Summer is a great time to catch up on reading! When you take a break from your research, why not explore the scholarship of teaching and learning?
Here are my current favorite books related to pedagogy, student engagement, and how the brain works:
Cheating Lessons by James Lang — a guide to tackling academic dishonesty at its roots. Lang analyzes the features of course design and classroom practice that create cheating opportunities, and empowers instructors to build more effective learning environments. In doing so, instructors are likely to discover numerous added benefits beyond reducing academic dishonesty.
Make it Stick by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel — Drawing on cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and other fields, Make It Stick offers techniques for becoming more productive learners, and cautions against study habits and teaching methods that are quite common but counterproductive.
The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion by Sarah Rose Cavanagh — Cavanagh argues that if you want to capture your students’ attention, harness their working memory, bolster their long-term retention, and enhance their motivation, you should consider the emotional impact of your teaching style and course design. She provides a wide range of evidence as well as practical examples of successful classroom activities from a variety of disciplines.
Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James Lang — This book bridges the gap between research and practice by sharing how faculty can take incremental steps towards improving student learning and engagement. Lang provides simple, concrete, classroom-tested strategies that do not require a lot of preparation or class time but can make a big impact.
The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux by Cathy Davidson — Davidson argues that our current system of higher education hasn’t changed much since the early 20th century and is not suited to prepare students for our digital world and gig economy. The book provides case studies of innovators from the Ivy League to community colleges who are striving to change how we educate young people. Not all the ideas shared are new, but it’s an engaging read.
Our recent OAKS (user interface) upgrade, Daylight, introduced several new features, including course banners. And while course banners can be a great way to generate (initial) interest in your course, they can also confuse students if the system-generated images are unrelated to your content (e.g., architecture, rainbows, mountain landscapes, etc.), as is often the case. With a custom course banner, not only can you choose the image, but you can also add your contact information, class meeting time and location, and office hours. Sure, it’s on the syllabus, but…
to explore and experiment with both Canva and Pixabay to learn “the basics”.
Need additional help with Canva? Check out their collection of 25+ step-by-step tutorials.
Designing your custom banner
1. Log into Canva and click Use custom dimensions (top-right corner).
2. Enter 2400x980 pixels and click Design!. This is the preferred banner size, according to D2L.
3. Click on 2400px x 980px – Untitled Design (beside the Share button); enter a Design title (e.g., PSYC 103 OAKS Banner); and click Done. Click File > Save (top-left corner).
4. Click the BKGROUND tab (on the left) and select white. Pause your work in Canva, and open a new tab in your browser.
5. Log into Pixabay and search for an image relevant to your subject area.
6. Select an image and click Free Download. Choose the largest size (PNG) available and click Download.
7. Open your “Canva” browser tab and click the UPLOADS tab (on the left). Click Upload your own images and select the Pixabay image from your Downloads folder (or other file-save location).
8. Click on the image to add it to the banner. Move it to the left side of the banner and resize it appropriately.
9. Click the TEXT tab (on the left) and select Add subheading.
10. Click on the Add subheading textbox to change the text–adding your name, when and where your class meets, your office hours, etc. Feel free to change the font and font size, but use a dark color (preferably black) so it shows up against the banner’s gradient (visible in OAKS). Position your text on the right side of the banner, vertically centered.
11. Although Canva periodically auto-saves your design, it’s a good idea to click File > Save before you download. Click Download; select PNG (Recommended); and click Download.
uploading your custom banner
1. Log into OAKS, and click on your course. On the current banner, click the … (menu) button (top-right corner) > Change Image.
2. Click Upload (on the right) and select Browse under Course Image. Click My Computer;select Upload, or drag and drop your banner image into the box; and click Add > Save. Click Course Home to see your new banner. Enjoy!
Don’t Forget
When creating a banner in Canva, use custom dimensions: 2400 x 980 pixels
Select a white background and black (or dark) text for the best visibility
Keep text vertically centered on the right side of the banner
Use Pixabay for CC0 images
Have questions and/or need help with this project? Contact your instructional technologist or email us at tlt@cofc.edu.
