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Welcome to the Remote Teaching & Learning Lightning Talks 2020-21 speaker series video library. Co-hosted by Digital Learning & Innovation (DL&I) and The Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL), the Lightning Talks are a reflection and learning forum where Boston University faculty and invited guests identify areas of challenge and opportunity and share strategies for engaging educational experiences in the remote-learning environment. In this expanding video library, you will find complete versions of each topical event as well as individual video presentations.

The series grew out of the shift to remote teaching in Spring 2020 as a way to showcase instructors’ many creative and inspiring approaches and to build faculty community. CTL and DL&I are proud to support peer-to-peer learning through the Lightning Talks, as they bring together a committed coalition of faculty, staff, and students to share pedagogical experiences and ideas.

We invite you to join our community of learners, access 40+ presentations, and engage with the video content.

Deborah Breen, Director, Center for Teaching & Learning

Chris Dellarocas, Associate Provost for Digital Learning & Innovation

2020-21 Lightning Talk Community

BU Heather Barrett
BU Laurie Craigen
BU DeCamp
Lightning Talk Kenneth Elmore
BU Thom Field
BU Elizabeth Foster
BU Sophie Godley
BU Jacey Greece
BU Chris Greene
BU Enrique Gutierrez Wing
BU Joseph Harris
BU Bob Heim
BU Sarah Hokanson
BU Kathryn House
Lightning Talk Aaron Hwant
BU Karen Jacobs
BU Dana Janbek
Lightning Talk
BU Sean Jung
BU Jessica Kent
BU Rafael Kriger
BU Kari Lavalli
BU Luz M. Lopez
BU Matt Marx
BU Maureen McCarthy
BU Sam Myers
BU Amber Navarre
BU Hamid Nawab
BU Greg Page
BU Phillippa Pitts
BU Swati Rani
BU Rick Reibstein
Lightning Talk Gabriel Alejandro Ramos Rivera
BU Hanny Rivera
Lightning Talk Sheila Shen
BU Caterina Scaramelli
BU Sarah Seminski
BU Benjamin Siegel
BU Malavika Shetty
Noor Siddiqui BU Lightning Talks
BU Shively T. J. Smith
BU Rachel Spekman
BU Gregory Stoller
BU Lisa Sullivan
BU Thomas Underwood
BU Chris Walsh
BU Cheyenne Watts
BU Alexis Williams
BU Crystal Williams
BU Jonathan Wisco
BU Lorre Wolf
BU James Wolff
BU Talin Yaghoobian
BU Alex Yen

View Alphabetical Presenter/Moderator List A-L

Binyomin Abrams, Master Lecturer, Director of General Chemistry

College of Arts & Sciences: Chemistry 

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: Engagement and Interaction in Large Lecture Courses

Lightning Talk 2: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Topic: Remote Immersive Lab Experiences/RILEd-up


Dustin Allen, Lecturer

College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments

Topic: Using Flipgrid for Asychronous Discussion


Mira Angrist, מירה אנגריסט, Senior Lecturer 

Coordinator of Hebrew Language Program

College of Arts & Sciences, Department of World Languages & Literatures (WLL)

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Topic: Gamed-Based Learning (GBL) and Gamification in eLearning


Paula Austin, Assistant Professor 

College of Arts & Sciences

Department of History, African American Studies Program

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: Minding (Disciplinary) Power


Megina Baker, Lecturer

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development: Early Childhood Education

Lightning Talk: Project-based Learning

Topic: Playful, Inquiry-based Learning


Tina Barbasch, Postdoctoral Associate Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences, Buston Lab Marine Evolutionary Ecology

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience

Topic: Virtual Biology: Learn from Anywhere in STEM


Heather Barrett, Lecturer & Writing Center Coordinator

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments

Topic: Reimaging In-class Presentations While Teaching Remotely


Seth Blumenthal, Moderator

Senior Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

2020 Metcalf Award Winner

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching


John Caradonna, Associate Professor

College of Arts & Sciences: Chemistry

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching

Topic: Remote Laboratory Instruction


Laurie Craigen, Associate Professor

School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Topic: Building Connection and Community Through the LfA Experience


