Ithaca College

Deborah Rifkin, associate professor of music theory, presented at the Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching, an international education conference held in Bethesda, MD, from May 30-June 2.

Under the theme of “Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning,” this year’s conference offered three days of dynamic programming, including workshops, concurrent sessions, 20-minute discussions, plenary addresses, and a poster session.  Presentations were selected through a blind peer-review process.

Among more than 500 selected speakers, Rifkin presented "From Distress to Success: Improving Individual Performance Assessments," a paper describing the advantages and disadvantages of redesigning assessments into small-group activities, where students engage in cooperative, peer-reviewed learning.

“One-on-one assessments can be harrowing for students because they require on-the-spot application of complex concepts in time-pressured contexts,” Rifkin said. “In addition, individual performance assessments are not always accurate because students are too anxious to perform up to their abilities. In fields where such practicums are common, such as music, nursing, and physical therapy, the inaccuracy of such assessments can be highly problematic.”

For 33 years, the Lilly Conferences on College and University Teaching and Learning have provided opportunities for the presentation of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. This interdisciplinary teaching conference includes faculty, administrators, and graduate students from across the United States and abroad. Participants are given the opportunity to exchange ideas, build a repertoire of skills that can be put to immediate use, and to network with colleagues.