Teaching Online: Course Design, Delivery, and Teaching Presence

Analisa McMillan

Teaching Online: Course Design, Delivery, and Teaching Presence Copyright © by Analisa McMillan. All Rights Reserved.

This book was produced with Pressbooks.

Contents

- Introduction

- Part I. Foundations of Online Learning

- Online and Adult Learners

- Seven Principles of Good Education

- Andragogy Learning Theory

- Pedagogy versus Andragogy

- Experiential Learning

- Transformative Learning (Mezirow)

- Multimedia Theories and Principles

- Teaching Inventories and Online Readiness Assessment

- Optional: Learning Styles/Preferences

- Part II. Course Design- Accessibility

- ADA Accessibility Compliance Overview

- Designing for Compliance

- Closed Captioning

- Part III. Course Design - Instructional Design

- Backward Design

- Bloom's Taxonomy (revised edition)

- Writing Learning Objectives

- 1. ADDIE

- 2. Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

- 3. Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI)

- 4. Task/Topic and Procedural Analysis

- Part IV. Developing Course Content - Assessments

- 5. Authentic Learning Activities and Assessments

- 6. Assessment Strategies

- 7. Formative and Summative Evaluation

- 8. Writing Quiz and Exam Questions

- 9. Quiz and Exam Questions - Canvas LMS

- 10. Discussion Board

- 11. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

- 12. 7 Low Risk and Easy to Use CATs

- Part V. Developing Course Content-Presentations

- 13. Presentation Strategies

- 14. Copyright

- 15. Best Practices for PowerPoint Video Lectures

- 16. Types of Multimedia Content

- 17. SAMR Model for Integrating Technology

- Part VI. Converting Your In-Class Content to Online

- 18. Lecture Redesign

- 19. Assessment Redesign

- 20. Seat time conversions for online courses

- Part VII. Course Delivery- Teaching Presence

- 21. Developing an Online Teaching Presence (also relevant to on campus course)

- 22. Simple Steps for Creating YOUR Teaching Presence

- 23. Time Management

- Part VIII. Course Delivery- Opportunities for Engagement

- 24. Peer Review: Editing/Grading

- 25. Group Work

- 26. Group Work on Canvas

- 27. Best Practices: Group work

- Group Charters

- Part IX. Course Delivery- Grading and Feedback

- Assessment Feedback

- Analytic Rubrics

- Part X. Course Delivery - Learning Management System

- Learning Management System (LMS) Design

- Part XI. Online Syllabus Design (in class too)

- Syllabus Design & Purpose

- Writing a Course Description

- 28. Writing the Course Format Section

- 29. Writing the Course Policies Section

- 30. Syllabus Learning Objectives & Course Mapping

- 31. COPH Syllabi Templates and Additional Resources

1

Welcome!

I am excited to begin this 4-week journey into online teaching with you!  My name is Analisa McMillan, and I will be your instructor for this course. I have been in education for over 30 years to include early childhood education, adult education, instructional design, and instructional technology.  I am currently the Director of Educational Design and Development at the UNMC College of Public Health. I work with faculty on instructional design for online and on-campus courses, and faculty development one-on-one or in groups. I am a Courtesy Professor/Graduate Lecturer at The College of Allied Health and teach, “Integrating Technology into Health Professions Teaching” in the Masters of Health Professions Teaching and Technology and an adjunct at UNK  in the Instructional Technology Program in Teacher Education.

Please watch the course overview video below.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=4

Please note that at one point in the video  I say 1-2 hours per week which should have been 3-6 per week.

teaching online spring 2020 syllabus

I

Foundations of Online Learning

Online and Adult Learners

In this chapter, we will be learning about adult and online learners. The information is intended to give you a brief but informational look into adult and online learners.

Adult Learners

Adult learners are experienced, self-directed, motivated, and ready to learn. Adult learners generally need to know why they are learning a new concept or information, through problem-solving and doing. It is essential to explain why the skills or knowledge is being taught and how it relates to their academic learning experience.

When teaching adult learners create learning experiences and assessments that are task oriented and stay away from busy work (additional activities/assessments meant to meet time requirements).  Recognize that each student is bringing different levels of education and experience to the classroom. Encourage your learners to take charge of their learning and create opportunities that require them to problem solve. Tell your students why they need to learn content/skills and tap into their motivation.

Online Learners

Online education allows many students who lack geographical access such as rural students, members of the military, out of state students and working adults, the ability to obtain a college degree. In addition to an increasing number of adult students who prefer online learning, online learning is now attracting younger and first-time students. More students are choosing programs that fit their specific educational and career goals, and if they are not available at a local university, they are enrolling in the online programs that meet their educational needs.

Characteristics of successful online learners:

Initiative/self-motivation: Much of the learning that takes place in an online course is initiated by the students, which is different than a traditional course. In a traditional face-to-face course, students meet at a regular time weekly, and the professor delivers a lecture of all the weeks learning materials. In contrast, online students must take the initiative each week to find time to log onto the Learning Management System and complete readings and view lectures with no guidance or defined time.

Persistence: Online students have to be willing to persevere through the learning materials, technical issues, not understanding/liking content or assignments, lack of teacher contact and even knowing that they have a long night/weekend of studying/homework ahead to meet your deadlines.

Organization: Being organized (time, course materials, study space) is essential when students are juggling a job, a family, and schoolwork.

Engagement: The professor and other students have a lot to offer to the online learner’s experience.  The professor can help build a learning community by providing ways to engage with other students.  Students can learn from one another experience with the content as well as motivate each other and cultivate friendships.

Communication skills: Online students have to be able to communicate clearly and effectively to professors and other students in the learning management system while practicing proper email and online netiquette.

Seven Principles of Good Education

In 1987 Chickering and Gamson recommended seven principles for good practices in undergraduate education. Even though the article states undergraduate education, the principles still apply to graduate education. The principles were based on 50 years of educational research are widely used as an educational resource today.

The seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education:
1. Encourages contact between students and faculty
2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.
3. Encourages active learning.
4. Gives prompt feedback.
5. Emphasizes time on task.
6. Communicates high expectations.
7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

Watch the following video to learn more about the seven principles.

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Read the following articles.

Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education http://www.lonestar.edu/multimedia/sevenprinciples.pdf.

Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven

Andragogy Learning Theory

Image Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/andragogy (Links to an external site.)

Malcolm Knowles is an American educator who is well known for the use of the term Andragogy. He stated that Andragogy refers to any form of Adult Learning. Knowles’s theory contains five assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners that differ from the characteristics of child learners. There are also four principles of andragogy that are applied to adult learning.

The five assumptions of adult learners are:

1. Self-concept: As a person matures his self-concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being

2. Experience: As a person matures he accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning.

3. Readiness to learn: As a person matures his readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of his social roles.

4. Orientation to learning: As a person matures his time perspective changes from one of postponed application of knowledge to immediacy of application, and accordingly his orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject-centeredness to one of problem centredness.

5. Motivation to learn: As a person matures the motivation to learn is internal. (1)

The four principles that are applied are:

1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.

2. Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning activities.

3. Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life.

4. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented. (Kearsley, 2010)

Click on the infographic below to learn more about andragogy.

Are you interested in learning more about Andragogy?
If so, check out the links and readings below!

The Adult Learning Theory – Andragogy – of Malcolm Knowles web article – https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles (Links to an external site.)

“Malcolm Knowles, Informal Adult Education, Self-Direction And Andragogy.” infed.org. N. p., 2013. Web. 10 July 2019. http://infed.org/mobi/malcolm-knowles-informal-adult-education-self-direction-and-andragogy (Links to an external site.)

Pratt, D. D. (1993). Andragogy after twenty-five years. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1993(57), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.36719935704 (Links to an external site.)  or http://bit.ly/2LManal (Links to an external site.)

Pedagogy versus Andragogy

Pedagogy is the art and science behind helping children learn and andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn.  When designing a course, it is important that you understand the difference between the two and design your course and materials to engage and motivate adult learners.

The following matrix compares pedagogy and andragogy.

PEDAGOGY vs. ANDRAGOGY

Pedagogy

Andragogy

The Learner

- The learner is dependent on the instructor for all learning.

- The teacher assumes full responsibility for what is taught and how it is learned.

- The teacher evaluates the learning.

- The learner is self-directed

- The learner is responsible for their own learning

- Self-evaluation is a characteristic of this approach.

Role of the Learner’s Experience

- The learner comes to the activity with little experience that could be tapped into as a resource for learning.

- The experience of the instructor is most influential.

- The learner brings a greater volume and quality of experience.

- Adults are a rich resource for one another

- Different experiences assure diversity in groups of adults.

- The experience becomes the source of self-identity.

Readiness to Learn

- Students are told what they have to learn in order to advance to the next level of mastery.

- Any change is likely to trigger a readiness to learn

- They need to know more in order to perform more effectively in some aspect of their life.

- Ability to assess gaps between where one is now and where one needs to be.

Orientation to Learning

- Learning is a process of acquiring prescribed subject matter

- Content units are sequenced according to the logic of the subject matter

- Learners want to perform a task, solve a problem, and live in a more satisfying way.

- Learning must have relevance to real-life tasks

- Learning is organized around life/work situation rather than subject matter experts

Motivation for Learning

- Primarily motivated by external pressures, completion for grades and the consequences of failure

- Internal motivators: self –esteem, recognition, a better quality of life, self-confidence, and self-actualization.

Source: Unknown

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience and is more specifically defined as “learning through reflection on doing”.  Students are developing skills, knowledge, and values from direct experiences.

Kolb’s experiential learning style theory is represented by a four-stage learning cycle where learners complete the cycle in order.

The learner completes the four stages by having a concrete learning experience. This is where the learner has a new experience to include a situational experience, the reinterpretation of previous or a new experience. After the experience, they reflect on the experience and give it meaning by paying attention to inconstancies between the experience and their understanding. Once they have reflected, the learner integrates the experience with other experiences to develop explanations, modifications, and draw conclusions (abstract conceptualization) to learn from the experience. The conclusions then guide planning and decision making that are implemented, leading to new concretes experiences.

Are you interested in learning more about Experimental Learning?
If so, Check out the links and readings below!

Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle http://cei.ust.hk/files/public/simplypsychology_kolb_learning_styles.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Transformative Learning (Mezirow)

Transformative Learning theory was developed by Sociologist Professor Jack Mezirow. The theory explains how adults learn through ‘Aha’ moments. learning takes place when a new meaning is imparted to an earlier experience or an old meaning is reinterpreted due to the ‘Aha’ moment.

