Centering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice | Advancing a Culture of Life-long Learning | Learning Together: Events, Programs, and Services | Teaching Tips: Pain Points and Plus Ones

Dear Colleagues,

As part of our strategic planning at the Searle Center, we have been reflecting on the importance of connection spanning across Northwestern’s highly varied teaching and learning contexts. In The Courage to Teach—a book that has inspired educators for decades, Parker Palmer, astutely observes, “Good teachers possess a capacity for connectiveness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a world for themselves” (Palmer, 2007, p. 11).

As the demands on the professoriate continue to intensify, connection to colleagues and communities of practice are vital for sustaining the pace, longevity, and the meaningfulness of our work. Every spring, we are excited to invite early-career faculty to join our next cohort of Searle Fellows, a time-honored program designed to cultivate a community of learning and teaching leaders who center equity/excellence through pedagogical experimentation, critical reflection, and joyful celebration. Our new flexible format for the Reimagining Assessment Practicum encourages instructors to choose from among eight sessions that offer space for critically examining current practices, engaging with leading-edge research, and developing both individual and collective agency for navigating the challenges of grading.

In this issue, find out more about Small Group Analysis—a learner-centered, formative feedback strategy for making deeper connections with students and gaining greater insight into how they are experiencing the course. You will also hear from University Teaching Award winner and Distinguished Fellow of the Searle Center Dr. Ben Gorvine about his commitments to creating a welcoming learning environment, to fostering community among students through group work, and to making “students to feel connected to the material in some meaningful way.” Don’t miss the opportunity on Wednesday, April 3 to learn more about “Burnout Resilience through Connection” with TEACHxpert, Dr. Rebecca Pope-Ruark. And in the spirit of continuing to explore the pedagogical possibilities of Generative AI, we offer some ChatGPT prompts you can use to stay connected to your purpose.

We understand the multitude of demands on your time and attention and the frequently arising needs for quick and agile pivots. We have developed several Learning and Teaching Guides that can be accessed at any time and the “Getting to Know Our Students Series” of 30-minute virtual Sparkshops. Register for “Strengths-based Strategies for Neurodiverse Students” on Friday, May 3, 2024, which builds instructor capacity to utilize Universal Design for Learning and to empower neurodiverse students to tap into and enhance their own academic strengths.

Together we can co-create the optimal conditions where ideas and individuals can flourish. We wish you a Spring Quarter filled with meaningful connection.

Jennifer Keys, Senior Director (she/her)

Small Group Analyses (SGAs) as Formative, Equitable Practice

By Kate Flom Derrick, Assistant Director of Foundations in Learning and Teaching

Many instructors have a tenuous relationship with CTECs and the feedback they provide. The comments may not be helpful or have the instructor wishing students shared the recommendation earlier. Formative feedback, or feedback that focuses on ongoing improvement, is a powerful tool for instructors and students to reflect critically on learning and teaching and make changes that are timely.

Instructors have a range of well-documented options for collecting formative feedback from students (see Angelo & Cross, 1993, Ambrose, et. al, 2010., Chavez & Longerbeam, 2016, to name a few). However, I want to highlight one practice that can be particularly impactful: Small Group Analyses (SGAs). With SGAs, instructors invite an impartial thought partner from the Searle Center into their classroom to facilitate conversations with students that can ensure all voices are heard and unlock new perspectives.

Collecting and acting upon formative feedback from an SGA can be an equitable pedagogical practice as it provides students with agency to advocate for their own and future students’ learning. In The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching, Artze-Vega and team suggest, “When we develop a natural disposition to pause and reflect, we can also develop the propensity to have a deeper, more empathic understanding of the lived experiences of others. In the context of equity-minded teaching, acquiring these characteristics means we are not only open to–but actually committed to—regularly learning from and with students, using varied forms of data and evidence.” (2023, p. 205).

