The Cerebro Series: Recent Episodes
Instructional Designers
Hosted by: Kellie Ferguson
FCQ’s (Faculty Course Questionnaires) are a great place to gather information about your teaching. But recent studies have revealed a significant amount of bias in student responses. In this episode, we will explore who is impacted and some strategies to help mitigate biased responses on FCQ’s. download this episode's infographic download the FCQ Student Handout Hi this is Kellie Ferguson, Instructional Designer with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be talking about Faculty Course Questionnaires, also known as FCQ’s, some of the issues surrounding how these questionnaires are completed, and a few things instructors can do to help mitigate these issues.
As you may already know, FCQ’s are evaluations given at the end of the semester to give students an opportunity to evaluate an instructor’s teaching. FCQ’s involve students filling out a questionnaire in which they are often given the opportunity to respond with written comments about their experiences in the classroom. For students, FCQ’s are a chance to express their feedback to an instructor about what works and what doesn’t in their course. For instructors, FCQ’s are an opportunity to get direct feedback from students and to rework and revise their courses based on what they learn. Additionally, FCQ’s provide helpful information to an instructor’s department about their teaching.
Clearly, FCQ’s give the opportunity to gather lots of useful info. However, over recent years, several studies have been done on the ways in which FCQ’s are completed that have shed light on a troubling amount of bias in how students respond to and rate instructor performance. What is especially worrisome about this is the importance FCQ’s play in an instructor’s professional career, impacting their salary, potential promotions, and tenure decisions.
So, what kinds of bias have been observed in FCQ responses? Well, to begin with, there are a number of studies showing a clear gender bias—so female instructors often receive lower ratings than male instructors, even if course content is the same. Additionally, race has been shown to have an impact. Instructors of color typically receive lower ratings than white instructors. This bias is compounded when an instructor is female and a person of color—these instructors often receive the lowest ratings, again, regardless of course content or differences in teaching.
Students bias also pops up when an instructor doesn’t match the stereotypical idea of an expert in their particular field. For instance, if a black woman is teaching an economics course (an area seen as dominated by white men) they might receive lower ratings or less positive feedback than their counterparts simply because they do not match the stereotype of what a professor in this field might look like.
Clearly, bias in FCQ’s points to larger societal issues. But what can we do about it within the context of our courses? Given the importance of receiving student feedback on teaching practices and experiences within a course, how can we try to mitigate and hopefully eliminate bias in this situation?
One way is to be transparent about the presence of bias in FCQ’s with students. Before giving them the chance to rate your teaching performance, first explain some of the issues surrounding FCQ’s and why they should be conscientious of the way they respond to instructors. For instance, use a handout for students that expresses how bias in FCQ’s is harmful. Studies show that a large chunk of this bias can be reduced if instructors simply talk to students about some of these issues that crop up in student responses.
Additionally, take the time to discuss how students can respond in the most helpful way. Show them how to develop open-ended responses into more specific feedback. Ask them to focus on your teaching, the course content,
Hosted by: Aaron Schips
Did you know that microaggressions are considered commonplace and routine for women and people of color? If you’re not sure what microaggressions are, or why they’re such a big deal, tune in to this podcast where we'll be exploring how you can use microaffirmations to combat microaggressions in the classroom. download this episode's infographic Hi this is Aaron Schips, an Instructional Designer at CETL (C-etl) with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring how you can use microaffirmations to combat microaggressions in the classroom. Did you know that microaggressions are considered commonplace and routine for women and students of color? In fact 2020, 40% of students surveyed at The University of Connecticut reported racial microaggressions. If you’re not sure what microaggressions are, or why they’re such a big deal, keep listening.
Sue et al state that microaggressions are brief exchanges that communicate hostile, derogatory, slights on an individual or group (Sue, 2010; Sue et al., 2007). These exchanges can be either intentional, or unintentional. Usually microaggressions happen to folks that may be a different race, gender, or sexual orientation than the majority. For example, take this hypothetical Chinese student, Yuxin. Yuxin is spelled Y-U-X-I-N.
