Jessica Smith

Best Practices, iPad, Teaching Advice, TLT

Take Note: Self-Assessment Improves Teaching

April 11, 2016January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

As the semester winds down, I’ve begun reflecting on the successes and failures of my class. Which topics led to fruitful discussion? Which assignments caused students the most trouble? Which instructions did I constantly have to clarify? Which activities backfired? As important as this type of self-reflection is, when I wait until the end of the semester, my memory sometimes fails. So I’ve established the habit of journaling throughout the semester. But if you’re like me, your days are full and it’s easy to put self-assessment on the back burner. How do you find the time? The answer is to make the process as quick as possible. Here are some suggestions:

Add Post-Its® to your lecture notes:

If you use paper lecture notes, Maryellen Weimer, the editor of Faculty Focus, suggests attaching sticky notes that contain your teaching to-do list:

“A colleague once shared with me that after class ends, she attaches a small sticky note on the materials from that day, and then imagines she will only have 15 minutes for prep the next time she teaches that material. She writes her to-do list on the sticky note: find more examples of X, create a better question about Y, add another graphic to the Powerpoint slide about Z, etc.”

This is an incredibly simple way to reflect in the moment before you forget what worked and what didn’t. This will ensure you know what improvements need to be made when next semester rolls around.

Use a note-taking app on your phone:

Both iPhones and Androids come with apps already installed that allow you to quickly type notes (iPhones come with a “notes” app and Androids tend to come with a “memo” app). After a particularly successful or terrible class, I will take 1-2 minutes to type what occurred. Were my instructions unclear? Did I not allow enough time for group work? Did that reading spark an enthusiastic discussion? This takes very little time and could be done while you’re still in the classroom. If you have to hurry to your next class or meeting, use the voice memo app that also comes standard on iPhones and Androids. As you’re walking, talk into your phone’s microphone, and record your observations. By recording my questions, ideas, and concerns after each class, I’m creating a fantastic resource to use when I prepare for the next semester. Here’s an example of my iPhone notes:

Use a note-taking app on your tablet:

For those who own tablets, there are a multitude of sophisticated apps that make note-taking quite delightful (just ask my colleague, Mendi, who takes some of the most beautiful notes I’ve ever seen!). These apps work best if you use a stylus (which you can borrow from TLT). It takes only moments to open the app and jot down your thoughts about the quality of each week’s classes. Here are some of TLT’s favorite apps:

Mendi’s recommendation: Notability ($4.99, iOS) combines typing, handwriting, photos, PDFs, and audio recordings to create multi-layered notes. If you’re a frequent notetaker, it’s worth every penny.

Laura’s recommendation: If you’re an Evernote rockstar like Laura, you can’t get much better than Penultimate (free, iOS). Its inking technology looks and feels like real pen and ink, and as you write, the page keeps up with you so you never run out of space. Plus, it syncs with your Evernote account so you have access to your notes from just about anywhere.

Amy’s recommendation: Squid (free, Android) allows you to easily markup PDFs to fill out forms, grade papers, or sign documents. Import images, draw shapes, write on a virtual whiteboard, and add typed text to your handwritten notes.

Other options include:

ColorNote Notepad (free, Android)

Inkpad Notepad (free, Android)

UPAD ($5.99, iOS)

Paper (free, iOS)

Add notes to your Powerpoint slides:

Kathleen Janech, adjunct professor of Biology, adds notes to herself below each Powerpoint slide:

“This way my ideas are right where I need them every year, when I am ready to think about and work on that topic. And if it is something that I realize I need to do weeks in advance, I put a slide note into a lecture earlier in the semester to remind me to work on that.”

For those who aren’t keen on using apps and worry about losing sticky-notes, this is a fantastic way to keep an ongoing record of your teaching observations. Most presentation software have a designated area for notes, including Google Slides, Keynote, and Haiku Deck.

Why bother with all this?