The ten phases that a learner uses for perspective transformation are:

1. Disorienting dilemma

2. Self-examination

3. Sense of alienation

4. Relating discontent to others

5. Explaining options of new behavior

6. Building confidence in new ways

7. Planning a course of action

8. Knowledge to implement plans

9. Experimenting with new roles

10. Reintegration

The three common themes of the theory are the centrality of experience, critical reflection and rational discourse in the process of meaning structure transformation.

Do you want to learn more about Transformative learning theory?
If yes, check out the links, readings, and references below.

Transformative Learning in Action Article; https://www.dashe.com/blog/transformative-learning-theory-in-action (Links to an external site.)

https://www.calpro-online.org/eric/docs/taylor/taylor_02.pdf

Multimedia Theories and Principles

Watch the following videos:

Multimedia Principle Video Scribe – UNMC E-Learning

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Memory,chunking, and recall

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How to optimize students’ learning? Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

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Learning Science 101: Cognitive Load Theory

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Teaching Inventories and Online Readiness Assessment

The goal of this section is to help you assess your teaching styles and skills and reflect on how you can improve your current skills to grow as an educator. Remember these skills as we move forward and think about how they affect you as you move through the course, the assignments/assessments, and your teaching.

Complete the Online Teaching Readiness Assessment
Penn State Faculty Self-Assessment: Preparing for online teaching https://weblearning.psu.edu/FacultySelfAssessment/ (Links to an external site.)

Complete the Teaching Style Assessments
Select one from the following list to complete or search the web for additional learning style inventory/assessment options

TPI Teaching Perspectives Inventory http://www.teachingperspectives.com/tpi/ (Links to an external site.)

Select the following link for more understanding of the 5 TPI Perspectives http://www.teachingperspectives.com/tpi/ (Links to an external site.)

Grasha-Riechmann teaching style survey http://longleaf.net/teachingstyle.html (Links to an external site.)
Select the following link for the article reviewing the Grasha-Riechmann teaching syles results. http://www.montana.edu/gradschool/documents/A-Matter-of-STyle-Grashab.pdf

Optional: Learning Styles/Preferences

Watch the following video on learning styles.

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Video Length: 6 minutes 10 seconds

Watch the following video on Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

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Video Length: 2 minutes and 22 seconds

Read the following article

Teaching in the medical setting: balancing teaching styles, learning styles and teaching methods http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01421590120091000  (Supplements the Grasha Teaching Styles test

Select two from the following list to complete or search the web for additional learning style inventory/assessment options

Multiple Intelligences Self-Assessment https://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

What’s Your Learning Style by Education Planner http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles.shtml

Index of Learning Styles https://www.webtools.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ (please read supplemental information for clarity)

II

Course Design- Accessibility

ADA Accessibility Compliance Overview

In this section, we are going to cover accessibility and why it is important for you to design your courses, materials, and documents to meet the ADA Section 508 compliance standards. We are starting with this section first in the design module because it is easier to design using accessibility standards from the start than it is to go back and correct issues.

Let’s start by taking a closer look at ADA Compliance (Sections 508 & 504)

Read the article below from UW Extension on Ada Compliance
https://ce.uwex.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ADA.pdf

Read the article below from Educause Review covering the Section 508 Refresh and what it means for higher education.
https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/12/the-section-508-refresh-and-what-it-means-for-higher-education

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=62

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=62

Designing for Compliance

Now that we know what ADA accessibility is, we will be covering how we can design to meet these standards using technology.  I am a firm believer in not recreating the wheel, and I found an excellent resource from the Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida. I am highlighting the important design information that will help you in this class with your technology projects. As well as help you design new online materials in your work and teaching roles.

Creating Accessible Multimedia

This is important to you since you will be creating multimedia projects. Moving forward, all audio and video projects need to be closed-captioned.  At this time, UNMC COPH and CAHP have a captioning program for faculty and staff use (VidGrid), however, some faculty use YouTube but YouTube captioning is not always accurate.

Click on the following link to learn more about creating accessible multimedia guidelines https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/multimedia/

Creating Accessible PDFs

When using PDFs to share content and information, it is important that you check for accessibility before posting. Some PDFs are copies of articles, textbooks, etc. and cannot be interpreted by a screen reader. If the PDF is inaccessible, the screen reader reads it as an image.  To test your PDF’s, try highlighting the text, and if the text does not highlight, you will need to redo the document.

Watch the following video demonstration of how to know if your PDF is screen-reader accessible (1 min 36 seconds)

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When creating PowerPoints, it is important to complete the accessibility formatting. Although we don’t need to worry about this, if we are only presenting, it is a good habit to get into. Use preformatted layout slides when possible. If you are using images, which I highly suggest in any PowerPoint, don’t skip adding image information in the alternative text box. Alt-text is what screen readers use to describe the image, so use descriptive words. If the images are too complicated, you can add captions, or place more detailed image information in the notes section. Use the note section to add your presenter’s notes, for the screen reader and the regular readers.

Click on the following link to learn more about creating an accessible PowerPoint https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/ppt/

Document text formatting and organization

Using correct formatting for all text and documents all the time is important because the majority of documents are shared or posted in a digital format. The guidelines include selecting a sans-serif font, using bold and italic to emphasize instead of underlining because underlining often indicates a web link. Also, you should use descriptive link text, alt text for meaningful images, use headings for rows and columns in tables, solid backgrounds, high contrast color combinations, and check your document for accessibility with the built-in checker in Word.

Click on the following link to learn more about creating an accessible text and document organization https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/text/

Word & Pages Formatting

Properly formatting your Word or Pages documents ensures that students and screen readers can access your content. Instead of using Bold and larger fonts to differentiate between sections, use headings. Create tables with headings and when using lists, use bullets or numbers. You can asl include alt text for all images in addition to sources. If you are using hyperlinks, give them lead text explaining the link. If your documents are long, consider cutting them into smaller documents.

Click on the following link to learn more about creating an accessible Word and Pages documents https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/ms-word/

Designing for Color Blindness

Please read the following document from UW extension on Designing for Colorblindness. At the bottom of the PDF, there are color blind simulators, and I suggest that you try out a few. Once you can see what a colorblind person sees or does not see, you will look at color with a different lens. Click on the following link to view the Color Blind overview PDF https://ce.uwex.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/DesignForColorBlindness.pdf

Another resource that shows great color contrasts is available at https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/accessibility/webcourses/color-contrast/

Watch the Colbis – Color Blind Simulator in action (33 seconds) video below

https://app.vidgrid.com/embed/FPL98eeMzYYW

Try out the simulator at https://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/

Closed Captioning

Closed captioning is the text version of the spoken word on any type of multimedia.  It is synchronized with the content and is part of ADA compliance for online materials.

Who benefits from Closed-Captioning (CC):

- Deaf or Hearing Impaired: A deaf or hearing impaired student may request accommodations, but not all hearing-impaired students do.  In addition to students, you may have occasions where faculty or staff who are deaf or hard of hearing are viewing your content.

- Loud Environment: You do not know if the learner’s environment is loud, nor do we know the volume of our videos on other computers. What may be loud on my computer, can be quiet on yours. This is important especially if you are a soft talker.

- Language fluency:  Captions benefit students who are watching videos that are in their non-native language.  It is important to remember that there are students and faculty where English is not their first language.  Using captions will help second language students and help English students who have a second language professor.

- Cognitive or learning disabilities:

All of the issues above can easily be met with closed captioning as you create your learning videos. It is less time consuming to do it now, then it is to get an accommodation letter and have to scramble to meet the needs.

You can use YouTube for captioning but the accuracy rate is around 80%. However, you can edit your transcripts to create 100 % accuracy.

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Are you interested in learning more about the benefits of Closed Captioning?
If so, check out the links and readings below!

Video Captions benefit everyone: https://secfac.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/09/Video-Captions-Benefit-Everyone.pdf

III

Course Design - Instructional Design

Backward Design

Backward design compels us to design and create courses based on competencies/goals (Big Ideas) and not on the books, content or activities that we were most comfortable with. Competencies and goals are the frameworks that guide our Backward Design and identify both teaching and learning experiences. Backward design is different from some of the more traditional models that start out with writing learning objectives, then moves on to the planning of course content and activities, and finishes with figuring out how you will assess the students.

Backward Design is a versatile design system that can be used for whole course design, module design, workshops, training sessions and more.

Watch the following video

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Download the video Powerpoint file by clicking on the following link Authentic Learning Infographic (1)

Read the following article
https://educationaltechnology.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/backward-design.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Are you interested in learning more about Backward Design? If so, Check out the links and readings below!

Understanding by Design Framework by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggens. Download the white paper by selecting the following link UbD_WhitePaper0312 (1)

Purchase the book on Amazon by selecting the following link https://amzn.to/2LgNUTt

Bloom's Taxonomy (revised edition)

Benjamin Bloom and collaborators created a framework for categorizing education goals. The framework consists of six major categories and refers to the cognitive skills and abilities that help when designing instruction and helping students learn. The hierarchical order of categories is Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The original framework was revised in 2001 (See image below) and while the concept and foundation remained the same synthesis was removed, create was added and other levels had name changes.  Bloom’s taxonomy framework can be used to create assessments, increase the rigor of lessons/assessments, evaluate assessments, and help guide the creation of your course design.

Review the following Bloom’s Taxonomy Web Page at https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

Writing Learning Objectives

First, let’s clarify the difference between learning objectives and competencies. Competencies serve as the basis for skill standards that specify the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in the academic program as well as measurement criteria for assessing competency. In contrast, a learning objective should be specific, measurable statements that are written in behavioral terms. Learning objectives describe what the learner should be able to achieve at the end of a learning period. The objective lets us know if the assessment criteria were met and if aligned correctly, we know that the competency was met.

Watch the following video

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Objective and alignment video PowerPoint file link Learning Objectives -alignment pdf

4 Parts of an Objective:

- Condition: Describe the conditions under which the learner will be expected to perform in the evaluation situation

- Who: Define who will be expected to perform (Student, participant, )

- Behavior: Describe the observable action using an appropriate verb (Bloom’s Taxonomy) along with the task

- Criterion: Make clear how well a learner must perform to be judged adequate

By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to write five objectives using the four components of an instructional objective with no errors.

By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to breakdown instructional concepts using task analysis in 45 minutes or less.