She is in class ready to volunteer an answer to her professor. Her professor has mispronounced her name before, and she has corrected him. This time when she volunteers, her professor calls on her by saying, “Yucksin, or however you say your name, do you have the answer?” The professor’s inability to remember Yuxin’s correct name pronunciation, even after she has corrected him, is considered a microaggression. Further still, he invalidates her further by implying that her name is too complicated to remember, or not worth it. In the future Yuxin may not have the confidence to volunteer an answer. Her professor may embarrass her yet again by mispronouncing her name.
Closer to home, the University of Denver has reported students hearing such comments as, “atoms sometimes attract each other, like this male and female here. At the same time, atoms sometimes repel each other like these two males here.” Imagine being a homosexual student and hearing something like this. Not only would it make you feel uncomfortable, but it might also invalidate your own student experience. This is a big concern for student satisfaction, retention, and well-being within the classroom.
One way educators are trying to combat microaggressions is with microaffirmations. Microaffirmations are small, conscious and unconscious actions you can take that contribute to positive interactions between you and your students. There are three types of microaffirmations you can use: microvalidations, microcompliments, or microsupport.
Microvalidations are small comments you can make that validate a student’s college experience. Even small active listening practices like making eye contacting and nodding when a student is talking can make a big difference in the support they feel. In one instance, a first generation student was talking to a faculty member about working two jobs to support themself in college. The faculty member replied how they were impressed that the student was able to do this while still excelling with their studies. This small affirmation validated the student’s college experience, and made the extra work they did to succeed worth it.
Microcompliments are just small compliments you can give to students for everyday activity. Something as innocuous as praising somebody for a job well done on their last assignment, or complimenting them on an answer they gave, can go a long way in crafting a positive classroom experience for a student. For one student, a genuine faculty compliment on their first-generation college student organization shirt reaffirmed their decision to be in college.
Hosted by: Mary Hoftiezer
Do your asynchronous discussions fall flat? This podcast will provide you with techniques to get engagement from students in asynchronous discussions. download this episode's infographic Hi this is Mary Hoftiezer, an Instructional Designer at CETL (C-etl) with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring:
How to facilitate asynchronous discussions in your course!
As an educator myself, I become frustrated when students respond to a peer in an asynchronous discussion, and they post one paragraph and then disappear! I was also wanting students to continue to have in-depth dialogue about a topic and to facilitate more learning. Instead, my asynchronous discussions fall flat.
Our colleagues at Iowa State University remind us those asynchronous strategies — provide opportunities for students to complete course work or participate in a discussion at different times — and offer real advantages in the online learning environment. I am here to offer some solutions to your asynchronous discussion dilemmas!
First, think about your learning objectives for your course. Consider these three questions first: What kinds of knowledge, skills, abilities, or attitudes are vital for your students to learn in this course? In three years, what would you like your students to know still or be able to do? What do you want your students to be able to learn on their own after this course ends?
Second, Choose asynchronous discussions carefully. Think about the Absorb, Do Connect model proposed by William Horton (2006). Absorb-Do-Connect is a simple model of categorizing learning activities according to the activities functional purpose. The framework involves three phases of learning. The first phase is the absorb phase where students watch, read, or listen while extracting useful knowledge. The next phase the do phase, students work on their own or in groups to practice skills, analyze information, test assumptions, and actively explore. The primary purpose of a connect activity is not to teach something new, but to allow students room to bridge gaps between their new knowledge and what they already know. In the process, students exercise higher order thinking skills and make personalized meaning of a concept or skill. We can create more profound and robust learning experiences for our students if we maximize the engagement of students including peer to peer discussions.
My third point is to let students know what you expect them to achieve through discussions and the importance of this. Explain each activity’s purpose and how it connects to essential learning outcomes or significant assignments. For example, take the case of an assignment where students propose questions inspired by reading to a discussion forum. The instructions for this assignment could explain that the purpose is to help students practice thinking like scholars in the discipline and develop an innovative research question situated in the literature for an upcoming research proposal assignment. To help build this habit, remember that whenever you are telling students “what” to do, you will also want to acknowledge “why” the assignment may be helpful. Furthermore, model expectations and provide your students with examples of an effective online discussion that represents what you want them to achieve.