Teaching is a continuous process of exploring, learning, and evolving. If we fail to prioritize self-reflection, we become stagnant and ineffective. So do yourself and your students a favor by getting in the habit of routinely evaluating what happens in your classroom. You don’t have to do it after every class period, or even every week, but don’t wait until the end of the semester. You’ll forget less if you write it down. As poet and author Harley King notes: “So much is buried in our lives that we forget what we have learned.”

PLC

Why You Should Join a Professional Learning Club

April 5, 2016January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

A Professional Learning Club (PLC) is a group of six to eight faculty members who meet to collaboratively reflect on and improve their teaching practices. Participation involves one academic year of exploring, implementing, and evaluating empirically-grounded instructional strategies with the goal of improving student learning and engagement.

CLUBS explained — adapted from “Compare & Contrast: Teaching Comparative Thinking to Strengthen Student Learning” by Harvey F. Silver

Why should you join a PLC?

To build an interdisciplinary support system to share struggles, lessons learned, and achievements.
To schedule much-needed time to reflect on your teaching and your students’ learning.
To share ideas for improving student engagement, making your classes more enjoyable for both you and your students.
To collaboratively design strategies that increase deep learning, as opposed to surface learning.
To contribute to the scholarship of teaching & learning via, for example, conference presentations or publications.

These are just a handful of reasons to sign up for a PLC. But don’t simply take our word for it. Here’s what current PLC participants have to say:

“Your students will thank you for participating in TLT’s PLC. This is a terrific (and cost effective) way to improve your teaching. I love the fact that faculty can share best practices and have the opportunity to implement them over an entire year.” – Lancie Affonso, Computer Science, Management and Marketing

“Join a PLC because it offers great opportunities to reflect on your teaching, which so many of us struggle to find enough time for! I also really enjoyed the sense of community it provided us as we worked together to discuss individual issues we were struggling with in our classes.” – Kelley White, Teacher Education

Interested? We’re currently accepting applications for Fall 2016 – Spring 2017. Applying is simple and TLT will help you find other like-minded colleagues to work with.

Want to know more before you apply? Visit: tlt.cofc.edu/faculty-services/plc

Assessment, Innovative Instruction, Web 2.0

Create Fun Polls and Quizzes with Riddle

February 22, 2016January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

Riddle is a FREE web-based tool that allows users to create opinion polls, lists, quizzes, and personality tests. If you’re familiar with Buzzfeed (your students will be), Riddle allows you to create similar quizzes. It’s a fun and simple formative assessment tool to engage students, gather their opinions, and gauge their understanding.

Cool features of Riddle:

Templates to help you create quickly
Embed Youtube videos, and trim them to only the parts you want
Mobile-friendly, so students can use their smartphones.
30 languages available
Have option to reveal responses immediately or hide them until you’re ready
Share via hyperlink, social media, or embed into a website

Ideas for using Riddle:

Create a syllabus quiz or a “getting to know you” survey at the beginning of the semester.
Have students create lists, such as “Top 10 contributors to global warming,” to help them synthesize content or review for exams.
Incorporate a poll during class to gauge students’ comprehension of the material so you can adapt your lecture.
Ask students to create polls or quizzes to engage their classmates during presentations or discussion facilitation.
Use a quiz at the end of class as an “exit ticket”

Example Riddles:

Tufts University created a great quiz called “What Major Are You?“
This University of Texas professor created a top ten list of things students should know about her and her section of the university’s freshmen book club.
This quiz is about the “Space Race” between the US and the USSR during the Cold War.

Collaboration, instructional technology, TLT, Web 2.0

New VoiceThread Commenting Features

February 1, 2016January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

If you haven’t explored VoiceThread since last semester, you will be pleased to learn about the tool’s three new commenting features. Direct replies and threaded conversations make interaction more interactive and dynamic, while private replies allow participants to engage one another more discreetly.

