The Badavas Center at Bentley University: Innovation in Teaching & Learning

We're celebrating 20 years of our signature event, the Gearing Up Conference! This transformative day aims to empower women+ by redefining leadership on their terms. Join us as we harness the power of our community to tackle the barriers and traditional gender dynamics that impact career advancement. ?? Pathways to Power: Reimagining Gender and Leadership ?? Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 Registration is now open! ?? https://hubs.li/Q02ZlnC70

We've got an exciting event coming up at Bentley University in a couple of weeks. I'll be hosting the day and introducing a star-studded cast of presenters including Bill Hughes, Emma Zone, EdD, Michael Feldstein, Andrew Shean, Lindsay Shipman, MPEd, Luke Hobson, EdD, Liz Paushter, Thais Lyro, and Robert MacAuslan. It'll be a thought-provoking day, for sure. Hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/eMGm43CM

Bentley Faculty and Staff: Join us for Badavas' first Student Showcase! Come see how students explore the profound question: What makes us human? Bentley’s FDS students in "Art to Art-ificial Intelligence" have engaged deeply with this "wicked problem," reflecting on human identity and its evolving nature amidst an age of algorithms and artificial intelligence. Come see what they’ve created! The Badavas Center at Bentley University: Innovation in Teaching & Learning Liz Paushter Suzanne Dove Priyadharshini Sivakumar Mita Das Chris Beneke

Last week I had the opportunity to co-facilitate a freshman discovery seminar on conflict resolution at Bentley University. It was a great event that I hope left students with a few ways to handle conflict, and recognize the pros and cons of disagreements. While I don't have any official photos yet, I do hope to share some soon. There's so many people to thank, from the peer leaders, to catering, the tech crew, of course the students whose participation was critical. But none of this would be possible without the team behind the event. And I want to publicly thank this team because I don't think you can ever give someone enough credit when it is deserved. Chris Beneke, Jamie Bang, Neelangi Gunasekera, these three deserve a standing ovation! Their patience, dedication and kindness is unparalleled. Pulling events like these together is no easy task. However, you'd think it was with this trio! Also a big thanks to the Source of all great ideas (Liz, you can trademark that) Liz Paushter. Your innovation continues to inspire our Bentley community. Finally a special thank you to my partner in crime for this event Bentley's ombuds Eliane S. Markoff. Eliane and I have been working together on this project since July! It's such a pleasure to have a chance to work with someone new and to learn from them. I'm grateful to have had the chance to work together and as I said before, I hope there’s a next time! I appreciate you all and feel lucky to know you! #BentleyUniversity #thankyou #hardwork #conflictresolution

???Teaching Tip Tuesday: Embrace Desirable Difficulty for Deeper Learning! Why do students often say, "I understood everything during the lecture, but struggled to apply it on the exam or in real-world scenarios"? This challenge often results from overly straightforward learning experiences, leading to temporary understanding rather than lasting knowledge. In higher education, desirable difficulty—strategically adding challenge—can help students retain and apply concepts more effectively. ?? What is Desirable Difficulty? It’s the practice of making learning tasks effortful but manageable, enhancing long-term retention and flexible application. Implementing Desirable Difficulty: 1?? Case Studies: Use complex, real-world scenarios to engage students in critical thinking and application. The lack of clear-cut answers encourages deeper analysis. 2?? Wicked Problems: Present problems that are difficult or impossible to solve completely. These promote resilience, adaptive thinking, and the ability to navigate uncertainty. By incorporating case studies and wicked problems, you’ll create a challenging learning environment that prepares students for real-world complexities. #TeachingTipsTuesday #HigherEd #DesirableDifficulty #DeepLearning #Badavas Suzanne Dove Liz Paushter Priyadharshini Sivakumar

