The Daily Bulletin Archive

Participants of the Fostering Innovation in Teaching with Technology (FITT) Academy will share their project outcomes during the second session of the FITT Academy Spring Symposium on Wednesday, April 17, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 215. The FITT Spring Symposium, a signature event of the FITT Academy, is a series of final presentations by the academy's group of faculty participants. Presentations are open to faculty, staff, students, and guests. Please see the Daily Bulletin for a complete list of FITT Academy presentations.

Lisa Rafferty, associate professor of exceptional education, will discuss her project, "Increasing Student Engagement and Individualized Feedback in an E-learning Environment." This project investigated and incorporated adaptive learning technologies into an online EXE 501 course for real-time feedback. The feedback ensured that candidates weren't practicing errors, and it provided immediate feedback that was individualized. In terms of using the adaptive assessment tools, the scaffolding was beneficial to students. Gearing questions toward their individual levels of learning proficiency also helped individualize instruction and also created learning momentum.

Andrea Nikischer, assistant professor of adult education, will discuss her project, "Increasing Engagement and Retention by Adding Gamification to an Online Graduate Course." Incorporating gamification into ADE 500 provided additional tools to engage students in their learning. Adding badges and the unlocking of content helped to reassure and motivate students by allowing them to see concrete evidence of their successes early and often. It also provided Dr. Nikischer with a mechanism to ensure that students were mastering each of the specific content and skill areas required for success in the larger adult education graduate program and in the adult education field.