Are you looking for a tool to record a screencast? Screencastify is an easy to use tool for recording direction in your Chrome browser. The recorded video can be saved onto your Google Drive, downloaded to your computer, or uploaded directly to YouTube.
I am now in my third year teaching online courses for the Global Online Academy. Through this experience and also from my online masters in education program, I have learned a number of good teaching strategies that work in both online and traditional classrooms. Here are some tips I picked up from my online teaching that have helped me improve my face-to-face courses.
Provide clear directions
From the start of the course, it’s important to be clear about guidelines and expectations. Directions for each assignment need to be clear and properly scaffolded. How directions are written is just as important as how they are organized and presented. For long term projects, try bringing the project up into smaller portions and give each portion a due date to help keep track of student progress. Once a student is confused, learning will often stop and it may be hard for that student to become engaged in the class again. In addition, clear directions and expectations can help avoid student confusion and save a lot of your time answering clarifying questions via e-mail or text. It also helps to include screenshots and examples of assignments to set expectations.
Make face-to-face meetings meaningful
In my online courses, I meet with my students synchronously for 30 minutes to 1 hour every other week. I have to make sure I use that time wisely. Often, this is the only time in the course when my students are connected in real time. Thus, this is valuable time for my students to dialogue with one another. During our Skype session, I often give prompts connected to a current topic for students to discuss.
In a face-to-face setting, I build in time for students to collaborate and dialogue with each other, especially when working on group projects. Students have found it useful to use class time for group work. Consider what you would like students to accomplish during the class meetings. How can you build a sense of community with your students while making stronger connections with them? Take advantage of the students’ presence to make their learning active and collaborative. Remember that learning is a socially mediated process.
http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html
http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/social.htm
Assess higher order thinking skills
Because students can access just about any type of information online, assessments can be tricky. I have opted to give more open-ended questions instead of factual questions for assessments. I grade students’ answers on how they are able to explain their thinking process and support their answer rather than whether they got the fact correct. Open-ended questioning allows students to demontrate their higher-order thinking skills. It not only assesses conceptual understanding, but also students’ abilities to analyze, evaluate, and solve problems. Consider using higher level verbs in Bloom’s Taxonomy when writing up assessment questions.
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching-resources/effective-practice/revised-blooms-taxonomy/
Use technology with a purpose
Many tools are great, but consider whether they are necessary. Is there an easier way to do it? Even though our students may be digital natives, not all students are tech savvy. If it takes more than a few steps to complete an assignment, it may hinder some students from completing it. It can result in frustration, which can negatively affect the course content and students’ ability to learn. When in doubt, always err on the side of keeping things simple.
Provide frequent feedback
In my online course, students do not get to see me and get feedback from me in the classroom setting. Thus, feedback through Canvas is the only way they know how they are doing in the course. I had to get into the habit of giving frequent small feedback, both to applause and to critique their work. My students found that the frequent feedback has put them at ease since they know exactly where they stand or need improvement.
In my face-to-face class, I make sure to provide frequent feedback by grading their assignments as soon as I can. I use the time in class to dialog with students about ongoing assignments and their progress in the course. Through Canvas, the instant I give a student feedback, he or she can review it online. Students don’t have to wait until next class time to get their assignments handed back. Feedback helps students know what their strengths and areas for growth are. For long term assignments, it’s especially crucial for students to know whether they are on the right track.
Teaching online has helped me to become a more responsive, empathetic, and compassionate teacher. It also helped me tailor my courses to the needs of my students. I have learned to take advantage of my class meetings to build a community of learners and to provide ample opportunities for collaborative learning.
What a semester this has been! This blog has been a way to reflect on my journey as I muddle my way through emerging technologies as experienced in ETEC 647e. It was definitely a roller coaster with many ups and downs represented by successes and challenges. However in the end, I must admit, I’m exhilarated and I can’t wait to delve further into the many different tools and topics touched on in this class. Some of the things high on my list are:
Flipped videos – with many different tools available now, it’s easier than ever to convert teacher-centered instruction to flipped classrooms. I hope that this will allow me to free up more time in class to interact with students and allowing students to spend more time dialoguing with each other.
Mobile technology – Tablets and smartphones are definitely not going away. And I am continually amazed by the quality of the apps available on the iOS devices. The task is finding the right way to integrate them into the classroom. I would like students to use the iPads as tools to create products to demonstrate their learning and thought process. I think students will also find the iPads to be a wonderful tool to curate and consume resources as well.
MOOCs – Even though it was a very passive learning experience to take the Coursera Nutrition course, I’m hoping that I will be able to learn basics of computer science through MOOCs. I would like to learn more about HTML and CSS as well as other new and emerging computer languages in order to keep up with the trends in technology. Maybe through coding assignments, MOOCs will turn into an active learning experience for me.