Sandi Deacon Carr, Master Lecturer

Faculty Director, BU Cross College Challenge

Faculty Director, Questrom Team Learning Services

Questrom School of Business: Management and Organizations

Lightning Talk: Project-based Learning

Topic: Managing Team Projects in the Remote Environment


Daniel Dona, Senior Lecturer

Chair, Student Life and Honors Committee

Violist, Arneis Quartet

College of Fine Arts, Music Department

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching

Topic: Translating the Applied Music Lesson


Joshua Duttweiler, Lecturer

College of Fine Arts & College of Communications

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community

Topic: Using Slack to Foster Classroom Community


Caleb Farny, Master Lecturer

College of Engineering: Mechanical Engineering

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching

Topic: The Engineering Lab Experience


Hessan Farooqi

Senator, BU Student Government

Chair, Expect More Committee

Communications & Outreach Intern, BU Sustainability

College of Arts and Sciences: Economics, Class of 2022

Topic: Technology Beyond the Pandemic

Lightning Talk: Student Voices: Examining Successes & Identifying Areas of Opportunity


Pary Fassihi, Senior Lecturer

Consultant on Digital Learning Modules

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: Flipping the Class in a Remote Environment


Ellen E. Faszewski, Moderator

Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Clinical Professor

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments


Thomas Field, Assistant Professor

School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Topic: Building Connection and Community Through the LfA Experience


Elizabeth Foster

Member, BU Cross-Disability Club

School of Theology, Master of Divinity, Class of 2022

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: Implications of Remote Learning for Access


Sophie Godley, Clinical Assistant Professor

School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community

Topic: Engage, Challenge, Love


Jacey Greece, Clinical Associate Professor

School of Public Health: Community Health Sciences

Lighting Talk: Project-based Leaching

Topic: Practice-Based Teaching: The Necessary Ingredients for Successful Delivery…Anytime, Anywhere


Enrique Gutierrez Wing, Master Lecturer

College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments

Topic: Experiential Learning in Engineering


Joseph Harris, Assistant Professor

Director of Undergraduate Studies

College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Sociology

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments

Topic: Resilient Assessments Across Learning Environments


Sarah Hokanson, Moderator

Assistant Provost

Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs

Lightning Talk: Project-based Learning


Kathryn House, Moderator

Former Instructional Coordinator for Distance Learning Initiatives

School of Theology

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience


Aaron Hwang

Major: Mechanical Engineering

BU College of Engineering ’21

Lightning Talk: Student Voices Part 2


Dana Janbek, Master Lecturer

College of Communication

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience

Topic: Delivering on the Promise of LfA


Stephannie Joseph

Major: Journalism

BU College of Communication ’23

Lightning Talk: Student Voices Part 2


Sean Jung, Assistant Professor

School of Hospitality Administrations

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Topic: Applying LfA with the Students’ Needs in Mind


Jessica Kent, Senior Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: Trauma-informed Practices in COVID-19


Rafael Kriger

College of Arts & Sciences: Political Science and Economics, Class of 2023

Lightning Talk: Student Voices: Examining Successes & Identifying Areas of Opportunity

Topic: Sharing the Learning Environment


Kari Lavalli, Senior Lecturer & Chair

Division of Natural Sciences & Mathematics 

College of General Studies

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience Part 2 (Note: The Dec. 4 presentation video will be available mid-December)

Title: Using Peer-to-Peer Assessments to Engage All LfA Categories of Students


Luz M. Lopez, Clinical Professor & Director of the Global Health Core

Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health

School of Social Work, BU College of Arts & Sciences

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: The Intercultural Inclusive Classroom