When engaged in learner-centered exercises such as SGAs, students have the potential “to take more responsibility for their learning, actively engage with course content, assess their learning progress, and make connections to other courses and content,” (Hurney, et al. 2014). Plus, when an instructor demonstrates interest in and respect for students’ feedback—and gives them a voice to share— students are likely to demonstrate higher levels of engagement and learning.

During a 20–30-minute in-class session, a trained Formative Feedback Partner (FFP) facilitates a discussion with students in which they come to consensus about 

• what in the course enhances their learning;
• what could be improved; and
• what students could do to enhance their own learning.

The FFP collects and synthesizes the feedback to share with the instructor during a consultation. Collaboratively, the FFP and instructor consider concrete strategies to respond to the students’ feedback. The instructor then reports back to the students what they learned from the feedback and any changes they may enact as a result.

Asynchronous SGA Pilot

Have a high enrollment (50+) class or limited class time but still want to receive mid-quarter student feedback? Then consider participating on our asynchronous SGA pilot where we will collect feedback from students outside of class. 

Strengths-Based Strategies to Cultivate Neuroinclusive Learning Environments

By Laura Ferdinand, Postdoctoral Scholar

Neurodiversity is a term that applies to all people. It describes the natural variation in the way people think, learn, interact, and express themselves. Coined in 1998 by sociologist and autism activist Judy Singer, neurodiversity has developed into a body of scholarship and a social justice movement that advocate for equity and inclusion, eschewing outdated frameworks that view neurocognitive difference as a deficit.

However, “neurodiversity” is often used interchangeably with terms that recognize divergence from the social construct of “neurotypicality,” such as neuronon-conforming and neurodivergent. Mirfin-Veitch and team (2020) explain that neurodiversity encompasses a “wide range of specific, non-specific, hidden and/or undetermined diagnoses” which may co-occur in individuals, including, but not limited to, autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, Tourette’s syndrome, and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

If a student or colleague chooses to share with you that they are neurodivergent, consider asking them which terminology they prefer to use. However, under HIPAA protections, you cannot ask a student if they identify as neurodivergent. Learn more about terminology preference with disability activist Jevon Okundaye’s “Ask a Self-Advocate: The Pros and Cons of Person-First and Identity-First Language.”

What are Some Challenges for Neurodiverse Students?

Traditionally, students who do not identify as neurotypical face lower retention rates, decreased well-being, and lower post-college employment rates than their neurotypical peers.

The Searle Center is currently partnering with AccessibleNU and campus partners from the Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion, the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, and the School of Professional Studies to synthesize evidence-driven strategies for cultivating neuroinclusive learning environments at Northwestern to advance educational equity.

Which Strategies Are Effective at Cultivating Neuroinclusive Learning Environments?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the current gold standard in neuroinclusive teaching because of its emphasis on creating flexible learning environments with multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. UDL strategies are empirically demonstrated to enhance learning for all students, with particularly positive effects for neurodivergent students. The strategies can also work in tandem with academic accommodations coordinated through AccessibleNU.

Based on the 2022-23 University Practicum, Northwestern developed an open educational resource on UDL, a rich resource of leading-edge practices available to all. 

Want to Learn More?

On May 3, the Searle Center will host a Sparkshop on Strengths-Based Strategies for Neurodiverse Students, a 30-minute virtual presentation offering evidence-driven teaching strategies to support neurodivergent student success at a broad level, breaking down barriers and building in choice to empower students to utilize and develop their own academic strengths.

What We Are Reading

By Denise Drane, Senior Associate Director of Research and Evaluation

Rebecca Pope-Ruark is on a mission to “bring burnout out of the shadows in higher education.” 

Pope-Ruark offers a compelling exploration into the issue of faculty burnout, blending her own experience of burnout and the personal narratives of other faculty with research-based insights and solutions. Although burnout is experienced individually, the book positions burnout as a systemic issue rooted in the culture of academia. It advocates for significant systemic change over superficial solutions that focus only on how individuals can recover from burnout. Pope-Ruark argues effectively that the path through burnout involves not just individual resilience but also a collective reimagining of academic culture to foster well-being. 

