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Blog Post 6

It’s hard to think of just one thing that was most valuable to me in this class.  We were introduced to many new technologies that I had not used before.  These will definitely be useful when trying to incorporate different learning activities into a course.  We learned tips on how to give more effective lectures and even hosted an online lecture for a class of dental hygiene students.  The variety of assessments were helpful in deciding how we will assess our students and still address course outcomes and objectives.  There are so many things we learned that I had not thought about being part of my course.  Writing a syllabus and and using the peer review process have been very helpful in finding ways to set up a course.  So many of these assignments and activities were beneficial in learning how to teach a dental hygiene course and how to set up goals and objectives that will align with accreditation standards and program goals and objectives.  I feel this course has really prepared me to be an instructor and provided a comfort level with adding new technology into my courses.

Overall if I had to pick one assignment that we did this semester, I would chose the online teaching assignment.  This gave us a chance to host an online web meeting with students and teach a specific topic to them.  We had to prepare for the lecture and come up with learning activities for the students during the lecture.  Even though I thought I had prepared a good lecture, Rachel offered great collaboration and advice to make the teaching experience better.  I felt this experience really tied in a lot of what we have learned the past few semesters and finally gave us a chance to interact with students and see how we faired in online teaching.  The experience alone was very beneficial because so many schools are looking for instructors with online teaching experience and capable of providing an online course.  Although this was only a brief hour and a half online teaching experience, it gave a feel of what online teaching was like and even presented some technical difficulties that often arise.  This assignment really helped build a bit more confidence in my teaching ability and makes me feel more comfortable with the idea of teaching a course online in the future.

Technology

The last few semesters we have been introduced to many new technologies to create active learning experiences.   We have used blogs and voice threads to enhance critical thinking skills and assess what we have learned.  TED exercises and youtube videos helped deliver course material in a way that auditory and visual learners would be satisfied.  Younger generations have grown up using technology and thrive in classrooms that choose to add technology to their curriculum and add valuable active learning experiences.

I think the addition of mircrolectures to courses would benefit students and can be used in an online, blended, or face-to-face classroom setting.  These short lectures can help introduce new topics, reinforce important lecture points, and  lead to active learning experiences.  These short recordings or videos and be viewed on phones, tablets, or computers, making it easy for student to access anywhere and replay as many times as needed.  These microlectures can be uploaded to youtube or other media forms for students to view easily.  TED-Ed and Khan Academy have been the benchmarks for this micro lecture format.  These microlectures can focus on difficult concepts, allowing students time for self-study and time to critically think and problem solve.

The microlecture format does have its downsides, such as complex visuals or animation that takes more time to create for instructors.  Some instructors don’t feel comfortable making videos or recordings of themselves, making mircolectures difficult for them to use in their class.  The mircolecture also lacks depth since it is just a short recording and doesn’t allow for questions to be answered immediately like a face-to-face lecture.

There have been some studies done based on the effectiveness of these microlectures.  In one study they looked at online formative tests linked to microlectures to improve academic achievement.  The results showed on average 74% of students achieved higher test scores when using online formative tests linked to mircrolectures to study for summative midterm exams.   They concluded that in highly aligned summative tests, students received higher grades when using the online formative tests linked to micro lectures.

References:

Bouwmeester, R., de Kleijn, R., Freriksen, A., van Emst, M., Veeneklaas, R., van Hoeij, M., Spinder, M., & Ten Cate, O. (2013). Online formative tests linked to microlectures improving academic achievement .Medical Teacher35(12), 1044-6. Retrieved from http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/pubmed/23924349

 

Assessment

The book states “The content and objectives measured by a test should be a representative sample of what was included in the course during a period covered by the test.”  The assessment should be defined by the course objectives and course content.  In dental hygiene the assessment chosen may even be defined by how students are tested for regional and national board examinations.  Course and program Objectives are aligned to CODA accreditation standards and affect the way we may teach or assess our students.

Many dental hygiene courses can be assessed with quizzes and tests through a combination of multiple choice questions, paired true false, and short answer or case studies.  These examinations test student’s knowledge on material covered in many courses, but also prepares them for content and question styles they will see on their national and regional board examinations.  The case studies and short answer questions allow students to develop critical thinking skills.

Assessments in an entry level dental hygiene program will also be necessary for psycho motor skills in clinic.  Competencies done throughout the course will be needed to assess a student’s level of proficiency with instruments and patient care management.  Clinical grade sheets can be used to assess students daily performance and competency.  Individual competencies on technical ability will help prepare students for their clinical board examination.

