Positive Emotions from Presenting "This I Believe" Essays Nelson Adams - Winston Salem State University

Writing and presenting a "This I Believe" essay was a meaningful activity resulting in positive emotion among presenters, peers, and faculty with lasting classroom benefits.

Abstract: This study examined how a college seminar classroom experience may be enriched by listening to "This I Believe" essays from radio programs (archive: www.thisibelieve.org), and then writing and presenting one's essay (~500 words) to classmates. I make suggestions for application to numerous psychology courses, yet applicability in the humanities and social sciences is also appropriate. Results from several classes demonstrated that ratings of peers included a frequent occurrence of positive emotions such as being inspired or elevated by others. Furthermore, qualitative descriptions of the experience weeks later reflected a lasting impact on personal and group well-being.

Learning Outcomes: (1) Identify the possible benefits and practicality of using "This I Believe" essay presentations for their teaching plans. (2) Appreciate how applicable the themes of these essays are for particular psychology courses, and also for more general application across the humanities and social sciences. (3) Understand the possible opportunities for further empirical research associated with this teaching and learning application.

A Professor, a Guitar, and a Microphone: Engaging Students Through Podcasting Robert Allare - Harper College

This workshop will focus on the benefits of podcasting, how to create your own podcast, and how to use podcasting as an assessment tool.

Abstract: Today's college students want more than PowerPoint presentations and essay exams. Students want to be empowered to demonstrate their learning through more engaging opportunities, and one activity that students have embraced is podcasting. Podcasts can facilitate quality classroom discussions and can allow your students to demonstrate their knowledge through individual or team-based learning strategies. In this session, you will see a live podcast created in 3 minutes, hear examples of podcasts from instructors and students, brainstorm how to incorporate and evaluate podcasts in your classroom, and even make your own mini-podcast.

Learning Outcomes: (1) Describe the benefits that podcasting could bring to their classroom. (2) Incorporate podcasts into their syllabus and effectively evaluate student podcasts. (3) Create their own podcasts using free tools.