View Alphabetical Presenter/Moderator List M-Z

Matt Marx, Associate Professor

Questrom School of Business, Strategy & Innovation

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: Zooming Through Long-Block Classes


Samantha Myers, Moderator

Master Lecturer

College of Arts and Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community


Amber Navarre, Senior Lecturer 

College of Arts & Sciences, Department of World Languages and Literature

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching

Topic: Google Jamboard: Promoting Interaction in Synchronous Classrooms


Hamid Nawab, Professor

College of Engineering: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: The Inclusive Engineering Classroom


Greg Page, Senior Lecturer

Metropolitan College, Administrative Sciences Department

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community

Topic: Online Office Hours


Phillippa Pitts, Ph.D. Student & Teaching Fellow

College of Arts & Sciences: History of Arts & Architecture

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience

Topic: Bringing Back the Whiteboard


Swati Rani, Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: Inclusion and Intersectionality


Rick Reibstein, Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences: Earth & Environment

Lightning Talk: Project-based Learning

Topic: Project-based Environmental Research


Gabriel Alejandro Ramos Rivera

Major: Computer Engineering

BU College of Engineering ’21

Lightning Talk: Student Voice Part 2


Hanny Rivera, Postdoctoral Associate Lecturer

College of Arts and Sciences, Davies Marine Population Genomics Lab

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience 

Topic: Virtual Biology: Learn from Anywhere in STEM


Caterina Scaramelli, Research Assistant Professor

College of Arts & Sciences, Anthropology – Earth and Environment

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: Enlivening the Large Remote Lecture


Zhiquan Shen (Sheila)

Major: Statistics

BU College of Arts and Sciences ’23

Lightning Talk: Student Voice Part 2


Malavika Shetty, Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Lightning Talk: Hands-on Teaching

Topic: Teaching with Wikipedia


Noor Siddiqui

Major: Human Physiology

Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences ’21

Lightning Talk: Student Voice Part 2


Benjamin Siegel, Moderator

Assistant Professor

Department of History

College of Arts & Sciences

Lightning Talk: Special Cases Long Block & Large Lecture Classes


Shively T. J. Smith, Assistant Professor

School of Theology

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community

Topic: Strategies for Fostering Community through Remote Teaching


Rachel Spekman, Former

Former Director of Business Ventures

Innovate@BU

Lightning Talk: Student Voices


Gregory Stoller, Lecturer

Questrom School of Business, Strategy & Innovation

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience

Topic: Trials and Tribulations of LfA So Far…


Lisa Sullivan, Associate Dean, Education

School of Public Health

Lightning Talk: Managing the LfA Experience

Topic: LfA CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement)


Thomas Underwood, Master Lecturer

College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program

College of General Studies

Lightning Talk: Fostering Classroom Community

Topic: Don’t Put Your Icebreakers Away


Chris Walsh, Associate Professor, Director, Writing Program

College of Arts & Sciences

Lightning Talk: Project-based Learning

Topic: The Blank Syllabus


Cheyenne Watts, Learning Assistant

College of Arts and Sciences: Neurobiology, Class of 2022

Lightning Talk: Student Voices: Examining Successes & Identifying Areas of Opportunity

Topic: Mental Health During Unprecedented Times


Crystal Williams, Special Guest/Closing Remarks

Associate Provost

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom


Jonathan Wisco, Associate Professor 

School of Medicine: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology

Lightning Talk: Assessment & Assignments

Topic: Feedback and Summative Assessments


Lorre Wolf, Director

Disability & Access Services

Lightning Talk: Building the Inclusive Classroom

Topic: Acknowledging Disability in Diversity & Inclusion Efforts


James Wolff, Associate Professor

School of Public Health: Department of Global Health

Lightning Talk: Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lecture Classes

Topic: 12 Best Practices for Online Practice-based Courses


Talin Yaghoobian, Assistant to the Dean

Pardee School of Global Studies

Questrom School of Business, MBA, January 2021

Lightning Talk: Student Voices: Examining Successes & Identifying Areas of Opportunity

Topic: The Importance of Breaks

Student Voices Part 2

BU Lightning Talk: Student Voices

Teaching and learning in LfA modalities presents new challenges for Boston University faculty and students. Undergraduate students in leadership roles and across different disciplines share their remote and hybrid learning experiences, and discuss challenges, successes, and elements of LfA instruction they most appreciate.