Such a thoughtful, energetic, and dedicated community at Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC last week! Sandeep Purao and Liz Paushter had the opportunity to present “Scaling Entrepreneurship Education:?A Modular Approach," sharing the E-Hub at Bentley University's development and implementation of week-long modules by faculty, for faculty (from 9+ departments across campus!). They dove into how the E-Hub partners with The Badavas Center at Bentley University: Innovation in Teaching & Learning, Learning Design at Bentley University, and the Academic Technology Center (and others!) to break silos, build interdisciplinary opportunities, and incubate these pedagogically advanced short course modules. There are many ways to build programs, but the most effective programs are the ones that are built in partnership and in community. Badavas is grateful to partner with E-Hub on this exciting initiative! Bentley University Liz Paushter Suzanne Dove Priyadharshini Sivakumar Gaurav Shah, MBA, M.S. MJ Sanz Sandeep Purao

?? Immersive learning has the power to transform education, and we explored this potential during our recent Academic Innovation Ideation session at Bentley. We took a literal deep dive into the ocean to explore how these experiences can elevate the student journey, making it more engaging and preparing?Bentley students for an ever-evolving future. In real time, we experienced different forms of immersive learning and collaborated on ideas to create spaces that bring this vision to life on campus. The energy and creativity in the room were inspiring, and it’s exciting to think about how these concepts will shape the future of education. Immersive learning is about engaging all the senses and enabling new learning modalities that create opportunities for growth, understanding, and student success. We can’t wait to see how we bring these ideas to fruition at Bentley! ?? Thank you to everyone who made this session shine the way it did! ?Gaurav Shah, MBA, M.S. Paul Tesluk Priyadharshini Sivakumar Suzanne Dove Steve Salina Jack Wolfe Liz Paushter Mark Frydenberg The Badavas Center at Bentley University: Innovation in Teaching & Learning and so many more!

Looking forward to learning from others at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC conference this week, and thrilled to present alongside Sandeep Purao on "Scaling Entrepreneurship Education: An Integrated Modular Approach." We'll dive into how the E-Hub at Bentley University partners with The Badavas Center at Bentley University: Innovation in Teaching & Learning, Learning Design at Bentley University, and the Academic Technology Center to break silos, build interdisciplinary opportunities, and incubate pedagogically advanced short course modules. Join us! See more about the E-Hub: https://lnkd.in/e-2FwaYj See more about our Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning: https://lnkd.in/e4Gk4vsi Bentley University Suzanne Dove Myvette Fernandez Hicks Veronica Pierni MJ Sanz Gaurav Shah, MBA, M.S.

#TeachingTipTuesday: Engage Learners with "What If" Scenarios ? Tip: Help students connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications and think critically by using “what if” scenarios. ? Here's how you can use them effectively in your classrooms: Scenario Stations: Post complex, discipline-specific “what if” questions around the room (e.g., “What if this economic policy were implemented?” or “What if a historical event turned out differently?”). Students rotate in groups to brainstorm and document their responses. This encourages deep analysis and peer learning before wrapping up with a class-wide discussion. Pass the Perspective: In fields like business or science, students can write an initial solution or approach to a “what if” challenge and then pass it along for classmates to add new ideas or counterpoints. This method helps students see problems from multiple professional perspectives and fosters collaborative problem-solving. Silent Gallery Walk: For a more reflective approach, post scenarios on the walls (e.g., “What if a specific technology hadn’t been invented?”). Students circulate, adding their thoughts or questions on sticky notes. Follow up with a discussion that connects their insights to course objectives. Using “what if” scenarios in higher ed makes abstract theories tangible and fosters active engagement, critical thinking, and creativity! #HigherEd #ActiveLearning #CriticalThinking #Creativity #StudentEngagement Suzanne Dove Liz Paushter Priyadharshini Sivakumar

Bentley has been named the #5 top midsize college in the Northeast according to The Wall Street Journal! Ahead of Columbia, Brown, Colgate and other top colleges. ?? Learn more: https://bit.ly/3UHaqH2