Direct Replies

Owners and editors of VoiceThreads are able to insert comments directly after someone else’s comment on a slide. For example, students can reply directly to the feedback left by their classmates or questions asked by their instructor. To do this, click on the direct reply icon inside a person’s comment window (it looks like an arrow). Your reply will display directly beneath the original comment, but bumped in slightly.

Threaded Discussions

The threaded discussions feature makes VoiceThread more similar to an online discussion board, with comments branching off an original comment. This helps to keep robust back-and-forth conversations more organized.

To use this feature, you must enable it in Playback Settings.

Threaded comments are represented by a round identity image (as opposed to the usual square shape). To start a new threaded conversation, click on the threaded comment button inside a person’s comment window.

Threaded discussions would be particularly useful if you’d like to encourage multiple students to engage one another about a VoiceThread’s content. In contrast, a direct reply is a dialog between two people (though the interaction can be seen by anyone who has access to the VoiceThread). This would be best for asking a single question or offering praise.

Private Replies

The private reply feature allows you to start a private, two-way conversation with someone who has commented on a VoiceThread. Private comments are represented by a round identity image with a padlock icon. To start a new private conversation or add to an existing one, click on the private reply button inside a person’s comment window.

The private reply option could be especially useful if an instructor would like to include an assessment in a VoiceThread. For example, an instructor could leave a comment asking the students to reply to a question. To prevent the students from seeing one another’s responses, the instructor could request students use the private reply option. That would permit only the instructor to see the students’ comments and would allow him/her to respond directly to each student.

Let us know what you think about these new commenting features. We’d love to hear your ideas!

Best Practices, Pedagogy

Energize In-Class Discussions

November 13, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

Last week, I was commiserating with an instructor about her struggle to engage students in discussion during class. “Sometimes it’s like talking to a brick wall,” she lamented. Facilitating lively conversations that require students to apply, synthesize, and evaluate their knowledge is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Even the most brilliant lecturer can be stymied by an unresponsive class. So these are my top tips for improving class discussions:

Plan your discussion prompts in advance. Thought-provoking questions are challenging to come up with on the fly. So when planning your lectures and in-class activities, craft prompts as well. Without prior contemplation, we may resort to asking “any thoughts about that?” and be discouraged by the blank stares we receive.

Use hooks to launch the discussion. Rather than starting a discussion with a single question, consider building up to that prompt with a hook to pique your students’ interest and start their thinking process. For example, present a short case study, tell a story, recite a witty quote, show a video clip, or share a current event. These serve as points of departure that contextualize your questions and give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge.

Ask better questions. Often because we haven’t given them much thought in advance, our discussion prompts fall flat. Our questions are too vague, too long-winded, or limited to yes-no answers. Instead, make sure your questions are succinct, clear, and open-ended. This may seem obvious, but I often ramble a bit when asking questions forcing students to inquire, “so what’s the question again?” Some ideas for discussion prompts:

Ask for students’ input: What should ___ have done? What would you do in this case? Have you had a similar experience in your life?
Ask “how” and “why” questions: How might this argument be made more persuasive? Why do you think the author made this argument? How does ___ compare to ____?
Ask evaluative questions: How compelling is the author’s argument? What are the implications of ____?
Ask prediction questions: What will occur next? What might happen if. . .?
Ask justification questions: What evidence led you to conclude that…? What is the reason…?

Give your students a chance to think. Many of us are uncomfortable with silence, so when students don’t immediately respond to our questions, we continue talking. It’s easy to forget that students are disciplinary novices who need greater time to ponder than we do. So when asking a question, pause for a good 30 seconds before probing further. Don’t surrender and answer the question for your students. Force yourself to endure the silence.

Think-pair-share. Many faculty turn their noses up at strategies implemented in K-12 classrooms, but that’s where a majority of innovative pedagogy comes from. Think-pair-share is a simple but brilliant way to encourage conversation. First, after presenting your hook and prompt, let students jot down their ideas on scrap pieces of paper. Then, ask them to turn to their neighbors and share their ideas. Finally, bring the entire class together and have the pairs report what they discussed. This gives students the chance to think and talk through their ideas before being put “on the spot” in front of the entire group.

