Welcome Back Symposium

A Pedagogy of What? Finding Hope in Higher Ed
Kevin Gannon, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence

This just in: it is not easy to work in higher education right now. Whether it’s the larger political-cultural environment, the increasing complexity of student needs, or the difficulties of finding balance for ourselves, there’s no shortage of things making us tired and stressed. Disconnected students, silences instead of discussions, a sense of atomization across campus—these and other obstacles have littered our paths since “pandemic pedagogy.” But these difficulties also demonstrate how important the work we do really is, and our students need our support and care more than ever in order to be successful in college. How do we balance all of this? One way is to conceive of our work in terms of a Pedagogy of Hope. This vision of Hope isn’t some vague, “warm fuzzy” performance, but rather an ongoing project centered on agency and community. This talk will look at some of the psychological and pedagogical research on Hope to see how it might inform our day-to-day teaching and learning practices. We’ll pay particular attention to the ways connecting (and re-connecting) with our students serves as a foundation for a hopeful pedagogy. Finally, the session will also suggest some specific tools and strategies to incorporate a Pedagogy of Hope as part of a sustainable approach to successful teaching and learning.

Embracing Modern and Emerging Technology: Lessons Learned from an AI-permissive, Flipped Hybrid Class
Jennifer Irish, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

This presentation presents lessons learned in using a flipped-classroom model in a senior-level/graduate-level engineering elective course that encourages students both to take ownership of their pace of learning and assessment and to make use of AI. Assessment strategies for AI-permissive assignments will be discussed. Benefits from both instructor and student perspectives will be highlighted. 

Beginning with the End in Mind: A Physician’s Approach to Teaching by Promoting Discussion, Questions, and Big Picture Concepts
Dr. Chad DeMott, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 

Socratic questioning methods to promote discussion are endlessly discussed in teaching circles of all levels. But how do you accomplish this within a classroom setting while attempting to get through the syllabus? How do you promote discussion while not getting lost in loops, not moving forward?  

This short session will show how a teaching physician teaches students and residents while seeing patients thinking about the end in mind. What are the concepts that they just must know, the ones that other cognitive structures are built upon? This session will hope to provide a ramp for interesting, necessary, and relevant questions while moving forward in a busy day. These concepts can apply to any teaching style, classroom or bedside.  

Banish the Silence: Creating a Chattering Classroom
Eli Jamison, Department of Management 

It’s the first day of class; you have a great class planned; You say hello and ask your first question. What do you get? All too often - awkward silence. In this session, we will discuss a system of tips and techniques that help create a self-perpetuating, culture of engaged class discussion. Sometimes all it takes is one great question to set the stage. 

All About Gradescope: More than just a Scantron replacement
Jeannine Eddleton, Department of Chemistry
Dainelle Thacker, Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies 
Shannon Saluga, Department of Chemistry 
Alyssa Santos, Department of Chemistry 

The latest buzz about Gradescope is that this online grading system is the new way to handle bubble sheets for exams with Scantrons no longer being supported. However, that’s not all that Gradescope can do—from hand-written exams to homework submissions to bubble sheets, Gradescope may be the tool that you’re missing in your large classroom setting. Some chemistry department faculty have started the transition to using this tool to improve grading efficiency, manage a team of TA graders, and create more consistent rubrics. In this session, we will discuss how to get started without any prior experience, share our favorite features, and help you discover if there is something beyond the bubble sheet that Gradescope can do for you.

Challenge with Care: Designing for Rigor, Equity, and Engagement
Rohit Kannan, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering 

How do we challenge students without overwhelming them? In this session, we will explore ways to design courses that uphold high expectations while supporting student success. Through practical strategies and examples, we will consider how to foster deep learning, create inclusive structures, and help all students stay engaged – even when the work is hard. 

Improving the Feedback Conversation
Dr. Rebecca Pauly, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 

This session examines feedback as a dynamic, data-informed process that requires active engagement from both the provider and the recipient. Participants will explore strategies for setting clear expectations, eliciting insight, and cultivating a reciprocal dialogue that enhances the effectiveness and impact of feedback. 

Pedagogical Gains and Practical Trade-Offs of Collaborative Two-Stage Testing
Aparna Shah, School of Neuroscience 

This session explores the use of two-stage assessments, where students first complete an assessment individually and then re-take it collaboratively. Participants will learn about the pedagogical benefits of this assessment strategy, including enhanced retention, peer learning, and immediate feedback. The presenter will share concrete examples of implementation in an introductory course and in an upper-level STEM elective, student feedback, and performance outcomes. Practical considerations such as grading logistics, group dynamics, and time constraints will also be addressed. Attendees will leave with adaptable strategies and resources to try two-stage assessments in their own courses. 

Practice Makes Present: Creating Classroom Community Through Play
Jon Catherwood-Ginn, School of Performing Arts 

Meaningful relationships and trust among students can create the conditions for open, sincere, and courageous dialogue, but how do we build such a foundation, as educators? Applied theatre—rooted in presence, play, and storytelling—can help. At a moment when social isolation and self-distraction with technology are on the rise, we can redirect attention to the vibrancy of experiential learning "in-the-moment" through activities that spark imagination, invite self-expression, and reward deep listening. In this session, participate and reflect on accessible theatre-based exercises, and receive recommendations on how to facilitate and integrate them into your courses.

The Accessibility Toolkit: Tools at Your Fingertips!
Delaina “De” Harman, Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Services 

Curious what accessibility tools your students already have access to and how to help them use them? In this fast-paced session, we’ll explore the top tools Virginia Tech recommends for supporting learning in any course format. From alternative formats in Ally to reading, writing, and STEM supports like Read&Write, EquatIO, and OrbitNote, you’ll get hands-on exposure to each tool and ideas for introducing them to your students right away. We’ll also briefly cover powerful tools available in limited licenses, including JAWS, ZoomText, and Genio. Walk away with practical, ready-to-use tips for making your course more accessible tomorrow. 

How to Embed Career Development into the Curriculum
Meredith Gerber, Career and Professional Development 
Grace Wagnon, Career and Professional Development 

Curious how to equip your students with the tools they need to thrive in their careers without overhauling your syllabus? This session will explore how faculty can seamlessly embed career development into their curriculum while staying grounded in academic rigor. We will introduce practical ways to incorporate real-world skills using the Career and Professional Development team’s Career Readiness Toolkit and resources. Whether you're new to this conversation or already experimenting with career-connected learning, this session offers valuable strategies and resources to help your students succeed. 

Hanging on by a Thread: Looking Like You Have it all Together
Angela Anderson, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise 

Have you ever thought that you are unprepared for the semester? Wondering if the students will eat you alive? In this session we will talk about ways to look organized and ways to win over students. More specifically we will talk about what it means to teach relationally.

How Do You Get Students to Share What They’re Actually Thinking?
Rachel Arnold, Department of Mathematics 

We all know that students’ contributions during instructional interactions are crucial for effective learning. So, how do we as teachers create an environment in which our students can be vulnerable and forthcoming about their questions and ideas? And, once these raw, possibly messy thoughts are out on the table, how do we respond in a way that values, refines, and synthesizes their contributions to meet our learning objectives? This session will explore simple strategies that we can use to both solicit and transform candid student contributions into deep, meaningful understanding.