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The pressures on higher education institutions to change their traditional practices of teaching and learning can leave faculty feeling overwhelmed. On May 11, 2011, Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence collaborated to organize a "hybrid" Regional Colloquy: Harnessing the Power of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning on the Harrisburg and Erie
campuses. Taking place on the both campuses, participants attended workshops in their respective locations and two keynote addresses by Susan Ko, co-author of Teaching Online: A Practical Guide and Alexandra Pickett, associate director of the SUNY Learning Network. Each keynote speaker was broadcast over the internet and screened at the other campus, demonstrating the practical uses of technology for learning. Topics introduced by the presenters in the keynotes and the workshops ran the gamut of addressing the worst fears of teaching online; peer-reviewing online courses using new guidelines; substituting guest lecturers through the use of recorded interviews; leveraging the power of communities of practice through social media; and finding, selecting, and using digital learning materials. You can view the various links to presentations on our blog under the entry "The Power of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning" http://hbg.psu.edu/facultycenter/blog Quick Tips from Penn State Harrisburg Faculty Who Teach Online and Hybrid Courses:
Using the "From the Field" Recorded Interviews in an Online Introductory Course--Dr. Barb Sims
Dr. Barb Sims took us right into her Criminal Justice online course to share with us an innovative way to include guest speakers in an online learning environment. With the help of a Faculty Center instructional designer and a camera person, Dr. Sims interviewed various people about the issues they face in their professions. The recorded interviews provide students with a glimpse of what different career paths might entail while engaging course content. Students loved the videos and Dr. Sims encouraged faculty to consider how effective simply produced videos can be.
Things to consider:
• Discuss with the camera person how they are setting up the shoot and framing the interview. Aesthetics can make a difference.
• More importantly, make sure the sound quality is as clear as possible. Choose a location with minimal noise and chances for interruption.
• You never know where the conversation might go!
Things to try in the future:
• Asking students to brainstorm interview questions as an assignment
• Creating a discussion forum or quiz that links back to the video
• Building in interaction with the interviewees later in the course. Perhaps they could return for additions Q & A.
Nested Upside Down Traffic Light for Communicating the Learning Objectives of a Course--Emilia Kenney
In her session, Ms. Kenney reminded faculty that sometimes it is necessary to show students the forest and not just the trees. She introduced a visual graphic that uses the colors of the traffic light to help students become clearer about the hierarchy of concepts introduced in the course.
Ms. Kenney uses this diagram to design exams and feels that it helps bring a texture to teaching. She concluded with her observations that students remembered the core concepts better as a result of using this visual aid. The diagram:
• conveys the assessment priorities
• allows for structured feedback
• cements understanding of the fundamental concepts
Echo Analysis (A Study of Teacher-Student Interaction)--Dr. Bing Ran
Dr. Bing Ran presented a session titled "Teacher- Student Interactions in Hybrid and Online Courses: An Echo Analysis." Dr. Ran has taught in hybrid and online modes for some time, and recently did research using Echo interviews to investigate the behavior characteristics of students and professors as they interact in hybrid and online courses. His findings were very interesting, and can help inform some best practices for teaching and learning in online and hybrid modes:
o Faculty must set clear expectations
o Role identification is key
o Keep your online office hours
o Provide prompt responses (both students and faculty)
o Class bonding is important
o Both faculty and students must work to motivate each other for the purpose of participating (Faculty must participate as well)
o If students perceive the instructor is detached, they are discouraged and less likely to engage
o Students appreciate personalized feedback
o Communication - email is the major channel of communication for fully online - students want to hear from their instructor
o Dr. Ran found no significant difference in responses between students and faculty in online, hybrid, and traditional classrooms
Using VoiceThread to Build Community--Dr. Jeremy Plant
So, you are teaching online, now how are you going to create a learning community? Dr. Plant's online Master in Public Administration students are literally scattered all over the world. So much of the work done in Public Administration is done in a group setting, so he needed a way for students to work in groups online. Dr. Plant worked with an instructional designer to determine the best way for students to work collaboratively in groups online. They decided to try VoiceThread - an online collaborative multimedia space that allows users to navigate slides and leave comments in several different ways. He used a familiarization assignment during the early part of the course to allow students to practice using the tool. He asked students to use VoiceThread to introduce themselves to the class. It was a great icebreaker, and a wonderful way to get students familiar with the tool. Using it in this way was an excellent way to get personalized introductions, and a great lead-in to working in groups. Overall, it was a very successful experience and he will continue using it in future course offerings.
You may also view a talk about how "disruptive technologies" such as Twitter can be harnessed to transform lectures into rich discussions. C. Michael Elavsky, Assistant Professor, University Park discussed his experience of reimagining COMM 110, implementing it and assessing students using social media.
Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State Erie, and Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence invite you to participate in a regional colloquy on May 11, 2011 that will focus on enhanced teaching and learning through the thoughtful use of today's technologies. Join in as a presenter or participant. Proposals are due by March 14, 2011: http://bit.ly/fFRHvX. This is a great opportunity to see and hear what others are doing and leave with new ideas!
The availability of the Internet has spurned creative uses of new technologies, changed classrooms, and placed new and different demands on faculty. How are you embracing these changes in your web-enhanced, hybrid, or online courses?
Keynote speaker, Dr. Susan Ko, will discuss the major elements of design and facilitation that determine the effectiveness of hybrid courses, and best practices in online teaching that contribute to the greater engagement of both student and faculty. Practical strategies will be highlighted, addressing such issues as workload management, different methods for assessment, the skillful integration of online and face-to-face activities, and appropriate incorporation of social media tools and resources.
Join us for this full day of sharing and networking. This event is open to all. Registration is free for PSH faculty and staff.
Community Engagement and the Culture of Teaching and Learning
Community engagement in education involves collaborative efforts to explore relevant issues and create new knowledge. How can community engagement be applied to academia and what effect will it have on the traditional roles of faculty, students, staff, researchers, and administration?
"Perspectives in Community Engagement" is a new series of workshops sponsored by the Faculty Center, Outreach Committee of the Diversity and Equity in Education Committee, and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. We will spotlight the work of faculty, staff, students and members of the broader Harrisburg region who make learning come alive beyond the classroom. Read more at: http://hbg.psu.edu/facultycenter/workshops
Faculty Center Newsletter Vol. 10.2
BACK TO SCHOOL!
SERVICE-LEARNING-
WHAT IS IT?
Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and
reflecting that helps learning come alive beyond the classroom and helps
students experience real-life connections between their education and every-day
issues in their communities. This experiential style of education combines
academic classroom curriculum with meaningful community service and encourages
lifelong civic responsibility and engagement that strengthens communities in
the process. Every subject area can be linked to real life community problems.
Key components of service-learning courses typically
include:
- Curricular connections to a community-based need
- Student voice and leadership
- Reflection
- Community partnerships
- Assessment
Dr. Roderick Lee has been incorporating service-learning
into his Information Sciences and Technology courses by organizing his students
to analyze, design and evaluate information systems to solve real-world
problems that community-based organizations are facing. "Now, every semester
we get more requests for web development than we can handle. Before
incorporating service-learning, I found that textbook cases and scenarios were
not well defined. And because students didn't have someone to contact for
clarification, the textbook problems were too open-ended. The students couldn't
get their heads around what they wanted to design, even late in the semester.
But now, having concrete tasks and boundaries makes a big difference."
Roderick believes that it would be useful to have more
serious discussion about the benefits and outcomes of service-learning. One way
to encourage student engagement and interest in projects is to publicize
success stories. One of his past-graduates, Kelsey Kerr, was the sixth Penn
State Harrisburg student to win the Ralph Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award. Named for
Penn State's 10th president, the award recognizes high scholastic attainment
and good citizenship and leadership in student activities. Amongst the many
service-learning projects that she worked on during her time at Penn State,
Kelsey was project leader for a class group that designed a web site for the
Central Pennsylvania Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She also designed a system for
the Penn State Hershey Medical Center blood bank to monitor federal regulations
and was the project leader for the PRH baseball website, found at
www.phrbaseball.com.
"The students get real world experience, an enhanced
understanding of content knowledge, communication and collaboration skills, and
a sense of social responsibility. Some students still work with community
partners post graduation," says Roderick.
A few faculty members engage in service-learning on our
campus and are a wealth of information about the benefits and different issues
involved. The Faculty Center is interested in supporting more faculty in
redesigning their courses to engage with the broader Harrisburg community, and
can help you access discipline-specific service-learning resources for your
courses. In late fall, we will host an hour-long session on what
service-learning involves. Shivaani Selvaraj, Instructional Designer in the
Faculty Center, is also interested in facilitating a small learning community
of faculty to share experiences and resources. If you have an interest in
service-learning, please contact her at x6623, or sas82@psu.edu.
Quick Tips
For Constructing Your Syllabus
Syllabi can be considered roadmaps to students' success. Your syllabus is your students' first experience with you as a teacher and sets the tone and climate for your course. The value of a well-written syllabus should not be underestimated.
The purpose of a syllabus is to give students an overview of
the course's goals and objectives, and to set the expectations by giving
students the basic information they need about the course.
