What I'm learning from MOOCs

This September I attempted to take a MOOC and failed. But what better way to start 2013 but with a few resolutions. This time, I was a bit more honest with my goals and commitments. I wanted to see what it was all about, how different faculty formatted and presented their courses, and hopefully learn something interesting. So, I dumped the courses that I thought would be "good" for me (i.e., those "should take" courses) for those that held professional and personal interest. This isn't as novel an idea; faculty are checking out MOOCs in their own and related areas to get ideas and to remember what it is like to be a student. Here's what I've found so far:

Before the class starts

• Welcome message: When a course includes a welcome message one week before the course begins, I am more likely to actually attend. (Yes, I have forgotten about courses starting when this hasn't happened.) It begins creating a mindset for the course and builds anticipation. Some classes included welcome videos that start building personal connection even before the class starts. 
• Orientation to the course: The week before or the first week, a video orienting students to the course is quite helpful. It gives more information about the layout both content and physically within the course. 

Course organizations

• Content layout:  Overall, if I were taking the course for credit, the organization is rather lacking. For some courses there are so many ways that you can participate: Twitter, Facebook, Forum, GoogleHangout, etc. that it is a little overwhelming.
• Content availability:  Most classes do not have the entire course content available on the first day as most of these courses are in their first generation of being offered and tweaked along the way. However, typically there is at least one week of content available beyond the present state. In Week 1, Week 1 & 2 are available. In Week 2, Week 2 & 3 are available, etc. This works for me as I rarely (OK never) am ahead of the curve in these courses, and the better courses have included an overview of the course that satisfies my need to know where the course is going.
• Assessment: Most courses I have experienced have a week end quiz. It is usually short (five questions), multiple choice, and at the beginning asks if you have (1) viewed the week's lecture and (2) completed the reading. Below I've written more about using assessments within the lecture format to increase engagement. [New: This article from the NYT discusses the benefits of testing for learning and memory.]

Online lectures
There is only one course I've dipped my toe into that did not include online lectures. There were videos that we watched from YouTube and Vimeo, but no lectures. There were some online readings. I will say that I skimmed through the course content toward the end and pulled out some interesting tidbits, but I did not make it a point to check in each week. Online lectures seem to be a value add in online courses. So, let's look at this more...

• Length: Most instructors have done a great job of chunking their lecture into no more than 20 minute segments. Often they are shorter. The breaks are made at natural places such as change of topic, etc. 
• Slides: Some instructors have a great team that puts together animations, custom graphics, etc. Most do not. This doesn't matter as much as you might think. Instead what I find helpful are clear, simple slides with an insightful and well organized lecture. 
• See the instructor: The instructors are passionate about what they are talking about. It shows in their voice, which sometimes we over modulate in a recorded environment. They are interactive with pauses, props, drawing on their PowerPoint, etc. Most instructors have at least some of their lecture structured so that you are seeing them. It's surprisingly engaging from the student view.
• Let go of perfect: You may be surprised to hear that the lectures are not perfect. There are pauses, some "uh" and "um," as well as verbal slips -- just as there would be in recording a live lecture. That is OK. Sometimes we want our recorded lectures to be so perfect that it becomes too time consuming to produce or paralyzes us. Don't let that be the case. 
• Imbedded assessment: Most courses are incorporating a few one-question quizzes into their lectures. Some are open ended and even precede the topic. For example, "What do you think the top three motivators of performance are?" At this point, there are no right and wrong answers, but it shifts the viewer (student) from a passive to active role. Other questions are after a topic has been presented and is a great way for the instructor to see (informally) how the class is digesting the material. 
• Activities: You may think that activities would be tricky in an online, asynchronous environment. Instead, it can be interesting and fun. For example, Owens in his Innovation course on Coursera gave us five minutes (yes, the video was a time clock for those five minutes) to come up with all of the uses we could think of for a paperclip. At the end of the five minutes, we entered the number of uses we came up with just as we would answer a quiz question. Then came the debrief. It was surprisingly engaging.
• Portability: Lectures are downloadable. This is key. I can download the lectures and put them on my phone for the bus commute. I can stream them when I'm at home in the evening on my computer. The flexibility is important to me.

As this journey continues, I'll keep you updated. If you have experience with a MOOC, please share your experiences in the comments. If you want to try a MOOC, Coursera and edX are two providers. In the meantime...

Put your student hat on:
Watch a few videos of another instructor.
When does your attention start to fade?
What do you like? Dislike?

Flipping the Classroom - using tools to create engaging online presentations

OATES Conference Write-up

Friday, October 26, 2012

How do we maximize the online time, keep the connections with students, and make the most or limited face-to-face time? The idea of “flipping the classroom” may provide some ideas. Flipping the classroom means that the lectures are online, allowing students to view (and review) at their own pace. The in-person time is then used for hands-on interactions and collaboration. Because a picture saves 1000 words, here is an infographic about flipped classrooms: http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

Moreover, we know that students learn at their own pace. Some need a break after 5 or 15 minutes. Others will want to speed up through parts that are review. Some will want to go back and review (and even review again). Flipping the classroom means that students have greater control over the pacing of information intake. Salman Khan talks about what he learned and the future of education after the unexpected success what started as videos for his cousins and turned into the Khan Academy:
http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html

Tools for making more engaging online presentations have come a long way, and they do take practice. When looking at these tools, it is important not only to think about how you can use them as instructors, but how your students can use them. Being able to offer a verbal 3 minute summary presentation is a valuable skill. Can you get the same point across in 1.5 minutes? Even better in some situations. Recording our lectures makes us think more about what we say and how we want to say it. Next time you record a lecture, go back and listen to it, putting yourself in the students’ place.