A couple years ago, I had a startling wake-up call as an instructor. While wandering the aisles at Target, I received an email from one of my students informing me that she is blind and may need accommodations in my class. I leaned against my cart and realized I had never before considered how accessible my course is. Most of my readings were scanned book chapters and articles that were not screen reader friendly. None of the images I used included alt text. Some of my charts and diagrams relied on color alone to convey information. And I relied a lot on video clips.
It was one week before the semester started. I was screwed.
Ultimately, however, the student and I worked together to make her experience in my class positive. I learned about optical character recognition (OCR) and how to make PDFs “readable” by software like JAWS. When grading, I recorded audio feedback rather than using Word’s track changes and discovered almost all my students preferred this method. And I provided typed descriptions of important visual elements in the videos I showed in class. While I was able to ensure this student had access to everything the rest of her classmates did, it was a lot of work and a lot of last-minute scrambling.
Thus, I want to encourage you to not make the same mistake. Now is the time to think about accessibility, not when you receive an accommodation letter from a student. Yes, it will add preparation time up front, but it is much more efficient to be proactive than reactive.
What can you do as an instructor to ensure all students have equal access to your course materials and learning environment? Here are a few ways to get started:
Information must be presented to students in ways they have the ability to comprehend (it can’t be invisible to all of their senses). For example:
Provide text alternatives for non-text content (such as full-text transcriptions).
Include appropriate alternative text (alt text) that provides an equivalent to image content.
Provide captions and/or alternatives for audio and video content.
Use sufficient contrast to make things easier to see. For example, use dark background and light font or vice versa. A contrast checker can help determine if your materials adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Also, do not rely on color alone to convey meaning.
Make sure all users can navigate and interact with your learning environment. For example:
Make all functionality keyboard accessible, rather than requiring a mouse or trackpad (e.g. keyboard shortcuts).
Give users enough time to read and use content (e.g. additional time to take an exam).
Do not use content that may cause seizures or sensory discomfort (e.g. rapidly flashing animations).
Avoid hyperlinking phrases like “Click here,” “More information,” or “Continue.”
In higher education, teaching is often perceived simply as the transmission of knowledge and that can contribute to our focus on content delivery at the expense of other elements of effective teaching. Educational philosopher John Dewey argued that effective teachers do more than deliver content to their students. They also value learning by doing rather than simply listening, giving students the freedom to explore and create their own meaning, and encouraging the application of knowledge to their lived experiences.
In order for these values to flourish in the college classroom, students and professors must build a safe, supportive learning community. After all, the goal of teaching is not simply to build knowledge and competencies, but also to grow a network in which learners feel comfortable sharing perspectives, challenging one another’s world views, and stretching their thinking. So the following are a few simple ideas to build greater community in your own classes.
Add clear statements to your syllabus that explain expectations regarding community and communication (and discuss them during the first week of class). Consider including topics such as:
The roles of students and instructor (e.g. the instructor may initiate discussion, but students are responsible for facilitating).
How you want students to communicate with you and with each other (e.g. behavioral expectations, technology tools, etc.)
If you’ll be incorporating online interaction, include a section on netiquette.
What students can expect from you in terms of communication (e.g. response time to emails, making appointments, etc.)
Your expectations for quality participation (e.g. what “counts” as contributions to class discussion).
How students can get support and help when they need it (e.g. your office hours, Center for Student Learning, Helpdesk, etc.)
At the very beginning of the semester, send students a “welcome” video introducing yourself and the course. Voicethread is a fantastic application to use for this purpose because it combines online discussion with multimedia content delivery. For example, you could combine Powerpoint slides that contain information about you and the course with a webcam video of you discussing this information. Then, students can leave audio, video, or text comments to introduce themselves and ask questions. Creating such a presentation serves multiple purposes: First, because you can cover typical syllabus information in the video, it frees up the first day of class for icebreakers and discussions. Second, if you share personal information and use a webcam to record yourself talking, it allows students to get to know your personality better. Finally, if you use an application like Voicethread, it allows students to engage one another in conversation and start building community.
