Online Session Locator

Session Description

Ticketed event: $10.00 advanced registration and $20.00 on site registration
Formative feedback supports instructional improvement by providing timely evidence of how students experience a course and whether teaching strategies are achieving intended learning outcomes. This workshop introduces students‑as‑partners (SAP) programs, in which faculty work with trained student consultants who gather and analyze formative data through classroom observations, review of course materials, and feedback analysis. The facilitators will be joined by student consultants from Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s SAP program. Drawing on faculty case studies, participants will examine how SAP engagement reshaped instructional decision‑making and supported deeper learning and will have opportunities for small‑group consultation sessions with the student consultants to explore disciplinary and institutional adaptations.

Speakers

1. Jessica C Hill

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   Dr. Jessica C. Hill is Associate Professor of Psychology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), where she also serves as Director of the Morgan Teaching & Learning Center. A cognitive developmentalist by training, Dr. Hill’s work bridges the science of human learning with the practice of inclusive, evidence-based pedagogy in STEM and interdisciplinary contexts. She co-teaches WPI’s graduate-level course Foundations of Scientific Teaching and Pedagogy, preparing future faculty to design instruction grounded in cognitive science and educational research.

   Her most recent scholarship focuses on how educational partnerships and emerging technologies reshape teaching and learning in higher education. Recent publications and conference proceedings reflect her commitment to collaborative, research-informed pedagogy, with topics ranging from students-as-partners models to generative AI in faculty development. In parallel with her scholarship, Dr. Hill contributes to the field’s professional infrastructure as Assistant Editor of "To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development" and as a curriculum designer whose peer-reviewed teaching materials appear in the POGIL Activity Clearinghouse.

   Dr. Hill’s leadership in faculty development spans two institutions and reflects a commitment to inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices. Her work has included directing project-based learning initiatives, designing inclusive teaching certifications, and facilitating national workshops on pedagogy. At WPI, she extends this expertise into institutional strategy, co-facilitating the Options for the Future of Education working group and contributing to campus-wide effectiveness efforts through roles on the NECHE Engagement Team, the Academic Outcomes and Assessment Taskforce, and the Undergraduate Outcomes Assessment Committee.

   Prior to joining WPI, Dr. Hill was a tenured faculty member and department chair at Utah Valley University, where she secured the institution’s first NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant and co-founded the Utah Women’s Leadership Exchange. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards for teaching, service, and leadership, including the prestigious Presidential Award of Excellence and the Faculty Service Award from the Women’s Success Center.

2. Dr. Shamsnaz Virani Bhada

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   As a systems engineer I view optimizing engineering endeavors as going beyond algorithmic optimization to include a humanitarian mission, using systems engineering tools, patterns, techniques, methods, themes, and philosophies to do policy modeling, all with the common goal of mission success. While engineering tools have brought about much excellence and productivity, we haven't always applied these powerful tools to goals such as human diversity in engineering, or looking at the full human as a participant in the human workforce. I pursue these ideas across multiple dimensions, from research to course design to service, combining my core scientific grounding with activism and relationship building.

   In 2015 I received an award for my work applying systems engineering principles to develop a four-year Engineering curriculum in a high school that involved a multi-disciplinary team of engineering students, high school administrators and teachers. The students developed a thorough understanding of systems engineering principles and helped us develop the school's engineering program from a concept to reality. Recently I have been engaged in NSF-funded research on addressing the digital divide; and reduce racial disparities in birth-data in Los Angeles.

   I particularly enjoy working with students from different backgrounds as they discover systems engineering as a common language communicating complex systems engineering projects. I also emphasize soft skills development, because systems engineers often lead multidisciplinary teams towards a successful mission. With Gillian Smith, I co-advised an MQP project that won the national Andrew P. Sage Memorial Capstone Design Competition. I also served as the advisor for WPI’s first PhD student in systems engineering, work with other faculty to explore research ethics, and with university colleagues on issues such as fringe benefits.

3. Ceren Yilmaz Akkaya

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   I joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at WPI as a visiting assistant teaching professor for 2024/2025 academic year. I’m teaching organic laboratory, general chemistry laboratory, and experimental genetics engineering courses.