Use positive reinforcement. When students contribute to class discussion in ways that demonstrate higher-order thinking, acknowledge it. Saying, “that’s a great question” or “good point” is an effective start, but be more specific with your feedback. For example, “Sam makes an excellent point. I appreciate how you supported your claim with evidence from the reading.” This demonstrates to students what a “good” response sounds like, providing a model they can all use.

Ask follow-up questions. When students respond with brief or incomplete answers, don’t miss the opportunity to ask a follow-up question such as, “Could you tell me more?” or “Why do you say that?” or “How did you come to that conclusion?” You can also pull in other students to contribute: “Let’s help Jamie out, why might we reach the conclusion that. . .?”

End discussions purposefully. Before moving on to the next lecture topic or question, summarize what was discussed or ask a student to do so. This helps students to synthesize new information and integrate it with existing knowledge. You could also consider ending your class with some type of “exit ticket” such as a minute paper or Poll Everywhere poll (which is a free tool for CofC students and faculty). Exit tickets are a quick and easy method to help students solidify their understanding as well as communicate to the instructor what they still have questions about.

Do you have other suggestions for facilitating engaging class discussions? Please share!

For help improving discussions in your online course, check out this post written by my colleague, Mendi: http://blogs.charleston.edu/tlt/2015/10/28/tips-for-more-effective-online-discussions/

Best Practices, Collaboration, Teaching Advice

Strategies for Drama-Free Team Projects

October 9, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

Effective collaboration is a foundational skill that is taught as early as kindergarten. By the time students reach college, one would think they would be expert team players. Unfortunately, any professor can tell you that’s not usually true. Students struggle to communicate competently, schedule meeting times, and manage conflict. This often leads to tearful office hour appointments or angry emails about slackers and alliances. So the following is advice based upon my experiences and research I’ve conducted regarding effective group work strategies for the college classroom.

Determine what type of group work will allow students to achieve the learning outcomes. Group work is not one size fits all. There are many forms of collaborative learning and each serves its own purpose. So first think about what you want students to accomplish from working together, then decide upon a method (such as team-based learning, peer instruction, or project-based learning)

Instructors, not students, should form groups. When students are allowed to choose their own teammates, they almost always (1) choose their friends and acquaintances or (2) choose people who sit near them. I don’t blame them; that’s the easy and comfortable option. But this often results in homogenous groups. Thus, especially for higher-stakes projects, instructors should strategically form teams that are composed of members who are diverse and who share common blocks of time to meet outside of class. This can be accomplished by administering surveys that address variables such as personality type, learning style, conflict management style, course-related knowledge and experience, habits, and schedules.

Discuss principles of effective teamwork. While students have been collaborating with peers for most of their educational careers, many don’t have a scholarly understanding of group dynamics. I’ve found spending a class period sharing the research on assigning group roles, establishing expectations, and managing conflict has improved my students’ success. If you don’t have class time to devote to such a discussion, provide your students with resources, such as handouts or links to websites that they can refer to as they work.

Require a team contract. For higher-stakes assignments, such as semester-long projects, have students write a contract that details expectations and consequences of violating those norms. During the team’s first meeting, I suggest students brainstorm all the things they hate about group projects then turn those complaints into a list of do’s and don’ts. I ask students to provide me with a copy of their contract that each team member has signed. This document can then be used by the group to mediate conflicts.

Establish a policy to deal with social loafing. I work hard to maintain a “no drama” environment in my classes. So I have a policy that outlines procedures and consequences for students who violate their team contracts. This policy has shown students that I will not (and they should not) tolerate slacking off. Whatever type of policy you create, make sure you require students to provide documentation of the contract violations and to meet with you separately. This helps to prevent unwarranted complaints or students “ganging up” on a teammate.

