Responsive Learning Experience Design: In the Trenches: Recent Episodes
Eric Ward and Mike Vanderpool
We discuss all things related to designing effective and flexible learning experiences for all modalities.
Mike and I talk with Keith Instone about User Experience and User Interface design, commonly referred to as UX/UI. Keith is a user experience professional who is very involved with the Ohio tech community. You can keep up with his activities and thoughts at DexterityUX.com. In this episode Keith, Mike, and I dig into the definition of UX/UI and the role it plays in product design.
Keith’s site: https://dexterityux.com/
Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithinstone/
This episode is also available on Mike’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol7FuNxGUUU
Mike and I talk about the need to build technologists to fuel the high-tech economy in Ohio. The demand for technologists is growing, but many of the kids in our K-12 school districts are being left behind because their schools struggle to either find funding or to find qualified faculty for tech training programs. We discuss some of the projects being created to address these challenges, including my project called Making Software Makers, which is a platform that teaches kids how to build cool things with code.
Mike and I talk about a very cool project that he is spearheading in his area called the Anthony Wayne Innovation and Design Center. This exciting project aims to build community, provide technical training, and develop the workforce in Northwest Ohio.
- Program overview
- Mike’s overall vision
- The importance of giving young people opportunities in smaller communities
- Why the proper physical space is important
- Why it is critical to involve local businesses
This is also available as a video cast on Mike's YouTube channel.
We interview Evan Painter from Land Moto. Land is a Cleveland-based maker of electric motorcycles and distributed power. We discuss Land’s products, their history, their future, and how much fun electric motorcycles are. We talk about the following points:
- Introductions
- Land Moto’s Vision
- Creative Problem Solving
- The Design of the Land Moto Working Space
- Pubic Reaction to Land’s Motorcycles
- How to get a Land Moto Motorcycle
Land Moto Website: landmoto.io
This session is also available as a video cast on Mike’s YouTube channel.
We discuss creative problem solving, creative problem solvers, and how to create a workplace environment that fosters creative approaches to solving problems. We talk about the following points:
- Creative problem solving, design thinking, and the scientific method.
- The need for a growth mindset.
- The advantages of having a wide range of perspectives on a problem-solving team.
- The effect that the physical space in which a person works can have on creativity.
- What employers can do to grow creative problem solvers and creative problem-solving teams in their organizations.
This session is also available as a video cast on Mike’s YouTube channel.
We discuss some of the technical training projects that we’re working on and talk about workforce development in Ohio.
This session is also available as a videocast on Mike’s YouTube channel.
After a rather long hiatus we discuss feedback and guidance in the classroom and how guidance is really at the heart of what we do as teachers.
In this episode, we discuss the concept of engagement in the classroom. It is very difficult for participants in a class to learn if they are not engaged with the topics and material. That said, there is a lot of confusion about exactly what engagement is and how to engage students. We try to shed some light on this important topic.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of socialization early in a class. Socialization leads to interactions between students and the formation of relationships but these things don’t just happen on their own - they must be encouraged. This is especially important now, when classes may suddenly go from in-person to remote on short notice.
In this episode, we continue our discussion about naming and defining course elements. Last time we discussed naming course content elements - this time we discuss naming activities, assessments, and other course elements that we have learners perform.
SoundCloud recordings of Ohio Leads Virtual Summit 2020: https://soundcloud.com/nsccdesign/sets/ohioleads-virtual-summit-2020?ref=clipboard
In this episode, Mike and Dr. Allen Berres continue our conversation with Michael Clink about redesigning an art class for next fall. The course has been submitted for review and we reflect on the redesign experience.
In this episode, we take our first steps at codifying Responsive Learning Experience Design. The first order of business is naming and defining course elements so that we can speak with precision about the overall process. We start with naming and defining content elements of a course.
In this episode, we recap Day 3 of the Ohio Leads Virtual Summit 2020 with Keith Instone.
In this episode, we recap the Ohio Leads Virtual Summit 2020 with Lisa Schaller and Keith Instone.
In this episode, we recap Day 1 of the Ohio Leads conference with Keith Instone and Alex Cummins. Day 1 of the Summit was all about communicating with students when moving online.
In this episode, Mike, Dr. Allen Berres, and I continue our conversation with Michael Clink about redesigning an art class for next fall. We talk about chunking content into lessons and modules.
In this episode, we discuss how we plan to relax, recharge, and sharpen the saw over the summer.
In this episode, we discuss the upcoming Ohio LEADS Virtual Summit. This summit will take a look back at education’s response to COVID-19 in the spring of 2020 and take a look forward to how we will respond in the fall of 2020 and beyond.