1

ADDIE

The instructional design ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model may be utilized to provide the necessary structure for designing curriculum. During the analysis stage, data is gathered from a needs assessment and any other relevant information that allows the designer to determine needs, learning gaps, and problem identification. The analyze step allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the learners, the constraints learners are facing, and the learning needs of the target audience. Once the analysis is complete, the design process begins by deciding how the information will be learned during the course/training. This stage includes the creation of goals that state the overall learning outcome and the objectives that break down the learning into smaller and more manageable learning steps. During this stage, instruction plans, identification of resources, and the development of assessment material will be specified, creating an instructional strategy. The instructional design strategy is then used to author and produce learning materials in the development stage. The course/training designer may work with the subject matter experts, the instructional designer, and other team members to create the lecture material, activities, assessments, training facilitation guide, and other essential materials. Once the development process has been completed, teachers/trainers will implement the curriculum and collect evaluations from the participant.  The last step in ADDIE has two phases- formative and summative evaluation. Due to the iterative process of ADDIE, the formative evaluation phase takes place after each stage and cumulates with the summative evaluation after the implantation phase is complete. During the summative phase assessment data, course and instructor evaluations, outcome data and other miscellaneous data will be collected in order to revise the course/training for future sessions.

Source: By Fav203 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19136887

Are you interested in learning more about ADDIE? If so, Check out the links, videos and readings below!

ADDIE Model: Instructional design https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/

ADDIE Videos

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A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=93

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=93

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=93

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=93

2

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

The Nine Events of Instruction Framework by Robert Gagne is based on the behaviorist approach to learning and follows a systematic approach to address the conditions of learning.

The nine steps are:

1. Gain the attention of the students. Tell a story or ask a thought-provoking question and “hook” the students with stimuli that catch and engage the brain to gain the attention of the students.

2. Inform the students of the objectives. Establish the learning expectations for the course and how you will measure success or failure

3. Stimulate recall of prior learning. Leverage students existing knowledge before introducing new knowledge to scaffold learning.

4. Present the content. Deliver the content in smaller consumable chunks for easier information processing.

5. Provide learner guidance. Use examples, case studies, stories, discussion, and other instructional support materials to guide students learning.

6. Elicit performance.  Engage students with activities that help them recall, utilize and evaluate knowledge.

7. Provide feedback.  Reinforce knowledge with immediate feedback.

8. Assess performance. Test learners’ knowledge and skills.

9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job. Use content retention strategies to retain knowledge to include but not limited to concept mapping, rephrasing, summarizing, job aids

Read the following article on Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction with examples. https://www.niu.edu/facdev/_pdf/guide/learning/gagnes_nine_events_instruction.pdf

3

Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI)

Merrill’s Principles of Instruction is a framework that is based on different ways of promoting learning when designing and developing courses or training programs. The approach is task/problem-centered and has 4 core phase/principles of learning.

Are you interested in learning more about Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI)?

If so, Check out the links and readings below!

Click on the following link to learn more about Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI): The Definitive Guide https://elearningindustry.com/merrills-principles-instruction-definitive-guide

Click on the following link to learn more from Instructional Design: Merrill’s first Principle of instruction http://instructionaldesign.io/toolkit/merrill/

4

Task/Topic and Procedural Analysis

In this section, we will cover what a task/topic analysis and procedural analysis is and why we should complete one when designing content. The process allows you to break the content down into appropriate bite-sized chunks (microlearning) of learning as well as make sure you are teaching all that they need to know. As experts, you know your content well and may have perfected your application of the material to fit your needs. This can lead you to inadvertently leave important content or steps out that they as novices need. When you complete the analysis, you are reminded of the steps or knowledge required to teach the content. The other benefit of a task analysis is that you break down the content into content topics and teaching content. This allows you to easily chunk your materials into smaller sections that scaffold the students learning. And last but not least, you can use your analysis to build your presentation content (PPTs, Videos, documents, etc.) and to make sure your assessments are aligned with the teaching content.

Complete the following reading

Click on the following link http://bit.ly/2BrXA8S and read pages 77-98 in the Designing Effective Instruction book preview.

Procedural Task Analysis http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/procedural_analysis.htm

Watch the following video

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=102

Here are some PDF examples of a task analysis from previous students

taskanalysis1

taskanalysis2

taskanalysis3

IV

Developing Course Content - Assessments

5

Authentic Learning Activities and Assessments

Authentic learning is a style of learning that is like real-life learning.  Students are encouraged to create real-life, tangible products that use the knowledge and skills acquired to create real-world tangible products and experiences.   Integrating authentic learning into your online classroom with activities and assessments not only allows students to use the knowledge and skills you have taught, but it also allows them to create products that are meaningful to their learning, their career, and the community.

The 10 Design Elements of Authentic Learning:

1. Real-world relevance: Authentic activities match the real-world tasks of professionals in practice

2. Ill-defined problem: Authentic activities are relatively undefined and open to multiple interpretations, requiring students to identify for themselves the tasks and subtasks needed to complete the major task.

3. Sustained investigation: Authentic activities comprise complex tasks to be investigated by students over a sustained period of time, requiring a significant investment of time and intellectual resources.

4. Multiple sources and perspectives: Authentic activities provide the opportunity for students to examine tasks from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives, using a variety of resources, and require students to distinguish relevant from irrelevant information.

5. Collaboration: Success is not achievable by an individual learner working alone. Authentic activities make collaboration integral to the task, both within the course and in the real world.

6. Reflection (metacognition): Authentic activities enable learners to make choices and reflect on their learning, both individually and as a team or community.

7. Interdisciplinary perspective: Authentic activities have consequences that extend beyond a particular discipline, encouraging students to adopt diverse roles and think in interdisciplinary terms.

8. Integrated assessment: Assessment is not merely summative in authentic activities but is woven seamlessly into the major task in a manner that reflects real-world evaluation processes.

9. Polished products: Conclusions are not merely exercises or substeps in preparation for something else. Authentic activities culminate in the creation of a whole product, valuable in its own right.

10. Multiple interpretations and outcomes: Rather than yielding a single correct answer obtained by the application of rules and procedures, authentic activities allow for diverse interpretations and competing solutions.

Examples of Authentic Learning:

Interviews
Video reports/projects Oral reports
Case briefs
Photo stories
Peer editing/review
ePortfolios
Infographics
Debates
Ask the “expert”
Letters to editor/government
Floor plans
Timelines
Surveys
Research data (real data sets)
Inquiry-based Learning
Multi-media creation

Document Analysis
“Teacher” for a day, module or concept
Case studies
Podcasts/Vlogs
Product reviews
Article critiques
Concept mapping
Graphing data
Presentations
Design projects
Group Projects
Models/constructing objects
Proposals
Scenarios
Data Analysis

Journaling/reflection
Wikis and other collaborative writing
Group problem solving
Blogs
Lab work
Role-playing
Simulations
Fieldwork
Field trips
Research projects
Problem-based learning (PBL)
Real-world problems (finding solutions)
Editorials

Download the Authentic Learning Infographic

Infographic adapted from Lombardi, M. M. (2007). Authentic learning for the 21st century: An overview. Educause learning initiative, 1(2007), 1-12.  https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2007/1/eli3009-pdf.pdf

6

Assessment Strategies

Now that we have a basic understanding of authentic learning and assessments, we will discuss creating an assessment plan for your online course.

To develop an assessment plan, you will want to review your course goals and/or competencies. If you are creating a new course, you will use the competencies and goals as guides when creating your assessments.

If you are converting a course from a traditional class you may choose to go with the assessment plan in place and convert the assessments to online formats. You may also take this opportunity to review your current assessment plan and update current assessments or add authentic learning assessments.

Frame your assessment plan to meet the core concepts/goals in your course by assessing the 1.) facts and concepts (core vocabulary and subject concepts) 2.) hands-on applications (think authentic learning) and 3.) more complex “creation” projects.

1. Facts and concepts – Use the quiz function on the LMS, discussion board (students integrate current knowledge with existing knowledge), mid-term and final exams, and by creating games and puzzles (jeopardy, crosswords, word search. etc.)

2. “Hands-on” applications – short assignments to include conducting research, written or video reports, interviews, data analysis, timelines, case studies, podcasts, concept mapping, simulations, etc.

3. “Creating” Projects – Continues the hands-on theme above and sometimes utilizes collaboration between peers or outside sources.  Some ideas of creating projects are video projects or other multimedia creations, field or lab work with a report, “teaching” the learning content, creating databases, creating Wiki pages, presentations, group projects, design projects, larger research projects, etc.

The assessment plan summarizes the points/percentages (weights) of the assessment types. The summary of the score distribution is also placed in the syllabus for students to understand how their grade is broken down.

Assessment types in the online classroom can be:

1. Discussion Board

2. Quizzes

3. Assignments (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)

4. Projects

5. Group Work (discussion board, projects, etc)

6. Peer evaluation (papers, projects, etc)

7. Mid-term (exams, papers, projects)

8. Finals (exams, papers, projects)

9. Other assessments not included in the above categories

7

Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative assessments are smaller (low point) assessments that take place throughout (weekly, biweekly, etc) the course or unit. The goal is to monitor the students learning, allowing you to provide feedback to students and receive feedback on your teaching before the end of the semester.

Formative assessment is used for both the designer of the assessment/course materials and the student’s development. Students can use formative assessments to help identify their strengths and weaknesses to target areas that need more development based on instructor feedback and scores. Educators can use formative feedback to monitor students learning and if necessary intervene with additional help if needed. The course designer uses the assessment data to determine the success or failure of teaching materials by evaluating the grades/scores. If the majority of students failed, then the conclusion would be that the materials and/or teaching of the materials were unsuccessful and should be redesigned.

Examples of Formative assessment:

Concept maps, Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs), early feedback on drafts (projects, papers), assignments, short quizzes, discussion boards,  assessments on single concepts, journals, etc.

Summative assessments are directed towards the major outcomes (competencies/goals) that should be attained at the end of the course or unit. Summative assessments in higher education are often a high point/percentage of the overall course grade.  Designers and educators can use the summative data collected to determine if the course is meeting the learning goals/competencies. Students can use the summative assessment score to reflect on their learning experience.

Examples of Summative assessments:

Mid-term or final exams, final papers, end of unit/chapter tests, final projects, etc.

In the next section, we will be learning about quiz and exam questions.

8

Writing Quiz and Exam Questions

Writing Multiple Choice/Answers Questions:

Multiple-choice tests have 2 advantages in that they measure a variety of learning levels (Bloom’s Taxonomy) and are easy to grade. The disadvantages are that they test recognition and not recall, which allows for guessing, and they are not always easy to construct.

Multiple-choice and multiple answer questions consist of a “stem,” “response items,” and “distractors.” The stem is a question or an incomplete sentence. The response items are the correct/possible answers, and the distractors are the incorrect answers. The questions should be as clear and straight forward as possible and to steer away from questions that are meant to trick students or are to complex.

Creating effective stems, response items and distractors

Stems

Response Items

Distractors

- Construct the stem, so it conveys a complete thought.

- Is concise with simple and clear wording

- Phrase questions using positive phrasing instead of negative phrasing

- Avoid using grammatical clues to include singular or plural words, and a or an.