Require teams to provide you with regular progress reports. To identify problems early and to ensure students are not procrastinating, I require teams to update me biweekly. I ask students to identify a member of the team who is responsible for providing me with those updates either face-to-face or via email. This has helped immensely to address concerns and to steer students in the right direction when they’re faltering.

Ask teams to complete regular assessments of one another. An interesting meta-analysis published in Teaching of Psychology concluded that peer assessments within groups do not improve learning outcomes. I hypothesize that the typical way peer evaluations are completed is to blame. Often, instructors will require students to complete a cumulative assessment of their teammates at the end of the project. Perhaps they’re asked to distribute points or assign each team member a grade. But by the time a project is completed, students may have “checked out” and are less motivated to provide a thoughtful assessment (“the project is done; I don’t really care anymore.”). Also, this type of evaluation doesn’t allow the team to examine their dynamic while they’re collaborating and, therefore, eliminates the opportunity to make improvements. A potentially better approach is to first instruct students on the principles and importance of constructive feedback then ask them to complete periodic assessments as they work together. Perhaps at the termination of the project, students could write a letter to you reflecting on the evolution of the group.

Encourage students to use technology. One of the biggest complaints students have about group projects is finding time outside of class to meet. Many students have jobs, internships, and other extracurriculars that make matching schedules frustrating if not impossible. There are a multitude of technology tools that allow students to collaborate when not in the same physical space. Google Drive allows students to work together on documents, slides, and spreadsheets on any device that connects to the Internet. Google Hangouts, Blab, and Skype allow students to videoconference. And there are many collaborative whiteboard apps, such as Realtime Board. The availability of free software and apps really limits how often students can claim “we can’t get together.”

I hope these suggestions help you to help your students get the most out of collaborative learning. If you have other tips for effective group work, please share!

References and Resources:

Faculty Focus Special Report: Effective group work strategies for the college classroom: http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/online/faculty-resources/Effective%20Group%20Work%20Strategies%20for%20College%20Classroom.pdf

Major, C. H. (2015, Sept. 21). Choosing the best approach for small group work. Faculty Focus. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/choosing-the-best-approach-for-small-group-work/

Oakley, B., Felder, R. M., Brent, R., & Elhajj, I. (2004). Turning student groups into effective teams. Journal of Student Centered Learning, 2 (1), 9-34.

Tomcho, T. J., & Foeis, R. (2012). Meta-analysis of group learning activities: Empirically based teaching recommendations. Teaching of Psychology, 39 (3), 159-169.

Weimer, M. (2012, Feb. 22). My students don’t like group work. Faculty Focus. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/my-students-dont-like-group-work/

Best Practices, Pedagogy, Teaching Advice

Making the Most of The First Day of Class

July 27, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

The countdown to the fall semester has begun. I’ll give you a moment to sob or stomp your feet…

Despite our wish for a never-ending summer (perhaps without the humidity), the reality is classes begin soon. As you work on your syllabi and OAKS courses, give some thought to how you approach the first day of class. Do you read the syllabus to your students line-by-line? Do you have students play an icebreaker game that makes them sigh and roll their eyes? Or do you simply introduce yourself, tell students which textbook to buy, then let them go after 5 minutes?

When I first began teaching, I admit to doing all three of these. I was young and nervous and awkward. But in the years since, I’ve learned to embrace the awkwardness of the first day and use that class period to set the tone for the rest of the semester. So I challenge you to give more thought to what you do on the first day of class to set expectations and start building your classroom culture.

In a previous post, I discussed why you shouldn’t treat your first day as “syllabus day” so I won’t belabor those points here. But I will offer a few additional suggestions:

Introduce yourself as a human being. If students are so inclined, they can look up your bio on the department’s webpage. They can Google you. So instead of telling your academic story, consider telling a more personal story. Share your hobbies and passions or something students would never guess based on their first impressions of you. This is more than being personable; it’s about being authentic. When I introduce myself to the class, I share quirks and pet peeves. These usually get a chuckle and make me seem like a human being rather than a lecturing and grading robot. I once had a professor who played a piece of music he wrote as a way to introduce himself. I still remember him vividly 12 years later.