Ohio LEADS Virtual Summit 2020
June 1 - 4 2020
Eventbrite Link to sign up for the conference:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ohioleads-virtual-summit-2020-tickets-104340834244
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Michael Clink about redesigning an art class for next fall. We talk about assessments, rubrics, and giving students good guardrails early in courses.
In this episode, Mike begins working with his colleague Michael Clink to redesign an art class for next fall. Mike and Mike talk about general course design considerations and backward design.
In this episode, we discuss the responsibilities that learners have if they are to be successful in an online learning environment.
- Be proactive
- Make sure you understand and can use all the technology to be used in the class
- Make sure you understand how the instructional staff will communicate with you
- Make sure you understand where and how to get help
- Make sure you understand how you are to communicate with peers
- Don’t be shy - participate! This encourages others to participate
- Camera on!
- Be more organized - this will help you re-orient for different classes and assignments
- Take copious notes!
- Show up early
- Socialize a bit (virtually) with your peers before class
In this episode, we talk about hitting the wall with remote classes and discuss techniques to de-stress, refocus, and keep pushing forward to the end of the semester.
In this episode, we discuss what support learners need to set them up for success in an online or remote learning experience.
- Clear communication plan from instructional staff
- Clear explanation and supporting resources for all technology to be used in the course
- A clear calendar (meeting times, due dates, etc)
- A clear explanation of how class sessions will flow
- Clear advice on how to re-orient when getting back into a class or a study session for the class
In this episode, we introduce a series of podcasts in which we will be discussing techniques for better online learning from the learner's perspective.
- Introduction of the series
- Discuss our experience with this topic
- Preparation:
- What is different about an online course?
- Define “online”
- Compare and contrast:
- Communication with instructional staff
- Communication with peers
- Collaboration with peers/group work
- Participation during class
- Re-orienting yourself for class or for homework
- What is different about an online course?
- Additional support for show topics via posts and resources
In this episode we interview Dinah Ward and discuss the following about her first week of online learning during the coronavirus shut down at The Ohio State University:
- Number of classes and subjects
- What techniques/technologies her instructors are using
- Was going online a cross-university effort or teacher-by-teacher?
- What is the biggest change for her?
- What techniques/technologies are working the best?
- Which techniques/technologies are not working as well?
- What changes would she like to see moving forward?
- Compare/contrast/discuss OSU vs Northwest State first week experience.
In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics including:
- Recap of week 1 remote learning
- Using an LMS in remote learning
- Post-production of recorded video learning sessions
- Using breakout rooms in Zoom
- Zoom video for using breakout rooms: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206476093-Getting-Started-with-Breakout-Rooms
- Other ways of encouraging interaction/socialization in Zoom
- How the emergency move to online is influencing thoughts about designing and running courses in the future
- Blending in-person and online
- Managing the workflow for creating responsive course content
- Compare and contrast with:
- Software development
- Video production
- Publishing
- Compare and contrast with:
- The curriculum development process should be technology and tool agnostic
- Loosely coupled modules and lessons
- Version control of course content and source of truth
- Authoring tools
In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics including:
- Review of Day 2 of remote learning in Ohio
- How to teach the use of tools in a remote class
- Reinforcing the value of socializing participants and instructors
- It is so much easier to give the benefit of the doubt to someone you’ve met (either virtually or in-person)
- Connections are so important
- Webcams on!
- Connectedness in the digital age
- Maximizing existing tools - the only net new tool is Zoom
- K-12 plans for the rest of the year
- Digital divide challenges for remote learning
- Rethinking course design post-COVID
- Defining Responsive Learning Experience Design
- Importance of faculty training
- Loose coupling of modules and creating connective tissue in a course
- Reuse of material
- Content creation and curation
- Opinionated curriculum
- Importance of instructor feedback for curriculum
- Different axes of responsiveness
- Importance of incremental improvement
In this episode, we talk about a variety of topics including:
- Day 1 status - what went well and what didn't
- The importance of socialization to successful online learning experiences
- How consistent communication plans contribute to successful online learning experiences
- Why structure is important in online courses
- Leveraging moderators
- The importance of level setting and setting expectations on the first day of an online course
- Using Zoom breakout rooms for small group interaction
- Zoom vs asynchronous content (i.e. videos)
- Key differences between short and longer class sessions
- Online vs face-to-face differences for lecture and discussion
- The importance of naming conventions for online sessions recordings
- Digital divide issues with remote learning
- Humanizing remote learning sessions - chit-chat at the beginning of each session