Pope-Ruark critically examines aspects of academic life that both contribute to and mitigate burnout. Her insights into the fragile nature of academic identities, the impact of imposter syndrome and perfectionism, and the critical lesson that "a career is not a life" will likely resonate deeply with readers. She highlights how the seeds of burnout are often sown early in the competitive, isolating culture of graduate school, underscoring the importance of addressing these challenges and the culture of graduate programs from the onset.   

The book provides four approaches to mitigate burnout: purpose, compassion, connection, and balance. Inclusion of opportunities for the reader to reflect within each chapter, practical tools, such as an abbreviated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, alongside strategies for cultivating self-compassion and connection and work life balance, offers readers valuable resources for navigating their journey through burnout. The book’s acknowledgment of its focus on mainly white women’s experiences opens up an essential dialogue about the need for more inclusive research and approaches to addressing burnout. 

This book is an invaluable resource for faculty, graduate students, and administrators. Its blend of personal reflections, evidence-based strategies, and a clear call for systemic change makes it a must-read for anyone invested in the health and sustainability of academia. Pope-Ruark’s Unraveling Faculty Burnout challenges us to rethink how we support the well-being of educators and, by extension, the future of higher education itself. 

As a bonus, Rebecca Pope-Ruark is a featured speaker in the TEACHxperts series. She will host a session on “Burnout Resilience through Connection” on April 3, 2024.

Educator Spotlight: Ben Gorvine

Interview by Maya Wong, '27

Each quarter, we feature Northwestern educators doing innovative work in the classroom. These short interviews showcase their educational journeys, signature styles, and how their teaching has been shaped by their work with the Searle Center.

Ben Gorvine is the Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction, Associate Chair, and Lead Adviser in the Psychology Department of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. He lives on campus as a Faculty-in-Residence.

Tell me a bit about your research in approaches to teaching psychology.

I've done some work with a couple of colleagues looking at different approaches that we can use to try to get students more engaged with and less anxious about quantitative topics, particularly statistical methods. We've been interested in researching: Does group work help students to feel less anxious? Does it help them to retain the material more?

Working with a group of peers who can help explain material in a different way than your instructor actually has substantial benefits. Even if you're the person in a team who understood the material already, there are notable benefits for your own mastery of the material if you're tasked with explaining it to students who are less proficient.

What are your main goals as an educator, related to student learning?

I want students to feel connected to the material in some meaningful way. I've read research literature that suggests that if you go 10 years out of college, you are not going to remember much specific content from courses that you took. But you are going to remember how a course made you feel and how engaged you were. As an instructor, I try to create classes that, hopefully, people will look back on, they might remember, “Oh, that class helped me to think about how statistics get used in the world. That was a warm supportive environment!”

As a Faculty-in-Residence, are there any activities that you host that help the students around you with their mental health?

Those of us who are Faculty-in-Residence probably don't explicitly say, “This is for your well-being and health,” but I think almost all the stuff we do is underlying it. On their surface, the faculty dinners we host are about connecting residential and academic experiences, which I think is important. But I also feel like those events serve a wellness purpose because you’re getting good food and connecting in a way that's different than when you go to Allison, Sarge, or Plex. We also have a dog and two cats, so people get pet time. That's definitely good for mental health.

How do you manage the balance between academic responsibilities and personal self-care?

It is more of a challenge if the space that you call home is also attached to a dorm. Even within that, the five of us who are Faculty-in-Residence, all of our apartments are structured in a way that we can still have some privacy. They can be our homes, while they also sometimes are spaces where we host students. So I'm still able to use my home space as a refuge, even though when I look out the window I'm at Northwestern.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Read the full interview in the Educator Spotlight section of our website.