Topics Include:

How Are Hands-on Engineering Classes Adapting To LfA?

LfA Through A Hybrid Lens

Global Learning Community: Challenges Of Transitioning From In-person Classes To The Digital Landscape

International Students: Living Like Vampires During Covid-19

A Student’s Perspective: Why Are Residential Students Not Attending In-person Classes?

View the Recordings

Anti-racist Pedagogy

BU Lightning Talk Anti-racist Pedagogy

Contributing to positive change in the national conversation about race is a clear goal for BU. The Day of Collective Engagement in June 2020, the appointment of Professor Ibram X. Kendi, and the opening of the Center for Anti-Racist Research are all part of getting that conversation started within the University. Join us to hear how instructors build an anti-racist curriculum within their classes.

Class in the Classroom

BU Lightning Talk Anti-racist Pedagogy

Remote and hybrid classrooms have highlighted the kind of class inequities that have always existed but have been easy to ignore in higher education. This Lightning Talk session, offered in collaboration with BU Diversity & Inclusion and its Learn More series’ theme of social class, will focus on areas of practice and content that help us understand the myriad ways that class plays out in our classrooms, with strategies to create more inclusive classes.

Managing the Learn from Anywhere Experience

BU Lightning Talk LfA

Fall 2020 Mid-semester Review: The faculty presenters from BU’s College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication, Questrom School of Business, and School of Public Health discuss their teaching for hybrid/remote classes strategies.

Topics Include:

Virtual Biology: Learn from Anywhere in STEM

Delivering on the Promise of LfA

Bringing Back the Whiteboard

Trials and Tribulations of LfA So Far…

LfA Continuous Quality Improvement

View the Recordings

Managing the Learn from Anywhere Experience Part 2

BU Lightning Talk LfA Part 2

Fall 2020 Semester-end Review: The faculty presenters from BU’s College of Arts & Sciences, College of General Studies, School of Hospitality, and School of Medicine discuss the strategies they use to adjust their teaching for hybrid/remote classes.

Topics Include:

Remote Immersive Lab Experiences in First-year Advanced Chemistry (RILEd-up)

Game-based Learning (GBL) and Gamification in eLearning

Building Connection and Community through the LfA Experience

Applying LfA with the Students’ Needs in Mind

Using Peer-to-Peer Assessments to Engage All LfA Categories of Students

View the Recordings

Fostering Classroom Community

BU Lightning Talks

Remote instruction requires more than slides and discussions—it requires interaction and connectivity with students. In this Lightning Talk, the faculty panel discuss icebreakers, office hours, Slack, and more, and offer strategies to strengthen classroom community.

Topics Include:

Using Slack to Foster Classroom Community

Engage, Challenge, Love

Online Office Hours

Strategies for Fostering Community through Remote Teaching

Don’t Put Your Icebreaker Away: Creating and Sustaining Community

View the Recordings

Student Voices: Successes & Areas of Opportunity

BU Lightning Talks

Remote teaching is only half the story. Students in leadership roles, undergraduate and graduate students, share their remote learning experiences, discuss what they miss about the on-campus experience, the importance of accessibility, and elements of remote instruction they most appreciate.

Topics Include:

Technology Beyond the Pandemic

Implications of Remote Learning for Access

Sharing The Learning Environment

Remaining Cognizant of Mental Health During Unprecedented Times

The Importance of Breaks in the Remote Learning Environment

View the Recordings

Building the Inclusive Classroom

BU Lightning Talk Video Library

Inclusive learning environments promote connectivity and growth while creating experiences and spaces for all learners to thrive. The BU faculty panel shares their diversity, equity and inclusion perspectives, and offers a variety of inclusive teaching strategies for the remote environment.

