2.24.2011
12.15.2010
Student Engagement
I was working on a new T4LT script on student engagement and came across this article (march 2002):
I'm interested in thinking of course design in such a way that would communicate to the student that they have important goals and experiences. One method is to offer more choice and control of the curriculum, timing, methods of assessment. Service learning could also offer practical application to the practicing student.
Michelle M. Merwin "Let sleeping students lie?: Using interpersonal activities to engage disengaged students". College Student Journal. FindArticles.com. 15 Dec, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_1_36/ai_85007772/Michelle shares some compelling stories and insights. And naturally as I read articles such as these, I am always thinking, "How does this apply to online instruction?" Can we expect to ask sleeping online students to wake up and participate? How does knowing students names and things about them come across in the online environment? Of course you know their names, it's in the LMS.
I'm interested in thinking of course design in such a way that would communicate to the student that they have important goals and experiences. One method is to offer more choice and control of the curriculum, timing, methods of assessment. Service learning could also offer practical application to the practicing student.
10.15.2010
Due Dates - Your Perception of Time
Due dates remain a constant struggle for many instructors and students. They are an intrinsic part of every class or learning experience in that our concept of time is linear and our time together is finite. The very nature of our existence and our ultimate non-existence strongly suggests we must complete goals within a prescribed amount of time. For most of us in education, that time compartment is a semester. And within this rather arbitrary section of days and nights, even more subsections of time are engraved into the fiber of our beings, most commonly months, weeks and days.
Perhaps those who can perceive of time as anything other than linear, due dates would be an impossible concept to grasp. Perhaps that would be annoying, or maybe liberating. The linear prospects of time are such a pervasive element to our understanding of the world, that I have a hard time imagining any other way. But rather than changing our grasp of time, we can look at how we reflect on and relate to time in several different ways. Philip Zimbardo, author of The Time Paradox, has an interesting take on this:
Our different relationships with time might help to explain some of the disconnect instructors experience and when students have trouble meeting due dates. Our own relationship with past, present and future may help explain why we, as educators, feel so passionately about enforcing or relaxing late assignments and makeup policies.
A quick brainstorming session, came up with these reasons instructors include due dates in their courses.
Perhaps those who can perceive of time as anything other than linear, due dates would be an impossible concept to grasp. Perhaps that would be annoying, or maybe liberating. The linear prospects of time are such a pervasive element to our understanding of the world, that I have a hard time imagining any other way. But rather than changing our grasp of time, we can look at how we reflect on and relate to time in several different ways. Philip Zimbardo, author of The Time Paradox, has an interesting take on this:
Our different relationships with time might help to explain some of the disconnect instructors experience and when students have trouble meeting due dates. Our own relationship with past, present and future may help explain why we, as educators, feel so passionately about enforcing or relaxing late assignments and makeup policies.
A quick brainstorming session, came up with these reasons instructors include due dates in their courses.
- Assertion of authority -- Few would likely admit this, but I've certainly experienced the teacher who gains a feeling of importance when controlling others. The compliance with rules is often equal to a sign of respect for the instructor. Breaking these rules means disrespect. Questioning of rules is not permissible.
- Teaching responsibility -- The explanation (justification) I often hear with respect to strict enforcement of due dates is that college students are adults and must behave according to "real world" rules and expectations. Learning as job is the analogy -- students are workers and workers are held accountable for on-the-job mistakes: reprimand, payroll deduction, termination of employment.
- Better learning -- Thinking takes time and if students are asked to think deeply they will need time to reflect on content. Due dates purposely spread the amount of learning asked of students into realistic segments. If the student still cannot think fast enough to make the due date, they are often labeled slow, lacking motivation, lazy, slacker. And some students welcome these labels.
- Respect my time -- Feedback is the essence of instruction. The spread of due dates gives instructors the time to provide valuable information for further learning. Without the spread, and negative consequences for late work, instructors will not have time to communicate with the student.
And as a student, what is your preference for due dates? Most people I ask say they need dead-lines if only to make the goal real. Are you appreciative for the structure or rebellious against the authority? What is your preference for late work penalties? Do late penalties help success, learning? Would a clearer understanding of our own perception of time assist in the conversation?
9.17.2010
9.10.2010
What's the Point of Questions?
I once had an instructor explain to me how frustrated he was with the number of stupid questions asked in his classes. I could sympathize, but questions kind of come with the job. He was so bothered that he decided to announce to his class that there were, in fact, such things as stupid questions and such questions were not welcome in his class. Such a proclamation runs afoul of common teaching niceties. He had grown weary of answering questions like "Is there anything due today?" "Sorry I missed class yesterday, did you cover anything important?" "What chapters will be covered on the exam?" "Can I turn this in late?"