Many of you may also be tired of grading written work. What about having students turn in visual assignments using these tools? It will definitely make them think differently, and given that most of these are free or cheap, does not place a technological or cost burden on the student.

So, what are these tools? I’ve listed several below. Some are tablet only (and finally…tools for the iPad!). Others you will need to use with a laptop or desktop.

ScreenChomp (TechSmith)
http://www.techsmith.com/labs.html
Free
iPad

Up to 3 minutes of screen casting from your iPad. You can annotate images and photos, or – using a stylus – create a Khan Academy like show.

Explain Everything
http://www.explaineverything.com/
$2.99
iPad

Create videos using a white board (Khan Academy-like) on your iPad, record your PowerPoint or Kenote presentation while annotating it with highlights and laser features. Exports file in a variety of formats, including to your DropBox folder.

NearPod

http://www.nearpod.com/
Free
iPad, laptop/desktop

Allows students to follow along in the presentation on their own device.  You can build in assessments and polls during the presentation for real-time feedback.

Extranormal
http://www.xtranormal.com/
free to $10/month
laptop/desktop

Take scripts and turn them into animated conversations.

Jing
http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
free
laptop/desktop

Create up to 5 minute screen captures, whether it is a PowerPoint, features in Excel, exploring a website, etc. It’s also a great resource to provide feedback verbally instead of writing it. Because it captures your screen and voice, you can show as well as describe making it easier and less time consuming. If this looks familiar, it’s because this is a repeat, but worth mentioning as soon we will have access to a similar Techsmith product Camtasia Relay (http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia-relay.html)

Polleverwhere
http://www.polleverywhere.com/
free to $15/month (more expensive plans exist)
laptop/desktop

OK…so you have “flipped” but still have in-person lectures. What can you do to encourage interactivity? Try embedding polls and questions. Students respond using their phones for instant feedback.

In closing, if you are interested in learning more about “e-learning and digital cultures,” check out this free MOOC through Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/course/edc

For more information about OATS, visit: http://wordpress.up.edu/oats/

More tools for online collaboration...

As we gear up for Fall Term and begin thinking about student projects, here are some more ideas about how students can collaborate online. You may even use some to hold office hours with students.

Using Google Hangout for Office Hours (via Inside HigherEd)

Video Conferences (in HD) using Zoom.us (by Macnn)

Here are two previous posts that relate to this topic as well:

• Free tools to Spice up your Class
• Online collaboration tools

What do you use? Contribute your thoughts in the Comments section.

Tips for Writing Student Learning Outcomes

Good Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) help faculty know if the students is actually learning what is being taught, can help focus individual classes and assignments, and help the students understand what is expected of them. Moreover, it is an expectation of accrediting bodies that our courses and program have stated objectives and have assessed them (more on assessment at a later date).

What is the difference between a Course Outcome and Student Outcome? Course Outcomes outline key topic areas and what the course aims to teach (teacher focused). The Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) are what the students should be expected to know upon successful completion of the course (student focused). Moreover, it is learning that they are expected to demonstrate in some way (which makes it assessable).

Bloom’s Taxonomy:

In the mid-20^th Century, Bloom devised a model that links student behaviors to intellectual levels. Since its initial conceptualization, it has been revised and updated. We expect that our graduate students will be learning material at the higher levels of the model: Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

Category  & Goal	Associated Verbs
Remembering: Can the student recall or remember the information?	define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state
Understanding: Can the student explain ideas or concepts?	classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase
Applying: Can the student use the information in a new way?	choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write
Analyzing: Can the student distinguish between the different parts?	appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test
Evaluating: Can the student justify a stand or decision?	appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate
Creating: Can the student create new product or point of view?	assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write

Adapted from: http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Tips for writing good SLO’s:

• Use student centered language (what students will demonstrate, not what faculty will teach)
• Determine the appropriate level (see Bloom’s taxonomy chart)
• Use action verbs (see Bloom’s taxonomy chart; HINT: avoid the word “understand”)
• Be outcome focused
• Write SLO’s to be measureable
• Keep objectives separate (beware of “and”; “Students will be able to define and give example of the LEAN concepts and apply them to real-life examples.” Separate out at the indicated “and.” Consider using only the higher level outcomes.)

