Mercer University – PHENND https://phennd.org We are a network of over 20 colleges and universities that strengthens service learning in Philadelphia, connecting academics with community involvement. Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:03:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 Improving Tutor Training – New Podcast Episode from Mercer University https://phennd.org/update/improving-tutor-training-new-podcast-episode-from-mercer-university/ Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:03:28 +0000 https://phennd.org/?post_type=update&p=68591 If you work with tutoring outreach programs in your school, you may be interested in the latest episode of the Research that Reaches Out podcast which features an interview with teaching professor Dr. Vicki Luther, from Mercer University’s Tift College of Education, on her work with undergraduate research assistants to evaluate and improve reading tutor training for Mercer undergrads.

Every year, the Mercer University Center for Community Engagement deploys as many as 350-400 tutors into Bibb County School District and nonprofit partners to support reading and math education in K-5 classrooms. In Summer 2019, Dr. Vicki Luther embarked on a research project with two undergraduate teacher candidates to evaluate Mercer’s work-study and service-learning tutoring program and develop accessible resources to support Mercer students as they provide literacy tutoring to children in grade K-3 in Macon-Bibb County. Hear from Dr. Luther about what her education research looks like when working with undergraduate students, key findings and responses to tutor training needs, and her strategies for transitioning in new research assistants to continue the project.

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/mureachesout/episode-6-improving-tutor-training-with-dr-vicki-luther

]]> New Podcast on Service-Research from Mercer University https://phennd.org/update/new-podcast-on-service-research-from-mercer-university/ Mon, 04 May 2020 20:52:08 +0000 https://phennd.org/?post_type=update&p=68001 Mercer University’s Research that Reaches Out office has launched a new podcast that tells the stories of how faculty and staff are working with students to deepen learning and address real-world problems by stacking two high-impact practices, service and undergraduate research. These early episodes include concrete steps for how faculty and staff have modified classroom service partnerships and outreach in the face of Covid-19 distancing.

Check it out on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mureachesout

Read episode transcripts on our website at http://qep.mercer.edu/resources/podcasts.cfm

  • Episode 1: Reframing Ethics with Dr. Charlotte Thomas
    After 26 years of teaching a philosophy intro course, Dr. Charlotte Thomas at Mercer University threw out the thought experiments and partnered with The Daybreak Center, a Project of St. Vincent DePaul, to ground her students’ theoretical work in community-engaged projects. She talks about adapting her classroom-based service-learning project for an online format for a summer class and in response to the Covid-19 mid-semester shift to online learning.
  • Episode 2: Engaging Student Voters with Lauren Shinholster
    Lauren Shinholster is leading the charge in college student voter engagement at Mercer University. After earning multiple awards for the university in regional and national college voting competitions, she shares her strategies for successfully engaging student voters and adjusting for elections in the midst of Covid-19.
  • Episode 3: Usability Research with Dr. Pam Estes Brewer
    In her usability class at Mercer University, Dr. Pam Estes Brewer’s students’ research findings have informed the designs of dozens of websites and apps for partners like the Department of Homeland Security and the Georgia PINES Library System. Hear how Dr. Brewer manages the demands of project-based learning in her classroom and how she turned the Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity for students to develop new professional skills – adjusting to environmental changes without sacrificing project outcomes.
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