The assessments I have chosen meet the course and program objectives, while also abiding by accreditation standards and preparation for board examinations.  Now ideally in this course we have learned more creative ways to assess students while still meeting course objectives and preparing students for graduation.  Classroom activities for student active learning experiences are still important and may help students more than just the standard quiz and test assessments used to meet learning objectives and accreditation standards.

Online Teaching

My online teaching experience covering feedback between teachers and students and feedback techniques went very well.  It was definitely a new experience for me being a presenter in a an online format.  My previous teaching experiences have all been face to face where I was able to connect with students more and visually see whether they understood the material being covered.  I created a small powerpoint to outline key points in the reading and mixed in small lectures over the material with group activities throughout the session.  I felt the group activities went very well and students were able to pick up on most of the concepts very easily.  There was a feedback technique that I probably should have given a few more examples of, because some students had a hard time grasping how to give reinforcing statements to start off the feedback sandwich.  Perhaps an exercise for students to come up with reinforcing statements would have been beneficial to the class.

I did have one big technical difficulty where I was kicked out of the online teaching session, so a prime example of something to prepare for when teaching an online course versus a face to face class.  I felt that I transitioned well between topics and allowed time for students to ask questions, but not allow long awkward pauses to occur.  I felt when I lectured over some of the material, I was boring students especially by the looks of some of the web cams.  Maybe in the future I can learn to put a bit more enthusiasm into the lecture.  Students did seem to enjoy my personal experience story on giving bad feedback and they each had the opportunity to tell me what I did wrong and ways to correct it.  I felt this activity helped the students connect to a real life experience and gave them a chance to critique what the instructor did wrong, making it an enjoyable activity for them.  I thought it was kind of hard asking questions online and waiting for the hand raised symbol to come up, I felt I had to coax them along most of the time.  I really felt bad randomly calling on a student to answer a question, because I hate when that happens to me.  I can see it is a necessary part of an online class though, to keep things moving and make sure most students were participating.

There was some difficulty with the technology for me and maybe I should have discussed things more with Mrs. Henry before the class on how to set up groups and how to enter and exit them correctly.  There were a few times where I talked to a group and had trouble transitioning to the next.   I felt it was hard to connect with students that didn’t have their web cam on, and wasn’t sure if they were grasping the material or not.  Overall I think it was a good experience and would like to hear what the students thought of the lecture and group activities.  I think feedback from the students would give me a better understanding of what went well or areas that I could have improved.  I think I still enjoy the interaction I get from the traditional face to face classroom, but I see the potential to be able to teach some courses online.

Online vs. Face to Face

Many things are similar between online and face to face teaching and learning.  The course material stays the same, both allow the instructor to lecture about the material, both offer the ability to ask the instructor questions about the material, and both allow for group activities and a variety of learning activities.  The biggest difference is the ability to physically interact with the students face to face and ability to judge comprehension of the material while lecturing the students.  Students questions are usually answered during the lecture and class discussions over course content are included in the face to face classroom setting.  Online courses differ in the freedom students have to complete course assignments and listen to online lectures at their own leisure.  The online learning generally includes more course material from articles and books than a traditional face to face lecture based course.  Preparation for an online course due to technology and increased articles and reading material actually takes a bit more time for the instructor to prepare for the online course as well.

I think a benefit of the online learning has always been the distance learning aspect and the ability to attract students from other states and areas that wouldn’t be possible in a face to face learning atmosphere.  Students with jobs and families often find an online learning environment more conducive to their current lifestyle due to the ability to learn at home and complete assignments when they have free time.  Another aspect of online learning is the technology that can be incorporated into a course, creating different learning activities through blogs, discussion boards, voice threads, and etc.  It seems that in studies with students that have grown up in this tech age, that many did will and thrived in an online learning environment compared to the traditional face to face classroom setting.

Challenges for me have been the initial shock from transferring from only face to face learning to an online learning format.  It is a lot easier to fall behind in a course online, because the information isn’t being presented to me a couple times a week in a classroom setting.  The amount of reading articles and texts for information as well as searching online has been a big challenge for me.  I am such a slow reader and being at home I constantly get off topic with distractions from the television, pets, or family members.  At first weekly deadlines seem like so much time to complete the assignments, but with freedom comes the choice to wait till the last minute to complete assignments.  This posses even bigger problems when you actually need to ask the instructor a question and have to wait for an email response or text for the answer.

