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An Understanding of Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment Process
An Understanding of Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment Process
The projects I have worked on at PolyU have all been connected with a common synergy. The first two projects, Introduction to University Teaching (IUT) and Becoming and Effective Teaching Assistant (BETA), had the goal of training teachers and teaching assistants with the best teaching and classroom management practices. The content introduced in IUT and BETA covers pedagogical approaches such as active learning, engaging students, assessment methods and approaches, providing useful feedback, and the promotion of critical thinking skills. Both courses are delivered with a blended approach, so materials had to supplement and support the face-to-face sessions to complete the learning experience. Whether it is face-to-face or elearning, I utilize the same strategies that I preach.
In the courses I design, I try to find a balance between materials, so the courses are not too text or video heavy. I always use Biggs' model of Constructive Alignment and start with the intended learning outcomes which are presented to students at the beginning of each new module. In the IUT course, I chunked information into a three-tier structure which includes overarching modules, sections which group sub-topics, and finally folders which make up each section. This allows students to have many stopping points to easily return to or digest the information they just acquired. While this three-layered chunking usually works well with longer modules of one to one and a half hours, for the BETA course and shorter modules of twenty to thirty minutes, I usually use a simpler two-tier structure of modules then sections. The image to the right is evidence of how information within the modules is chunked in the IUT course. Having good organization is important for students and course builders alike, but I can't help but think there might be better ways to approach information chunking than just what I've had experience with in the past. Having too many folders and layers can become confusing for students at some point and I know it can be discouraging as a student to see too much content in a single module. In the upcoming year, I will take more courses on a variety of platforms, such as FutureLearn, Coursera, and EdX, to see how other designers approach the strategy of course organization and information chunking.
Active learning is a core pedagogical technique which I utilize in every course I work on, whether the course is face-to-face, blended, or fully online. A large part of my job is taking face-to-face content and adapting it for e-learning. This means identifying what materials can be enhanced by presenting them in a more engaging form, be it a clickable interaction, timed activity, game, or formative assessment. Often, there are activities performed in the classroom which I must find a way present online or redevelop also. In The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) course, there were polls near the beginning of modules so data could be collected and also to have participants share their thoughts while seeing the consensus from their peers. Many of the activities developed were ungraded and focused on reflection by the participants. I implemented this technique by utilizing a couple short questions after participants watch a video and also as a reflective writing journal activity near the end of most modules to increase student engagement with the content and to ensure learning is achieved. Even in the case of the SoTL course, I think there should be a balance when using reflective questioning. Some of the feedback criticized the lack of formal assessment, so I think in the future I will need to provide a greater variety of question types to round out the learning experience. For evidence, below is a poll I created to gauge self-teaching perception. Question 4 reuses the four box image participants were presented with over the course of the module and encourages them to reflect on their own involvement in scholarship.
Even after implementing all the techniques I know for teaching, learning, and assessment; I can't expect a course to be perfect still. I must rely on feedback through beta testing to find problem areas. Every course I build has a beta testing period, but I will focus on just one here to keep things simple. Online University Teacher Training (OUTT) is a brand-new course I worked on from the inception. While building the course on Blackboard, I used sound pedagogical, e-learning, and design techniques, such as Bloom's Taxonomy for learning outcomes, universal design, and case-based training to make a course which is functional, attractive, and educationally effective. Since this course prepares teachers for the classroom, they also learn through example with the techniques above, not just through direct content. The course utilized the same techniques which I described above for IUT and BETA. Two cohorts participated in a controlled beta test of OUTT before the course went live to university staff. The beta test was made up of users within my department and colleagues around the university who have worked closely with the Educational Development Centre in the past.