Use the minutes before class starts to get to know your students better. Many of us arrive to our classrooms without time to spare. We then concentrate on taking attendance, turning on the computer and projector, and reviewing our lecture notes. Meanwhile, our students sit silently, gazing at their phones. We may not consider the minutes before class begins as consequential, but they offer a fertile opportunity to get to know our students better and build a more positive classroom environment. A number of studies suggest that learner satisfaction is related to the social presence and immediacy of the instructor. So make it a goal to arrive to your classroom early and use those extra few minutes to chat with your students and set the stage for the rest of the class period.
Incorporate more opportunities for student collaboration. Yes, students often grumble about group projects, but there are so many other ways to include collaborative learning in your classes. Consider including more low-stakes opportunities rather than only culminating projects worth a significant portion of the students’ grades. Peer teaching is one great option and a significant amount of empirical research indicates that working with peers has a positive influence on students’ psychological wellbeing, including autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal growth. The research of Eric Mazur, who popularized peer instruction in the hard sciences, demonstrates learning gains frequently double and sometimes triple when peer instruction is integrated into class time. To get you started, check out this post about peer teaching strategies and this one about facilitating drama-free group projects.
Create an online space where students can “hang out.”This allows students to build community in a less formal way than structured assignments and in-class discussions. This digital space could be used for students to ask one another questions, form study groups, and provide support. There are numerous ways this can be accomplished, including using the OAKS discussion board, social media such as Twitter, Google Hangouts chat, Slack, Lino.it, or RealTime Board
These are just a few ideas to start building community in your classes. What ideas do you have? Please share in the comments!
Take a moment and envision the first day of classes.
Does it resemble the following?
introduce yourself
hand out your syllabus
tell students which textbook to buy
ask them to introduce themselves
call it a day
Many faculty do just this, letting a golden opportunity pass them by.
I get it. The first day of classes can be tough. With department retreats, meetings, and Convocation, you may have run out of time to put the finishing touches on your course. Plus, students may be hounding you to get into your class, while others are dropping like flies, so your class roster changes by the minute. And let’s admit it, icebreakers can be incredibly corny, even painful to introverted students (and professors).
But, despite these challenges, it has become my annual tradition to encourage you to “spice up” your first day of classes. So here is my advice:
Don’t let them go after five minutes. What’s the point of meeting if nothing is going to be accomplished the first day? I used to think students would perceive me as “cool” if I let them go after only a couple minutes. Not so. Most students felt their time was completely wasted. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were asked by a colleague to come to campus for a meeting then, after just a couple minutes, they said “Eh, let’s just continue this conversation later,” you’d likely be frustrated. Take advantage of the opportunities the first day presents to build connections and start forming a supportive learning environment.
Don’t make the first day of class “Syllabus Day.” Avoid reading the entire syllabus to students. This is a waste of everyone’s time. Students who care about their learning will read the syllabus on their own. If you’re wary of putting that onus on students, ask them to sign a syllabus contract or include a syllabus quiz the first week (which is very easy to accomplish using the OAKS quizzing tool). Perhaps more importantly, write a syllabus that students might want to read rather than one that looks like a Terms of Service agreement. David Gooblar, lecturer at the University of Iowa, recently wrote about this in Chronicle Vitae: “Your Syllabus Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Contract.” If interested, this rubric (bit.do/syllabusrubric) may help you critically examine your syllabi.
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? Here are some ideas I have tried in my own classes:
Ask students to think about their favorite classes and the classes they hated. Then (without revealing identifiable characteristics), ask them to generate lists of qualities that made the classes awesome or terrible. Students love this activity and it always results in a fruitful discussion of expectations. It also provides fantastic insight into the minds of both students and professors, which leads to better understanding and empathy.
I also 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.
Consider 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’re more likely to own them.
Build icebreakers into the entire first week, even beyond. Most professors include some type of “getting to know you” activity on that first day. But the class roster doesn’t solidify until after the add/drop deadline. Therefore, I suggest icebreakers are even more important during the third and fourth class periods. This doesn’t have to take much time. I typically incorporate self-introductions into roll call, asking students silly questions to make them chuckle. I’m consistently surprised by the number of times students find unexpected connections: “Seamus Finnigan is my favorite Harry Potter character too!!!” Some students may be grumpy about icebreakers, which is understandable considering they do them in every class, but that encourages me to find new ones each semester. For example, I’ve had them do “speed dating,” play 6 degrees of separation, and go on scavenger hunts. There are so many possibilities! Google “icebreakers that aren’t lame” or ask your colleagues how they facilitate introductions.