Find an icebreaker that isn’t trite. I know, I know. Icebreakers are awkward and many of them are incredibly boring. But there are ways to encourage your students to get to know one another that don’t make them want to gouge their eyes out. Remember, by the time students get to your class, they could have already suffered three or four terrible icebreakers. So rather than the usual “let’s go around the room and each person tell us a little about themselves,” spice it up with an activity or game, even something silly. For example, I have had students engage in “speed dating” where they have 2 minutes to chat before the bell rings and they have to move to the next classmate. We’ve also played “6 degrees of separation” where they make a list of 5 things they have in common with a classmate, then they have to find someone else in the room who has at least one of those things in common. Then those two students make a list of 5 similarities and the game continues. Students may roll their eyes at first, but by the end of class, they are laughing and I notice friendships forming by the next class period. So try something new this semester to encourage your students to talk to one another, rather than spending the minutes before class begins texting on their phones.

Establish intentions. Rather than spending time listing policy after policy, consider setting intentions for the semester and involving your students in this process. What do you hope they accomplish and what do they want to learn? What do you expect from them and what can they expect from you? Is there a way both parties can be satisfied? For example, after I explain a few of the more important policies, I ask students to compile a list of what they would like from me. Punctuality, availability, and fairness are usually mentioned and these are qualities that I already deem important. But because students composed the list themselves, it gives them the sense that I’m willing to share my power and that I’m open to their perspectives. We also spend time establishing a classroom code of conduct. Some of you may find this infantile, but I believe it’s one of the best and easiest ways to establish a respectful classroom culture. When students generate the rules, they own them.

Showcase course content. Some of you may disagree with me on this point as well, but sometimes we have to convince students to buy what we’re selling. The first day is all about introductions and the course content should be included. But rather than provide a regurgitation of the course catalog description, pitch the course as something students will find exciting and, yes, applicable to their lives. And just as important, tell students why this is content you love and why this is a course you want to teach. Enthusiasm is contagious. I also recommend you start teaching the first day. Students may look at you with incredulity, but it communicates that you take the course and their learning seriously. In contrast, if you let them go after ten minutes, it communicates the course isn’t important. So use this time to jump in and provide an outline of the fantastic content you’ll be sharing.

The first day of class is ripe with possibilities. Make the most of it and it will set you up for a successful and enjoyable semester!

Assessment, instructional technology, Pedagogy, TLT, Web 2.0

Quick Audience Feedback with GoSoapBox

June 29, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

If you’ve ever asked your students “are there any questions?” you’ve likely received blank stares and shrugs. Assuming this to mean everyone understands the content, you move on. But what if students aren’t sure how to articulate what they don’t understand? Or what if they’re too shy or embarrassed to admit they are confused? Or maybe you’re simply looking for a way to get greater feedback from and interaction with students during lecture? GoSoapBox could be just what you’re looking for!

GoSoapBox is an audience response system (a “clicker” tool) that works on any device that connects to the Internet. This tool allows you to survey the class for understanding, quiz them on content, and encourage discussion. The beauty of GoSoapBox is the simplicity of the user interface despite offering numerous features. For example, “Social Q&A” allows students to contribute ideas and up-vote the ones they like. This could be great for an exam review: students submit questions and vote for the ones they really want to spend class time discussing.

The “Confusion Barometer” is a super simple way to gauge just how well students really understand the material. Instructors can see a live graphical display of how many students are confused by the material being covered and can then adjust their teaching strategy as necessary. GoSoapBox also offers quizzing, polling, and discussion board features, which allow for short answer/open-ended responses.

Students can respond with their names or anonymously, so GoSoapBox can be used to monitor students as well as allow sensitive opinions to be freely shared. Instructors can even export reports in spreadsheet form to track student performance.

