Improving Learning

 

What learning activities have you used with success in the distance environment? What instructional strategies help learners really engage with the course materials? Let us know by adding your ideas to this page!

 IDEA:  Wikis in class

 

Jean and I have started using wikis to extend the in-class conversation to the time spent out-of-class.  I would say we've had moderate success with this although some students complain that they just repeat what they already said in class.

 

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IDEA: Flexiblitiy in student options

 

With this flexibility, a student can choose his own time, pace, course of learning.  They will find the most rewarding experience by being active in choose their own agenda for learning instead of sitting in the classroom with the teacher targeting at only the average students.  The disadvantage is that for some students, they may get completely lost in making right decisions for themselves.  The teacher will have to intervene more to help.  -- Joe Song

 

IDEA: Smart Classroom

I've been using DACC's "smart classroom" this semester and was very frustrated because only PowerPoints could be used...no whiteboard.  An Elmo was provided, but was tedious to switch controls between the ELMO and computer.  I find PowerPoints are extremely limited when attempting to bring together the big picture.  For example, it's easy enough to break up cell mediated immunity into 20 or 30 individual slides, but students experience difficulty trying to see how each step interacts with others.  Additionally, the absence of "chalk talk" limits the ability to address many questions regarding the interactions within a system, much less between systems.  In my opinion, distance learning (especially without the laboratory experience) DOES NOT WORK for science courses with the possible exception of the most elementary of classes.

 

IDEA: Smart Classroom, pt. 2

The "smart classroom" was just equiped with a new "tablet laptop" which enables quick movement between PowerPoints and chalk talk using a stylus on the instructors monitor.  It helps a lot, but still is limited.  Call it old school, but I believe some sectors in science education have gotten too wrapped up in entertaining with "high tech" bells, whistles, and bytes that are really "low tech" and damper the richness of body systems. 

 

IDEA: Teachers Helping Teachers

Perhaps these types of tools (Wiki and Crowdabout) should be used by teachers to correspond and get feed back from eachother. I assume this already exists but it may be helpful for faculty to improve learning. Willeford

 

IDEA: Responsibility and direct involvement.

I am late here and all the good ideas are taken! :).

- For every Friday the students have to read one or two journal papers relevant to the material taught two weeks before. One of the students (agreed ahead of time) will need to take the lead and chair the discussion. This means that he/she must carefully read and identify relevant questions/discussion threads as well as prepare for answering questions. The rest of the students (participants) basically come up with questions. My role is that of a participant and try to be the last one to ask questions. I noticed that this way both chair and participants become more involved and actually do read the material (shocking isn't it!). I'll querry them later in the semester and assess the effectivity of this approach. Cheers - Adrian Unc

 

 

IDEA: Put students in positions of responsibility.

Being responsible for correct application of the course material is a great way to learn. Put your students in situations in which they must use their knowledge to help fellow students (or others in the community) and are responsible for the results. For example, I want my Astronomy 101 students to learn how to operate a small telescope. We plan on meeting at the campus observatory six times during the semester to look at different objects, and each time I will choose four students to man the telescopes. Those four will arrive early and learn the ropes. When everyone else arrives, the four telescope operators will be responsible for keeping the object in view and in focus so that their peers can correctly complete their observing assignment. - Paul Strycker

 

 

IDEA: Class Projects!

I am a huge fan of class projects. Even though students may be distant, a few times a semester (3), a group project is required. In my courses, the engineering students must use hardware that is available only on campus. I usually try to keep the groups small. After the first project, the ICE has been __broken__. Students then seem to interact freely with each other, just because they have seen each other in a non-classroom situation. --Bob Paz

 

 

IDEA: Go beyond your discipline.

Most of the students in my history courses are extremely deficient in geography. So, especially for my European classes, I spend extra time with in-class students discussing and looking at maps of the specific time period we are covering. Then they are quizzed about this knowledge on each exam using those same maps. For my online students I ask them assignment questions from the maps in the text and then allow them to take open book map quizzes. I am sure there are plenty of opportunities in other focus areas that an instructor can cross to another field and show how their material also applies in that area. - Gil Verser

 

IDEA: Use real life experiences

In our department (HRTM), I think that using real life experience to help the students learn is imperative. I co-teach a meetings and special events class, and I like to use my event planning experiences as examples to give students a "real" idea of what event planning consists of. Or bring in actual examples to SHOW them what I am talking about. For example: invitations, food menus, budgets, etc. I think using a text is necessary, but also incorporating actual experience adds to their learning experience.-Jolie

 

IDEA: Use real life experiences (agreement)

I agree with Jolie and I tend to do the same thing in my classes. The classes in our department are very practical in a nature and the students really want to hear about how this is going to apply once they enter the workforce. Using real life experiences helps them to understand the concepts that we are studying a little bit better and helps them to see some of what they might be facing once they become managers. - Julie Correa

 

 

 

IDEA: Help students identify how the course material directly affects them.