While the first day of classes arrives too quickly and many of us feel underprepared, it is still ripe with opportunity. Make the most of it and it will set you up for a successful and enjoyable semester!
When we ask students to work in groups or turn to their neighbor to discuss course content, many of us wonder whether this kind of collaboration is worthwhile. Students aren’t experts, so could they be teaching each other incorrect information? Or perhaps what they discuss is superficial or watered down? Not to mention the drama and interpersonal conflict that can arise when students try to work together. Is peer teaching really worth it?
Despite these concerns, and many others, a significant amount of empirical research indicates that there are numerous benefits of peer teaching. For example, a recent study published in Teaching in Higher Education, found that working with peers has a positive influence on students’ psychological wellbeing, including autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal growth. The research of Eric Mazur, who popularized peer instruction in the sciences, demonstrates learning gains frequently double and sometimes triple when peer instruction is integrated into class time.
Beyond the research, we must also recognize that peer teaching happens informally all around us. Maryellen Weimer argues that students instinctually learn from one another. When they have a question about course content, they often turn to their peers before their instructor. Students are often intimidated by professors and don’t want to appear “stupid,” so they approach their classmates first. I can’t tell you how many times I overhear students in the hallways turn to a classmate and say “I have no idea what Dr. so-and-so wants for this assignment. Do you?” Students are constantly learning from one another, so why not use our classes to cultivate stronger collaboration and communication skills?
Here are a few simple peer teaching strategies to try:
Microteaching: Students choose or are assigned class periods during which they are responsible for teaching the entire class. They act as the professor for the day and are charged with developing a lecture, crafting activities, and facilitating discussion.
Think-Pair-Share: The professor poses a complex, challenging, or controversial question and asks students to think about their responses alone. To encourage deeper thinking, students should write down their thoughts. Then, ask the students to turn to a neighbor and compare answers. The students are tasked with reaching a consensus or formulating arguments to support their views. Finally, students report back to the rest of the class.
Peer Instruction using an Audience Response System: Students are assigned a reading or video lecture prior to class and then quizzed on the more difficult or complex topics using an Audience Response System, such as Poll Everywhere, to submit their answers. Students then form small groups, discuss the quiz question, come to a consensus, and re-submit a group answer. Instructors can then instantaneously see where clarification is needed based on incorrect answers provided by both individuals and groups.
Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique: This is the low-tech version of the above strategy. Students are presented with multiple-choice questions that they discuss with group members. Then, using cards that are similar to scratch-off lottery tickets, students choose their answer by removing the foil covering options A, B, C, or D. If their choice reveals a star, they know they’ve answered correctly. If they don’t see a star, they must problem-solve with their classmates and endeavor to determine the correct answer. If you are interested in this technique, TLT can provide IF-AT cards to try with your students.
The Jigsaw Technique: In this strategy, the instructor first divides a topic, problem, or assignment into parts. Next, students are split into “home teams” with one member assigned to each topic. Working individually, each student learns about his or her topic. For example, if the content is divided into parts 1, 2, 3, and 4, group one would contain four students and one student would work on part 1, one student on part 2, and so on. Next, groups are reformed into “expert teams” so that everyone in the group worked on the same topic (e.g. all the ones become a group, all the twos, and so on). These students share their findings and collaborate to discuss, verify, and synthesize all the information gathered. Finally, the home teams reconvene and listen to presentations from each member. These final presentations provide students with a better understanding of their own material, as well as the findings that have emerged from other groups.
Image via Eliot Aronson
These are just a handful of popular peer teaching strategies that do not require a significant amount of labor on the part of the instructor. Consider giving one a try. But remember, it’s important to recognize the benefits of peer teaching do not result from simply putting students together in groups. Group work that promotes learning and other positive outcomes is carefully designed, implemented, and assessed.
Reference: Hanson, J. M., T.L. Trolian, M.B Paulsen, and E.T. Pascarella. 2016. Evaluating the influence of peer learning on psychological well-being. Teaching in Higher Education 21 (2): 191–206.