- Aim for one BEST answer(unless Multiple answers)

- Avoid absolutes (always/never)

- Avoid overusing all or none of the above

- Avoid using grammatical clues to include singular or plural words, and a or an.

- Lengths of responses are roughly equal

- List response in a logical order

- Avoid “A” & “B” and “B” & “A” and use multiple answers instead.

- Avoid all or none of the above responses

- Make sure all of  the responses are grammatically consistent with the stem

- Avoid confusing vocabulary and idioms.

- Eliminate repetitive or  irrelevant wording

- Make every distractor plausible

- Avoid trivial or nonsense distractors

- Use common student errors

- Use distractors that are content-related.

- Remember to make the content you are testing on align with the course objectives.

- Test on important and not trivial or unimportant facts.

- Make sure students cant use information from one question to answer another question.

- Write the test question out with the correct answer, replace the correct answer with the distractor, and read for consistency.

Writing True/False Questions:

True/False questions are presented as statements where the test taker judges the statement to be correct or incorrect.  With a 50/50 chance of getting the answer correct, only content that lends itself to either/ or should be used.

- Be sure that the statement is entirely true or false.

- Avoid using negatives, absolutes, or ambiguous or confusing language when writing questions.

- Convey only one thought in each question and avoid the combination of multiple ideas in the same sentence.

- Target misconceptions when writing questions.

Writing matching questions:

Matching questions require the learner to match the “stem” with the “response” and identify the relationship between them.  Matching is ideal for terms with definition, causes and effects, concepts with examples or pictures, events and dates, achievements and people, descriptions or applications and principles and functions, and parts.

Writing short answer questions:

Short answer questions are also referred to as “fill in the blank” and “completion” questions. They require the learner to supply a single word or short phrase to complete the sentence.

- Word the question so that only ONE answer is correct to keep the question objective.

Writing Essay Questions:

A short essay question is limited to a few paragraphs or one page and is highly focused on a response to a question.  A long essay can be more than one page and gives the test taker a chance to express and defend a point of view. They are easy to construct and require learners to express themselves in writing.

- Make the questions specific and focused on keeping students from straying off-topic.

- Use grading rubrics to inform the students of the grading criteria.

- After creating an essay question, write a model answer to help the grader focus on content.

How many questions:

The number of questions depends on the difficulty and type of your questions as well as the time limit (if applicable).

For instance, you can allow 1-2 minutes per question for True/False and multiple choice or fill in the blanks. Short answer questions 2-3 minutes per question and numerical questions should be based on how long it would take a student (not you) to complete. Essay questions can range from 10-45 minutes depending on if it is a short essay or long and the amount of detail you are looking for.

- Time yourself reading the questions and answers to get a minimum time then add the answer time to the minimin to get an idea of how long it will take.

- Ask a TA/GA or colleague to take the test and time it and adjust the time if they are subject matter experts.

- If you create a test for an in-class session that matches your online session, give the students the same time they would need to complete the test and the in-class students receive.

- When in doubt add extra time.

References and Resources:

“Writing Multiple-Choice Questions That Demand Critical Thinking,” by Boston University Medical Campus
http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/teachingLibrary/Assessment/WritingMultiple.pdf (Links to an external site.)

“Writing Effective Questions,” by The Learning Management Corporation
http://www.thelearningmanager.com/pubdownloads/writing_effective_questions.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Is This a Trick Question? A Short Guide to Writing Effective Test Questions, by Ben Clay, Kansas Curriculum Center
http://www.k-state.edu/ksde/alp/resources/Handout-Module6.pdf (Links to an external site.)

“Writing Good Multiple-Choice Test Questions,” by Cynthia J. Brame, Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/ (Links to an external site.)

“How to Write Better Tests: A Handbook for Improving Test Construction Skills,” by Cloud County Community College
https://www.cloud.edu/Assets/PDFs/assessment/Inst.Strategy_How%20to%20write%20test%20questions.pdf

9

Quiz and Exam Questions - Canvas LMS

In this section, we will be learning about writing quiz and exam questions. Using the online Learning Management System to deliver quizzes, exams, and even surveys save you time with automated grading and feedback. You can also create quiz questions with images, text, and multimedia (audio/video) unless noted below.

The Canvas Quiz questions available for your use are:

- Multiple choice – Create a question that has multiple choices for students to select 1 correct answer from.

- True/False – Create a question with a statement that is true or false.

- Fill in the blank- Create a single fill in the blank question. Fill in the blank questions are not case sensitive and students will get an ‘incorrect’ if the answer is misspelled or left blank.

- Fill in multiple blanks – Create a question that has multiple blanks for student’s responses. The question can be a sentence with blank spaces throughout or multiple questions

- Matching –  Create a text-only matching question.

- Multiple answers– Create a question that has multiple answers. Canvas grades multiple answers by penalizing students for getting wrong answers. For example, if a student has a question (9 points total = 3 per correct answer)with 3 correct and 2 incorrect answers. If the student selects 2 correct and 1 incorrect answer they will only receive 3 points due to subtracting points for the incorrect answer.

- Multiple dropdowns – Create a question that has multiple dropdowns for student selection. You can use this question type for Likert scale questions or questions nested in a table (example: 2 x 2 table).

- Numerical answer- Create a question that has numbers for answers (exact answer, answer in range and answer with precision). If you are creating questions using a mathematical formula,  you can use the Canvas math editor (Links to an external site.) in the rich text editor to create formulas and equations.

- Essay question – Create an essay question that has a text box for student’s answers. Essay questions are not graded automatically by canvas and need to be graded. Students receive an incomplete on their grade until the instructor has graded the quiz.

- File upload question –  Create a question that allows students to upload a file as their answer. Files types can include word/pages document, pdf, and multimedia and are graded manually.

- Text (no question)- A text question can be used as a header, or as a preface to a quiz or a group of questions in a quiz. if you use this type of question, do not select shuffle answers on the quiz details page.

- All question types have options in canvas for correct/ incorrect answer feedback and overall question feedback.If you are looking for more information on the types of questions and how to build them on Canvas you can access the Canvas Guides on Quizzes here

10

Discussion Board

The discussion board is the heart of your learning community and needs to be tended to cultivate community, promote meaningful discourse and create a peer-learning environment. In addition to online courses, you can use the discussion board in the traditional, flipped and hybrid classroom and this content pertain to all of them.

Meaningful discourse on the online discussion board is dependent on the collaboration of students and the use of discussion board questions that allow students to test their ideas against one another in order to gain new understanding. Students need to use the discussion board to articulate what they know as seen in the image below to create meaningful discourse on the discussion board.

However, meaningful discourse doesn’t happen overnight. The instructor needs to cultivate the learning environment by creating well-written discussion board questions. The questions need to allow students to create thoughtful answers that call on their prior knowledge and experience, interpreting content, synthesis, inferences, and evaluation of their and peer understanding of the topic in order to create meaningful discourse.

Some examples of types of questions that set the stage for meaningful discourse are:

- Posing questions and task that elicit, engage and challenge each students thinking.

- Asking students to clarify and justify ideas.

- Encouraging and accepting multiple answers or partial answers and asking to build onto.

Guidelines for writing questions:

- Don’t ask only yes or no types of questions. This type of question does not require critical thinking or give students material to respond to each other on the discussion board.

- Don’t use questions that have a factual answer with no room for discussion. The same issues as yes or no questions arise when you ask questions factual answer questions. There is no room for discussion because students report mostly the same thing. Save these for your assessments!

- Do write questions that target reflection, interpretation, analysis, or problem-solving. This type of question gives your students more meaningful learning experience. Some examples of this type of question are questions that have students analyze a case study, interpret interactions/ content in a scenario, and questions that state a problem and ask students to solve based on content, experience, etc.

- Do ask questions that solicit relevant personal experiences and opinions by tapping into the prior knowledge the students bring allowing them to become resources for learning. You can have them tie their real-world experiences to the content to give it more meaning and allow others as an additional learning experience.

- Do ask questions that encourage students to engage with other students in the class by framing them to elicit discussion. For example, your first response is… and your second is evaluating and commenting on your peer’s post.

- Do ask questions that require connections to be drawn between past and present course material giving your students the opportunity to tie concepts together and build on previous knowledge.

- Do ask questions that prompt students to generate lists of information or create research or data together as a class or in smaller group discussions.

The instructor’s role in the discussion board is to:

- Decide when to provide information, when to clarify an issue, when to model, when to lead and when to let students wrestle with difficulty.

- To monitor participation and encourage each student to participate.

- To be present in the online discussion board.

11

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are the collection of frequent summative feedback on students learning through the collection of frequent feedback on learning objectives and the design of classroom experience. Using CATS allows teachers to learn about how students are learning and how they respond to particular teaching points.

The purpose of Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) is to give teachers and their students feedback that improves the quality of learning in the classroom. CATs are designed to help teachers discover what students are learning or not learning in the classroom.

As a teacher, you might assume that the course content, readings, and lectures have left the students knowing what you wanted them to know. Only to find out later that students did not learn what you wanted them to learn. By having the students complete a CAT immediately after the session or section, it helps reinforce the material you taught. It also uncovers gaps in understanding before it is too late and students get left behind or have gaps in necessary knowledge.

Do not wait for semester-end evaluations to gather potentially useful information on student learning since it is often collected too late for the students in the current session. CATs are summative in nature and collecting feedback before chapter tests, midterms, and final exams are the most effective. Once a student is done with a test, they think of it as over and done with and may forget the material taught.

Process

Planning– Focus your first CAT on a course that you know well, are comfortable with and one that is going well.

Implementing– Announce your plans at the beginning of the class for the first few times. Be sure to tell the students exactly why you are asking them for information and how you will be using it to help them improve their learning and you improve your teaching. In most cases, it is best to ask for anonymous responses. When administering the CAT at the end of the section or session, make sure your students are clear on the process by sharing the instructions with them on completing the CAT.

Responding– Take part in the CAT by closing the feedback loop. Decide on how and when you will tell your students about their responses responding can take the form of simply telling the class or a handout.  Also, let the students know what adjustments if any you are making in your teaching because of the information they have provided. You also inform the students of any adjustments they could make based on the feedback in order to improve their learning.

Tips for a successful start

Get your feet wet slowly and try one or two CATs that require very little preparation and are low risk.

1. If a CAT does not appeal to you, then look for another CAT that does.

2. Do not make CATs a chore or burden. Be more effective by trying one or two techniques a semester and working out the process before adding more.

3. Try it yourself before you deploy it!

4. Allow more time than you think the process will take with new CATs.

5. Close the feedback loop.

12

7 Low Risk and Easy to Use CATs

1. Muddiest Point- Ask the students what was the ‘muddiest’ or most confusing concept in the class, the lecture, the topic.  The muddiest point CAT is a great way for you to see what concepts the students need additional help on.