The fourth point is to establish protocols for these discussions. Consider a protocol such as “yes, and ….” Or “yes, and, but….”. This protocol will give students a framework to guide their thoughts and the discussions. You may want to consider a theme-based discussion format. An example of this would be to have week 1 be everyone’s original thinking. Next, have week 2 be a discussion where everyone identifies common themes from the previous week. Week 3 could be a week where students identify common questions that everyone has about a topic.
Hosted by: Aaron Schips
Did you know that low self-esteem can be a driving factor in student hesitancy to attend office hours? In this podcast, we will explore why office hours are so important, and offer some easy strategies you can use to switch up how you conduct them. download this episode's infographic Hi this is Aaron Schips, an Instructional Designer at CETL (C-etl) with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring ways you can create inclusive office hours experiences for students. Did you know that low self-esteem can be a driving factor in student hesitancy to attend office hours? Students, especially those that are first-generation, may not know what office hours are, or how to approach professors if they make it to the office. Since CU Denver has a large percentage of first-generation students, making office hours inclusive and accessible can have a positive effect on retaining these students. This podcast will show you why office hours make a difference, and some easy strategies you can use to switch up how you conduct them.
When I was in college I remember taking a freshman history class that was one of the most challenging of my whole degree. I thought the professor was smart, the content engaging, and his grading strict. I remember getting my first paper back and getting a grade on it that wasn’t ideal. I knew that I could go visit the professor’s office hours to chat about the grade, but I wasn’t sure how to approach it. To 18-year-old me, the thought of talking to someone I thought was so intelligent was terrifying. I ended up going, and sat down with the professor. I asked some polite questions about how to improve, and he gave me some good advice. There was so much more I wanted to ask him, about careers or college in general, but I didn’t know how to bring it up. To me, there was a barrier between professor and student with conversations like this, and I didn’t know what to say.
Students around the country experience thoughts like these, but sometimes it’s more severe. They may not know what office hours are or why they’re important. In this case office hours become part of a hidden curriculum. Students that are aware of how college works will know what they are for and how to use them. Students that are newer to college or are first-generation may not. For example, one professor noted that some students thought his office hours were the times he was working and didn’t want to be bothered.
Worse still, students may think that their professor will treat them poorly because of their gender or race. One international student visited her professor’s office hours. When she arrived, she asked her professor a question. Instead of answering her, the professor wrote their response into Google Translate, translated it to Spanish, and showed her the answer. Interactions like these made the student feel like she couldn’t ask questions in her classes, and made her uncomfortable speaking Spanish on campus.
So, what strategies can you use to make your office hours more inclusive? The first step is to consider how you hold them. Do students think your available times are convenient? Are they held in person or do you offer virtual meeting times as well?
During your first day of class, try clearly explaining when your hours are, the way students can contact you, and why they are beneficial. This can go a long way in making students feel comfortable about attending. Students need to know that it’s okay to just drop by, even if they don’t have a pressing question. They also need to see you as an ally, and not an imposing figure.
If you don’t offer virtual office hours, it might be beneficial to explore them as an option. Telling students that you are available by appointment via Zoom, or hosting monthly group meetings where students can build community, is a way to ensure inclusivity outside of normal office hours. These group meetings could also be a great way to ho...
Hosted by: Aaron Schips
In this podcast, we will explore some quick ways you can improve classroom equity. As the leader of your classroom, you can affect change by recognizing everybody deserves an equal shot at representation, interaction, and access to class content. download this episode's infographic Hi, this is Aaron Schips, an Instructional Designer at CETL with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we will be exploring some quick ways you can improve classroom equity. Did you know that the first step to recognizing that classrooms can be inequitable is by admitting there is a problem? According to Jessica Harris, equity improvements starts with “the leader recognizing their responsibility to give everybody equal opportunity.” As the leader of your classroom, you can affect change by recognizing everybody deserves an equal shot at representation, interaction, and access to class content. Even if the idea of revamping your class to ensure equitability seems daunting, you can still use strategies that take less than five minutes to make small equitable changes for your students.
https://www.science.org/content/article/how-begin-building-culture-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-your-research-group
A trouble spot for many professors is setting due dates for assignments. When I was in college, many of my professors had strict deadlines set for papers. Papers were usually when class started, and late assignments were not accepted. This typically led to me staying up late the night before trying to complete my work, which was certainly not healthy. For many students, college is stressful and anxiety-inducing. Being faced with rigid due dates that can make or break a grade can amplify that anxiety and cause real problems.
