A farewell to DH 7100

I’ve had a great experience in Dental Hygiene 7100 this semester. Every topic that I desired and more was covered in the course. I’m very impressed with the course organization and structure considering this was the first semester the class was taught. During my undergraduate studies I took a course in clinical teaching and I completed a practicum teaching experience as a clinical instructor. I felt that I had ample exposure to clinical teaching and I was craving instruction on how to teach from a didactic standpoint. This semester has certainly satisfied my hunger for this knowledge.

I found the most value in the topics that focused on how to set up a course. Before going through this semester I felt clueless about where to start if given an opportunity to direct a course. This course has given me all the pieces necessary to create a CODA-ready course and the confidence needed to do it. Practice was what really drilled home these concepts for me. Through the syllabus and rubric/assessment assignments I got the exposure and opportunities to practice that have me feeling ready for the classroom.

Learning about various active learning strategies and the value they hold will stay with me throughout my career. I will always look to incorporate them into my courses. I like the specific activities we read about, but I also look forward to creating many of my own and trying them in the classroom. There is more to learning than reading and lecturing and I look to utilize active learning methods to engage students and create the best learning experiences possible.

One topic over all others that I connected with on a high level was the concept of the flipped classroom. After covering it in this course my mind was swimming with the seemingly infinite possibilities the future holds for this rising method of teaching. I have even made it the centerpiece of my master’s internship as I incorporate it into pre-clinic this fall. This course has undoubtedly prepared me to be a more effective teacher. I am beyond excited to get my hands dirty and jump headfirst into teaching, equipped with the knowledge from DH 7100.

Double Benefit

Over the course of the semester we have been exposed to many different technologies. We not only learned of them, but also used them in activities and assessments. Technology greatly enhanced the learning experience, while making more possible in the online education environment. I intend to use some of these effective technologies immediately in the classroom as a teacher.

I hope to teach in a pre-clinical setting in the future where psychomotor skills are a major portion of the course content. To clear more class time for the practice of these vital hand skills I will use technology to move extensive instrumentation lectures out of the classroom. Micro lectures through the use of video are the technologies that will make this flipped classroom model a reality.

Instructional videos outside the classroom have benefits in addition to clearing time in the classroom for valuable learning activities. Videos can show demonstrations of instrumentation and indicate certain points and skills that slides or a book my have more difficulty showing.  Videos can give the student more control in the sense that access it anywhere on multiple devices, and they can start, stop and come back to it later (Fill & Ottewill). Videos can present smaller and more manageable chunks that can make learning more efficient than just reading alone. It has been found that online video lectures are just as effective as in person lectures (Jensen).  When videos supplement a course, like they will in my pre-clinic class, students’ learning outcomes improve (Rackaway). Students “receive several types of improved-learning benefits including improvement in topic understanding, better grades, and greater ease of learning. The weakest students are especially benefited, with significantly reduced course withdrawal rates.” (Brecht)

In this flipped classroom vision the excessive lecture time in class is eliminated and replaced by extremely beneficial active learning opportunities. In addition, the technology of videos in education has proved advantageous in its own right. A double benefit!

simlab

simlab

Fill, K., & Ottewill, R. (2006). Sink or swim: taking advantage of developments in video streaming. Innovations In Education & Teaching International, 43(4), 397-408.

Jensen, S. A. (2011). In-Class versus Online Video Lectures: Similar Learning Outcomes, but a Preference for In-Class. Teaching Of Psychology, 38(4), 298-302.

Rackaway, C. (2012). Video Killed the Textbook Star?: Use of Multimedia Supplements to Enhance Student Learning. Journal Of Political Science Education, 8(2), 189-200.

Brecht, H. (2012). Learning from Online Video Lectures. Journal Of Information Technology Education: Innovations In Practice,

Objective Assessment

Assessment is one of the most important aspects of learning. It’s used to determine if the material is being properly comprehended and applied by the students. This can help teachers make decisions about the pacing of the course and which individuals need help understanding certain components of course content. As stated in GALO assessment is interconnected to learning outcomes and instructional objectives. This is the reason CODA accreditation standards are very adamant that learning objectives are both clear and visible to students in the program. Assessments are designed specifically around instructional objectives to yield the desired learning outcome.

