Winthrop Conference on Teaching and Learning

This presentation will provide information about how Winthrop’s Kappa Delta Pi (education honor organization) chapter is connecting local teachers with university students, creating opportunities for international teaching experiences, and providing opportunities for meaningful undergraduate research. Three university professors will describe their perspective on the importance and influence of these three new divisions within the organization.

Collaborative learning involves a group of students working together towards a common goal. Increasing social cohesion within student groups can increase student engagement and satisfaction, helping to maximize learning outcomes. Instructors, however, often find it difficult to build social cohesion among their students. This leads to a class without any strong social ties among students, many students never learn the names of their classmates. As a result, the impact of discussions, group projects, and other interactive learning activities are minimized. This session will review the literature on cohesion and teambuilding, providing participants with intentional, yet simple, team-building activities. By learning, discussing, and practicing team-building activities, participants will gain skills that can immediately be implemented in any classroom.

This presentation will share qualitative research regarding two distinctly different service learning projects from two diverse universities. First, participant voices will be presented regarding Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students serving at a home for poverty stricken lepers’ children in India. Post-hoc interviews focused on prior expectations, the reality of the experience, lessons learned, transformational change, and service learning outcomes. In addition, preliminary data will be shared regarding Winthrop University pre-service teachers perceptions from a short-term study abroad trip within the context of poverty of the Dominican Republic. These students served through leading small teaching episodes within Dominican public and private schools in addition to partaking in other activities (i.e., zip lining, museums, etc.) related to their immersion in the culture. Qualitative data will be presented which aimed to understand to what extent an international service learning teaching experience influence a teacher candidate's dispositions related to future teaching and perceived teaching ability.

Attendees will be provided with successful tips and examples on how to create relationships with international universities and public schools, craft and promote service learning study abroad programs, and results on the perceived impact of international service learning on undergraduate students serving in developing countries. Throughout, the importance of exposing undergraduate students to international service learning experiences will be stressed. Finally, the presenters will share how these types of experiences may impact teaching and learning practices.

This workshop will discuss the evolution of Title IX and the requirements of colleges and universities to adhere to this law. A focal part of this law is to provide students with comprehensive options to report sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault and harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and crimes of bias. In addition, this process needs to be equitable for the victim and the accused. This workshop aims to provide a framework when reporting such offenses at Winthrop University and how we help assist students, faculty and staff in navigating the system. Also, this workshop will review the importance of compliance with Title IX and the mandates within the Office of Civil Rights. Attendees by the end of the workshop should have a greater understanding of Title IX and the sexual misconduct policy at Winthrop University.

Rock Hill and York County economic development and revitalization vision includes raising local area skill sets to shift the economy toward tech and other professional areas, and interesting college graduates in staying in the area. This presentation will bring together employment research, evolving skill needs in growing industries in the local area’s economy, and education and training strategies in university settings.

Employers and educators alike widely converge on the need for industry-specific knowledge, technical competencies, academic foundations, analysis and synthesis, and a variety of soft skills including a spirit of inquiry, work ethic, communication and collaborative skills, and integrity. Global research on skill needs includes OECD’s Learning for Jobs series, the Manpower Group’s Talent Shortage Survey, and the Executive Opinion Survey in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. Local skill needs are informed by educational attainment data and the Rock Hill Knowledge Park initiative’s research on targeted growth industries.

How can a traditional university, as opposed to a technical college or training institute, catch the wave of enhancing skills in the local community? Intellectual, informational, and technological infrastructures already at Winthrop are showcased. Some international programs provide how-to insights: An Italian university’s training course developed for teaching Medical English to employees of a hospital, a Thai course in Business English for corporate employees, and University College London’s short programs across a variety of fields are just a few of many examples of on-site, online, and hybrid instruction focused on specific skill areas.