Online course applications-

Discussion board- Start a discussion board topic and allow the students to respond. Choose if the students will respond with their names or anonymously.  Request peers to comment on 1-2 other posts sharing their insights on the topic

Survey – Create an anonymous survey with an essay style question that allows a student to share the muddiest point.

Email- Have the student e-mail the muddiest point answer to the instructor.

Traditional class applications – Give all students a half sheet of blank paper and a few minutes to complete this activity at the end of class.  If there is a common theme use just in time training to send a video explanation, an email or spend time at the beginning of the next class to reteach and/or discuss.

2. Minute Paper- Ask the students one question (see examples below) and have them share/post at the end of class or the end of a module.  Let them know that this is just a quick paragraph or a minute to reflect.

Examples:  What was the most surprising or unexpected thing you learned in the course/ topic?  What did you perceive the purpose of the course/topic was? What was the most useful idea in the course/topic?  This is more of a personal reflection that allows you to assess the classroom techniques.

Online course applications-

Discussion board- Start a discussion board topic and allow the students to respond. Choose if the students will respond with their names or anonymously. Request peers to comment on 1-2 other posts sharing their insights on the topic.

Email– Have the student e-mail the minute paper to the instructor.

Survey- Ask one or two questions using a survey tool that the students can access online.

Traditional class applications – Give all students a half sheet of blank paper and a few minutes to complete this activity at the end of class.  If there is a common theme use just in time training to send a video explanation, an email or spend time at the beginning of the next class to reteach, discuss.

3. Real-World Application- After the course/topic, ask the students to write down at least one way that they can apply the information in a real-world situation.  Have them answer using who, what, when, why and how as a guide if needed.

Online course applications-

Discussion board- Start a discussion board topic and allow the students to respond. Choose if the students will respond with their names or anonymously. Request peers to comment on 1-2 other posts sharing their insights on the topic.

Email- Have the student e-mail the minute paper to the instructor.

Survey- Ask one or two questions using a survey tool that the students can access online.

Traditional class applications – Give all students a half sheet of blank paper and a few minutes to complete this activity at the end of class.  If there is a common theme use just in time training to send a video explanation, an email or spend time at the beginning of the next class to reteach, discuss.

4. Journal reflection– Have the students reflect on what they learned from the topic/ course and how they will apply the information to their job or personal life. Define the criteria that should be included in the journal.

Online, traditional and blended course applications

Assignment- The student submits the journal as an assignment or using an online journaling tool.

5. 3-2-1 Reflection- On the discussion board the students describe three themes or concepts they have learned in the unit.  2 questions they still have or want to know more about in the unit. 1 idea they want to share. (Experience, what if, etc.) This exercise is a great way to let you know if you are “missing” something in your course delivery by seeing if themes emerge from questions 2 and 3..

Online, traditional and blended course applications

Discussion board- Start a discussion board topic and allow the students to respond. Choose if the students will respond with their names or anonymously. Request peers to comment on 1-2 other posts sharing their insights on the 3-2-1 reflection.

Email- Have the student e-mail the 3-2-1 reflection to the instructor.

6. Email Feedback – Write an email and ask one or two questions for your students to answer and have them email their responses to you.

Online, traditional and blended course applications

Email- Have the student reply to your e-mail with feedback.

7. Surveys/Feedback Forms– Write 3- 5 specific questions about your teaching that you would like the students to respond to that relate to your instructional goals of the classroom. Aim for a mid-term survey so that you can adjust your course if needed before the end of the semester.

Online, traditional and blended course applications

Survey tool- Use Canvas or another survey tool and ask the students to complete the survey. Let the students know that the survey tool is anonymous, and you will not be able to see which students have responded.

Are you interested in learning more about CATs? If so, Check out the links and readings below!

Bannon, R. (n.d.). classroom_assessment_techniques. 6.  http://sloat.essex.edu/sloat/delete/contentforthewebsite/classroom_assessment_techniques.pdf (Links to an external site.)

References:

If you are looking for a good resource on CATS, check out the Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Educators

V

Developing Course Content-Presentations

13

Presentation Strategies

In this section, we will be discussing how we present content to our learners using technology. Let’s take a few minutes to reflect on teachers in our educational journies. Do you remember your favorite teacher? Why were they your favorite teacher? What about your worst teacher? What made them your worst teacher? Chances are your favorite teacher engaged you in your learning of the content, and the worst teacher did not.

The following image of Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience is a tool that can help you in designing your presentations and assessments (next section). When presenting in a classroom, this is easier because you can add authentic active learning into the class time. In a traditional classroom, you almost have a captive audience; it is easy to see what is working and what is not and change your teaching style on the fly. In an online classroom, you need to captivate your audience during the presentation stage. In the classroom, 7 minutes is the average time it takes for the audience to lose interest in a good presentation. So it is important to remember to think about ways to bring their attention back to you. This isn’t as easy when creating online lectures, and you will need to take some extra steps to make them as engaging as possible. This includes fewer words on the screen and more images., Not reading word for word from the slide since the average reader reads faster than you speak and will be done with the text on the slide before you are done with your first point. You should also keep videos short; best practices are around 3-10 minutes. This is where chunking content and building short videos that build on each other come into play.

While you are engaged in this week’s materials, draw on experiences you have had at presentations, classroom lectures, online lectures, etc. and think about what worked well and what didn’t. Visual lectures, chunked lectures, and authentic activities take more time upfront but the reward of successful students is well worth it in the long run.

When presenting materials in class and online pay attention to your lecturing technique. The following video was created by me for my adult education course and includes best practices when lecturing your students.  While the video is a “few” years old, and I look older now, it still contains best practices that are relevant today.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=204

The following PDF shares tips on presenting content via in-person and online lectures Presentation tips outline AMcMillan

The next video is a 2-minute teacher video I completed for UNMC Faculty development on video lectures ( the wrong way and a better way) a few years ago.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=204

14

Copyright

The following video is one of the best I have seen that clearly explains copyright and how it affects you as a teacher and even as a student.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=216

Read the One-Page copyright flowchart by clicking on the following link
11_06_Copyright_the_Easy_Way_Handout_Tobin

Read the Educators Guide to Copyright and Fair Use article by clicking on the following link
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml

Materials to use with Creative Commons Licencing

If you are looking for images or other materials check out Creative Commons by clicking on the following link. https://creativecommons.org/

The following link direct access to the Creative Commons search tool https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/

Free image sites
(some need attribution and some do not. It is always important to check each site’s terms of use!)

Pixabay link https://pixabay.com

Pexels link https://www.pexels.com/royalty-free-images/

Unsplash Link https://unsplash.com

The UNMC E-Learning program has a list of free image sites  on the following link https://unmc.edu/elearning/resource-center/project-development/images-music.html

Search Google for more sites but make sure you check out the CC license and terms of use.

15

Best Practices for PowerPoint Video Lectures

Watch the following video on PPT video Presentations. This video is also applicable to face-2-face PowerPoint presentations.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=213

16

Types of Multimedia Content

Announcements- Create a weekly announcement webcam video that is 5-10 minutes in length. Include information on the week ahead (overview, assignments) and/or the content last week (clarify, expand).

Recap/Overview- Create a video recap of the discussion board, weekly content, assignments, etc.

Just in Time- Create a video that explains content that was missed in class or students are having a hard time understanding.

Virtual Field Trips– Create a video field trip. Take your phone or camera with you to a place where your online students can’t go to and give them a tour, demonstration, etc.

Video Lectures- Create 3-10 minute voice over PPT lectures.

Screencasts- Demonstrate a web site or software tool by creating a screen capture recording.

Interviews- Conduct and record interviews of other subject matter experts and share them with your class. This is also an excellent idea for a student assessment.

Student Videos- Don’t underestimate the power of student-created videos. Students can create video presentations, video interviews, virtual field trips, screencasts and even just in time videos!

17

SAMR Model for Integrating Technology

The question I get asked the most is when to integrate technology and when to stick with traditional ways of teaching. Most instructors have already integrated technology into the classroom. For example, you use a computer, you create PowerPoints, and you may even use content/engagement extenders like Poll Everywhere. You may ask students to use word processing tools to complete assignments and video presentation tools for video presentations. Also, you might have eModules or use anatomy apps to deliver content.

The first rule I am going to give you is that you ultimately know what is best for the content you are teaching. If a technology tool does not fit your classroom goals/competencies, then don’t use it. I research and populate an EdTech tool newsletter, and I find some pretty cool tools. I share them with everyone, but I know that most of them won’t work for my class goals, so I don’t use them.

The second rule is to start small to guarantee success. I know that there are times when I leave a training or find new tools, and I want to use them all. Using them all at once would lead to overwhelming yourself and your students, It is more important to start small and be successful then it is to add all the technology at once. So pick an easy one to implement first and see how it goes, then add more.

The last rule is to use technology to enhance/transform your content and teaching. The SAMR models help you transform your teaching and student assessments resulting in higher levels of achievement.

Of course, these are my rules which are based on best practices, but I think that they are important to remember. I find that by the end of this class, you will have a good feel for what works for you, how much to integrate and when to stick to traditional learning.

Let’s take a look at the SAMR model.

Image the creation of Dr. Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D. http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Watch the following video where Dr. Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D. explains the model.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=207

Review the following SAMR Ladder questions by clicking on the following link http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/archives/2013/10/26/SAMRLadder_Questions.pdf

The following lists contain examples for each stage in the model. It is not all-inclusive, so please take some time to think about your tech experiences teaching and as a student and see where they fit.

Substitution

Substitution involves doing the same thing you would do without technology and does not modify the task beyond the use of a technology substitution. We use this often when creating and integrating technology into our teaching.

Some examples include but are not limited to:

- Substituting traditional textbooks for electronic copies.

- Using Canvas or other LMS Quiz features instead of paper quizzes

- Having students use MS word to turn in typed papers instead of written papers

- Using the discussion board instead of the traditional face to face class discussion

- Creating a video lecture in place of traditional lectures

- Turning in assignments using email or your learning management system

Augmentation

Augmentation involves some functional improvement but is still a substitution. The task is still the same, but the technology functions add some additional improvement

Some examples include but are not limited to:

- Using hyperlinks in email or documents

- Using Text to speech to read or write (word, google docs, Canvas, etc.)

- Using a survey tool to ask questions and gather information

- Interactive Rubrics in Canvas

- Students use interactive whiteboard tools

- Create presentations using PPT, Pages, Prezi, Sway, etc.

- Using bookmarking tools (Pinterest, Diigo, Digg, Flicker, etc.) to catalog/bookmark/compile information

Modification

Modification using technology allows for significant task redesign. The outcome will be the same, but it has been enhanced the product (assessment/activity) has changed.

