With Drs. Holly Hassel, Christie Launius, and Susan Rensing
Thursday, July 22, 2021
9:00am – 4:00pm
Fully Virtual
The new book published by Drs. Hassel, Launius, and Rensing, called “Socially Engaged Classrooms: A Guide to Teaching Introductory Women’s and Gender Studies.” (Palgrave-McMillan 2021), can be purchased here.
Dr. Holly Hassel is a Professor of English at North Dakota State University. Previously, she was a Professor and Chair of English and Women’s Studies at UW-Marathon County and was Chair of UW Colleges Faculty Council of Senators and a WGSC Advisory Board Member. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2002.
Dr. Christie Launius is a Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Kansas State University. Previously, she was Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at UW-Oshkosh, and Chair and Advisory Board Member of the WGSC. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003.
Dr. Susan Rensing is a Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Kansas State University. She received her BS from UW-Madison and her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2006. She is also a graduate faculty member in the Master of Public Health program and currently Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition.
Workshop I: Using Threshold Concepts Across the WGS Curriculum
Workshop I: Using Threshold Concepts Across the WGS Curriculum, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Dr. Holly Hassel, North Dakota State University, Department of English
Dr. Christie Launius, Kansas State University, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Department
Schedule for Workshop I:
- 9:00-9:30: Introductions to Each Other, Reflective Goal-Setting
- 9:30-10:15: Overview of Threshold Concepts and Threshold Concepts in Women’s and Gender Studies
- 10:15-10:30 Break
- 10:30-11:15 Small Group Discussions and Work Tasks Problems, Challenges, and Solutions, Aspirations, Using TC as a tool in classrooms and programs
- 11:15-12:00 Report Out, Assessment Planning, Resources, Final Reflections
Description for Workshop I:
The presenters will demonstrate the utility of the threshold concepts framework (used in their textbook Threshold Concepts in Women’s and Gender Studies: Ways of Seeing, Thinking, and Knowing) in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies, briefly describing how they have incorporated it into their teaching of WGS courses, and how it has also shaped their approach to curriculum development and departmental assessment of student learning. Emphasis will be placed on the utility of this approach for small programs and departments that rely heavily on cross-listed courses and/or core courses taught by instructors whose primary training is in a field other than WGS. Participants will leave with ideas and strategies for using threshold concepts as a tool to start conversations about program-wide learning goals for students in WGS.
Participants will receive a pre-workshop questionnaire to complete prior to the event date.
Workshop II: Socially Engaged Learning in the Intro to WGS Course
Workshop II: Socially Engaged Learning in the Intro to WGS Course, 1pm-4pm
Dr. Holly Hassel, North Dakota State University, Department of English
Dr. Christie Launius, Kansas State University, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Department
Dr. Susan Rensing, Kansas State University, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Department
Schedule for Workshop II:
- 1:00-1:30 Introductions to Each Other, Reflective Goal Setting
- 1:30-2:15: Book and project background and Overview of Four Themes in Socially-Engaged Classrooms
- 2:15-2:30 Break
- 2:30-3:15: Small Group Discussion and Work Tasks
- 3:15-4:00 Report Out, Assessment Planning, Resources, Final Reflections
Description for Workshop II:
Drawing from their forthcoming book, Socially Engaged Classrooms: A Guide to Teaching Introductory Women’s and Gender Studies (Palgrave-McMillan 2021), the co-presenters share four key insights about aids and barriers to student learning derived from their collaborative SoTL study of student learning in intro to WAGS courses. The presenters will use the four key insights as a heuristic, inviting participants to examine their own pedagogical and curricular approaches in the introductory WAGS course. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to reflect on and discuss with others the implications for curriculum, instructional approaches, and assessment practices in ways that build from the threshold concepts in Women’s and Gender Studies and the four themes from Socially Engaged Classrooms. The goal will be for participants to identify how these dispositional, content, and process knowledges can be cultivated in their own classrooms.
Participants will receive a pre-workshop questionnaire to complete prior to the event date.