Topics Include:

Minding (Disciplinary) Power and Privilege in the Classroom

Trauma-Informed Practices in the Age of COVID-19

Advancing an Intercultural Inclusive Practice in the Classroom

Inclusive Engineering Classroom

Honesty, Safety, and Creativity:  Fostering Inclusion and Intersectionality In A Course Focused on Race Relations

Disability & Access Services at BU

View the Recordings

Special Cases: Long Block & Large Lectures

BU Lightning Talks

Long block and large lecture classes can pose challenges for maintaining student engagement. The faculty panel reflects on lessons learned from the Spring 2020 semester, discuss synchronous vs. asynchronous instruction, offer guidance to flip the class, and more.

Topics Include:

Engagement and Interaction in Large Lecture Courses

Flipping the Class in a Remote Environment

Zooming Through Long-Block Classes

Enlivening the Large Remote Lecture

12 Best Practices for Online Practice-based Courses

View the Recordings

Assessment & Assignments in the Remote Environment

Lightning Talk Assessment & Assignments

Assessment tasks, whether they be exams, projects, or other assignments, are of equal importance to faculty and students. The faculty panel shares a variety of approaches to assessment tasks, with some strategies for managing assessment in the remote environment.

Topics Include:

Using FlipGrid for Asynchronous Discussion

Reimagining In-Class Presentations While Teaching Remotely

Crafting Resilient Assignments and Assessments that Translate Across In Person and Online Learning Environments

Salvaging Experiential Learning in Remotely-Taught Engineering Design Courses

Summative Assessments As a Form of Feedback

View the Recordings

Hands-on Teaching Lightning Talk

Lightning Talk Hands-On Teaching

A hands-on classroom experience is the academic foundation for many disciplines. The faculty panel shares their challenges and successes in the lab, studio, music, and art rooms, and highlight ways to bring the “hands-on” experience to the online classroom.

Topics Include:

Approaches to Remote Laboratory Instruction: A Long-term View

Look, Feel, Sound: Translating the Applied Music Lesson to the Remote Classroom

Moving the Engineering Lab Experience Out of the Lab

Promoting Interaction in Synchronous Classrooms with Google Jamboard

Teaching with Wikipedia

View the Recordings

Project-based Learning Lightning Talk

BU Lightning Talks

Many classes across all Boston University campuses incorporate elements of project-based, team, and experiential learning. The faculty panel shares their strategies for adapting active-learning approaches to the remote-teaching and remote-learning environment.

Topics Include:

Kitchen Science and Backyard Nature: Playful, Inquiry-Based Learning Goes Online

Managing Team Projects in the Remote Environment

Practice-Based Teaching:  The Necessary Ingredients for Successful Delivery…Anytime, Anywhere

A Class in Which Students Perform Research Tasks for Environmental Organizations

The Blank Syllabus

View the Recordings

Testimonial

“The Lightning Talks are short and to the point. . .It is not self-indulgent, but rather, the opposite. In academia, hearing ourselves talk is a common pitfall. This format helps us avoid it.” – Lightning Talk Attendee

Questions or consultations?

Learn more about Digital Learning & Innovation. For pedagogical guidance, email ctl@bu.edu. For technology guidance, email AskEdTech@bu.edu.

About DL&I

Digital Learning & Innovation is available to help all Boston University faculty and academic leadership. Contact us at digital@bu.edu.

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  • Email: digital@bu.edu
  • DL&I
  • Digital Initiatives
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Educational Technology
  • Digital Multimedia Common
  • Events
  • Learn from Anywhere
  • Lightning Talks Video Resource Library
 
  • Who We Are
  • Work With Us
  • Growth Faculty Voices
  • Resources