One of the most challenging aspects of education is getting our students to use prior knowledge and to connect that with the new information we are trying to teach them. It seems as if students walk into each class and compartmentalize it in their brain, often, it feels as if they do this for each unit within a single class. So how can we have them see the bigger picture? How can we get them to view their education as a living, changing whole instead of a segmented path? James M. Lang (2016) offers some tips and strategies to bring in prior knowledge before building upon it.
Have the students take a short quiz prior to class asking them to pull from prior knowledge, use the first few minutes of class to go over the results.
In the beginning of class tell the students what the lesson is about and have them write down everything they know about the topic, take the next 5 minutes to solicit responses.
At the start of the semester pretest or use group activities to assess prior knowledge
After the first class of the semester have the students write down three things the know about the subject matter and three things they would like to learn, discuss these during the second class.
Have the students create a minute thesis connecting different themes throughout your course. You can have them do this in a few minutes or over a whole class period. Have them share their ideas and discuss it as a class.
Create concept maps linking together ideas throughout the course. Have the students share and explore their peer’s ideas. They can add to these maps for the whole semester or make new ones depending on the topic at hand.
Remember, as experts in your field it is easy for you to draw connections and see the big picture but for your students it may take more time and coaching. Make sure to provide the framework for these connections and refer back to them often. Again, James M. Lang (2016) offers “Quick Tips” on helping your students to connect concepts.
Ask students about their prior knowledge at the beginning of the course with oral questions or a “class knowledge dump”
Give students the scaffolding or framework of your lecture ahead of class time and let them fill it in using their prior knowledge.
Offer examples from everyday life and allow students to offer their own. Help them to connect the “real world” with class concepts.
In order for us to really educate our students we need to help them see the bigger picture, help them create connections and guide them along the path of a whole, connected, educational career.
“I miss getting to really know my students. It’s just not the same.”
“There’s no way of knowing who is on the other side of the screen.”
Sound familiar? If so then you aren’t alone.
Not only do some instructors feel this way about online learning, but students do as well. Often they feel isolated, disconnected, and insignificant. These feelings of seclusion can often lead to decreased motivation, attention, and engagement. As part of the online learning process, it is vital to intentionally design elements to make sure that that the human connection isn’t lost in the online learning process.
What is Humanizing?
Humanizing your course involves considering the teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence of all participants in order to build community and enhance communication. The ultimate goal of this process is to make online education as personal and individualized as possible while building relationships between your students, the content, and yourself.
About the DE 2.0 Workshop
This 3-week long, self-paced session will take you through some strategies that you can use in your online class to make you and your students feel more connected. While this course is held fully online, it does contain three optional synchronous sessions with experts in humanizing online education from around the world!
You might be interested in this session if:
You feel you are not connecting with your students in your online class the way you do in your face-to-face class.
You feel like your online class lacks community.
You want to make your course more engaging and personal for the students.
Workshop Goals
Discover the elements of teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence as it applies to the online learning environment, particularly in the areas of facilitation, learning domains, and course design.
Research assessment and engagement strategies, community building/maintaining platforms, and technology tools for increasing the humanized element.
Discuss elements of humanized learning with other faculty teaching online at College of Charleston.
Ask questions, exchange ideas, and meet other CofC faculty teaching distance education courses.
Create engaging content and online activities that foster the elements of teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence.
Learning Outcomes
Explore instructional theories that lead to a more humanized online class.
Identify areas of your course that can be made learner centered and/or interactive.
Revise and/or create course interactions, including social learning experiences, content delivery methods, and assessment of student learning.
For most faculty (and students), the end of the semester is an exhausting race to the finish. Endless cups of coffee, maybe even a Red Bull or two, sustain you through grading marathons and conversations with students that begin with “I really need an A.” Once you surface for a breath of fresh “I just submitted final grades” air, I encourage you to think seriously about instructor burnout and self-care.
Self-care is not limited to expensive spa retreats, Pilates classes, and bubble baths. It simply refers to practices that enhance your physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. This may mean snuggling with your pet or child, baking 6 dozen cookies to give to colleagues, going for a lunch-time run, or playing Dungeons and Dragons when you get home from work. Self-care also means implementing rituals and practices that make your life easier, such as time-management strategies. Here are a few ideas for the overworked and exhausted faculty member.
