| Elon University Center for Engaged Learning Research Seminar Group: Dr. Anne Marshall, MIT Teaching + Learning LabDr. Erin Kenney, Hartwick CollegeDr. Antonella Strambi, University of Adelaide, AustraliaChristena Gunther, Adler University |
| Thursday, October 15 @ 1 PM Register on Zoom |
Collaborative learning (CL) encompasses a wide range of learning activities in which students work with others toward a common goal. Instructors often assume that collaboration itself will improve student learning or help develop important skills. However, because we live in a neurodiverse world, differences exist in how students communicate, work, and process information. These differences can add value to collaborative work, but only if we consider them when designing CL activities. In this talk, researchers from CEL’s Seminar Group will present key findings from qualitative interviews with over 50 neurodivergent undergraduate and graduate students across multiple universities, focused on how they experience collaborative learning. These insights will inform how we can better design and manage collaborative learning to improve the experience for all students.
About the Speakers
Brought together and supported by Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, the research team includes members from four different institutions:
Anne Marshall is an Associate Director for Research & Evaluation at MIT Teaching + Learning Lab. During her 10 years at MIT. Anne has worked on a wide range of projects ranging from assessments of individual subjects and learning activities (AIM Photonics Simulation Library; 6.002 on EdX; OME mentoring programs, etc.) to evaluations of experimental grading policies and avenues for academic major exploration. For many of these projects, she has focused on understanding student experiences and perspectives and has conducted over 200 interviews with MIT students.
Dr. Erin Kenney is an assistant professor of psychology at Hartwick College. Over the last two decades as a practitioner in a variety of early care and education settings, Dr. Kenney’s interdisciplinary work includes time as an early childhood teacher, administrator, professor, and researcher. Kenney’s dedication to bridging the gap between developmental science and developmentally appropriate practice includes a commitment to research practices that center participants as knowledge producers and value community engagement. She and the members of the Family and Developmental Studies Research Lab study a variety of topics, including parent-child conversation, neurodiversity, and personal intelligence.
Dr. Antonella Strambi is a senior lecturer of Academic Development at the University of Adelaide, Australia. She completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2002, with a thesis examining the impact of computer-mediated interaction and communication on language learning. After 20 years as a lecturer and researcher in languages and applied linguistics, she joined the Academic Development team in a Teaching Innovation Unit, where she has applied extensive experience in teaching and learning to support staff in curriculum innovation and quality learning design. Her research interests focus on socio-emotional learning and student and staff wellbeing, particularly from a relational perspective.
Christena Gunther is the founder and president of Cultural Access Collaborative, a nonprofit that empowers Illinois’ cultural spaces to become more accessible for visitors with disabilities. She has also served as the inaugural Assistant Director of Disability Services & Student Affairs for Adler University. Under her leadership, the University streamlined accommodations and broadened support, including faculty training to strengthen inclusive learning environments. Her work is driven by a passion for dismantling systemic ableism and advancing disability justice within academia and the arts.
About Elon University Center for Engaged Learning
The Center for Engaged Learning brings together international leaders in higher education to develop and synthesize rigorous research on central questions about student learning. Elon University’s CEL fosters investigations of these and related questions; hosts multi-institutional research and practice-based initiatives, conferences, and seminars; and shares related resources for faculty and faculty developers on high-impact practices for engaged learning.