Making College "Worth It"

See our full episode notes at: https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/multi-semester-capstone-undergraduate-research-experiences/ Jessie and Nolan speak with Blake Colclasure and Tyler Granberry about their experiences teaching and studying multi-semester capstone research programs. They’re the authors of a recent Teaching & Learning Inquiry article, “Challenges and Supports Experienced by Stude...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/student-ownership-in-vertically-integrated-undergraduate-research-projects/ . Jessie L. Moore and Nolan Schultheis talk with Kasey Wozniak about how vertically integrated project (VIP) courses support student project ownership, authentic undergraduate research, and career readiness. Drawing on her research at Idaho State Univer...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/paths-of-inquiry-course-based-undergraduate-research-for-first-year-students/ In this episode, we explore a first-year course that provides a foundation to inspire and foster undergraduate research. We speak with Dr. Cynthia Fair, a Professor of Public Health Studies and Human Service Studies at Elon University, and Dr. Dave Ga...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/incorporating-artificial-intelligence-into-engineering/ In this episode, we explore the technical, ethical, and social complexities of using AI in engineering. We speak with Dr. Blake Hament, Assistant Professor of Engineering at Elon University, who shares an example of developing a voice-enabled robotic guide dog in close col...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/course-based-undergraduate-research-experiences-in-the-humanities/ . In this episode, we explore strategies to keep students engaged in research in the humanities. We speak with Dr. Mary Isbell, an associate professor of English at the University of New Haven, and Dr. Kevin Ostoyich, a professor of history at Valparaiso Univers...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/navigating-generative-ai-in-higher-education/ In this episode, Nolan and Jessie speak with Dr. Mandy Olejnik, the Assistant Director of Writing Across the Curriculum at Miami University of Ohio. Dr. Olejnik has been monitoring generative AI and its use for the instruction and practice of writing in higher education classroo...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/alumni-perceptions-of-generative-ai/ In this episode, Nolan and Jessie talk with Travis Maynard, Tim Peeples, and Paula Rosinski about their recent research on alumni perceptions of generative AI. Drs. Maynard, Peeples, and Rosinski share what they're learning about the role of AI in professionals' day-to-day lives, across prof...

See our extended episode notes at  In this episode, Nolan and Jessie talk with Dr. Paul Miller about facilitating reflection in undergraduate research. Collaborating with colleagues in experiential learning, Paul and Jessie created the FIRE Toolkit , a free resource to foster students’ self-reflection and mentoring conversations with peers, staff, and faculty. Engaging with the FIRE Toolkit helps...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/sense-of-belonging-in-internships/ . In this episode, Nolan and Jessie talk with Dr. Melinda Adams and Dr. Jody Jessup-Anger about the relational aspects of internships. Our guests' research explores how trust and sense of belonging contribute to students’ satisfaction with their internship experiences. This episode is co-hoste...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/ai-and-engaged-learning-in-higher-education/ . In this episode, Amanda Sturgill shares insights from her ongoing exploration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and engaged learning in higher education. Dr. Sturgill is the 2024-2026 Center for Engaged Learning Scholar and an associate professor of journalism at Elon U...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/the-impact-of-service-learning/ . In this episode, guest hosts Ellie MacMillan, Kassidy Puckett, and Carolina Martinez consider the impact service learning has on career development, social cohesion, and community involvement. Joining them are Elon University’s Bob Frigo, Assistant Dean of Campus Life, and Phillip Motley, Profe...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/attending-to-equity-in-work-integrated-learning/ . In this episode, Anne-Marie Fannon and Soumya Garg from the Work-Learn Institute at the University of Waterloo share new research on the work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences of equity deserving groups. They focused on understanding the barriers that students from equity d...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/undergraduate-research-and-implications-for-life-development/ . In this episode, we consider how undergraduate research impacts a student’s inquiry, sense of belonging, and long-term career. Drawing from in-depth interviews with alumni across the disciplines, Kristine Johnson and Michael Rifenburg explored the benefits of under...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/exploring-the-value-of-work-integrated-learning/ . This episode covers the complexities of a work-integrated learning experience including, both the benefits and the challenges. With guests, Dr. CJ Fleming, an associate professor of psychology and Annelise Weaver, a senior at Elon with an undergraduate degree in psychology,...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/perspectives-on-using-generative-ai-in-college-assignments/ This episode explores what use of AI integration in collegiate assignments can do for student learning. With guests Aaron Trocki, a math professor at Elon university, and Alyssa Collins, who is studying to be a secondary education teacher and worked through one of...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-magic-mentored-undergraduate-research-in-global-contexts/ Dawn Whitehead and Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, two of the co-editors of Mentored Undergraduate Research in Global Contexts: Integrated High-Impact Practices for Student Success , join our podcast to talk about the intersection of these high-impact practices. We...

Full episode notes are available at: https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/student-faculty-partnerships-for-co-constructing-learning/ In this episode of "Making College Worth It," hosts Nolan Schultheis and Jessie Moore delve into student-faculty partnerships in higher education. They interview Olivia Choplin, an associate professor at Elon University, and Emily Ford, a 2020 alumna, who collabo...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/fostering-partnership-projects-in-higher-education/ . In this episode, we focus on student-faculty partnerships in higher education. We talk to Sophia Abbot, a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education Program at George Mason University and a long-time contributor to partnership practice and scholarship. She currently works as...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/crossing-borders-at-home/ . In this episode, we visit with Amanda Sturgill, Associate Professor of Journalism at Elon University, who co-edited  Mind the Gap: Global Learning at Home and Abroad . She shares strategies for facilitating global engagement closer to campus and highlights research from the edited collection. Thi...

See our extended episode notes at: https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/the-faculty-factor-in-living-learning-communities/ In this episode, we visit with Jennifer Eidum, Associate Professor of English at Elon University, and Laura Lomicka, Professor of French and Applied Linguistics at the University of South Carolina, who co-edited The Faculty Factor: Developing Faculty Engagement with Living...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/learning-space-and-place-in-higher-education/ . In this episode, we visit with Susan Hrach, director of the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and professor of English at Columbus State University, and Ashley Holmes, interim director of Teaching Effectiveness in the Center for Teaching, Learning, an...

View extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/eportfolios-as-capstone-experience/ . In this episode, we visit with Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, associate vice provost for curriculum, assessment, and teaching transformation at the University at Buffalo, about UB's ePortfolio capstone requirement for general education. Carol Van Zile-Tamsen  is the associate vice provost for curr...

We’re taking a mid-season break during the month of December, but we’ll be back with new episodes in January 2024. In the meantime, we invite you to catch up on Season 1 of Making College “Worth It” and to listen to episodes of the Center’s other podcasts . We’d also appreciate learning more about what inspires you to listen to podcasts about scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and...

See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/salient-practices-of-mentoring-undergraduate-research/ . In this episode, we visit with Helen Walkington, Professor of Higher Education at Oxford Brookes University, UK, and Eric Hall, professor of exercise science at Elon University, about the salient practices of mentoring undergraduate research. These practices can facilitat...

See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/the-data-mine/ . In this episode, we focus on living-learning communities, which combine students’ on-campus housing experiences with academic experiences like linked courses, shared academic interests, or other learning opportunities. We talk to Professor Mark Ward from Purdue University and Professor Jonathan Manz from Le...