There is an argument that for cases like mine a student should be better at time management. However, for many students that work multiple jobs, are new to college, or just simply struggle with time management, rigid deadlines can break their classroom experience. Worse still, professors can find themselves in a situation where their due date policy makes it difficult for them to make deadline exceptions to students who may need them.
Instead of adhering to a strict policy, Professor Howard Aldrich suggests making your due date policy more ambiguous. Here’s an excerpt from his blog where he talks about why he does this:
“On the first day of class, students often ask me, what are your penalties for late assignments? I tell them I don’t expect late assignments, as all the due dates for assignments are in the syllabus they’ve just been handed. In that case, why would any assignments be late? I find this logic impeccable, but some aren’t satisfied with this answer and persist in questioning me. All I will say is that if they find themselves having difficulty, prior to an assignment being due, they need to talk with me and I will try to help them. I never speculate about what I might do with the late assignment, preferring to deal with each of them on its own merits.”
When students approach Professor Aldrich about turning in a late assignment, he works with them to determine why their assignment was late, and then has them set a time for when they think they will be able to get it in. He considers this to be a more collaborative approach, and because of this states that he rarely gets late assignments.
https://howardaldrich.org/2015/07/assignments-better-late-than-never/
Another opportunity for a more inclusive classroom could be your use of non-gendered words. I remember working at a small private school in Vermont where the teachers insisted on calling everybody folks. Coming right out of college I didn’t really understand the reasoning, so I asked one of the teachers. She told me that some students had come to her and said they didn’t like it when she said “guys” to address a group. They felt like it grouped everyone in as boys, which made them feel left out.
Hosted by: Kady Katona
In this podcast you’ll discover what it’s like to use Adobe products as a student and why everyone should start giving Adobe Express a try. download this episode's infographic Follow along with the lead up and questions I ask Vincent Fu, a medical student at CU Anschutz, who is also an Adobe jack of all tradesmen. We'll explore his journey through Adobe products, his passion for helping others become more digitally literate and his Adobe recommendations for students and teachers.
Hi this is Kady Katona an Instructional Designer at CETL with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be talking with Vincent Fu- a current medical student at CU Anschutz who happens to be a promoter of digital literacy through the use of Adobe Software all found in the Creative Cloud.
Vincent has created a new curriculum called Digital MD which creatively takes medical students through a series of self-led digital activities to better prepare for the challenging career ahead of them. The underlying backbone of this inspiring work is Adobe.
What drew you to Adobe software in the first place?
What swayed you into coming to CU Denver was it just the mountains, surely it's not the Broncos?
Is there certain software you prefer?
My personal favorite has been Adobe Spark, because it's so easy to use. Have you dabbled much in Adobe Spark, now called Adobe Creative Cloud Express?
How would you encourage a student, completing and entirely different degree, to give Adobe Software a try? Where should a busy student start?
How would you like to see teachers encourage the use of Adobe software?
Thank you so much for your time, it was great chatting with you.
Hosted by: Mary Hoftiezer
In this podcast we are exploring methods to encourage your students to come to your class prepared for learning. We introduce the topic of Just in Time Teaching. download this episode's infographic Hi! This is Mary Hoftiezer, Instructional Designer, with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and here is another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring how to encourage your students to come to your class prepared!
Do you struggle with how to get students to come to your class prepared to learn? As an educator myself I get frustrated with students who come to my class and have not completed the required out of class learning activity whether it is a reading assignment, watching a video, listening to a podcast or anything else. Consequently, they are not fully prepared for the next step in their learning process which happens in my class.
The learning objective of this podcast is to help you to find, create and implement a simple strategy to ensure that your students are motivated to come to your class prepared for learning!
A proven and effective method to motivate students to come prepared to your class is to use Just in Time Teaching. JiTT improves students’ preparation for classroom learning, enhances student motivation for out of class learning, promotes ongoing formative assessments of student learning (both for faculty and students) and can even inform in-class activities that target student learning gaps.