As I look forward, there are still yet so many unknowns as to how all these emerging technologies will play out. However, I feel that I have a good grasp on how and when I can use these technologies to further challenge my students while engaging and motivating them to be 21st century learners.
I shared this YouTube video with my students as a current events topic in Anatomy and Physiology. This is a clip from NBC’s Rock Center on Jan 23, 2013.
Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute and Chief Academic Officer of San Diego-based Scripps Health, believes the digital revolution will change the future of medicine. It’s amazing the apps he showcased in the video: portable EKG, blood glucose monitor, etc.
My students were so impressed by the gadgets from the video. It really stimulated a lot of discussion in class about how these devices might work and how it could be beneficial for the patients. We also wondered if too much information maybe bad.
I also shared with my students my own experience with wearable technologies:
I am a gadget junkie and I use these devices to motivate me to be more active while encouraging a healthy lifestyle. I have been using the above devices for about 6 months and I love them!
The iPhone just celebrated its 6th birthday this year. And it’s amazing how much wireless technology along with internet connected devices (via iOS apps) have skyrocketed in recent years. I do agree with Dr. Topol that this digital revolution will change not only the field of medicine, but our daily lives.
My only real experience with augmented reality (AR) is with StarWalk on the iOS devices. I been using StarWalk off and on for about 2 years. It started out when I was teaching an astronomy unit for 7th grade science. In a word, the StarWalk app is awesome! It’s simple to use and brings astronomy to a level where anyone can appreciate and understand. Even my 5 year old loves using the app on nights we go out to star gaze. For my 7th graders, I used it in the classroom to show the different constellation and how the location of stars change depending on season, etc. Some ended up downloading it and using it on their own. That in itself shows how well this AR app works in the education setting.
Now, 2 years later, there has been more development in this new field. Just from my quick look at YouTube to create a playlist for this week’s assignment, I found that several companies have created AR apps to teach chemical bonding in Chemistry. Genius! When I was teaching Chemistry, it’s one of the harder topics to teach since it requires students to imagine the electrons moving around in the atom. Students often wonder, “how do electrons get shared?” or “why would sharing be better?”. With these AR apps, students can see how compounds are formed by putting 2 element cards together. Here’s a YouTube showing how one particular AR software works:
Here’s a YouTube video using AR tags on the iPhone:
Hopefully, these types of AR apps will be affordable enough so that all students / teachers will have access to the material.
The Nutrition for Health Prevention Course I took ended last week. Here are my thoughts…
The video lectures were of great quality. The site was easy to navigate and materials easy to access. I like that videos and PowerPoints are downloadable. The work load was manageable, even though I ended up spending more like 4 – 6 hours instead of the 2 -4 hours stated in the course description.
Assessments are two-fold: weekly quizzes and peer-assessed assignments. The weekly quizzes are factual recall and required me to look through my notes from video lectures to answer the questions. The assignments were more applicable: track nutrition and food eaten over a 24 hour period, create a daily meal plan for some one with diabetes, and make a dish that is significant in a culture – analyze its health benefits.
It was definitely a different way to learn. However, it did remind me a bit of the large courses I took in college. Instruction was information-heavy and teacher-lead. It was hard to ask questions to the professor directly – you either have to attend office hours or see a TA. In the Coursera case, although the forum offers a way to bridge a gap between instructor and students, I found it very difficult to navigate through the plethora of forum posts. I would search for a topic that I had a question on, then peruse the comments in the thread. I did not feel comfortable or had the time to post regularly to the discussion forum.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I had been exposed to the content before through my undergraduate and graduate work. It was nice to hear recent research done in the field. Also, it motivates me to continue to be mindful about my eating habits and to make healthy choices.
In your opinion, what are the three most significant ways in which a tablet device may be useful for learning? Support your answers.
Tablets, specifically, iPads have transformed the learning in my classroom. As I have mentioned in an earlier blog post, the Anatomy apps we use allow for a richness of images never before achieved in the class. The iPads and apps allow students to work on their own pace to discover the anatomical structures we’re focusing on for the day. Students can manipulate the images as they need. This ability allows for individualized learning that enables students to learn on their own at their own pace. Additionally, students are more engaged and motivated to learn with their shiny new devices. The iPads have been working out well in my class from my experience. However, I foresee that students can be more productive if we were on a 1:1 iPad program.
This summer, I’m going to be part of a team of teachers to help pilot an iPad classroom in the summer school Biology program at my school. Although I have taught summer biology for the past three summers, I’m choosing to take a step back from being the classroom teacher this year to help support the integration of iPads into the curriculum. The students will be assigned an iPad for the duration of the course. Additionally, we plan to have a laptop cart along with several desktops in the classroom.
