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2025 Midwest SoTL Program

2025 Midwest SoTL Program

The 2025 Midwest SoTL Conference is April 11, 2025 on the Indiana University South Bend campus. The keynote speaker is Cate Denial, Ph.D. is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

8:00-8:50am	Registration & Networking in the Education & Arts Atrium
9:00-10:30am	Keynote in the University Grill - Cate Denial, Ph.D. Denial’s new book, A Pedagogy of Kindness (2024), argues that higher education needs to get aggressively and determinedly kind. As she says, “We need to shift every part of what we do to prioritize care and compassion, not only for our students but for ourselves. We deserve change that creates a system of higher education in which we are each valued for the totality of who we are instead of only the products (books, bell curves, patents, performances) we are urged to create.” A Pedagogy of Kindness is about attending to justice, believing people, and believing in people.
10:30-10:45am	Break
10:45-11:15am	Concurrent Session #1
EA 1013	The Role of AI in Teaching and Learning Sedefka Beck (Valparaiso University), Jonathan Bull (Valparaiso University), Caleb Lewis (Aurora University), Diego Piedra (Valparaiso University), Dezhi "DJ" Jiang (Pittsburg State University) This panel explores how AI is transforming teaching practices. Panelists will share insights into integrating generative AI tools in their teaching and fostering AI literacy among students. Discussions will also address the responsible use of generative AI, and provide actionable strategies for integrating generative AI in teaching.
EA 1015	Elements of and Strategies for Building Relationships and Trust Sarah Lucas, Anne Spain (Ferris State University) In this concurrent session, we will explore and reflect upon the importance of relationships and trust in higher education: why they matter and what elements are critical for building them. Through discussion of case scenarios, we will co-generate a collection of strategies for building and maintaining trusting relationship-rich educational spaces.
EA 1017	Can the Master's House Be Decolonized from the Inside? Holly Swyers, Andrea Sandoval-Torres, Avis Elfman, Isabella Nuñez, Lejla Murati, Eva Zacatenco-Gomez, Ivette Cardeñas, Adrianna Kandilakis (Lake Forest College) Can practices like ungrading and collaborative class design, combined with theoretical and activist readings, meaningfully reorient us in a system of higher education focused on success in a capitalist system espousing colonialist values? This panel presentation offers both professor and undergraduate perspectives on what we’ve learned so far in our attempt to do just that.
EA 1019	Centering Literacy: Meeting Student Reading Challenges Empathetically and Effectively Stephanie Alexander (Indiana State University) This session presents strategies for addressing students’ difficulties with completing lengthy or challenging reading assignments through empathy and skill-building rather than punitive measures. Strategies discussed include reading journals, metacognitive essays, and other classroom activities that ask students to reflect not only on the course content itself but on their experiences reading and analyzing that content.
EA 1021	Infusing Care into Your Data-Informed Scholarly Teaching Practices Crystal Tse, April Andry Rah'man (University of Illinois Chicago) Whether you are a seasoned SoTL scholar or an instructor starting your scholarly teaching practice, time, resources, and departmental resistance can pose challenges. In this session, you will consider ways to engage in scholarly teaching with an ethos of care and kindness for yourself and your students by minimizing the burden of research activities in this work.
EA 1023	Project B.E.E.lieve: Building Bridges to Empower& Engage Future Teachers Danielle Starks, Suzanne Pfeiffer (Purdue Northwest University) Project B.E.E.lieve supports first-generation educatIon students at PNW by fostering belonging and aiding in their adjustment through transitional milestones as students and becoming teaching professionals. The project aims to foster engagement and empowerment in first generation SoEC students.
EA1025	This is Not a Lecture: Infusing Playfullness into Your Pedagogy Terri Hassler, Taylor Maroney, Lindsay Amper (Bryant University) Play is often seen as incompatible with higher education, but research shows it enhances engagement, creativity, and academic outcomes. Play fosters intrinsic motivation, social bonding, and cognitive flexibility, improving student performance. Starting classes with playful check-ins boosts community and well-being. This session will demonstrate how incorporating play, movement, and improvisation builds resilience and engagement in students.
11:15-11:25am	Break
11:25-11:55am	Concurrent Session #2
EA 1013	How Does Generative AI Help Us Learn about Learning? Wenjia "Jia" Cai, Alexandra Coreas, Katherine Hoff, Isis Wagner, Neasia Lee (Indiana Institute of Technology) This presentation explores the integration of generative AI in the advanced psychology course Learning and Cognition, aligning with the conference theme "Care, Kindness, and Creativity." Five students showcase their experiences teaching and learning with GenAI platforms, critically analyzing their strengths, limitations, and potential applications. The session highlights how intentional, thoughtful use of GenAI fosters personalized learning and enhances future-ready skills.