I actually have mixed feelings toward online teaching and learning.  From a teaching aspect, I could see myself being able to teach an online course and utilize the the technology for a unique innovative learning experience for students.  I wouldn’t get the physical interaction with students which I enjoy, but I think it is still an option and definitely something I will be open to when looking for a faculty position.  My own experience learning with an online format just doesn’t work for my style of learning and has been very difficult transitioning to.  While some of the activities and online sessions have been helpful, the face to face learning works much better for me.  One of the articles actually discusses the increased benefit of a blended online and face to face classroom, which I think would work well for students and meet the need for different learning styles in the classroom.  Overall I think the online format works well for many graduate students with a busy schedule and younger students that thrive in a more technology based setting.

The Art of Lecturing

I really don’t have a specific lecture that comes to mind that absolutely blew me away.  I do however have a favorite lecturer from high school that taught advanced western civilization and AP European history.  He was one of the older faculty members of the school and probably one of  the most knowledgeable instructors I have known.  He had an older style of lecturing, without the use of modern technology with powerpoints and overhead projectors, He simply wrote important facts on the chalk board throughout the lecture.  The class required a fair bit of note taking throughout the lecture which kept you alert and attentive the entire time.  He would stop and repeat important facts for students to write down, which most likely would appear on the next exam.  For an older man he was always very energetic and talked about European history with a lot of enthusiasm.  There was no book for the class and he did not print any notes out to take home, so developing good note taking skills in his class was very important and comprised of all the material he would cover on his exams.  In the reading Effective Lecturing it states “students are better able to maintain alertness and attention when they perceive the subject matter of the lecture as relevant to their interests.”  European history is one of my favorite subjects and definitely one of the reasons I liked his courses so much.  However even students that were not interested in history enjoyed his lectures and he was on numerous occasions the students choice for teacher of the year.

The book mentions the lecture should be broken down into three parts with a 5min introduction, a body, and 5min conclusion.  This is something the instructor did exceptionally well.  The intro usually included a brief summery of important facts from the last lecture and an introduction into the current lecture.  Sometimes he would lose track of time and not be able to make a conclusion,  but he usually ended by stating important information from the body of the lecture in case anyone wasn’t able to catch it during the lecture.  This instructor also took the time to get to know his students and attended many of the schools sporting events, so he could discuss the game or congratulate the student on a good athletic performance before the next lecture.  It was things like this that enabled him to connect with more students and earned him the respect of many of his students.  I think this style of lecturing worked best for me because it made me listen to the information and take good quality notes.  Now so many instructors print off powerpoints with all the notes and material you need to know, so I don’t feel like I need to pay attention and learn, I can just go home and read the powerpoint.

Innovative classrooms

I think an innovative classroom is an ever changing classroom to meet the needs of the students.  It is a student centered classroom with activities and learning experiences that enhance the level of retention and learning for each student.  Mrs. Henry noted a highlight from the conclusion of ITS chapter 3 that “Innovative teaching strategies must be based on both learning objectives and student learning needs.”  You can create all the learning objectives you want, but if they are not conveyed in a manner that fosters learning for each student, they can not be met.  Many of the youtube videos for the week focused on technology and the ways it can be used to meet learning objectives and the needs of the students.  One in particular entitled Constance Steinkuehler on Interest Driven Learning really embodied what it takes to make an innovative classroom work.  She discussed a very structured and detailed plan to form a guild website and when talking to her students realized they quickly lost interest in the class.  She was able to reformat the course design to better meet the needs of the students, while also meeting the objectives for the course. This reformatting or redesigning of how the course is taught is a perfect example of the ever changing nature of an innovative classroom.  The innovative classroom is built around the students and is used to present the course material in a manner that is interactive, fun, exciting, and educational.

It seems like most of the class has had an instructor that stood there and recited their powerpoint word for word in a monotone voice, much like the clear eyes commercials with Ben Stein.  I can’t recall much of what was said in those lectures, especially because I lost interest and played games on my phone to pass the time quicker.  The point of courses like that are designed to transfer lots of facts in the easiest manner possible.  Information is being passed on and retention of the material is being measured through a multiple choice test, but how much effective learning actually took place for each student.  The basis of an innovative classroom is to push past dated educational models like this and expand the way information is passed on to students so more effective learning can occur.  ITS explains “developing effective teaching strategies is challenging  and requires persistence but can be exceedingly rewarding and fun.”  The book also mentions the use of media in a nursing class in which students were able to use sight, touch, and movement through, a song, a painting, and even a poem that encouraged retention of the material.  These activities that involve other interests of the students applied to learning experiences cultivate better retention of material for certain students and makes learning more enjoyable for students and faculty.  Looking outside the box and pushing the envelope for better ways to meet students learning needs is what I feel the innovative classroom is all about.