Example:

Poor	Students should know the historically important systems of psychology. This is a poor SLO because it says neither what systems nor what information about each system students should know.  Greater specificity is needed.
Better	Students should know the psychoanalytic, Gestalt, behaviorist, humanistic and cognitive approaches to psychology. This is better because it indicates what theories students should know.  However, it doesn't detail how they should demonstrate that knowledge.
Best	Students should be able to recognize and articulate the foundational assumptions, central ideas and dominant criticisms of the psychoanalytic, Gestalt, behaviorist, humanistic and cognitive approaches to psychology. This is the best SLO because it is more specific regarding the "what" and the "how" regarding the scope of knowledge and how students will demonstrate it.

From: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/teaching-and-learning-center/for-faculty/program-outcomes.cfm

Online resources:

• OHSU’s Teaching & Learning Center
  
• Blooms Taxonomy
  
• A model of learning objectives

Downloading Submissions from Sakai

Have you ever wanted to download all of the submissions in Sakai in order to read them on your computer?

Well, you can...and it's easy.

1. On the Submissions page, click on "grade" next to whichever submission you want to grade.

2. Click on the "Download All" link. It's just above the list of the student names on the right side of the page. See this screenshot:  

3. It will download a .zip file with all the submissions from all students.  

Guest Blog: To Test or Not to Test

Today's blog is a guest post from Vishnu Mohan who has been using the test feature in Sakai quite successfully, and is making good use of the "feedback" tool. Read more and share your own experiences in the comments below. If you, too, want to use the test and quizzes feature in Sakai, let's talk.

To test or not to test

Vishnu Mohan MD MBI FACP

As a student, I never particularly liked tests. But as an instructor, I’ve warmed to them. Especially those that enhance the learning experience and offer value to the course I’m teaching. 

I now use tests in my course for two reasons. Firstly, they allow students to check if they have met the learning objectives that I have set for them, and validates their learning. A good test allows students to examine the concepts they have been exposed to during the course, rather than rely on rote learning.

Sakai has made my life distinctly easier. I can upload a test which is timed, has immediate feedback (so students don’t have to wait for their results), allows questions to be displayed randomly or in specific blocks, (which improves test security), and automatically exports their scores to the gradebook (so I don’t have to).

I use the instant feedback feature on Sakai to not only explain why the student picked the wrong answer (or provide positive reinforcement if they made the right selection), but also to explain why I developed the question, and why the concepts associated with the question are important to their learning. I’ve found that explaining the raison d’être for the question also preempts any concerns that students may have about the validity of the question itself.

The second reason why I deploy tests is that they allow me to calibrate the course for future offerings. I can modify course content, emphasizing concepts that students find challenging in the tests, and at the same time shore up potentially simplistic content. It’s a great way to adapt the course to allow maximum learning, and in conjunction with student feedback, an excellent way to incrementally improve the course.

But, as I realized when I took the recertification exam for my internal medicine boards, I still don’t like taking tests. I guess some things never change.

Online Tools for Real-time Collaboration

Many of the courses in the Division of Management involve group projects. Often questions arise about how students can work synchronously online in their groups. This posts looks at some options that anyone has access to...and that are free (although some of the fancier features may add cost).


Google Docs & Google Hangout
Pair Google Docs with a conference call or Google Hangout, and you have a decent system to work collaboratively (synchronously or asynchronously) on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Some of the perks include versioning (so you can look at a previous versions). Information is stored in the cloud; so, it's accessible anywhere with an internet connection. There is no need create a gmail account. Instead create a log-in using your own (non Google) email address.

On the downside, formatting can be clunky or slow. Also, just to be safe, proprietary information should not be used with Google Docs given Google's privacy guidelines.

Join.Me
This relatively new, free product allows individuals to share a desktop. Guests can view and - with permission - edit on the hosts computer. I have to say that it's pretty cool. In trying this out, we used our phones to host the voice part. Join.Me has recently added a beta version that includes VOIP that may bundle the visuals and voice into one elegant package. In testing this with just one other person, we did not notice any slow down of processing speed when one person was in control of the editing abilities. When we both had control of the screen, there was some slow down, but more importantly good communication was definitely needed. In larger groups, the moderator would need to allow editing access to one other person at a time in order to avoid chaos and keep things moving (it did slow things down a bit when we were both trying to edit at the same time). Since the file lives on the host's computer, it will need to be disseminated via email or shared in Sakai or Dropbox. Here's a good description as well as step-by-step (with pictures) of how it works.


Skype
Most of us are probably familiar with Skype. You can conference call with a group and exchange files. The free version will also allow for video conferencing with a small number of people. And, if it's just two of you, you can share your screen (view only for one person unlike Join.Me). Additional pros include the ability to transfer files. The paid versions have additional functionality. The conference call feature is available on many smart phones as well as the iPad, which makes this technology a bit more accessible (features on smartphones and tablets are limited).


Oovoo
Like Join.Me, this is a newer video conferencing program. Oovoo is designed to maximize the video conferencing abilities. The free version allows for up to 6 individuals to video conference (more than Skype), and files can be sent to participants. It does not allow screen sharing unless you upgrade to the paid versions. This seems like a really good option for many classes (as rarely is the group size more than six) when students want to have a conversation. It does not allow for as much collaboration on a documents, though.

What other tools do you use?  Share your favorites in the comments...