Our colleagues at Dalian Polytechnic University and Kansas State University conducted a study researching the effectiveness of the JiTT method based on students taking a college physics course. The study combined JiTT with the SPOC or Small Private Online Course method. The results show that the exam mean score and pass rate of the experimental group were higher than those of the control group. Researchers also noted that this model of teaching improved student participation and can make instructors aware of the degree of students understanding in real time. Furthermore, JiTT enables teaching activities to be carried out in a more targeted way.
So, what exactly is Just in Time Teaching? Just in Time Teaching involves creating an activity that require students to do something to get them prepared for the next class. For example, read a textbook or article, complete a simulation or experiment, watch a video or even listen to a podcast. The key is that the activities involve problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning skills that encourage higher order thinking skills. The questions associated with the activity should refer to ideas or concepts that have not yet been covered in the course, and require students to study information, think more critically or apply concepts in ways that cannot simply be looked up in a textbook.
Our colleagues at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a study from 2010–2011 where JiTT was piloted in 31 core curriculum sessions taught by 22 faculty in the general surgery residency program. JiTT combined with Peer Instruction (more about this on another podcast) required preliminary and categorical residents to complete web-based study questions before weekly specialty topic sessions. Responses were examined by faculty members “just in time” to tailor session content to residents’ learning needs.
More than 70% of resident survey respondents showed that JiTT aided in the learning of key points. At least 90% of faculty survey respondents reported positive perceptions of aspects of the JiTT/PI strategy. Resident engagement time for JiTT/PI sessions was significantly greater than for prior lecture-based sessions. Significantly more review session multiple choice question responses were correct for residents who had attended corresponding JiTT/PI sessions than for residents who had not.
So, how does this work?
Hosted by: Kellie Ferguson
In Part 2 of How People Learn, we will take a closer look at some of the teaching techniques instructors can focus on to help foster deeper learning within their classroom. download this episodes' infographic Hi this is Kellie Ferguson, Instructional Designer with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be talking about strategies to help students learn and retain new information- the second episode in a two-part series on How People Learn.
Now that we have a more basic understanding of the factors that help people learn, lets discuss some tips for fostering deeper learning within your classroom. We’ll talk about ways to develop metacognition, create variety in instruction, and establish a safe and comfortable social learning environment for students.
Remember in Part 1 of this episode, when I talked about the importance of making thinking visible in the classroom? This was called metacognition, and using metacognitive activities in your classroom can help bolster the learning process. Using metacognition essentially means that you have students reflect on their learning over the course of the class. This strategy helps guide students to think about how they are learning, the way they learn, and what information they are retaining—all helpful for developing deeper understanding of new concepts.
Some strategies for accomplishing metacognition in your class are:
Using reflective questions during lectures to guide students towards thinking about how they are learning and absorbing new information. For example, in the middle of your lecture, you might ask students to reflect on what they knew about this topic before the lecture. At the end, you might ask them to consider what they know about it now and what they still think they might need to know to really understand the topic.
Another strategy is asking students to reflect on high stakes assignments. An example of this would be after an exam has been graded and passed back, ask students to write about how they studied for the exam, what was easy/difficult, and how they plan to improve for the future. Practice active learning activities that engage students directly with the material. Active learning can help build metacognition if you ask students to do an activity and reflect on what they are doing and why. For instance, after a lecture, ask students to think about the information you covered and consider a point that confused them, pair up with another student, and share their questions and try to help clear up any confusion. Not only are students actively engaging with the materials in this activity, but they are also thinking about the information they are learning as you teach.
Another method for helping students learn and retain information in your class is to mix up your teaching. So, while you are teaching, try not to rely on just one method for delivering information. Instead, create variety in your instruction. Not only does variety engage students by keeping things new and interesting, but it allows an opportunity to develop the different processes that enhance learning. An example of combining elements in your class is to structure a lesson as an interactive lecture. You might lecture for 10 minutes, have students interact with the material in some way, and lecture again. Not only does this break up lecture materials, but it also gives students the chance to think about the materials presented in different ways. And it can even give an opportunity for some metacognitive activities or social learning!
As you complete classroom activities, try to think about places where you can give students direct feedback in the work. Try practicing activities where students receive applicable feedback on their work from you. Direct feedback can actually help with a number of learning processes.