Examine how you spend your time
Have you ever kept a log of how you spend your time each day? I know what you’re thinking (“No, Jessica, I haven’t because I don’t have time!”) but since many of our habits are both unconscious and unproductive, it’s actually a useful exercise to determine where your precious time goes. For example, how long are you really spending scrolling through Facebook in the evenings on the couch? After completing your time inventory, you may be surprised by how many pockets of your day could be better spent.
Brainstorm ways you could eliminate those time-sucks or reimagine them. For example, if you have a weekly meeting with a colleague, would it be possible to go for a walk rather than sitting in an office or conference room? (read about the benefits of a walk-and-talk) For those who are easily distracted while using your computer, try an application that monitors your time, such as Rescue Time. If you’re watching too many cat videos on YouTube, this app will tell you.
After completing an inventory of my own time, I started setting limits on how long I could spend on mundane tasks and setting a timer on my phone. When that timer goes off, I must wrap up what I’m doing and move on. I also find it useful to use Steven Covey’s time management grid, which characterizes tasks based on urgency and importance (refer to the image below).
Whatever the results of your own time inventory, make it a priority to reduce tasks in quadrants III and IV, delegate what you can, and create rituals that will help you stay focused on quadrants I and II.
Stephen Covey’s Time Management Grid. Image via Bruce Mayhew
Give the Pomodoro Method a try
As a chronic procrastinator, I have the bad habit of allowing grading to pile up until it becomes so overwhelming that I actually move through the stages of grief. One of the contributors to procrastination is facing a task so large or complex that we don’t know how to start. Feeling overwhelmed prevents us from taking action.
The Pomodoro Method seeks to remedy this by asking practitioners to break down tasks into manageable chunks and take regularly scheduled breaks. When I first heard about this technique, I immediately thought it could make the grading process less painful. So how do you begin?
First, set specific goals for what you want to achieve. In the case of grading, maybe it’s “by Friday, I will grade 20 of my 40 research papers.” Given your goal, how many pomodoros do you need (pomodoros = 25-minute segments)? Perhaps you typically devote 15 minutes to each student’s paper. That means you’ll need 12 pomodoros to reach your goal.
Next, set your timer for 25 minutes and work in a distraction-free setting. When the timer rings, you must take a short break. It’s required. Get a cup of coffee; walk a loop around your neighborhood; play with your pet. When you return, set the timer for your second pomodoro. After four pomodoros, you must take a longer break (30 minutes is recommended). Go for a run; cook dinner; watch an episode of a favorite TV show. Maintain this cycle until you reach your goal. If you have tasks remaining, set a new goal and determine how many pomodoros you still need.
Although not revolutionary, this technique can result in greater productivity by encouraging us to set concrete goals, commit to short segments of concentration, and take regular “brain breaks.”
Respond to students efficiently
One of the constant complaints faculty make about students is that they don’t listen. They repeatedly ask questions that have been answered in class, in OAKS, in the syllabus, etc. Thus, faculty waste a lot of time answering the same questions again and again. It’s time to end this madness!
My first suggestion is to establish an “ask three, then me” policy. This policy states that students should consult three sources before contacting the professor. Those sources could be the syllabus, OAKS, classmates, the textbook, etc. Explain to students that you will not respond to emails if the answer to their question is readily available from other sources. As long as you have clearly explained this policy to students (and remind them of it multiple times), this isn’t as cruel as it may sound. It has worked wonders in my own classes, promoting student self-sufficiency and initiative.
One way to encourage students to help one another is to set up a “course lounge” discussion board inside OAKS (for those who have taken our Distance Education Readiness Course, this should sound familiar). This discussion board serves as a space for students to ask questions related to the course, such as due dates, clarifying instructions, and logistical issues. You will find students are often willing to jump in and answer one another’s questions.