EA 1015	Building Connection and Community: Mindfulness Through Movement Jamie O'Brien, Tawiona Brown (Bowling Greene State University) Students frequently struggle with connection, anxiety, and stress. This hands-on interactive session will provide attendees with tools to incorporate mindfulness training and movement into active learning strategies in a method that provides a sense of community, connection, and collaboration within the classroom environment. It will provide attendees with tools to address stress and anxiety within the classroom.
EA 1017	Centering Care by Decentering Neoliberalism in the University Rhea Meyerscough, Lav McKittrick-Sweitzer, Julie Searcy (Butler University) This interdisciplinary panel discussion highlights three specific obstacles that neoliberal practices pose to centering care in the university classroom–individualism, market logic, and care exploitation. Panelists will introduce these obstacles, discuss their attempts to challenge them, and then open the floor to broader discussion with attendees.
EA 1019	Student Study Techniques Using Bloom's Taxonomy Relation to Test Grades Kathy Ritchie (Indiana University South Bend) To see if students use strategies in Bloom’s Taxonomy for learning, I assessed Memory, Application, Analyses, and Creating test studying strategies across 335 students and found most use Memorizing strategies. However, using higher order strategies of Applications, Analyzing, and Creating predicted Final Class grades, but not Memorizing. Discussion focuses on how students can use Bloom’s Taxonomy for test studying.
EA 1021	"How Rude!" How to Stop Inadvertently Insulting People with Disabilities Kate Schwartzkopf (University of Evansville) The purpose of the presentation is to discuss the evolution of language choices made by healthcare professionals, and the impact those choices may have on our patient’s perceptions, the healthcare they receive from other providers, and ultimately our patient's outcomes. Healthcare professionals, educators, and students should be aware of the importance and implications of the words we choose.
EA 1023	Preparing Students for the Human Side of Tomorrow's Workplace Nancy Evans, Rachel Landis (Indiana University) Emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial for students' well-being, success, and adaptability in an AI-driven workplace. At the Kelley School of Business, junior-level students develop EI through assessments, practice, feedback, and reflection. This session highlights class activities, curriculum effectiveness, theoretical foundations, and strategies for integrating EI into any course to enhance collaboration, resilience, and creativity..
EA 1025	Using Easter Eggs in Asynchronous Courses: Increase Connection and Engagement Scott Cook (Ivy Tech Community College) This session will have a specific focus on the practice of Easter Egging in online courses. Literature, and the pandemic, have shown that connection to students is more difficult in digital spaces. This presentation will focus on using one technique—Easter Egging—to check-in with students and to ask them to respond and connect with each other or faculty.
12 noon - 1:00pm	Networking Lunch - University Grill
1:10-1:40pm	Concurrent Session #3
EA 1006	Impact of Study Abroad for Urban Planning Education Sanglim Yoo (Ball State University) Urban planning education has a unique pedagogical approach that blends theoretical knowledges with practical hands-on experience uniquely through the studio teaching and learning model. This manuscript will explore the impacts of short-term study abroad program to planning students on their intercultural competencies and sustainability education based on 2016, 2023, and 2024 summer study abroad program at Ball State University.
EA 1013	Growing Joyful Musicians Through International Virtual Music Lessons Kimberly Carballo, Nabile Galván (Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University) Community engaged learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and joyful music making have grown over ten years to deeply connect Loma de Cabrera (Dominican Republic), Tilori (Haiti), IU-B Jacobs School of Music, and the Cheerful Heart organization (Kennelon, NJ). Explore: benefits for teachers, students, and communities through this collaborative model; activities of recent in-person workshops; and plans for these communities’ continued collaborations.
EA 1015	Classroom Assessment as a Meaningful Learning Opportunity Hyun Jin Cho (Purdue Fort Wayne University) Pre-service teachers' perceptions of assessment are critical, as their beliefs about teaching will significantly influence their future assessment practices and instructional methods. The present study examines the impact of employing an inclusive approach to assessment on pre-service teachers' beliefs regarding teaching and their motivation. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will offer valuable insights and practical implications.
EA 1017	From Compassion to Action: The Solutionary Way Natalie Krivas, Stacy Hoult (Valparaiso University) How do we empower our students to put compassion into action? This interactive session introduces the Solutionary Process, an innovative approach that helps learners think critically, strategically, and creatively about persistent problems in their communities. By developing solutions that address these problems’ root causes, including unjust systems and mindsets, students become agents for positive change.