Some examples include but are not limited to:

- Creating using multimedia tools (VoiceThread, Camtasia, Screen-Cast-O-Matic)

- Collaboration tools that allow for shared knowledge and joint-construct (digital whiteboards)

- Documents or web pages that include multimedia elements (InsertLearning)

- Post presentations and use discussion board for peer learning, write learning reflections, etc.

- Create Wiki pages with links, videos, and images

- Flipped Classroom (video for homework, homework as class activities)

- Infographics

- Timeline tools that use text, video, audio, links, etc.

Redefinition

Redefinition using technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable without technology.

Some examples include but are not limited to:

- Design floor plans, maps, tools, etc. using technology (Tinkercad)

- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

- Concept mapping (mind mapping tools)

- ePortfolio

- Multimedia tools that use various tools to show content (explain everything)

- Skype, Zoom or virtual field trips

- Create animations (pow town, Animoto, video scribe)

- NearPod presentation

- Creating iBook or interactive documents

- Augmented reality, simulation, VR

- Collaborate on Wiki documents using technology tools to enhance

VI

Converting Your In-Class Content to Online

18

Lecture Redesign

Redesigning your content delivery requires you to think outside the traditional lecture. There are a variety of materials that you can use to replace parts of your traditional in-person lecture.  In addition to books and articles; you can use online resources to include other subject matter experts YouTube videos,  Open Educational Resources (OER Commons), TedEX videos, podcasts, websites that cover the content you are teaching, web games, and other web applications.  Consider using a multitude of different materials to teach your content to teach to the different learning preferences.

In addition to the options listed above, you can create lecture videos for your course. When creating your video lectures, there are best practices for length as well as design.  Videos should be short and stackable for students learning.

19

Assessment Redesign

Converting your assignment/assessments to the online environment may be as simple as creating an assignment dropbox for students to turn in papers or modifying an assignment to meet the needs of the online learner.

Assignments- Have your students turn in their assignments on your learning management system by creating an assignment.

Peer Review/Editing– If you like peer editing/peer review you can use the learning management peer editing tool to create guidelines/rubrics for students to use. One great thing about moving online is that you can create anonymous peer review/editing assignments as well.

Groups- Groups are still an excellent choice for learning in the online classroom. However, online group dynamics are different from face-to-face groups. Students are not occupying the same space, so they need a few more accommodations to help them be successful. Give students more time (2-3 times) to complete group work online. Different time zones, work schedules, and family commitments can make for difficult collaboration. The more time you give them, the more time they have to meet the obstacles and be successful.

Presentations- Presentations can still be an assessment in the online course. Students can create a presentation using multimedia tools (Voice over PPT, Video, etc) and upload them to the discussion board for peer review and discussion.

Tests- Timing of your tests is also something that you will need to rethink in the online environment. In the traditional face-to-face classroom, you may hand out a paper test on a certain day, and length of time. This is not an option for your online students, and there are a few best practices regarding tests that you should factor into your redesign.

1. Test Release- It is suggested that you have the test available for students for a week. If you feel that a week is too long, you should have the test available for at least 48 hours. Remember that online students are not likely to be able to take a test at the same time of the week as face-to-face students.

2. Test Time- Go over test your questions, and time how long it takes you to complete the test and double it. Remember that you are an expert on the content and your students are not.

If you are worried about cheating on a test then it is vital to use the LMS settings that allow for the test to be opened once from start to finish (one attempt), release feedback after the test is passed the due date or it has been graded, and use question banks to create randomized question sets allowing students to receive different questions.

Don’t forget there are a large variety of tech tools that you can also use to modify your assessments and activities.

20

Seat time conversions for online courses

UNMC does not have a seat-time conversion policy for online learning.  When thinking about converting your in-person 3-hour lecture* into a variety of learning content you can use the following examples as guides. They do vary but will give you an approximate idea of seat time in your classroom.

UNMC Credit Hour Policy https://wiki.unmc.edu/index.php/Credit_Hour_Definition

*It is not recommended that you create three hours of online lectures.

Workload Calculations

UCI

Creighton

RIT & UK

RICE

CURRY College

Virtual/recorded
lecture

1 hour seat time = 1 hour activity

N/A

Three 15 minute lectures with links =1 hour

N/A

The exact time of lecture Ex: 1 hour = 1 hour

Video, audio, or other media

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Exact time of media
Ex: 15 minutes hour =15 Minutes

Reviewing lectures and exploring links

N/A

20 minutes  per URL

30 minutes

N/A

“Text” lecture
(PPT with no audio, handouts, etc.)

1 hour seat time = 1 hour reading

50 minutes allotted per issuance of weekly lecture notes

N/A

N/A

N/A

Readings

N/A

200 words per minute

Textbook, new concepts, = 8 hours per page

Complex reading- 5-10 minutes per page

Less complex- 3-4 minutes per page

Assignments

N/A

2 hours per assignment

N/A

N/A

N/A

Research paper

N/A

4 hours per page

N/A

10 hours for 5 pages of research

Approximately 30 minutes per page based on complexity  or writing

Discussion board posts

1 hour seat time = the reading of 5 other student posts + 1 completion of 1 post in response to the prompt + the response to 1 other student’s post

N/A

2 hours = original post, responses to three classmates’ posts, responses to
responses

N/A

Reading posts: 1-3 minutes per post based on complexity

Composing short answer posts 5- 15 minutes

Composing complex posts 15-45 minutes

Online group work

N/A

N/A

1 hour per meeting

N/A

Time estimated by faculty

Knowledge checks/self-assessment

N/A

N/A

30 minutes

N/A

N/A

Quizzes/tests/surveys

1 hour seat time = 1 hour activity

N/A

10 items= 1 hour

N/A

Estimated by instructor based on length and complexity

Exams

N/A

3 hours to take the exam

N/A

N/A

N/A

Case study

N/A

4 hours per page

N/A

N/A

N/A

Studying/prep time

N/A

Midterm= 10 hours
Final exam=10 hours

Quiz= 1hour

N/A

N/A

N/A

VII

Course Delivery- Teaching Presence

21

Developing an Online Teaching Presence (also relevant to on campus course)

Teaching presence is defined as the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2001).

As a teacher, your role is to create and sustain presence when you teach online just like you do in the on-campus course, it just looks and feels different. Online students need your presence and expertise from day one until the end of the semester.

There are three components of teaching presence in the Community of Inquiry

Component 1:  Design and Organization

Component 2:  Facilitating Discourse

Component 3: Direct Instruction

Component 1: Design and Organization

The design and organization begin in the planning stages where the teacher begins thinking through the course structure on the learning management system, the process, interactions and the evaluation of the course.  The first day of an online class sets the stage for learning and creates first impressions of the faculty teaching the course. If the content is not easily accessible, organized, and complete; teaching presence may be diminished.

- Setting Curriculum– Define the course outcomes and objectives. Use the outcomes and objectives to keep you on task when designing the course.  Start with the NEED to know the content, then supplement with the NICE to know and if there is time/space add the FUN to know.

- Design Methods-Select a design method (Backward Design, ADDIE, etc) and decide on your course topics. When designing select appropriate course content (reading materials, lectures, video lectures, videos, websites, open educational resources, etc). Develop assignments/assessments and activities that align with the course goals/competencies, etc. Steer clear of “Busy work”!

- Time parameters-Establish time parameters (weekly schedule, due dates, etc.)

- Utilizing LMS -Deliver your content in a clear, concise and organized manner on the LMS.

- Be a proficient user of your LMS so you can help students be successful users as well.

- Use the LMS tool to support your teacher presence.

- Send out a weekly announcement and consider creating a short weekly Webcam video to develop connections with your students.

- Use built-in feedback tools in Canvas to share feedback. Canvas quizzes have options for adding question feedback (individual answers or questions). This allows all the students to receive feedback with minimal effort from you! Assignments and discussion boards in Canvas have the availability for interactive grading with rubrics. Add your rubric, and select the criteria the students met and you have instant feedback with minimal effort.

- Create discussion board questions and opportunities for students to engage with each other and with you!

- Establishing Netiquette- The COPH syllabus template addresses netiquette in the online course space. Consider sharing it with students in the discussion board, on an announcement or in a weekly video also.

Component 2: Facilitating Discourse

Communication in the online course is different from face-to-face courses and appears to be related to student learning outcomes and satisfaction. It is necessary for the teacher to maintain engagement in and focus on the online discussion board by helping students understand the course content by identifying areas of agreement or disagreement, encouraging student contributions, and assessing the effectiveness of the discussion board discourse. The discussion board takes the place of the in-class discussion. Online discussions need to be guided just like you do during in-class discussions.

- Identify areas of agreement/disagreement- Help students by calling attention to areas of agreement/disagreement in the discussion board.

- Examples: “Tim would you care to respond to Joe’s post that has a compelling argument to your example?” or “Anna, it looks like your thoughts on the subject align with most of the class”

- Seek to reach understanding/consensus-Help students seek consensus/understanding in the discussion board.

- Examples: “It looks like Anna, Tim, and Debra all saying the same thing” or “I noticed that we all are in agreement and understand the purpose of the hypothesis”

- Encourage, acknowledge or reinforce – Encourage your students to share by acknowledging, encouraging or reinforcing student’s contributions on the discussion board.

- Examples: “Thank you for sharing your experience with us” or  “Does anyone have an example of xyz in the workplace?”

- Set climate- Set the climate for learning and peer engagement on the discussion board.

- Examples: “This is a place to get feedback from your peers” or “We are all learning together, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

- Prompt discussion – Draw in participants by prompting the discussion.

- Examples: “Any thoughts on this matter?” or  “John, would you care to comment?”

- Assess the efficacy – Assess the efficacy of the discussion and be able to direct the discussion if it is veering off-topic or needs more depth.

- Example: “Let’s backtrack a bit since we are getting a bit off-topic” or ” We are just skimming the surface on this topic, is there more information you can share with us?”

Component 3: Direct Instruction

Direct instruction consists of sharing intellectual information, knowledge, skills, and resources, interjecting comments into discussions, organizing activities, and allowing the students to construct knowledge using personal context. The instructor uses meaningful feedback throughout the learning experience as well as their expertise, knowledge, and skills.

- Present content/questions – Present the learning materials and answer questions that help students be successful in your course and discussion board.

- Assessment and feedback– Create assessments that assess the learning goals/competencies, etc and give the students feedback. In the online course, the student gages how they are doing based on grading (timely) and feedback from you.

- Diagnose misconceptions- Be prepared to diagnose misconceptions in the discussion board, through email, by creating just-in-time videos using assessment data.