If a student asks you a question via email that the rest of the class could benefit from hearing the answer, tell that student to post their question and your reply in the discussion board. And if you receive multiple emails about the same problem, rather than replying to each student individually, post the answer in the discussion board (or in the News tool). If you’re not a fan of the OAKS discussion tool, there are countless other ways to facilitate the “course lounge” concept, including Slack, Realtime Board, Trello, and Facebook groups.
Make self-care a priority
When we’re facing a giant stack of student papers or a looming manuscript deadline, it’s easy for us to abandon self-care practices. But when we’re stressed and overwhelmed, self-care is essential. Make your mental and physical health a priority and schedule it like you would a dentist appointment. It’s non-negotiable. This may require you to say “no” to people from time to time (easier said than done, I know. But your health comes first).
Remember that self-care practices don’t need to be expensive, time-consuming, or elaborate. For example, when writing, set a timer to go off every hour and walk around the campus (when was the last time you realized how beautiful CofC is?). Or, establish a policy of not responding to emails past 9:00PM (and stick to it!). Or, keep healthy snacks in your office to prevent you from either going too long without sustenance or stress-eating Cheez-Its by the boxful.
Self-care isn’t all-or-nothing. Every practice makes an impact on your health. Start small and work simple techniques into your daily life. When one practice becomes habitual, incorporate something else. While self-care will not eliminate stress, it will set you on a path towards greater vitality and job satisfaction.
One of the things that I enjoy most about being an Instructional Technologist is that I am constantly required to stay up to date on the newest learning technologies and instructional strategies. Part of my job involves designing and delivering professional development sessions to faculty at the College of Charleston. As we all know, technology is constantly evolving, new tools are being developed and released daily, and old tools are updated with new features multiple times throughout the semester. On several occasions, I’ve spent weeks or months preparing a session on a particular web tool, only to realize an hour before faculty members are set to arrive that the site navigation has changed, the tool’s features have been removed, altered, or upgraded, or the tool was pulled from the web. In those moments when I’m scrambling to pull together a session on something totally unfamiliar, it’s easy to become stressed or anxious, wondering whether attendees will see me as unprepared or unqualified. Surprisingly, some of these sessions have been among my favorites and have received the highest ratings, and I believe that the reason for this is that I was able to better understand how my attendees viewed the content since it was new to me, too.
I recently had the opportunity to read “Teaching What You Don’t Know” by Therese Huston, who is the Founding Director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (now the Center for Faculty Development) at Seattle University. As the title suggests, the book provides strategies to help faculty members who are tasked with teaching outside of their areas of expertise. As part of her research for this book, Huston interviewed 28 faculty members on topics related to teaching what you don’t know, which seems to often be the norm in academia.
While Huston understands the disadvantages of teaching what you don’t know, she also identifies some of the benefits to being what she calls a “content novice” early in the book along with a reminder that instructors should focus on creating an environment conducive to learning rather than feeling discouraged because they see themselves as givers of information.
How can your lack of expertise in a certain area actually help you in the classroom? According to Huston, some of the advantages are:
Content novices can better predict the steps that it will take a beginner to complete a task. It makes sense that someone who has only recently studied a topic in depth would be able to predict the steps that a student would go through to learn the same information.
Content novices are capable of relating difficult concepts to what the student already knows. Without higher level knowledge in a particular content area, content novices often make sense of difficult concepts by considering how they apply to everyday scenarios rather than connecting them to abstract theories.
Novices are better able to assess the amount of time it will take a learner to complete a task. Because they are rather new to a particular topic area themselves, content novices remember the amount of time it takes to learn new concepts, and according to research, people who have a little experience in a particular area are actually better at estimating the time that it takes to do something than both people with no experience and experts. In fact, experts were actually worse at predicting the amount of time it will take a beginner to complete a task than someone who has never completed the task before.
So next time you’re tasked with teaching a class that may be a bit outside your comfort zone, remember that there are benefits to your situation. That new course that you’re prepping may just become one of your most successful due to your ability to reach your students in a different way.
Huston, T. (n.d.). Teaching What You Don’t Know. Cambridge, MA 2009: Harvard University Press.
Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James Lang — This book bridges the gap between research and practice by sharing how faculty can take incremental steps towards improving student learning and engagement. Lang provides simple, concrete, classroom-tested strategies that do not require a lot of preparation or class time but can make a big impact.