We are just beginning to discuss the potential of individualized learning and other benefits of having an iPad classroom. In a nutshell, we already know that iPads can be used for content consumption. There are some amazing apps for Evolution and Cells that we will have students use. The next steps are ways to have students curate and create their own content using the iPads. Maybe they can create their own iMovie presenting as aspect of the Hawaiian ecosystem. Or they can create an iBook chronicling their 6-week journey through the summer biology course. We’re hoping that from our experience this summer, we will have additional ideas around the successes and challenges of the iPad classroom.
On the topic of Big Data, I enjoyed reading Duhigg’s NY Times article, “How Companies Learn Your Secrets” (Feb 16, 2012). It was interesting to hear how Target uses shopping information to predict whether a woman is pregnant. I believe I must have been one of the statistics as I was pregnant with both my children around the time Andrew Pole developed his predictive model. I must admit, the ads worked for me. I have always preferred Target over other big box stores. I like that I can get everything I need in one place. Especially when I had my kids with me on shopping trips, it’s much easier to make one stop than 3 or 4 multiple stops. Personally, I didn’t mind getting those coupons and ads in the mail. I needed those items anyway, now I can get them for cheaper!
As a teacher, I have been gathering data on my students’ test scores to help me determine whether it was an appropriate assessment and whether students are meeting the objectives for the course. Before using Haiku LMS, I used to type students’ test scores into an Excel spreadsheet or an online grading system to analyze the means. If the mean was low for a particular test, I usually go back to the test and look at the questions to see if it could be better phrased, etc. If a particularly low score on a test is a red-flag that I should reach out to the student and offer additional assistance.
In the past 3 semesters, I have been using Haiku LMS for assessments. Students log into the course website using Safe Exam Browser to take the test/quiz. For most of my students, this is the first time they’ve ever taken their test or quiz online. One of the features I love is the ability to see how well students do on each question. For example, on the recent Muscular system test, students did very well on the action terms since we did a huge Kinesiology project on analyzing movement and action. However, students seem to struggle a bit with the definitions for “origin”, “insertion”, and “isotonic”. This type of analytics allow me to note where students need further help with the material. I can identify trouble spots and revise my lessons for future classes.
My students don’t have access to this particular information although they are able to view their test and see exactly what they got wrong. And they can do this in the comfort of their own home. No longer do I have students hounding me down at the end of class to find out what they got wrong on a particular question and why. Students can also view their grades as I update them so they always know where they stand in the class. I find that these features of Haiku LMS have removed the awkward grade disputes I used to have with students. I can focus more on planning more effective lessons to engage and motivate my students’ learning.
Haiku LMS also offers a way to track how often students are logging in to access information. However, I don’t access this data very often partly because I do see my students in a face-to-face setting every other day. Through my interactions with students in class, I can usually tell which students I need to spend more time with.
Big data is not going away. It’ll be interesting to see how other educators leverage the information gathered and how we use it to improve students’ learning.
Resources:
Duhigg, C. (2012, February 18). How Companies Learn Your Secrets. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html
According to TechCrunch article on Thurs, Feb 28, 2013, Apple has sold more than 8 million iPads to educational institutions. That’s a startling number. I know that many schools on Oahu either already have a 1:1 iPad program or are on the verge of implementing the program. Those not on a 1:1 iPad program, such as the school I teach at, have access to iPad carts.
In my own classroom, we use iPads about 25% of the time. There are great Anatomy apps that allow my students to visualize the body system we are covering. Just today, for introduction to the nervous system, I am having my students put together a Brain Cap, then using the 3D Brain App (free), students identify location and function of key structures in the brain such as the 4 lobes of the brain. I find that my students are more engaged and motivated with the content through using iPads than using the textbook and course management system alone.
Although we are using iPads in the classroom, we are not truly maximizing the capacity of mobile learning. In true mobile learning, content and learning should be accessible from any where at anytime. At this point, my students can’t check out the iPads to take home. If they need the iPads beyond our class meeting time, they have to make an appointment to meet with me. Some students with iPhone or iTouch end up downloading the apps we use if they are free or relatively inexpensive. In order for my classroom to realize mobile learning, we would have to move to a 1:1 iPad classroom.
Among the promise of mobile learning are more productivity and more engaged students. However, I find that there are still limits to iPads – especially when it comes to collaboration. I love the ease of collaborating in real-time on Google Docs. There isn’t an easy way to replicate this process on the iPads (yet). Thus, the best case scenario would be to have a 1:1 iPad program with access to a class set of laptops. However, in a year’s time, who knows where the technology will be and what new promises it will bring.
Teaching and Technology 