To begin, answering these questions will help you articulate
your vision of your course:
·
What are the goals of your course? In other words,
what should your students experience, know, and/or be able to do by the end of
the course?
·
What teaching methods will most effectively
accomplish these goals?
·
How will you assess students' progress toward these
goals?
This will give students an idea of where the course is
going, how it's going to get there and why. When communicating to students the
benefits of your course, phrase expectations in positive terms, use inclusive
language (e.g., avoid gendered pronouns), and clearly present how grades will
be determined.
A syllabus is an agreement of sorts between you and your
students, but it is also an agreement that is subject to at least minor revisions. At first, you might want to mark your
syllabus as tentative. Basic information that students need to know include
course and university policies. The University Faculty Senate requires that
students be provided with the following information during the first ten days
of class: the examination procedures and grading policy, the academic integrity
policy and the evening exam schedule for daytime courses. Remember that many
students change their schedules the first week of the semester, so some may
miss the first day of class.
You may decide to include additional information that is
specific to your course. Possibilities include optional readings, background
readings, study questions, rationale for course content, beliefs about the
teacher's and students' roles in the teaching and learning process, etc.
Students base their expectations for the course on the
information you provide! Keep your audience in mind. Too much information can
be frustrating. Use headings, bullets, and separate sections to guide students
to the most important information. Most of all, have fun with it!
SYLLABUS CHECKLIST:
Course
Information
·
Course title and number
·
Credit hours
·
Prerequisites (Permission from instructor required?)
·
Classroom location
·
Lab/recitation location
·
Meeting days and times
·
Lab/recitation days and times
·
Department location
·
Web page
Instructor
Information
·
Full name and Title
·
Office location and phone number
·
Office hours
·
Email address
·
Department phone number
·
Home phone number, optional
·
Teaching assistant(s)
·
TA office location(s) and phone number(s)
Texts,
Readings, Materials
·
Textbook authors, titles, editions, price(s)
·
Supplementary reading, price(s)
Course
Description/Objectives
·
Catalog description
·
General course content
·
General course goals
·
Learning objectives for students
·
Instructional methods
·
Description of major assignments
Course
Calendar/Schedule
·
Readings
·
Homework
·
Assignments and due dates
·
Exam/quiz dates
·
Required special events
Course
Policies
·
Attendance
·
Lateness
·
Class participation
·
Missed exams
·
Missed assignments
·
Lab safety/health
·
Academic dishonesty
·
Grading
·
Support services
Other
·
Disability statement
·
Statement to cover possible changes in syllabus
TECHNOLOGY
HIGHLIGHT
The Faculty
Center wishes to congratulate Dr. Barbara Marinak, Assistant Professor of
Education & Reading, for the publication of Essential Readings on
Motivation. Essential Readings on Motivation was published by the International
reading Association.
To listen to a podcast with co-editors and leading educators Jacquelynn Malloy,
Barbara Marinak, and Linda Gambrell, click here
http://www.reading.org/downloads/podcasts/II-Gambrell.mp3
FALL 2010 CALENDAR
Adjunct Faculty Workshop
8/21/10, 8:30am-12:00pm,
C15 Olmsted
Blended Learning: The 21st-Century
Learning Environment
9/15/10, 12:00-5:30pm and
end of September - details coming!
Perceived Difficulty Assessment Questionnaire (PDAQ): What's it about?
9/30/10, 12:00-1:30pm, E308 Olmsted
Plagiarism Prevention and Turnitin
October - details coming!
10/26/10, 12:00-1:30pm, E308 Olmsted
Service-Learning- What is it?
November - details coming!
Talking about Teaching
W207 Olmsted
9/17/10, 2:00-3:00pm
10/15/10, 2:00-3:00pm
11/19/10, 2:00-3:00pm
Faculty Center Newsletter Vol. 10.1
BROADENING OUR HORIZONS AT THE
SYMPOSIUM
Besides being an accessible and friendly place to explore technology, both familiar and advanced, the TLT excels in generating dialogue about perspectives and approaches from the frontlines of teaching and learning. We, at the Faculty Center, wish not to reduce technology to a set of tools to be simply prescribed and plugged into different situations. The promise of technology, besides staying current with our emerging young people, is to further understand human values. This year's TLT keynote speaker, Michael Wesch, known for his scholarship and videos exploring the effects of social media and digital technology on society and culture, spoke precisely on this topic.