Ultimately, there were six modules and each had a graded assessment at the end. I created a feedback survey just before the assessment which must be completed before using adaptive release to allow access to the final graded assessment. The most helpful data came from the following survey questions: "What aspect of this Module do you still feel unclear about? What makes it unclear?" and "Suggest how this online module can be enhanced." After each cohort, I used the data to revise course content, pacing, visuals, and assessment questions. I've used similar feedback questions on other courses and have found by far the most useful data pertained to things the participants did not like and would improve, as opposed to asking about what they most enjoyed.
As evidence, I've included a document on the right which contains feedback collected from cohort 1 of OUTT. After the course ended, I went through line by line and addressed each issue before the second beta test.
The concept of active learning is constantly shifting because of technology. Active learning used to mean hands-on activities in the classroom and such, but now it can be implemented with tools like augmented/virtual reality, Padlet, and even custom-made smartphone apps. When I am designing a course, it can be challenging to vary activities enough, so that participants stay focused and interested. The MOOC/SPOC community has been great because they are largely sharing sessions, where teams will present problems they have faced and solutions they have found. I have discovered so many techniques and tools in these sessions which I have been able to implement in the courses I've built at PolyU. One technique which I use often and I learned from another team at a session is implementing a knowledge check for every knowledge point. In the past I would often have an assessment at the end of a module, but I've learned that retention can be improved by using more formative assessments, or having a single reflective question following an embedded video.
Feedback has constantly been an eye-opening tool in my courses. Since I started implementing beta testing of courses and collecting feedback from users, I have learned a lot of what students like/don't like, what design decisions are helpful/detrimental to their learning, and what content is not in-depth or clear enough. Chunking was implemented for IUT and BETA specifically because each module is very long. Participant feedback showed that it took on average one hour thirty minutes per module. Without the information chunking, I think there would be more critical feedback on the module length and test scores would likely be lower because users would become fatigued and click through pages without taking in all the content. As a result, some users still mention that modules are long from time to time, but there are many stopping points for users to easily regain their place later, creating a more friendly learning environment.
One technique I use when building courses is reverse engineering. I found out about the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program and they provide a fantastic rubric for evaluating online courses. I now utilize this document in the planning and design phase to ensure my course is built with Course Design, Interaction and Collaboration, Assessment, and Learner Support in mind. I also use the rubric when evaluating my own courses to make sure I didn't overlook any critical area. This practice has been extremely helpful to me and I've shared the document and my own experience using it to other colleagues at sharing sessions. Another way reverse engineering has helped to grow my skills is by analyzing content and rebuilding it for an online platform. Through working with the content of subject matter experts, I have become very familiar with countless tools, theories, and techniques which have been unknown to me.
Unfortunately, my current position doesn't cover expenses from attending conferences, but one thing that could certainly be beneficial to further my knowledge is actively attending conferences so I can help stay up to date on some of the technological innovations in education. In June this year, eLearning Forum Asia 2017 was hosted at PolyU and I was able to attend several sessions. I was introduced to many technologies and theories through the sessions and I learned what a great opportunity networking at such events can be. I have always been a proponent of lifelong learning, but after finishing my degrees it can be difficult to find the time and resources to continue learning, so remaining open to the content I work with and participating further in conferences, in-person or online, would help me to stay up to date in my own field and numerous other educational disciplines.
An Understanding of Your Target Learners
An Understanding of Your Target Learners
My undergraduate and graduate programs at Bowling Green State University both helped to prepare me for designing instruction for adult learners by providing extensive background on learning theories, instructional techniques, and challenges faced by adult learners. I was expecting to find instructional design work at a university in a department that created materials for students, but as it ends up, my first position was actually in the human resources department creating policy trainings for staff and faculty. My familiarity with adult learners certainly came in helpful, but the demographics were far wider than that of the college's student population. I had the opportunity to take over facilitation and development duties for the new employee orientation shortly after starting my role. The information had largely become outdated and existing material consisted of just paper booklets and a PowerPoint presentation. In revising the materials I had to consult numerous departments for data, media, and general suggestions to make sure all aspects of policy and benefits were covered. Some of the departments included Emergency & Safety Services, Police and Public Safety, Financial Services, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Office of the Provost, Marketing, and the President's Office.