EA 1019	Using Exam Wrappers to Promote Student Metacognition in Introductory Biology Michelle Whaley, Benjamin Rudenga, Kevin Abbott, Alex Ambrose, Kristin Lewis, Dominic Chaloner (University of Notre Dame) Our Introductory Biology course uses a structured learning cycle and passage problem exams. We will present data on exam wrappers that ask students to analyze their exam preparation and performance. We hypothesize that exam wrappers will be particularly valuable for underprepared students. Through this reflective assignment, we hope students will adopt new strategies to enhance their learning and performance.
EA 1021	Building Social Connectetdness to Enhance Student Wellbeing Keely Floyd, Sarah Johnson (Fairbanks School of Public Health, IU Indianapolis) We know that students in online classrooms often struggle to feel connection. A related misconception is that in-person classes naturally foster connectedness because students are physically present together. However, this presentation will emphasize the importance of practical, intentional efforts by instructors to promote social connectedness in classrooms, therefore promoting student well-being, self-efficacy, equity, improved academic outcomes, and persistence.
EA 1023	Caring Gateways for Teaching Success: Best Practices in Faculty Onboarding Katherine Ryan, James Hook, Christopher Thomas (Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Bloomington) This session shares best practices in faculty onboarding programs designed to prepare our new colleagues to be successful in the classroom and to feel welcome in the department. An array of onboarding activities and experiences will be discussed, and session participants will have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas about personalizing the activities for their own academic units.
EA 1025	It's ECE: Engaging Experiential Cultural Education Through Immersive Flamenco Escape Room Tatiana Botero, Elena Mangione-Lora (University of Notre Dame) This presentation showcases a virtual flamenco-themed escape room designed to engage students with authentic cultural materials through immersive technology. By integrating established pedagogical best practices, the tool fosters creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking while introducing sophisticated cultural concepts. We demonstrate how technology, when thoughtfully implemented, can make cultural education accessible, interactive, and engaging for diverse learners in exciting ways.
1:45-2:15pm	Poster Session & Snacks - EA 2nd Floor Atrium
Second Floor Atrium	Empowering Instructors with AI: Human-Centered Design of a Teaching Chatbot Si Chen, Xiuxiu Tang, Alex Ambrose (University of Notre Dame - Notre Dame Learning & Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society) This poster presents the development of an AI-powered teaching chatbot designed to provide context-aware teaching suggestions for instructors. Rooted in human-centered design and faculty research, the chatbot enhances pedagogy through trustworthy, adaptive, and ethical AI interactions. Findings reveal insights into instructor attitudes toward AI and the need for transparent, discipline-specific, and customizable AI support in teaching. Connecting with College Students Through Surveys and Mandatory Meetings Jeong Il Cho (Purdue University Fort Wayne) College students and faculty alike need to feel connected to foster a positive learning and teaching environment for everyone. To support this, an anonymous and voluntary mid-semester teaching survey is conducted in each course, followed by mandatory small group meetings with the instructor. These activities provide opportunities for students and faculty to collaboratively explore ways to enhance the classroom environment. Instilling Care, Compassion and Belonging from Day One Jenny Deranek, (Indiana University South Bend) This presentation will identify best practices to develop a culture of belonging and kindness due to integrated activities from the first day of class and woven through the rest of the course through an emphasis of trauma-informed and culturally responsive pedagogy. Developing Podcasts for Online Learning in a Pharmacy Course Jason Guy (University of Findlay College of Pharmacy) The use of podcasts in higher education has not been researched extensively. Podcasts offer an engaging way to review and discuss content covered in a course. This poster focuses on adapting a podcast assignment for online delivery. The poster will also discuss advantages and challenges associated with the podcast assignment as part of an online course. Insights from future educators on the impact of joy Holly Hoffman (Central Michigan University) Can joyful teaching improve academic success? This study explores how joy impacts students in Teacher and Special Education programs at a Midwestern university. With 430 survey responses and 16 interviews, findings highlight humor, community, and instructor connections as key to joyful learning. Discover how joy fuels motivation, reduces stress, and supports future educators. The Student Energy Crisis: Motivational Interviewing for Self-Regulation Zachary Huff, Andrew Somers (Oklahoma City University) Educators frequently observe students struggling to balance academic, personal, and extracurricular commitments. Traditional time management strategies often fail to address the underlying motivational and self-regulatory challenges that impact decision-making. This poster presents a motivational interviewing (MI)-based framework to help students mitigate energy depletion and develop strategies targeting self-regulation. Fostering Care and Equity with a Liquid Syllabus Louisa