I believe assessments that happen frequently and consistently are the best methods of assessment in an entry-level dental hygiene program.  All those quizzes, tests and exams we took in our undergraduate studies are a perfect example of an effective assessment technique. The use of selected-response format questions can hit multiple aspects of instructional objectives with relative ease. This is why the National Board exams are formatted this way. Complete with a solid blueprint, as GALO suggests, select-response format items can cover a wide array of objectives with unmatched efficiency. These questions can also appeal to higher levels of thinking if constructed correctly.

Another method of assessment that comes with high frequency and consistency is daily clinical grades and clinical competencies. These experiences with patients are where so much learning and progress occurs. Objectives and outcomes are put to the test daily here and by the end of the entry-level program they all should be met. Clinical situations with live patients present multiple opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving. Hand skills and kinesthetic learning outcomes are most effectively assessed in this environment as well. These 2 frequent assessments are very similar to the one-time assessments that carry great significance to all dental hygiene students. These include the National Board exams and the Regional clinical exams. I understand the purpose of these 2 exams and they utilize the main forms of assessment that are practiced day in and day out over the 2 years of hygiene instruction. I can sympathize with the arguments against these licensing examinations, but students that pass courses in an accredited dental hygiene curriculum are very prepared to face these types of assessments.

While frequency and consistency are key in preparation for these final examinations of DH competency, I have found that the rare assessments and activities are where a good amount of learning can happen. When a new active learning activity, followed by a non-graded alternative assessment is presented, I find myself more engaged and interested in the material at hand. Therefore, it is important not to forget these active learning activities with different types of assessments to maximize learning potential, provide valuable feedback to instructors, and spice things up in the classroom.

Face-to-screen learning

webcam

Being a student in an online graduate program has been quite a ride. This departure from my previous heavily traditional face-to-face education has been worlds different, but I feel I am still learning with equal efficiency. The U.S. Department of Education’s meta-analysis found that many studies have concluded that online instruction is as effective as classroom instruction. Listening, note taking, hands on activity, and memorization have taken a back seat to reading and writing in the online classroom. These two skills are of the highest importance in distance education and are required to be successful.

The top benefit and difference online learning provides is convenience. Students can complete their coursework at their own pace when they have time from wherever they want. Our class only has two students out of six that live in Columbus, yet we all attend The Ohio State University. This is made possible by online education. While convenience is nice for students, distance courses take more faculty time to create and operate.  This student freedom is a double-edged sword and procrastination can be a frequent temptation.

To take full advantage of this benefit students and instructors must be familiar with the best educational technologies. There is a learning curve with this technology when making the switch to distance education. Technical difficulties and malfunctions are a constant threat to learning. Students are becoming familiar with these technologies at younger ages and will be more prepared for this type of learning in the future. As mentioned in chapter 23 of ITS advances in technology are creating ways for favorable methods of face-to-face learning to happen in the online classroom. The synchronous meetings we have twice a month are an example of technology allowing these methodologies.

I personally like distance education. The student-centered learning environment is very advantageous and effective. While there will always be aspects of face-to-face learning that cant be replaced, online education is the general direction the world is heading. We are constantly learning more about how we learn best online, and there are endless possibilities and innovations in this educational medium.

 

 

The almighty lecture

When thinking back to select the best lecture I’ve ever heard, not very many came to mind. So many lectures come and go and are not memorable. Sure I learned plenty from them and the instructor did a solid job lecturing, but most don’t give you that over-the-top/you will remember this forever feeling. One lecture in particular keeps coming to mind and it occurred during my Chemistry 122 course when I was in my second year of undergrad studies. This was a large class with seemingly hundreds of students. The professor did not wow me with inspirational words and alluring cadence in her voice. It was simply applying the material right before my eyes that made this lecture the most memorable. We were reviewing topics we studied throughout the quarter, but in a very different way. She would explain an idea and bring it to life shortly after. I remember being fully attentive for 90+ minutes and smiling as she mixed chemicals creating different reactions. She lit flames that burned many different colors as she manipulated them. She even created explosions that kept us on the edge our seats wanting more, wanting to learn more. We were effectively entertained in a lecture hall with chemistry as the subject. I left with a new found excitement and understanding of the material, I really got what I paid for.