   With my training on inclusive teaching through the NSF ASPIRE Regional Collaborative Program (which aims to develop diverse STEM faculty for community colleges in Central MA) and experience in mentoring diverse groups of learners, my teaching approach is centered on student engagement and ownership. My teaching focuses on providing a welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative environment to support cognitive, social, and emotional components of learning for all my students drawing from cognitive and social constructivism theories of learning. In the classroom, to enhance engagement of students from different backgrounds, I effectively introduce concepts by bridging abstract ideas to daily, real world examples that are relevant to their own lives and cultures. Listening to student voices and receiving feedback help me determine the problem points and encouraged them to take advantage of peer-learning using their own words.

   I am passionate about integrating sociopolitical perspectives and cultural norms into the teaching of organic chemistry, organic laboratory, and biochemistry laboratory, ensuring relevance for students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. To this end, I use evidence-based teaching and assessment methods to create a positive learning environment. My approach is based on improving the self-efficacy and autonomy of learners by 1) taking emotions of the learners into account, 2) using process-oriented, guided-inquiry learning, and 3) making chemistry content relevant to diverse group of learners.

4. Cody DiBonaventura

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   Cody is the Undergraduate Coordinator for WPI’s SCOPE program and has played a key role in shaping its development. Working closely with the director of the Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, Cody built the program’s framework and structure from the ground up. The foundation he raised ensured a strong start for the program’s mission to enhance teaching at WPI. By providing student-driven support for faculty, the program was created with the focus of enhancing the learning experience for the entire student community. With a background in management engineering, Cody applies leadership and organizational skills to drive the program’s growth and impact on campus.

   Beyond SCOPE, Cody is an active member of WPI’s concert band and marching band. He is also a photographer for a couple organizations on campus. Cody is passionate about collaboration and innovation, and is excited for the potential for SCOPE to make a lasting impact on WPI’s teaching environment.

5. Raul Orduna Picon

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   Raúl teaches undergraduate courses in general chemistry and organic chemistry. His teaching approach focuses on making students aware of their heterogeneity of thinking, leveraging students’ cultural practices, and promoting equity and social justice through chemistry teaching. Raúl’s research focuses on exploring both student learning and teaching practices employing sociocultural approaches. He is interested in culturally relevant pedagogy, formative assessment, conceptual profile theory, and chemistry capital. Raúl's work has revealed the power of developing students’ multiple ways of thinking, doing, and being to disrupt settled forms of teaching and learning chemistry.

   Raúl enjoys cooking Mexican-Korean fusion cuisine in his free time, reading Dostoyevsky and José Agustin novels, and playing video games.

6. Eliana Panopio

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   Eliana is a Founding Member and Magnifier for WPI's SCOPE program, where she brings creativity, strong communication skills, and a collaborative mindset. Since joining the team, she has worked closely with faculty and fellow consultants to craft tailored feedback and in-classroom solutions, all with the goal of improving the student learning experience at WPI. From drafting movement layouts for lecture halls to managing class dynamics of varying sizes, Eliana plays a vital role in assessing a professor’s course to ensure it is both engaging and effective.

   With years of experience in customer-facing roles and peer mentorship, Eliana naturally builds strong relationships with clients and teammates. Her leadership extends beyond SCOPE— tutoring off-campus, volunteering at Mechanics Hall, and continuing her creative pursuits as an active member of SASE and the Filipino Student Association at WPI. Eliana is excited to keep learning, leading, and contributing to the evolving educational landscape at WPI through her work as a Magnifier.

7. Elliot Garner

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   El is a Founding Member and Magnifier for WPI's SCOPE program, focusing on partnering with faculty to strengthen their teaching practices. El contributes to refining course delivery and helping instructors create more engaging classroom experiences. With a background in aerospace engineering, El approaches challenges with precision, creativity, and a structured problem-solving lens to help drive innovation in teaching.

   Outside of SCOPE, El is passionate about music, training in Jiu Jitsu and boxing, and hiking around the Northeast. El brings a thoughtful and adaptable approach to working with faculty, helping to strengthen teaching practices and enrich the learning experience at WPI.

8. Emilio Burgos

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   Emilio Burgos is a Founding Member and Magnifier for WPI's SCOPE program and has remained deeply committed to its growth since its creation. Through close collaboration with his peers, Emilio’s strategic skills have repeatedly contributed to the program’s organization and growth. Motivated by a genuine desire to enhance the academic experience, he’s offered thoughtful advice and perspective to instructors on an interdisciplinary level-- drawing from both his personal experience and careful observation of student learning. With a background in Software Engineering, Emilio applies a combination of analytical thinking, creativity, and a strong sense of optimism to the workplace, pushing SCOPE’s mission forward-- one classroom at a time.