- Inject knowledge- Include pointers to information that is beneficial to the student in the class content and on the discussion board. Remember you are the expert and students WANT to hear from you!

22

Simple Steps for Creating YOUR Teaching Presence

Online learning should NOT make a student feel alone, adrift, and wondering where their teacher or peers are. It should feel like a community of learners working and learning together throughout the semester.

Simple steps for creating YOUR online teaching presence:

- Introduce yourself by creating a welcome 3-5 minute webcam video that shares information about YOU. Share why you teach the class what you are interested in to include research, service, teaching, and personal interests.  Also, you can add a basic course overview. If you want to review the syllabus in a video, create a separate video.

- Before your course opens to students, make sure everything is ready to go, updated and if reusing space all the dates are correct.

- Design your course with navigation and use in mind. The less time spent trying to navigate the course, the more time they spend in the learning process.

- Have your students introduce themselves on the discussion board using the video function/Vidgrid or other forms of video.  You should respond to all students welcome videos.  At a minimum, you should respond by saying welcome to class to all students, or you can watch their videos and personalize your welcome to class reply by commenting on their video content to personalize the welcome message.

- Create a “get to know you” survey and have students complete the survey and share the deidentified results and use the information to create connections between you and the student as well as the other students in the classroom.  (example: https://forms.gle/ZCazZ8zttx7GGQQKA

- Create weekly interactions by sending out an announcement and/or a short (3-10 minutes) video announcement/weekly overview. Let your students know you are with them every week! Timesaver: Create announcements and reuse them year after year by changing a few dates, etc. on prior announcements each week. Chances are you will be reusing your space, so why not reuse your announcements.

- Participate in the discussion board! When you are teaching in person, do you interact with your students during discussions? Give your online students the benefits of you interacting with them. You do not have to interact will ALL students on every discussion board. Select 5-10 % of your class and respond to their posts and make sure you respond at least once to all students over the semester. Timesaver: Keep track of who you responded to by creating a checklist.

- Give students timely feedback so they know how they are doing and what they can do to improve their work.

- Send emails to students who are falling behind to determine if they need help or are having issues with content.

23

Time Management

Time management for the online instructor can be managed effectively and allow you to enjoy teaching online without feeling overwhelmed. As an instructor, you just need to make time management plan and stick to it. It may be hard to stick to the plan due to the lack of student proximity and other tasks that are constantly being added to your calendar. However, it pays off if you make a plan and stick to it when it comes to managing your online classroom.

Tips for managing your time:

1. Block off time in your calendar for online interactions and grading. If you were teaching an in-person course, you would block off three hours of class time for a 3 credit course each week. By creating calendar reminders, you are giving yourself and your students your undivided attention during this time blocks. However, you would want to spread the three hours plus grading time across the week to engage with your students in the online classroom. The most important thing to remember is that you should protect this time because once you start giving it away to other meetings or other tasks, you may find yourself scrambling for time to meet the online student’s needs.

Block off time for writing weekly announcements at the beginning of the week, reading and engaging in the discussion board throughout the week and grading at the end of the week.

2. Create routine online office hours using Zoom a web conferencing tool that is free at UNMC.  Instead of hosting one on one time for everyone at all hours, create a virtual office hour where students can join to ask questions, get clarifications and get direct teacher access. Some students may need individual office hours due to his or her circumstances but weekly open hours will help you take care of the majority of students at once.

3. Create a list of the importance of each task in the online classroom.  Online teaching, as with all teaching can get overwhelming at times. Create a task list with the order of importance to help keep you on task and completing the important tasks first.

Online Class  Example:

1. Answer student emails (if more than one student is asking the same thing, create an announcement to send instead of replying to all students)

2. Create and send an email announcement and/or video overview (weekly or clarification)

3. Check-in on the discussion board and reply to students posts

4. Upload and open the next weeks content

5. Grade and give feedback (quiz, assignments, discussion board, etc.)

4. Why recreate when you can recycle content.  Unless your course is changing drastically, reuse your previous course space and make updates to the content, assignments, and the course schedule. If your announcements are still relevant, clean them up (date changes, links) and reuse. If you checked your course content and it is still relevant then reuse it but remember that every course needs a complete refresh every 2-3 years.

5. Create canned feedback.  If you find yourself giving the same feedback to students, create a document with feedback statements and copy and paste them making sure that you are also adding some original feedback as well to the student’s assignments. If using the Canvas quizzing tool, add the feedback for each question, eliminating the need for you to write individual feedback.

6. Reply to 5 -10 percent of the class each week in the discussion board. Unless you have a very small class, responding to each student in the discussion board is not only time consuming but unnecessary.  Instead of being overwhelmed, pick a few students each week and reply using leading questions, comments, or suggestions.

6. Keep track of your participation in discussion boards. You want to make sure you reply to each students discussion board posts at least once during the semester. Create a table or document that allows you to see who you responded to and who you need to respond to.

VIII

Course Delivery- Opportunities for Engagement

24

Peer Review: Editing/Grading

Peer review is beneficial to your students and you as a teacher.  Peer review can include writing assessments, verbal assessments, presentations, projects, and more.  Use rubrics or peer-review guidelines for students when creating peer-review assessments.

Benefits to Students:

- Develop and strengthen their writing skills

- Develop and strengthen their communication skills

- Develop  constructive feedback skills

- Fosters critical thinking skills

- Allow students to clarify ideas, concepts, knowledge, etc.

- Minimizes drafts

- Learn how to edit their own work

Benefits teachers:

- Cuts down on grading time

- Fewer grammar errors

- Collaborative learning environment

Canvas Peer Review Feature:

Canvas has a peer review feature in assignments and for the discussion board.

Assignments Peer Review Tutorial – https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10256-4152719640 (Links to an external site.)

Discussion Board Peer Review Tutorial: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12946-4152719642

25

Group Work

In this section, we will be learning about online group work. To include how it works online in Canvas, how to make it work better, and what types of activities can be used for online group work successfully.

There are many types of assessments that can be completed as group projects. The majority of group projects/assignments that you use in the traditional face-to-face classroom can be used in an online course environment with a little tweaking and use of internet tools.

Group Work Ideas:

- Assemble presentations/multimedia content

- Design products, programs, etc.

- Compile information

- Create Wiki pages

- Synthesize articles or other information

- Create plans

- Create hypotheses

- Collect information

- Article critiques

- Debates

- Program/website evaluation

- Evaluate multiple programs and recommend

- Compare and contrast theories, programs, etc.

- Peer editing/evaluation

- Resolve issues

- Case studies

- Create a pamphlet or infographic

- Create and deploy surveys

- Investigate a law or policy

- Student-generated case studies

- Create an advertisement

- Create a virtual field trip

- and more…

26

Group Work on Canvas

Canvas allows you to create a group course site for group members who are manually assigned, automatically assigned, or where students can self select into a group set created by the instructor.  The Canvas group space acts like a mini-course space and gives students the tools that they need to complete assignments and discussions. Only course members, instructors, and TA’s have access to each group’s mini canvas space.

Group Tools:

Home page – Contains a group activity stream letting students know what course activity has taken place since they last logged on.

Announcements page – Students can send other members of the group announcements. Announcements are also sent to all the students in the group’s associated email.

Pages –  Students can create content pages or Wiki style pages for collaboration.

People – Contains a list of group members with email addresses.

Discussions – Groups have their own discussion board allowing them to discuss content, group plans, etc. privately. Instructors can also assign discussion boards to groups, and students will be directed to the group discussion board.

Files- Students can upload files to share with other group members.

Conferences – Students in Canvas can use Big Blue Button for webinar type conferences to meet and collaborate on group work.

Collaborations – Students or teachers can create collaborative documents on Google Docs (not supported by UNMC) and Microsoft 365 (Supported by UNMC and Hippa Compliant).

27

Best Practices: Group work

When designing group work for the online environment, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

- Ask yourself if the assignment lends itself to group work and can be broken down into meaningful sections to deepen students learning.

- Ensure the time frame allotted for the project gives students ample time to be successful. It takes more time to arrange online group work when students are in different time zones, and technology is a factor. If you give your in-class students a week, consider giving your online students at least 2 weeks.

- Instruct students on how to use the Canvas Groups site (see Get to Know Canvas video).

- Have the students create group charters.

- Create groups that include 3-5 students for optimal performance. Use the assignment as a guide and decide if there is enough work for 3 or 4 or 5 students to complete equally.

- Ask for student input when determining the grade.  Create self and peer evaluations to be completed by all members of the group.

- Remember that collaborative work is often time messy, but it helps build interpersonal, social, emotional, and communication skills.

Group Charters

A group charter is a document that is developed in a group setting that clarifies the group’s direction while establishing boundaries. The charter is formed at the beginning of a group project and should be developed in a collaborative environment (wiki document, web conference, phone call,  etc.) to encourage understanding and buy-in.

The group charter has two purposes. First, it serves as a source for the group members to illustrate the focus and direction of the group. Second, it educates others (teachers, TA’s and other groups), explaining the direction of the team. Investing the required time to develop a charter reduces confusion about the group’s objectives and goals. The charter also provides the information needed to reduce the risk of absent group members, rework,  and enables the team to get it right the first time.

The team charter may contain the following topics:

Vision and Values:  What are the group’s core values? What is the vision of the group? What does the team want to become? Who is your group?

Mission and Objectives: What a successful semester/group project looks like? What are your common goals? What do you expect to accomplish? What are your team objectives?

Team Processes: What are the ground rules? What do you expect from each member? How will you make decisions? Will you use voting, consensus, single decision-maker, etc.?

Communication and Coordination: What is your communication plan? When will you use email, call, or meet in person? Will you have weekly meetings? What are the meeting guidelines?  Who is expected to attend? What happens if someone does not attend? Who will set up meetings? Who will send out minutes? Where will minutes and other documents be stored? What happens when you disagree? At what point will you need a third party?

Authority and accountability: Who is responsible for editing, turning n assignments, organizing, assigning work, etc.? What happens when someone has not done their part? What will the group gain from being held accountable? What is expected of each member? How will work be distributed?

Resources: What resources are available to you? Who will find, contact, etc. the necessary resources needed.

Optional Group Charter Activity & Template: Group Charter Activity &  Group Charter Worksheet (can be edited and used in your teaching)

IX

Course Delivery- Grading and Feedback

Assessment Feedback

The student’s grades and feedback give them an idea of how they are performing and what they can do to improve. Prompt Feedback is essential in an online class and is more important than quality feedback that takes longer to complete.   While quality feedback is important, it is important to know that by the time you grade and complete quality feedback, the student has moved on to the current week’s materials, discussion or assignment.

Prompt Feedback is not:

- A grade and/or a good job

- Not more than two weeks after the assignment due date.