Hosted by: Kellie Ferguson
How people learn is a multifaceted process. In this Part 1 of this two part episode, we will discuss some of the ways that people learn, absorb, and retain new information. download this episode's infographic Hi this is Kellie Ferguson, Instructional Designer with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be talking about How People Learn—the first of a two-part series on How People Learn.
Perhaps you, like me, have thought that there are a set number of styles that learning abilities can be categorized within. Maybe you thought that writing things down was something that helped your students learn, or seeing visual representations of information has helped you to retain information in the past. While the strategies that students develop to study and review materials can be more easily classified into categories like being a visual or auditory learner, learning new information is actually a little bit different and a bit less structured.
So, let’s talk about this: How do people learn?
The first point to understand in learning is the difference between working and long-term memory. In order for students to actually absorb information and learn, incoming information has to be processed by their working memory and, more importantly, transferred to their long-term memory where they can store and later retrieve the information. Working memory holds information temporarily. It processes new information and gives the brain the opportunity to make connections. Long term memory, on the other hand, is much more permanent. Because long term memory holds information, it can also be recalled, oftentimes years later. When helping students learn and understand a new concept, the goal is to get new information from working memory to long term memory. Once in long term memory, information then becomes a foundational part of how people experience and understand their life.
Another point to understand is that the mindset we have when we approach learning new information also plays a big part in how we learn. If you have a fixed mindset towards learning, this means that you think your intelligence, skills, and talents are innate, and you either were born with them or you just don’t have them. When you have a fixed mindset about learning, you won’t be open to developing from your mistakes—if you fail, you fail. A growth mindset, on the other hand, means you think your intelligence, learning, and skills can be developed over time. When someone has a growth mindset towards learning, they are more willing to fail in the beginning because they know that, with practice, they will learn more and get better at something. Clearly, a growth mindset has a more positive impact on learning and should therefore be the underlying mindset for classroom activities.
Thinking about how one thinks and learns is an important part of retaining new information. This is called metacognition. Metacognition in the classroom means that students should be aware of their thought processes when it comes to learning. Essentially, reflecting on how they are learning, what they have learned, and how much they understand can help students learn. Practicing metacognition in the classroom helps students retain information because it helps them see the gap between simply recognizing a topic and actually understanding it.
Additionally, try to understand that everyone learns new information on top of a background of prior knowledge and skills, and new information that they receive should build upon this. When learners can relate new knowledge to previous knowledge, they are more likely to retain information and develop deeper cognitive processes.
Community is another important part of learning. People learn better when they are working within learning communities. Psychologist Albert Bandura proposed this theory,
Hosted by: Kady Katona
Listen along as Kady Katona, Instructional Designer at CETL, shares the essentials from Chickering & Gamson’s 7 Principles of Good Teaching Practice. Grab your headphones and enjoy! download this episode's infographic Hi this is Kady Katona an Instructional Designer at CETL with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring Chickering & Gamson's Seven Principles of Good Practice. Did you know these seven principles were expanded upon in 1996 for online courses and have become the foundational building blocks for e-learning programs in higher education systems across the country. Well, now you do!
The first principle is about encouraging contact between students and faculty. We can all think back to an encouraging moment when a teacher reached out to us at some point in our lives. I bet it even made you want to work harder in that class. Making that connection with students is key! And now that can be done through email, discussion groups and right in Canvas. You could encourage students to have a picture or avatar in Canvas and record their name in namecoach then add it to their email and profile.
The second good practice principle encourages reciprocity & cooperation among students. Working together as a team does wonders for the Broncos, same goes for students. There are several creative ways students can be encouraged to work together- placing them in predetermined groups, setting up assignments so they need student feedback, collaborative projects, small group discussions and simple icebreaker activities can build a community in person or even through Zoom. Avoid assignments that encourage competition or isolation. That's never fun for anyone.
Numero tres encourages active learning. It's all about making learning relevant and a part of students' lives. Here at CU Denver there are different types of free software available to help with this like the Microsoft Office applications. Or even the Adobe Creative Cloud. Listen, I get it, hearing Adobe makes you think of Photoshop, and it is intense, but products like Adobe Spark are very user friendly. With Adobe Spark students can create a website, design a graphic or even make a video with minimal time & tech skills. And, ya never know, it could spark them to create more in the future.