Krueger, Ellen Johnson (Minnesota State University, Mankato) This study examined the impact of a liquid syllabus on connection and success in an online asynchronous nursing program. Students found it easy to use and felt supported, variance was noted related to equity. Variability existed in communication, confidence, and self-doubt responses. Future research could explore its effectiveness in reducing the equity gap and its applicability to different course formats. Service-Learning Course Approach: Unlocking Benefits for Community Partners Myung-Ah Lee, Riem Rostom (Indiana State University) Service learning is an educational approach that integrates meaningful community service with experiential learning. Through this approach, students deepen their understanding of disciplinary knowledge while applying what they learn to real-world contexts. We will present two cases that show how to systematically transform traditional college courses by integrating service learning for mutual benefits to both community and students. Fostering Care, Kindness, and Creativity in School Threat Assessments Madison Linkmeyer (Indiana State University) This poster highlights trauma-informed, creative approaches to teaching threat assessment. Using tools like role-playing and restorative practices, it emphasizes collaboration, improved learning outcomes, and adaptability to professional development across educational contexts. Is Older Better? Examining Relative Age Outcomes: A Literature Review Erica Long (Indiana State University) This presentation highlights current and historical research about the impact of a students’ relative age within a classroom. While most people assume being older is associated with better outcomes, research has demonstrated that this may not hold true in all situations. This presentation will prompt educators to consider the short- and long-term impacts of relative age within their classroom. Lexical and Keyword Analyses to Aid Reading Comprehension Kyle Lucas, Sarah Lucas (Ferris State University) This poster presents the application of lexical analysis tools to the field of philosophy to assess the difficulty of reading assignments and to build vocabulary lists to aid student literacy development. The application of such tools promotes inclusive classroom instructional design and can be applied in a wide array of classroom contexts. Fostering Connection: Social Activities to Build Learning Communities Kristina Rouech, Holly Hoffman, JoDell Heroux (Central Michigan University) Discover effective strategies for building and sustaining meaningful student connections with peers, faculty, and the community through creative and inclusive social activities. This poster highlights best practices for fostering belonging, enhancing well-being, and supporting academic success, aligning with the conference theme of care, kindness, and creativity. These adaptable approaches strengthen learning communities both on and off campus. AI and In-class Learning: Limitations and Promises of AI Karrie Snyder (Northwestern University - Department of Sociology) This poster session presents practical and effective ways to integrate AI-based classroom and small-group activities so students can use AI effectively to collaboratively learn, evaluate AI as an information and analysis resource, and foster creativity. Best practices for developing AI in-class activities and example activities will be presented. Understanding College Students’ Perceptions and Usage of Generative AI Xiuxiu Tang, Elena Mangione-Lora, Ying Cheng, G. Alex Ambrose, Nathaniel Myers, Si Chen (University of Notre Dame) This study investigates college students’ perceptions, adoption, and ethical concerns regarding generative AI through a structured survey. The findings will guide institutional policies on AI literacy, academic integrity, and student support. This study will provide evidence-based insights into AI’s impact on student learning, particularly in writing, language and literature.
2:20-2:50pm	Concurrent Session #4
EA 1006	Challenges and Opportunities: Pedagogy of Kindness in the Community College Brianna Pike, Jeff Paschke-Johannes, Renee Rule (Ivy Tech Community College - Indianapolis) This panel explores the importance of a pedagogy of kindness for community college students, who often face structural inequalities and educational indifference. Panelists will share strategies for fostering empathy, community, and flexibility in the classroom, including reshaping syllabus policies, using exit tickets to build connection, and incorporating service-learning through gardening. These practices aim to promote self-care, inclusivity, and mutual support.
EA 1013	The Virtual Borders Project: What Do We Owe Each Other? Steven Varela (University of Notre Dame) Stories matter. The stories of Latin American and Mexican migrants are frequently overshadowed by political rhetoric, resulting in a one-dimensional portrayal that lacks the depth and humanity of the migrant experience. This often leads to a misunderstanding of their challenges and contributions to society. The Virtual Borders Project works to communicate these experiences authentically and compellingly through extended reality (XR).
EA 1015	The Kind Classroom: Fostering Belonging and Engagement Across Disciplines Julie Allee, DeAnna Varela, Deborah Fox, A. Gwinn Royal, Lori Volheim, Ann Price (Ivy Tech Community College) Explore actionable strategies to create supportive and inclusive classrooms that foster belonging and engagement across diverse disciplines. This panel will share innovative practices tailored to unique teaching contexts, promoting a culture of care, kindness, and creativity.