Wesch reflected on the psychological dilemma for academics who bring their heart and soul to teaching only to face disengagement and apathy, and the struggle for students to find significance and create meaning. With this backdrop, he showed examples from YouTube of the ways that people, young and old, are using multimedia and the internet to forge connections without constraint and to think critically about dominant narratives through a process of co-opting those messages and recreating their own. Wesch would describe himself as being "critically optimistic," not blindly optimistic, that technology will provide the solutions for all social problems.
http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/
http://ksuanth.weebly.com/wesch.html
From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environments
http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/essay/knowledgable-knowledge-able
Anti-Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6358393/AntiTeaching-Confronting-the-Crisis-of-Significance
HARNESSING TOOLS TO ADVANCE TEACHING AND LEARNING
Clarity
of vision and purpose precedes successful implementation of any new technology.
Careful planning to integrate technology into your courses can help you think
outside the box in face to face, hybrid, and online learning environments.
Original photo by Derick Burns
We
thought we would share some great applications of two of the many tools we
explored further at the Symposium: Google Earth and Voice Thread. These are
web-based tools that allow students to collaborate and share their work using
visuals, audio, and video. We heard from several presenters about exciting
applications of these tools across disciplines and in both online and face to
face courses.
Geo Education
Google
tools (Google Earth, Google Maps. Google Sky, Google SketchUp) allow people to "conceptualize,
visualize, share, and communicate information about the world around them." These
tools are simple to use, free and can be applied to any subject matter. Dr.
Laura Guertin on Brandywine campus showed us examples using Google Earth to
create "literature trips" that plot the journey of main characters, maps of
historical voyages and events, maps plotting the location of scientists
debating throughout history, real world math problems using real time coordinates
to calculate distance, and of course examples from the very visual disciplines
of geography and earth sciences. At each plot point you create, you can easily upload
images, text, audio, and video. You can view "Earth QUESTs," Questioning and
Understanding Earth Science Themes), completed by students at Penn State
Brandywine at http://www.personal.psu.edu/uxg3/blogs/googleearthquest/
A
great example of using Google Earth came from a student who traced his ancestral
migratory journey after having his DNA analyzed through National Geographic's
Genographic Project. His Google Earth presentation was a rich combination of his
own reflections and multimedia, including embedded YouTube videos, explaining
different periods of human and geologic evolution.
On
our own campus, Google Maps have been used increasingly in the Criminal Justice
Department. According to Dr. Carl Garver, "the Google Map has provided an
educational dimension to the ANGEL learning environment. Students love knowing
where other students are from. It enhances discussion when one student
asks another whether what applies in one place applies the same way in
others. In the example of my 'Introduction to Law' class, laws are
different in many states and local jurisdictions. Students learn of new
events in one area and ask other students to comment on such. Our Class
Sharing Forum allows students to delve deeper into occurrences in particular
states (even internationally). It challenges students to find out more
and research more extensively what other students have heard on the news.
The Google Map allows for a constant reference of where students are
from. It also helps the instructor to create questions specific to
certain students."
The Power of Voice
Voice
Thread is a powerful tool for harnessing the power of our voices when designing
opportunities for asynchronous learning. This tool allows students and faculty
to collaborate and generate conversations by creating their own identity and inserting recorded video, voice, text, or doodle-based comments
around assigned texts, images, powerpoint slides, or videos. The end result is a multimedia slide show that
holds the content as well as the conversation surrounding it.
One
example of how this can be used is in an art history class where images are
uploaded, and a class can add verbal interpretations and drawn elements specifying
different sections of the work of art that they are referring to in their
comments. Or, a video documentary in a history course can be uploaded into
Voice Thread and as students watch, they can add their vocal reactions exactly
at the point in the video clip where they have a comment to make. When the
avatar of that student is clicked the video will play and then pause so we here
the student's reaction.
At the TLT presentation, we saw how this tool was used in
a negotiation course in the Smeal College of Business, where students were
asked to reflect on the outcomes of a two week, team-based simulation of a
negotiation. A short powerpoint summarizing the different teams' outcomes was
uploaded into Voice Thread and students from the entire class held conversations
about the reasons for a team's success or failure, what could have been done
differently, or if the outcome came as a surprise, etc. Another example came
from an online class on Globalization, Technology, and Ethics, which used Voice
Thread as a way to collaboratively assess, discuss, and reflect on various international
case studies.
Voice
Thread is being used on Harrisburg's campus in Dr. Bill Bigos' online capstone
course in the Teaching and Curriculum Masters program. In another simulation
exercise, students were asked to prepare verbal presentations advising about
technology integration to a School Board. Students recorded their testimonies
in Voice Thread and then had members of their teams use Voice Thread's
commenting to constructively critique each others' presentations.
Voice
Thread accounts can be free or for a fee, faculty can obtain 50 licenses for
students, with different helpful management features. Click here to see an
example of how a graduate class in Education used Voice Thread to discuss and
answer questions from their teacher about information literacy: http://voicethread.com/library/1/
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