Prompt feedback is:

- Completed in a week (best practice) or two after the assignment due date. Feedback on assignments that build on each other need to be completed before the student begins the next part of the assignment.

- Selective in nature and comments on two or three things that the student can do something about.

- Forward-looking and suggests how students might improve future assignments.

- Points out the positive and the negative issues in a balanced format.

- Understandable and expressed in a language that students will understand.

- Points out specific examples where the feedback applies.

Feedback Time Savers

Rubrics- Creating a rubric takes the time upfront but pays off in ease of use and time saved when grading students’ assignments.  Use the canvas rubric grading tool for faster grading.

Automatic Feedback-  Create feedback for each question and/or answer when using Canvas quizzes.  Feedback should move beyond the typical correct/incorrect so that students have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Add detailed information on incorrect answers to include the correct answer, and where to find the content in the course to review.

Peer Feedback- Utilize peer editing as a feedback option.

Canned Feedback- Compile a common list of feedback for each assignment and copy and paste to create feedback for students. This only works after the first time an assignment has been deployed.

CATs- Use Classroom Assessment techniques to compile feedback and close the loop by sharing feedback with the students.

Resources: Give students links to outside resources or content to supplement feedback.

Analytic Rubrics

The WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE, WHEN and HOW of an Analytic Rubrics

WHO: Analytic rubrics are for you and your students.

WHAT: An analytic rubric is a scoring tool that helps you identify the criteria that are relevant to the assessment and learning objectives. It is divided into components of the assignment contains a detailed description that clearly states the performance levels (unacceptable to acceptable) and allows you to assign points/grades/levels based on the students’ performance.

WHY: Rubrics help guide students when completing their assignments by giving the guidelines to follow. Students also know what you are looking for in an assignment, and this leads to fewer questions and more time engaged in the assessment and knowledge attainment.  Rubrics help you or your assistant’s grade assignments objectively from the first submission to the last. Rubrics returned to students with the assignment, give the students basic feedback by selecting the correct criteria they met.

WHERE: Create a paper rubric or use the Canvas interactive grading rubric. Learn more about using Canvas Rubrics by selecting the following link https://guides.instructure.com/m/4152/l/724129-how-do-i-add-a-rubric-to-an-assignment

WHEN: Share the analytic rubric before the assessment to share the criteria they must meet and to help guide them when completing the assignment. After the assignment has been completed, return the marked rubric with the assignment as a form of feedback.

HOW: Watch the following video on Analytic Rubrics.

A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/onlineteaching/?p=139

EXAMPLE:

Optional Handouts:
Blank rubric for the session (1)

Rubric Design Activity

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Course Delivery - Learning Management System

Learning Management System (LMS) Design

In this section, we will discuss learning management systems (LMS) and how you can use them to enhance learning. The way you deliver course content on your LMS is important. You want the students to spend less time with technology and more time immersed in learning the content. I will use Canvas examples since we are using this LMS at UNMC. I happen to think Canvas is one of the best LMS’s for easy delivery.

Design information

- When designing a course, you will want to structure the course for student success. This course is structured as a one-stop-shop. I use the module page as a homepage, and everything you need to read, watch and do are all in one place. So each week you get to log in, see your modules and know that everything is in one place. Clean up the left navigation by removing the items that you do not have access to or need to see.

- Start your course with a start here folder. This gives you a place to add all the important information that students need. The start here module that you see in this course is one that I designed for the College of Public Health where I am the Canvas Administrator. We have placed information in the module that meets instructor presence best practices (welcome video & instructor info), course information that can be easily found and accessed throughout the course (textbook info & syllabus), helpful Canvas information (notifications and video overview), and UNMC technology tools and support help information.

- The course should be consistent from week 1 to the last week of class. By using the same font, font size, layout, font colors, etc. throughout each week/module, you give the course a clean, organized look.  For this course. Add text headers (Learning Materials, Assignments and Discussions) to help differentiate tasks and give the modules a look and flow that is consistent.

- Check and recheck your course for broken links often. Canvas offers a link check in the setting section, and you should check your links often. Check them when you design the space and right before you release a module. However, once in a while, one breaks after you check it and you may get student emails during the course.

- If you are copying your course from one semester to another, make sure you adjust your dates and clean the content before the first day of class. If you have copied the same content for 2 or more semesters, take some time to go through it and update your content. When using Canvas, you can update content easily if your course space is well designed and includes open/close dates and due dates. Canvas has a tool when copying the course content that allows you to adjust dates from one semester to another.

- Learn as much as possible about the LMS, so you not only understand how it works for you, but you understand how it works for students. It can be frustrating when your professors can not help you troubleshoot.

Additional Resources

You can check out my EdTech newsletters on Pinterest that show tips and tricks that are not well known. Click on the following link to access the EdTech Newsletters board  https://www.pinterest.com/analisamcmillan/coph-ed-tech-newsletter/

If you are having issues or need to know how to use a Canvas tool, you can check out the Canvas Instructor Guides at https://guides.instructure.com/m/4152

XI

Online Syllabus Design (in class too)

Syllabus Design & Purpose

In this section, we will be discussing the design and purpose of a course syllabus. The course syllabus contains course information, policies, assignments, and more. There are three main functions of a syllabus, and they include the syllabus serving as a contract, a permanent record, and an aid in student learning.

Syllabus as a permanent record

The content in the syllabus is used for course approval and ongoing evaluation of instructors, courses, and programs by curriculum and evaluation committees. The syllabus documents what topics/content are being covered in the course and the course level. This information is also helpful for students who are wishing to transfer credit to determine course equivalency.

Syllabus as a contract

The syllabus acts as a contract between faculty and students. The syllabus sets clear expectations for the students allowing them to understand what is expected of them throughout the semester. It describes program and course policies to include attendance, grading, ADA, late/incomplete assignments, course cancellations, etc.

Syllabus as a learning tool

The syllabus acts as a learning tool, helping students become more effective learners in the course. It contains vital information that students can use to effectively plan their semester using time management. Additionally, it can inform students or the instructor’s teaching philosophy, puts the course into context, shares the relevance/importance and shares campus assistance offices (writing lab, library, ADA office, etc.) with the students.

Writing a Course Description

The COPH syllabus template contains the following information about the course description. The course description will be populated in the COPH Course catalog in addition to your syllabus. You will want to make sure that the course description clearly explains the goals of the course and the value of the course for students. Below are some three prompts with questions to help you started on creating a new course description or revise an older course description.

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Writing the Course Format Section

The course format contains information that lets the students know how the course materials will be delivered and what type of material/learning activities will take place.

Types of classes:

- Lecture- Large class and the professor, talks the entire time and/or has minimal interactions*

- Seminar- Smaller groups of students, usually more advanced classes and more interactions and discussions*

- Discussion- Is sometimes also called a ‘section’ and are required parts of a lecture class. Usually led by TA/GA based on the lecture (kind of like a lab). The discussion can be in the second part of the class or take place in one session/day of a weekly course schedule

- Colloquium- The instructor assigns readings and are readings are discussed by members in a class

- Lab- Student use what they learned in the didactic course and complete an activity/assignment in a lab*

- Independent study- the student and professor design a program of study*

*most commonly seen at UNMC COPH

Types of learning materials:

- Lecture

- Video lecture

- Readings

- In-class exercises

- Case studies

- Group activities

- Wet lab/Dry lab

- Outside sources (guest speakers, field trips, rounds, etc.)

The following three examples are also listed in the COPH Syllabus Templates.

Examples:

- This course is a fully online course that will include video lectures, textbook readings, journal articles, group projects, individual assignments, and participation in the discussion board.

- The course format will consist of a seminar-style class that meets weekly. Students are expected to complete the readings before class and come to each class prepared to discuss the texts (with the exception of week 1, where the readings will be done after the fact).

- The course format will include a weekly lecture in class. The lecture will be supplemented with small group discussions, in-class exercises, case studies, and examples from the public health literature.

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Writing the Course Policies Section

Types of Policies

The COPH syllabus contains the UNMC ADA policy and the UNMC Academic Integrity and Professional Conduct policy. Your college/program may also have policies that are required to be in your syllabus. In addition to the required policies, there are policies that you may also want to incorporate into your syllabus.

The COPH template contains multiple policies

- Office hours

- Email

- Feedback

- Grading

- Telephone messages

- Assignment

- Attendance/participation

- Communication

- Discussion Board

- Email

- Late work

Some additional policies to consider may be:

- Electronic Device Policy

- Food and Drink Policy

- Tardy/Absence Policy (student/instructor)

- Revision of syllabus/Subject to change statement

- Classroom recording (student/instructor)

- Credit hour/time requirements/expectations

- Copyright ownership of course materials (can students download your materials for personal use/commercial use?)

- Plagiarism tools (If you check for plagiarism using software and your policies on plagiarism)

- Emergency/Closures (what happens when the university closes)

- Diversity

- Title IX

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Syllabus Learning Objectives & Course Mapping

Let’s clarify the difference between learning objectives and competencies again. Competencies serve as the basis for skill standards that specify the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in the academic program as well as measurement criteria for assessing competency. In contrast, a learning objective should be specific, measurable statements that are written in behavioral terms. Learning objectives describe what the learner should be able to achieve at the end of a learning period. The objective lets us know if the assessment criteria were met and if aligned correctly, we know that the competency was met.

All MPH, Ph.D., DrPH Core, and concentration core courses need to have competencies, assignments, and learning objectives mapped/aligned for accreditation reporting purposes.

The learning objective measures the skills or knowledge of performance on an assessment, and the assessment is the evidence that the competency or goal has been met.

<-Competency/Goal/Standard –>

<–Learning Objective–>

<–Assessment–>

MHPTT 603 Course Goal:
Construct learning modules for traditional/online, hybrid, and flipped classrooms using best practices

After completing this course, the student will be able to construct a presentation/activity/assessment artifact using technology in the online classroom meeting best practice and design standards.

Online, Traditional, Flipped Classroom and field trip technology projects.

CEPH Master of Public Health Competency (Program/Accreditation): Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate

After completing this module, the student will be able to assess the accuracy of screening and diagnostic procedures using sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values correctly.

Complete a case study

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COPH Syllabi Templates and Additional Resources

COPH Syllabus Templates

Traditional/in-class version – COPH-Syllabus-Template-updated-March-19

Online version- COPH-Syllabus-Template-Online-updated-March-19

The COPH template is to be used by all faculty at COPH. Many of the policies contain examples and can be reworded to fit your needs. You will find the policies that are changeable with  [example} text in front of the policy.

References and Resources:

The Purpose of a Syllabus article https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~coesyl-p/syllabus_cline_article_2.pdf

The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach (JB – Anker Book 123) https://amzn.to/2LSSN5q