EA 1017	Leveraging Student-Faculty Partnerships to Foster Inclusive Learning Experiences Jordyn Wilcox, Vanessa Chan-Devaere, Horane Diatta-Holgate, Christalia Barone (University of Notre Dame) In this session, two student-faculty pairs will share their unique insights on the process of creating an inclusive learning environment through a mutual student-faculty partnership program. Each pair will outline specific challenges faced, creative solutions developed, methods to measure outcomes, and the considerable benefits to both members of the partnership when the value of the student perspective is embraced.
EA 1019	Teach Students How to Learn: Campus-Wide Book Clubs Jane Leatherman, Rachel Ramsey (Purdue University Fort Wayne) This session explores how the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) and the Alliance for Teaching Enrichment combined resources to conduct a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) book club with 28 faculty from various disciplines. We will describe our book club strategy, how we incorporated a teaching certificate option, and the development of a collaborative poster presentation.
EA 1021	Reducing Disability Stigma Among Future Healthcare Professionals Carly Bennett (Indiana University Fort Wayne) This presentation summarizes results of a study exploring healthcare students’ level of disability stigma. A campus-based panel discussion of several healthcare professionals shared best practices for servicing those with a disability. Additionally, students in the Disability and Society course participated in several community- based service-learning projects involving populations with a disability. Findings provide guidance for reducing disability stigma among students.
EA 1023	Fostering Care and Creativity through Media Literacy in Leadership Education Erik Bean (Indiana Tech) This session explores innovative strategies for integrating media literacy into leadership education, empowering students to critically evaluate information, navigate diverse perspectives, and foster inclusive and empathetic learning environments. Participants will leave with actionable tools to promote care, kindness, and creativity in global and culturally diverse classrooms.
EA 1025	Using Role Playing to Prepare Students for Real-World Scenarios Katherine Sargent (Indiana University South Bend) Role-playing and simulation-based learning provide students with opportunities to apply knowledge in realistic scenarios, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. This session explores their impact on student outcomes, practical applications, and best practices for implementation. A case study on simulating Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings demonstrates how these methods prepare students for real-world professional challenges.
3:00-4:00 pm	Quick Hits - EA 1011
	Building Intellectual Confidence and Encouraging Class Participation Through Informal Writing Deborah Fleetham (Purdue University)
	Low-Lift Strategies to Invite Relationship and Encourage Student Ownership Stephanie Fretham (Luther College)
	Developing Data Visualizations for Student Success Carrie Hansel, Joshua Quick (Indiana University)
	Joyful Teaching: Igniting Connections and Engagement in College Classrooms Holly Hoffman (Central Michigan University), Katie Sloan (Oakland University)
	Allaying Student Anxiety with the Beginner's Creed Eric Kowalik (Marquette University)
	Promote Kindness and Creativity with UDL 3.0 Caitlin Malone, Carrie Hansel, Rin Thomas (Indiana University)
	Once Upon a Classroom: Storyshare as a Pedagogical Method Ridita Mizan (Illinois State University)
	Utilizing Debates in Large Classrooms Jiayao Qi (Indiana University Bloomington)
	Honoring the Past: Collaborative Preservation of the McGary's Burial Ground Tory Schendel-Vyvoda, Emily Stammitti, Olivia Horn (University of Evansville)
	Judging what I learned: Student engagement using AI-based question generation Krishnamurthy Vinay (Indiana University South Bend)

Thank You to the Consortium Members
Indiana University South Bend University of Notre Dame Saint Mary's College Holy Cross College Purdue University Fort Wayne Valparaiso University Ivy Tech Community College	Andrews University Indiana University Northwest Purdue University Northwest Southwestern Michigan College Aurora University Michigan State University Indiana State University
Thank You to the SoTL Committee Members
Julie Alee (Ivy Tech Northcentral) Alex Ambrose (University of Notre Dame) Jeong-il Cho (Purdue University Fort Wayne) Terri Hebert (Indiana University South Bend) Cati Hebert-Annis (IU South Bend) Emily Hixon (Purdue University Northwest) Gisele Kuhn (Andrews University) Joel Langston (IU South Bend) Caleb Lewis (Aurora University) Anna Michelle Martinez-Montavon (IU South Bend)	Amanda McKendree (University of Notre Dame) Nancy Merrick (IU South Bend) Cody Miller (Southwestern Michigan College) Ellen Moll (Michigan State University) Amy Pawlosky (IU South Bend) Felicia Reid-Metoyer (Holy Cross College) Cynthia Rutz (Valparaiso University) Jay VanderVeen (IU South Bend) Chris Young (Indiana University Northwest) Chenfeng Zhang (Indiana University Northwest)

2025 Midwest SoTL Program

Poster Session & Snacks - EA 2nd Floor Atrium