perfectly.

Make it a good day.

--Louis--

Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History
www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/ / \/ \___\/
/ \/ /\/ / //\/\/ /\__/_/_/\_\___\_/__ /\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ / _ / \ don't practice on
mole hills" -

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subscription options, or access list archives, visit
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Hosted by the John A. Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning and the
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