So why explore GoSoapBox instead of PollEverywhere? If you have a class of 30 students or fewer, GoSoapBox is free and provides features that Poll Everywhere doesn’t, such as the quick and easy “confusion barometer” and threaded discussions. It’s also a simpler interface so it’s quite user-friendly, while PollEverywhere can sometimes be clunky. However, if you have course enrollment of over 30 students, I would not pay for GoSoapBox; our site license for PollEverywhere provides a great audience response system for free.

Application: http://www.gosoapbox.com/

Platform: Web

Cost: Free for courses of 30 students or fewer

Tutorials: http://help.gosoapbox.com/

GoSoapBox Blog (for updates and tips): http://gosoapbox.com/blog/

Assessment, Google Apps, instructional technology, Web 2.0

Using Kaizena for Fast & Interactive Student Feedback

May 28, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

Let’s be honest. Grading can be a drag. We may love teaching and mentoring students, but when faced with a stack of 100 essays, some of us consider a career change. Providing students with frequent and meaningful feedback takes a lot of time and energy, but there are plenty of applications that can help make you a more efficient grader. One such application is Kaizena.

Kaizena is a web-based platform that is synced with Google Drive. Students can either upload Microsoft Office files or PDFs to their Google Drive account (which CofC students have free access to) or they can create their assignments within Google Drive. The instructor will get an alert that a student has submitted and can then leave text or audio feedback as well as insert outside resources called “lessons” and 4-point scale ratings called “skills.”

Kaizena’s “lessons” are a fantastic time-saving feature. How often do you find yourself writing or typing the same comment over and over on student assignments? Well, “lessons” allow you to create a library of text, audio, and video resources that can be quickly added to students’ assignments. For example, if I were teaching composition and noticed multiple students making comma splice errors, I could record a quick audio clip explaining what comma splices are. Or, I could find a YouTube video about comma splices and use that existing resource. The next time I come across a comma splice error, I can simply click a button to add that “lesson” and avoid typing yet another explanation of comma splices.

Another aspect of Kaizena that I appreciate is how the feedback is framed as conversations. An instructor leaves an audio comment, for example, and the student can reply with text or audio. When we write comments on students’ assignments, we hope they read them and we assume they understand them. But often this isn’t the case. Kaizena encourages a dialogue between students and instructors that can improve understanding.

Application: https://kaizena.com

Cost: Free

Platform: Web

Tutorials: https://kaizena.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/all

1-1-1, Faculty Technology Institute, Innovative Instruction

Guest Post: Haiku Deck + Air Sketch = Sweet

April 17, 2015January 31, 2023 Jessica Smith

Our guest blogger is Jeremy Clement, instructor and internship coordinator for Hospitality and Tourism Management. Jeremy was a participant in the 2014 Summer FTI and this post reports on his experience integrating new technology tools into his courses.

FTI Tools in Action: Classroom Engagement & Instructor Versatility Made Simple

I could write a book about all the tools and ideas I walked away with from the Summer, 2014 FTI. As many will attest, it was almost overwhelming. The trick seemed to be to approach the experience with some expectation of how you can utilize the tools and technology you’ll find. I had some notion at the time…but have found since that the skills and abilities I gained from TLT have far more applications than I could’ve ever imagined. So rather than try to report on them all, I’ll simply report on the combination that I’ve utilized, quite successfully, since.

Prior to the FTI, TLT had turned me on to AirSketch for classroom presentations. AirSketch is a free app that simply converts your static presentations – you actually convert your PowerPoint or other materials to PDF first – into an interactive whiteboard in the classroom. In addition to that (and my favorite part) is that it is linked to the classroom projection system via a URL address you call up in the Internet browser on the classroom computer, not via some physical media or content saved directly to the computer itself. Once you enter the URL, the students are exposed to a live version of your presentation.

