John Wiley & Sons Inc.

07/08/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2021 09:14

Wiley Addresses Back-to-Campus Anxieties to Help Faculty Prepare for Fall Semester Post COVID-19

The Global Leader in Higher Education will Host a Community-Driven, Digital Conference to Tackle Student Mental Health; Academic Integrity; and Post-Pandemic Course Design

Hoboken, NJ - July 8, 2020 - Wiley, a global leader in research and education, will host the company's second annual 'Wicked Summer Camp' virtual conference on July 13-14 to help higher education instructors prepare for the return to in-person learning after a year of both profound disruption and innovation. Topping the agenda is mental health and how best to support students and instructors as many return to campus for the first time in over a year. Additional sessions will address academic integrity and post-pandemic course design.

'At Wiley, we're committed to powering education by fostering community, and creating space for faculty to connect, discuss nuanced issues, and share best practices has never been more important,' said Renee Altier, Senior Vice President of Business Education and Careers at Wiley. 'This conference was born out of the need to support instructors during the unprecedented shift to online and hybrid learning amid COVID-19, and it continues to offer the opportunity for educators as they get ready to welcome students back to campus after a disruptive year.'

Highlights of the agenda include:

  • The Return to the Classroom: How to Cope with the COVID-19 Collective Trauma. Kim Hirabayashi, Professor of Clinical Education at the University of Southern California, will address re-entry strategies for the upcoming semester, as well as the importance of validating emotions, fostering connections, and normalizing seeking help. She will also discuss why certain groups of students are expected to have difficulty with re-entry, including Gen Z (ages 18-23), who reported a greater impact on their mental health due to COVID-19. 'As we embark on a new academic year, addressing the emotional challenges of re-entry is critically important for learning and motivation. Last year brought incredible stress, uncertainty, and loss. As educators, addressing our collective trauma is necessary to ensure the wellbeing of our academic community,' said Dr. Hirabayashi.
  • Post-Pandemic Course Design: Faculty are entering a semester where they will likely be teaching a combination of online, hybrid, and in-person classes. Research Scientist Julie Phelan from UCLA's Center for Research, Education, Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing will discuss learning science and share practical tips for designing courses that boost student engagement and performance across all modalities.
  • Distracted: How to Keep Students' Attention No Matter the Modality: James Lang, author and professor of English at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass., will discuss the science and history of distraction. He will share with faculty why 'attention is achievement' and help instructors harness the power of distraction to strengthen learning experiences.
  • Fireside Chat on Academic Integrity: Camilla Roberts, Director of Honor and Integrity Systems at Kansas State University and President of the International Center for Academic Integrity, will address current and anticipated challenges to academic integrity following a year of remote and hybrid learning. Dr. Roberts will examine factors impacting the rate of academic misconduct during the pandemic and how instructors can promote academic integrity in their courses this year, regardless of format.

Inspired by Dr. Paul Hanstedt's book, Creating Wicked Students, and launched during the early months of COVID-19, this bi-annual event series -Wiley Wicked Summer Camp and Wiley Wicked Spring Break - is designed to help instructors overcome 'wicked problems,' those that are complex and difficult to solve.
Register for Wiley's Wicked Summer Camp here.

###

About Wiley

Wiley (NYSE: JWA) is a global leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world's knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.