Learning & Growing Webinar Series

Hawkes Learning is proud to host Learning & Growing – a series of webinars for instructors to connect and share ideas. Learning & Growing is an ongoing series, so check back frequently; new topics and speakers are added all the time! On-demand recordings and certificates of professional development are available about 48 hours after the live event has concluded.

Tune in to learn something new and grow connections in the educational community.

Have an idea for a webinar of your own? Hawkes handles all the logistics of coordination and moderation, leaving the fun part to you! Take the first step and submit your webinar proposal here.

Increase Student Engagement: Integrating Emotional Intelligence Techniques

Dr. Cynthia Steele, Alabama State University

Embracing and utilizing the components of Emotional Intelligence (EI) can have a positive impact on teaching and learning. This presentation will empower educational practitioners with practical strategies to enhance their EI to build a more supportive learning environment. Participants will gain awareness of how EI techniques can influence teaching effectiveness and student participation/engagement.

Demystifying Disability Effects on Learning, Accommodations, and Instruction

Paul Nolting & Aimee Stubbs

More than twenty percent of college and university students have disabilities. Now the faculty are asking for additional information on disability groups such as SLD, ADHD, TBI, PTS, AS, LI and ID. This Webinar will explain reasons for difficulty in learning, retaining, and recalling information along with the determination of appropriate accommodations. The focus will be on all subjects, especially math and English.

Think Big but Start Small – the ADEPT Teaching Method

Mathew Curtis, University of Southern California

The ADEPT method is an effective way to connect students with course material. The use of the ADEPT method provides a guide for instructors to break down complex large course constructs into smaller components. This happens via an A, analogy, D, Diagram, E, example, P, plain English, and T, technical, for the ADEPT method. After a brief discussion of the ADEPT method multiple examples of the use of the ADEPT method will be presented across a range of disciplines.

Supporting Students with Mental Health in Higher Education

Cailyn Green, SUNY Empire State University

Mental Health awareness is rising thanks to the work of advocates in the field. When we work in higher education settings, it is our responsibility to show respect for our students who struggle with mental health issues. It is our duty to know how to properly support them and offer them resources when needed. Doing this in online educational settings is unique and tricky. This presentation will explore ways to support higher education students with mental health issues.

Strange and Unusual Research: How to get Students Writing Through their Interest

Katie Beth Brooks, College of Coastal Georgia

In this webinar, I will walk through my ENGL 1102 First-Year Writing Course that focuses on research. The course asks students to choose a topic that might be considered "strange or unusual", and they build on that topic throughout the semester. Students have been exceptionally successful in this course since implementing this new theme because they want to learn about the topics they are interested in. I guide them through research and research methodologies so they will be prepared for their future courses.

Depression Among College Students: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

Jerrod Brown, Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota

Depression is a serious medical and psychiatric issue that can contribute to a host of neurobiopsychosocial deficits. One group particularly at-risk of developing depression are college students. Intended for college professors and other academic professionals, this training will examine the definitions, symptoms, causes, and consequences associated with depression among college student populations. Tips, strategies, and solutions will also be discussed. Related topics discussed during the course of this training will include toxic stress, trauma and other life adversities, academic performance issues, sleep disturbances, poor lifestyle habits, food insecurity, health disparities, fatigue, digestive health issues, decision-making and problem-solving deficits, rumination, alexithymia, executive dysfunction, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, and chronic-low grade inflammation to name a few. Empirically based research findings will be discussed throughout this training.

Experiential Learning Opportunities through High-Impact Practices

Dr. Alaina Desjardin, Kean University

Join us for an insightful webinar delving into the fusion of experiential learning opportunities with high-impact practices (HIPs) in education. Through engaging discussions and real-world examples, we'll explore how this innovative approach enhances student learning outcomes and retention rates. From internships to service-learning initiatives, we'll showcase the diverse range of experiential learning opportunities that can be seamlessly integrated with HIPs across various academic disciplines. Additionally, Dr. Desjardin will address practical strategies for overcoming implementation challenges and maximizing the effectiveness of these initiatives. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or policymaker, this webinar promises to provide valuable insights into leveraging experiential learning within HIPs to nurture students' academic and personal growth.

Diversity in assessment methods: Finding a Balance to Improve Student Engagement

Divya Balasubramaniam, Saint Joseph's University

In an ever-emerging environment of students with diverse capabilities, experiences, interests, and learning styles, one of the primary goals of a teacher is to create a safe and engaging classroom environment for all students to demonstrate what they know and can do. As a teacher, how do we effectively assess our students’ learning outcomes? As the old idiomatic phrase states, “Don’t put all eggs in one basket.” This session intends to guide our audience to examine their own assessment practices as teachers, expand their awareness of the ways they connect with their core teaching values and the strengths of their students, and create ideas to arrive at a stable set of authentic assessment methods to accomplish their teaching goals and develop students with transferable skills for a professional career. For instance, I create assessments in my courses that provide opportunities and tools for students to work well in teams (either as leaders or team members). In this session, we will discuss several additional examples that support various assessment methods beyond the typical quiz/exam and strike a balance to improve student engagement.

Session objectives include the following:

Learn best practices and strategies for creating authentic assessments for improved student engagement
Strike a balance on quantity vs. quality of assessments
Assessments as a medium to develop students with transferable skills for a professional career

Session objectives will be achieved via presentation with examples and assessment methods highlighting the strengths, challenges, and opportunities to improve student engagement for all students.

Reducing Stress and Anxiety in the Classroom

Mark Johnston, Neosho County Community College

Instructors sometimes wonder why students, even good students, lose interest in their coursework or stop paying attention to lessons. In the past, students might give a vague reason like being tired or note that other things were taking their time away from classwork. This has changed in the past few years. This, in turn, can produce stress and anxiety for the instructor.

Another new phenomenon is that many students are now more open to sharing that they are struggling mentally with anxiety, stress, and sometimes even more significant mental health concerns. Often, they speak more freely about it than faculty do, even to peers. Much of this relates to the students and faculty in school during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

That leaves the question, what can be done about these mental health issues for both students and faculty?

In this webinar, we’ll discuss how to design coursework to relieve some of the stress and anxiety during class and while doing coursework. We’ll also discuss some basics of mental first aid for helping struggling students, our peers, and even ourselves.

Upcoming Webinars