The process provided a tremendous amount of insight into both the student and employee populations at our organization. Additionally, facilitating the new employee orientation on a weekly basis gave me a first-hand experience meeting all new employees and the opportunity to discuss their goals, preconceptions, worries, and expectations. As it ends up, revising the new employee orientation wasn't a one-time task, the additional information I got on a weekly basis continually gave me new ideas about content to add and revise. This was one situation where I was able to learn not only through research, but also through direct contact with the people I was both working with and training. As evidence, I've attached a screenshot of the Prezi I developed for new employee orientation. There is an embedded video and talking points on various departments and policies which I covered in the orientation.
The entire Prezi can also be seen here: http://prezi.com/zxjv1yi66rzx/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
When I started working at PolyU, it was my first position in Hong Kong and my second in Asia. As I've learned in the past, knowing your students is important and every organization has a variety of students, all with different needs. We have a mixture mostly of local Hong Kong, mainland Chinese, and Western students at the university. One of my first tasks was revising the Introduction to University Teaching (IUT) course our department offers to all new teaching staff at the university. The IUT course gives teachers new to academia techniques such as active learning and engaging lesson creation to help them succeed in the classroom. Module 2 in IUT focuses on "Who comes to PolyU" by teaching about our students and their needs. Even though I don't teach students since I help to train the instructors who teach students, I learned a lot about cultural differences which affect motivation and learning needs in Hong Kong. During the module revision, I took existing information about the demographics and researched more current information through PolyU's Profile of New Students document and the University of Michigan's Global Learning and Internationalization website (http://www.crlt.umich.edu/internationalization). These resources helped me to revise our content effectively by addressing issues with suggested strategies for non-native English speakers and incorporating international materials/references. I was able to simultaneously learn about our own students and the instructors we provide training to in our department. Evidence of this can be seen in the IUT Module 2 information page which includes the intended learning outcomes, module sub-sections, and learning topics.
Since I started my degrees later than normal, age 24 for undergraduate and 26 for graduate, I had first-hand knowledge of what it is like to be a working adult seeking higher education. Many situations exemplified in the curriculum were parallel experiences to that of my own. This was incredibly beneficial because my goal has been to work in higher education, so knowing about the motivations and challenges of adults students has helped me to better understand andragogy. The experience to revise and facilitate new employee orientation was eye-opening and gave me knowledge I never would have found through research. The orientation was well received by many, but there were also numerous criticisms over time. I constantly made revisions to improve the program based on a feedback questionnaire we gave out after the half-day orientation. The return rate of this questionnaire was quite low though, so looking back I think I should have found a better way to motivate our trainees to complete and submit the feedback as it was so valuable for future groups. I was one of the first faces new employees saw as a representative of the college, so the positive or negative impact of the orientation would be one of the earliest memories regarding our organization for all new employees. That put a lot of pressure on the situation, but it also allowed me to build a relationship during the on-boarding which I used to continue to help and support those trainees well after their first day of work.
I was aware how things like age and socioeconomic status can affect learners, but before starting at PolyU I was largely ignorant of how learners from different regions and cultures can have different needs. I was fortunate to have one of my first tasks in Hong Kong be revising a module on students data/needs since it affected my own knowledge of knowing my students, but since that task happened so early, I was mostly working with existing data. I feel that if I were to revisit the topic and do more extensive research, I would have an even more intricate understanding and I could strengthen the module even further. In the future, I will likely be moving back to the United States and looking for a position at a state university, so I will certainly be aware of the diverse population and how I can most effectively understand and educate my students. I hope to build an environment where all students feel comfortable and can have equal opportunity to attend and achieve success, regardless of their various backgrounds.
This ends Core Area 2: Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment, please continue to Core Area 3.
This ends Core Area 2: Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment, please continue to Core Area 3.
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