Bolstering Instructor Resilience and Vitality

By Veronica Womack, Associate Director of Inclusive Learning Communities and Jennifer Keys, Senior Director  

Reflecting on the personal toll of higher education’s escalating demands and the professoriate’s relentless pursuit of productivity and achievement, Rebecca Pope-Ruark had to come to grips with the reality that “trying to live up to all of these ideals is exhausting, unrealistic, and potentially dangerous” (p. 5). Her book Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal (2022) reconsiders what constitutes true vitality. Burnout is the often-internalized struggle to manage an ultimately destructive combination of unrelenting stress, unmanageable workload, lack of control, and gripping cynicism, exacerbated by job insecurity, caregiving roles, and gender and racial inequality. Pope-Ruark describes the four pillars of burnout resilience: 1) finding a deep sense of purpose; 2) practicing compassion for self and others; 3) deepening connection with peers; 4) and pursuing work-life satisfaction.    

Disconnect 

 An instructor can tap into these pillars by taking every moment they can to disconnect from grind culture, intentionally rest, and recuperate. In Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge, Sarah Rose Cavanagh (2023) urges educators to prioritize their own rest and joy because our students “Need Us to Be Well.” Cavanagh recommends finding and pursuing an activity that brings you peace and balance.  

Set Boundaries 

Another way instructors can maximize their resilience against burnout is through utilizing boundary-setting strategies. This means protecting time by creating structured, dedicated space for activities that matter to the instructor, such as supporting their students, tapping into an affirming support system of trusted peers, writing, brainstorming, meditating, and planning family trips and excursions. Intentionally blocking out time on one’s calendar is indeed a self-care strategy for faculty and administrators in academia.  

Connect Teaching to What Matters 

To promote burnout resilience in a classroom context, take a few moments and ponder the following questions (adaptation of Pope-Ruark’s reflection opportunity, p. 23).    

• What course content ignites my passion?    
• How will I spark students’ curiosity about these topics?    
• What values and goals are most important?    
• Could I eliminate any aspect, from this course, that I am dreading?    
• Are there any ground rules or course objectives that I can mention to re-focus the classroom discussion and restore the learning space?  
• What will I turn to for renewal when you are feeling depleted?    
• Who, internal or external to the university, can I reach out to for ideas and support?    
• What would give me the greatest feeling of accomplishment at the end of the quarter?   

ChatGPT Prompts for Instructor Resilience

Instructors can use these ChatGPT prompts to stay connected to their larger goals for student learning and to remind themselves of the importance of self-care (Adapted from Cook, 2023). 

“Act as my thought partner to help me sharpen my focus and renew my energy for teaching. Start by asking me to remember 3 examples of course content that ignites my passion. After each response, encourage me to expand on why these topics interest me. Then ask me to describe 3 key learning goals that I have for my students. After each response, delve deeper into why these learning goals are important to me. Encourage me to consider whether I am trying to cover too much material and ways that I can reduce the amount of grading. Keep the dialogue going until I say so, helping me to continuously recognize and articulate what really matters, enhancing my overall sense of purpose.” 

“Act as a trusted colleague to help me move past my current negative feelings. I am feeling [briefly describe your current mood or the reasons behind it]. Ask me questions that guide me to examine my thoughts and feelings. After I describe them, offer a new perspective or coping strategies. Encourage me to reach out to a colleague or to educational developers at the Searle Center for more ideas and support. Your role is to help shift my focus from negative to more positive and constructive thoughts, using empathy and understanding. Use language that shows understanding and guides me towards a better mood, similar to what I might experience in a professional coaching or therapy session.” 

“Serve as my personal cheerleader and help me recognize my strengths as an educator. Start by asking me to list 3 ways that I have already sparked my students’ curiosity about topics we have covered in the course. If I say I can’t think of any, encourage me with prompts or questions to help me reflect on my accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Once I provide this information, give me a motivating pep talk, and remind me of these achievements whenever I come back for a confidence boost.”