The common No-Such-Thing-As-A-Stupid-Question (NSTAASQ) method of instruction does, at times, seem to be broken. And sure, there are likely situations where the above questions could potentially be very valid, but there is a level of thought missing from these interrogatives and others like them. Perhaps the word "stupid" is too loaded. I don't want to label a question as stupid, but I want to encourage more thinking, research and discovery prior to questions being asked.
It might be useful to gather a list of questions that appear to be lacking in thought and try to categorize them in some fashion. Perhaps we would see a trend. Many of the questions above suggest students are not paying attention or referencing course documents - they are relying on their instructor to serve as personal assistant: look this up for me, remind me of appointments and inform me of forgotten details. With more questions might see other trends.
Questions for clarity? These questions often repeat part or whole of a concept. They might be preceded by "So let me get this straight..." or "Did you say..." When used in earnest they are wonderful, but too often these questions seem dripping with ego-boosting, look-at-me, I'm-so-smart subtext.
Questions for criticism? I find these questions difficult to recognize. I'm a sucker for solving people's quandaries and can be lured into unwarranted debate before I realize where I am. "Is there a reason there isn't an Add New Course button on the homepage?" This was a recent example that I took at face value and began to offer an explanation. The explanation didn't matter because the question wasn't really a question at all. It was a challenge - the speaker was making a point that there ought to be such a button.
Questions for negotiation? Perhaps all communication is a negotiation of meaning. This category might include questions posed for suggestive purposes. Rather than come straight out and tell someone to do something, it is often more appropriate or better received when asked as a question. "Did you finish your homework?" "Have you called your mother recently?" "Why is the soup ladle in the knife drawer?"
Questions for learning? All of these questions about questions is just a way to ponder how teachers and trainers best deal with the myriad of approaches to providing answers or not providing answers. It might be an interesting communicative challenge to make it through the day without asking a single question. It would also be an interesting challenge to make it through a day only asking questions, but how annoying would that be?
The common No-Such-Thing-As-A-Stupid-Question (NSTAASQ) method of instruction does, at times, seem to be broken. And sure, there are likely situations where the above questions could potentially be very valid, but there is a level of thought missing from these interrogatives and others like them. Perhaps the word "stupid" is too loaded. I don't want to label a question as stupid, but I want to encourage more thinking, research and discovery prior to questions being asked.
It might be useful to gather a list of questions that appear to be lacking in thought and try to categorize them in some fashion. Perhaps we would see a trend. Many of the questions above suggest students are not paying attention or referencing course documents - they are relying on their instructor to serve as personal assistant: look this up for me, remind me of appointments and inform me of forgotten details. With more questions might see other trends.
Questions for clarity? These questions often repeat part or whole of a concept. They might be preceded by "So let me get this straight..." or "Did you say..." When used in earnest they are wonderful, but too often these questions seem dripping with ego-boosting, look-at-me, I'm-so-smart subtext.
Questions for criticism? I find these questions difficult to recognize. I'm a sucker for solving people's quandaries and can be lured into unwarranted debate before I realize where I am. "Is there a reason there isn't an Add New Course button on the homepage?" This was a recent example that I took at face value and began to offer an explanation. The explanation didn't matter because the question wasn't really a question at all. It was a challenge - the speaker was making a point that there ought to be such a button.
Questions for negotiation? Perhaps all communication is a negotiation of meaning. This category might include questions posed for suggestive purposes. Rather than come straight out and tell someone to do something, it is often more appropriate or better received when asked as a question. "Did you finish your homework?" "Have you called your mother recently?" "Why is the soup ladle in the knife drawer?"
Questions for learning? All of these questions about questions is just a way to ponder how teachers and trainers best deal with the myriad of approaches to providing answers or not providing answers. It might be an interesting communicative challenge to make it through the day without asking a single question. It would also be an interesting challenge to make it through a day only asking questions, but how annoying would that be?
9.04.2010
8.15.2010
Potentially Cool Links 08/15/2010
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Opposite word - list of opposite words
I thought myself clever as I asked the group of training instructors what the opposite of anonymous was. As in: "Surveys are often anonymous, but tests are typically... non-anonymous." No one answered, but maybe they were just being polite. Turns out the opposite of anonymous is onymous. I am somewhat thankful to see spell check does not recognize this word, but I plan to use it every chance I get now. New power word!!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
8.10.2010
8.02.2010
7.30.2010
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