Your presentation on your tablet or mobile device…not your presentation on the in-room system, wow. That means you can walk throughout the classroom, face whatever direction you’d like and still have access to advance your content or mark up the slide being displayed…all while using your own tablet from the palm of your hand. The freedom is incredible.

For someone who is a bit fidgety, like myself, this allows you to move freely about the class without being tethered to a console or station at the front of the room. I still generally stay in the front for most of my class…but I can’t say enough about the freedom and flexibility inherent in being able to move about and see where I’m at in a lecture, all without having to look back at the screen behind me or staying behind a podium. I find it is more engaging for the students and more natural to my presentation style.

AirSketch is an effective and impressive tool in and of itself. Outside the classroom, I’ve used this technology numerous times to give reports or lead discussions and meetings. Without exception, someone always asks ‘how did you do that?’ I honestly think I might’ve won over some of those audiences simply due to my practiced use of this simple, yet powerful tool.

Event Management — Haiku Deck title slide

Now here’s where the FTI really amped that up to another level. Haiku Deck was introduced during the FTI as an alternative to PowerPoint for creating engaging and dynamic presentations. I have to say, I was instantly hooked. The program or app (Haiku Deck is accessible via a website or can be downloaded as an app) essentially pairs your presentation content with an expansive database of beautiful, vibrant photographs via the use of its unique correlative categorization feature.

Essentially, you type in the main theme of the slide and they find a plethora of engaging and interesting photos and images that follow the same theme or concept. I don’t claim to know exactly how it works, only that it is both effective and fun to use. My only issue is I tend to get lost looking at all the cool images and trying to pick the one that is most appropriate and also the most engaging. It allows me to mix up a little left- and right-brain activity and really bring more of my personal style and creativity into what can sometimes be dull and emotionless presentation material.

EMBOK Model — Adding user’s own images to Haiku Deck

Not only does Haiku Deck offer their own photo library, you can also include your own images. This feature allows you to integrate photos, diagrams, or other materials as the backdrop for the slide and details surrounding the subject. I’ve provided some examples to give you an idea of how this might be integrated.

The unique design function of Haiku Deck does have some limitations, but I developed a workaround that I think everyone can benefit from. Essentially, I usually need to include more data on a slide than what Haiku Deck’s presentation builder will allow. I found this frustrating at first and thought that would limit its usefulness for my particular course given the volume of information I need to display as a part of my presentation.

Characteristics — Haiku Deck slide edited inside Powerpoint

So, my solution was to use Haiku Deck to build the base slide – typically including a graphic and a slide title or subject line. Then I would download the presentation into PowerPoint, one of the various options they provide for exporting your content. I would then use the tools available in PowerPoint to add content over top of the Haiku Deck slide. The result was what I consider a beautiful balance of engaging graphics and pictures supplemented by the course materials I need to deliver in a more comprehensive format than what Haiku Deck had to offer.

Poll Everywhere results added to Haiku Deck slide

Now, once I had the PowerPoint deck fully developed, I convert that presentation to a PDF. From there, it’s a simple matter of pulling it up via AirSketch and calling up the URL in the classroom. My course evaluations were the best in my department, certainly in part due to the use of this unique blend of tools and technology. Of course, I didn’t stop there – I also integrated other FTI-introduced tools like Poll Everywhere which can be seen in my examples here as well.

The versatility and level of engagement I was able to accomplish as a result of information I gathered in the FTI have surely improved my teaching style as well as my personal appetite for trying and implementing new tools and technology in the classroom. Honestly, even the fails are learning opportunities as the class has to work together to find a better way to tackle the challenge. My evaluations are one indicator but certainly not the only one I’ve received.

If you’ve gotten this far and still find this interesting, I would encourage you to check out Haiku Deck’s pending software launch – Haiku Deck Zuru. This new offering, not yet released but eligible for subscription as a charter member, promises to utilize artificial intelligence to essentially read and convert a preexisting presentation into a Haiku Deck in one fell swoop. I find that both fascinating and exciting.

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