Teaching undergraduate (usually intro) political science courses can be challenging. There are so many students that are non-government majors taking the classes simply because they have to. As a result, I work hard to help them to see how politics affects almost every aspect of their lives on one level or another. We do many activities to demonstrate this at the very beginning of the semester, including looking at our own finances. This is a central theme that we come back to throughout the semester. For poli sci teachers, there are many online sites to help students think about their own values and beliefs, and help them decide where they fall on the ideological spectrum (i.e. politicalcompass.org), as well as what type of footprint they are leaving on the planet. These activities help to bring the concepts to life, and helps students see how they are connected to them. (R. Wiggins)

 

IDEA: Application of concepts

I observed a professor do this and thought it was an effective way of helping students integrate all the concepts they had learned in a management leadership course. Every three of four weeks, she assigns students to groups and presents them with some reading material that is not management/ business/ leadership oriented (for example the latest reading petained to a short story where a doctor recounts his interactions with a man, his wife, and child, as he makes a house call to treat this child who suspected to have diphtheria) and asks them to identify any management/ leadership concepts at play (and clearly state their reasoning). This helps students to integrate concepts and, as these cases are cumulative in terms of concepts learned, it also helps them to prepare for exams as the semester progresses, and helps the professor to clearly see whether some re-teaching may be necessary. - Yasanthi

 

IDEA: Emphasizing on basic concepts

Most of the time I think we are so caught up in wanting to show our students the big picture that we often overlook the basics. While it's important to keep in mind the applications, we must make sure that they uderstand key concepts. I teach mathematics and I usually find out that students lack basic skills which are essential in any application. Implementing these concepts in the form of project is a good idea. Hubert K. Noussi

 

 

IDEA: creating 'experts'

When the material is long and seems quite complicated, I divide material into smaller sections. I form groups and the entire material to the group, where each student in the group is responsible for a small section. Each student then becomes an 'expert' on that particular subject, and is responsible for learning everthing and teaching others in the group. In that way, students learn 'at least' the part that they are experts of very well. And being an expoert themselves allow them to be more open to listening to other experts...

aysegul.

 

Idea: Student Experts

Many times we (as coacher's/instructors) become suprised at the depth of knowledge a Learner/student demostrates about a topic of interest -- celebrities, fossils, dna. Part of our guidance might be devoted to "turning over the mic" to our own resident expert(s) and developing the most profitable skill of all -- learning to teach others. Just a thought.

 

 

IDEA: Let students have a role in how and what they learn

I let my students have a role in how and what they learn. There are a lot of ways to do this. I usually set a minimum standard of what I expect and I let them decide what they want to learn beyond that. It can be as simple as giving an assignment or task that seems a little vague but that generates discussion in class about what's expected...or having them discuss in a forum about multiple choice questions that they come up with which are to be used for review about class reading material. The students really take to this and I find my classes liven up. - Nemecio (Chito) Chavez

 

IDEA: Provide the Practicality

For each of my classes, I create projects that my students would use in "the real world." Let's face it, the majority of our students are not going to graduate school. I don't want to have them leave my classroom without being able to put their new knowledge to work, so I have them complete assignments throughtout the semester that are more practical application based. By the end of the semester, my student ususally have two to four projects that result in project materials they can use for portfolios in applying for jobs. I have also gotten much better evaluations from students when they feel like what they do in class is useful. Of course, everything I do in class is based on research and theory. Through projects, papers, exams, and other assignments, I can determine if my students are able to take the knowledge they have learned from the research and theory and apply it to practical (real world) contexts.--Rebecca Verser

 

IDEA: Tips for Online Learning

1. Get organized. Keep each class separate. Create electronic folders for each class in your Documents. File all printouts immediately. I use a binder and try to punch holes in the papers as soon as they come out of the printer. This reminds me to place the papers into the binder and not in a pile.

2. Type all responses in a word processor, save, and then upload to the course. This includes question responses, discussion postings, and emails. One never knows when the connection will be interrupted or lost.