The fourth good practice principle recommends giving prompt feedback. With suggestions for improvement students can reflect and grow. Providing an opportunity for reflection allows for a deeper learning and a realization of what else they need to know and eventually how to assess themselves. Again technology makes this timely task of providing feedback as quick as possible. Comments can be made right on documents but then hidden with a click, on-line testing and web based programs provide instantaneous feedback. Simply posting the answer key in Canvas once the assignment is turned in allows students to check their own work. Oh Also, adding hyperlinks within an assigned digital text can help students answer their own questions.
Principle number five emphasizes time on task. We're not in the Matrix and we can't plug in for knowledge, it takes time and energy. It is vital to allow time for life and technology when setting out expectations for assignments. Teaching students a few strategies to study better at home can save hours. Or even referring them to Early Action when they need help with technology or have multiple absences. Also, keeping your Canvas course well organized and user friendly allows more time for learning.
The sixth good practice principle communicates high expectations. It's all about setting those expectations high early on in a clearly outlined syllabus digital or not, from the start of the semester. Give students the opportunity to revise their work and also provide examples of exemplar work. Be sure to display some of their work as well. With the help of the Adobe Creative Commons Suite students could easil...
Hosted by: Mary Hoftiezer
This podcast is about how to plan for and make the most of the most important day of the semester–the first day of class! download this episode's infographic Hi this is Mary Hoftiezer, an Instructional Designer at CETL (C-etl) with another episode of the Cerebro Series. Today we'll be exploring
How to Make the Most of the First Day of Class.
Do you know what the most important day of the semester is? No, it isn’t the last day! It’s the first day! What happens on this day is critical for the rest of the semester. As an educator myself, I have been so busy preparing content for the semester that I have overlooked the planning for this important day! However, with some reflection and thoughtful planning you can make the most of this day! I am here to tell you though that it really begins before the first day!
First, reflect on how you are going to generate interest in your course, build rapport, establish community, communicate expectations, and learn about your students. What climate and tone do you want to set for the semester?
Next, contact students before the first day. Send a welcome email a few days or a week before the course start date to welcome students to the course, set expectations, make the syllabus available and prepare students for the first day and week of the course. If possible, send out a Pre course survey to get to know your students. Your questions could include, their major, interests, why they are taking your course and maybe a fun fact or two about themselves. Record a virtual introduction video and/or audio recording before first day. Share about your professional background and personal interests. Let students know you are excited for the course to begin and to meet everyone. If possible, set up an online discussion for introductions and have students post a video or audio introducing themselves. Make your tone friendly. Set an early timeline to preempt issues with student access to the course (if online). Let students know what tasks need to be completed first and by when. Now is a good time to set expectations for participation. Let them know that this is also in the course syllabus. Tell students how to reach you if they have questions.
Now let’s get ready for the next step: introductions.
Greet students at the door or virtually. Be present (not distracted or multi-tasking), connect with students and build rapport! Be enthusiastic!
Introduce yourself if you have not already and share about yourself. Let students know how to address you (ie. Professor, Dr., etc.) and then talk about how students can reach you such as by email, phone and your office hours. Make sure you humanize yourself. It is important for faculty to present themselves as real people and then create a safe space for students to do the same. Welcome students as they create an online introduction or walk into your classroom. Next, learn student names and pronouns. Encourage students to use Namecoach on Canvas and make sure you record the correct pronunciation of your name. Use students’ names when interacting with them. Next step is to begin building community.
Education experts from the journal of New Directions for Teaching and Learning have noted that students who feel a sense of connectedness and psychological closeness are better prepared to become more actively engaged with online learning and the resulting higher order thinking and knowledge building (Baker 2010; Engstrom, Santo, and Yost 2008). Have students introduce themselves. If possible, relate their introductions to the course topic and atmosphere you want to build throughout the semester. Devise a strategy to remember student names. Have students write their name on a card that faces you. Encourage students to edit their name online and add a preferred pronoun and how they would like to be addressed.
Student to student introductions could include an ice...