 

It comes as no surprise that this experience was a memorable one. The reading for this week described the term edutainment. The professor really put on a show and this was my first edutainment experience in higher education. She took the advantages of a lecture to the max, especially the clarification and enlivenment of information that seem tedious in text. They’re many types of learners on campus and she was able to appeal to as many as possible in the setting we were in. Short attention spans didn’t stand a chance against this auditory and visual spectacle. This lecture also displayed her adjustability as two days prior she was very traditional and formal in her presentation, this change of pace was needed and electrified the students going into finals. The institutional barrier of many students to the one professor was a challenge that preparation, enthusiasm and flawless delivery overcame. Edutainment is skill that I really want to develop. It makes learning more effective and enjoyable for both the students and the teachers.

 

Staying inline online

Hosting an online web meeting was an excellent experience. While preparing my presentation I first created a long PowerPoint lecture giving an overview of the material from the readings. Then I realized that this online meeting time must be used for something other than reviewing the reading materials because the entire class is present and repeating the text would be a huge waste of time. I scrapped the PowerPoint and decided to give a quick summary of the main points on a single document explaining the material from a different perspective than the book. This short review allowed for more active learning time.

I was admittedly nervous right before co-hosting my first web meeting. Going into the meeting I had a set of notes printed out to refer to like a script to help with my confidence. However, I didn’t look at these notes once during the class period. The class period was set up with student-based group discussions and the lesson became more like a conversation about the material. It was great to hear all their different responses to questions and personal experiences. The students were all learning from each other and I was just facilitating and joining in the conversation.

Everyone participated in the discussion and there was an even spread of participation when we came together to speak as a class. I predicted that getting everyone involved online was going to be more challenging, but this group of 9 students proved me wrong as everyone contributed to the lesson. A big challenge of teaching online is keeping things on time. I planned chunks of time for each class activity, but we went over the allotted time on each portion of the lesson. My advice is to allow yourself more time than you would expect for these distance-learning sessions. You should also expect some technical difficulties on the end of the students. We have all had problems with our microphones before, or been booted from the meeting for no apparent reason. I knew this happened sometimes, but this time I learned that the host must be aware of who is having problems when progressing through the lesson and calling on different students to participate.

This was an effective teaching and learning experience for both the students and myself. I fully intend to include web meetings in any online courses I teach in the future because the benefits are obvious. I already feel more comfortable hosting them and look forward to designing and executing more in the future.

Another benefit of web meetings is that you only need to dress up your top half!

 

Innovation is everything

What does an innovative classroom mean to me? It means never settling, never accepting stagnation. It means always searching for and implementing ways to improve the educational experience for students. It means change will always be on the horizon and educators must be prepared face it making the best adaptations to maximize teaching and learning. Innovation is an educational lifestyle.

Consider the teachers we all had that were set in their ways and taught the same way 20+ years. These teachers may have been quality educators, but they could severely deprived students of more modern teaching and learning techniques. A huge initial component of innovation is identifying problems, and to think that some teachers never even consider issues with their way of teaching is criminal in the world of education. Contrasting these teachers to innovative teachers in my education since high school has me set on being an innovator as an educator. Through the years I have many memories of the innovative classrooms and retained significantly more information than the stagnant classrooms.

In all my course design assignments in this education series I put my best effort at being innovative. Successful innovation ensures that going to school translates into true learning. However, not all attempts at being more creative and improving the classroom are a success. Chapter 3 of our reading really has me thinking about the evaluation of the changes made in a classroom. The importance of setting expected learning outcomes and then evaluating the short and long term outcomes is clear. Having a concise evaluation system in place can lead to research and publication of the attempted innovation. I view this as the ultimate way to share innovative ideas with the rest of the dental education community around the globe. I look forward to learning how to develop effective evaluation systems for changes in the classroom, so that the data can potentially validate the adjustment and be published to share.