3. Check course emails and discussions daily--even a couple of times a day.

4. Find a friend and work together. Frequent discussions helps to clarify assignments and ideas.

5. Get on SKYPE ASAP.

6. Breathe, relax, and ask questions. Not necessary to preface them with, "I have a silly question."  There is no such thing as a silly question. There is someone out there with the same question and may be too intimidated to ask.  Olive Oil

 

IDEA: Improve Learning by Project-Based Assessments

Have students select a project based topic that will utilize skills they are currently learning. This gives students input into their own assessment and will reinforce the skills they are learning. For example, I utilize this for my final project for my Computer Literacy class. The students are invested into the project by getting to make choices and it has students applying skills from software packages they have learned. Provide a rubric for grading and expectations of the project. Students have stated in evaluations this is their favorite part of the class because it is fun and they get to work on something that means something to them.  Angie Wolf

 

IDEA: Active Assessment

My idea is using each of the assessment tools that we were shown throughout this semester and applying them as such to improve the learning environment; thus improving the learning for the learner and educator.  Conni D.

 

IDEA: Voice

I'm not sure about te success but intial feedback is encouraging. I have started adding voice to several things. I convert written essays to PDF then respond using the Record Comments feature in Adobe Professional. I have also added voice to PowerPoint Presentations. I am starting to create video podcasts using PowerPoint. These are all very early trials. I will be testing all summer. Beth G.

 

IDEA: Use Comedy Improvisation to Foster Active Learning & a Cooperative Environment

 

Having done 'improv' as a student professional for close to 10 years, I know that students are at first terrified of the concept of performing (or presenting) in front of other students but appreciate the fun challenge after they're used to the games.  Teaching students improv enables them to do several things: 1. Follow Instructions Better: many games have basic 'rules' which are challenging but reasonable enough to follow to make the game run smoothly; 2. Improve Listening: almost every game utilizes some aspect of intense and careful listening...if a player does not hear what his/her teammates are saying they can be lost in the moment; 3. Foster Creativity: many students often feel like they are not creative, but improv is challenging enough that it pushes students to push their own imagination and think outside of the box.  While these concepts sound like they're only for the traditional classroom, they can be adapated for online communities.  For instance, the game Reply which has participants act out a generic scene then re-act the scene three times in different genres can be adapted to online writing assignments to discover voice and tone.  What Are You Doing, a quick on your feet game, can easily be done in a chat room between 2 or more students, enabling their creative juices to flow.  Extamporaneous writing is important online and off, a game like What Are You Doing would only strengthen that ability.  Peter Brooks, M. Ed.

 

Ask the Professor Discussion Board

 

 

This discussion forum might provide students with a place to pose questions to the instructor in regards to course relevant matters such as clarifying instructions about assignments, or ask about ideas and concepts within assigned readings that need more explanation. Questions posed would be of interest to other students.

 

cj

 

Invite An Expert Guest

A distance teaching strategty would be to invite an expert to join your conversations for a brief time.  

The guest could describe what they do to students and how what they are learning will benefit them in the field.  Students could send questions via email, and it could continue into discussion and instructional sessions.

 

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IDEA:  ANNOTATED BIB DISCUSSIONS 

 

In a graduate pathophysiology course I teach, I have assigned students to lead the discussions each week by posting an annotated bibliography from an article in a peer-reviewed journal from the last 5 years about the topic we are studying that week.  This assignment has generated great interest in the student's leading the discussion, as well as those student's participating in the discussion.  The current journals provide the latest information about the developments in the field related to the topic that won't be found in the course text.  This also provides practice for students in conducting literature searches.  What has been interesting is that often student's responding to the discussion topic will have searched for a journal article about the same topic to validate or refute the findings in the posted annotated bib.  Wanda

 

IDEA: Use as a discussion board

 

In a recent assignment for my Nursing Organizations and Management class, the students were to find a movie or TV show clip to demonstrate a topic in issues like sexual harrassment or hostile work environment. Then they were to describe the scean and explain why this demonstrated the topic they were to address. I can see that using a wiki would also be a good medium to share their findings. I wouldn't want to infringe copyright and download the clip but they could identify the media and set up a link so their peers could see the action then post a comment. Very interesting options! Thank you for the look and sharing the feel of this tech link. Anita

 

 

YouTube

In my subject area - information literacy - I've been viewing some of the creative YouTube videos on the topic & was looking to see some validation on this medium for instruction.  There is scholarship available, plus the below resource.  It seems like it would be a natural for distance ed environment.  Paula

 

7 Things You Should Know About YouTube

(EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative / September 2006) follows the standard format for this very useful series; starting with a likely educational scenario, it provides concise information on what YouTube is, who uses it, how it works, where it is going,  downsides, significance, and implications for teaching and learning. Emphasis on:

•     making content available
•     opportunities for experimentation with new media
•     opportunities for creative self-expression
•     engaging with content as creators and commentators   
•     replacing passive learning with active participation
•     interactive sharing of ideas and opinions

•     heightening visual literacy