Prepare a preliminary piece on the intervention that you intend to present in your final session. Post this initial proof of concept on the blog.
What learning problem have you decided to address? What activity have you decided to develop? What tool have you selected and why? What are the affordances of this tool? How well do the affordances of this tool match your learning needs and the learning needs of your students.
In your final presentation on June 6th you will need to include the following:
Theoretical departure points of the research or teaching approach, Contexts in which it has been applied, Description of the context and modules in which you may apply the pedagogic intervention, How you may apply it in your own modules, What do you think the challenges may be in applying this approach in your own module?
So you could start reflecting on these topic ....
You will present your initial ideas on your prototype on 23 May 2012 in the online session using Adobe Connect. To select the slot you want to present in, please add your name to the doodle: http://www.doodle.com/hpbvgg67774bp5w6
You can post your reflection by repyling to this post or start your own blog, as some you have already done! Ther is a short video posted on the Facebook group on how to create a blogger blog.
I am lost. I did post the first and second reflections, but I cant see them. I have created my own blog and published it, it still does not appear here.
ReplyDeleteHi Mhakamuni!
DeleteI got your reflections by email, so don't worry...they aren't lost...I still don't understand the reason why some posts get missing...very weird! Please send me the blog address of your own blog (you selected it when setting up the blog) and I'll link it from the course blog. Did you post both your reflections there?
Dear Mhakamuni
DeleteI have read both your reflections and will comment on them by direct e-mail to you if that is OK. Your understanding of your context and that of your learners (who are also colleagues :)) is solid and your choice of certain tools within the LMS looks interesting, although I think you could probably simplify your prototype more as it sounds from what you are planning that it can maybe become a bit too complex. But more about the details in the e-mail.
Well done on two solid reflections.
What is your blog address? Send it to me or Daniela and we will link it to this central blog.
All the best
My preliminary piece of my prototype
ReplyDeleteI am really excited right now. Especially since I found proof that my idea does work! The main challenge that I face is keeping my students attentions in class so that they may interact and focus more on the tasks that I am lecturing. Being on Face book myself, I decided to take this as my tool of choice to use in my prototype. I selected this tool as ALL my students are on face book and most of them go on during my class anyway. Ha ha ha! So why not beat them at their own game by using the same tool as a way to further their education?
The affordances of my tool include covering large amounts of discussions in a really short period of time. The students love to be on face book anyway and this will spark interest. Large amounts of work will be covered effortlessly and be enjoyed by the students. Students who are then absent or even sick will not miss out as they can still comment on the discussions and be up to date with the class work. I will then have a clear view of who is interacting and who is not from the comments that are then posted. Even shy students will have a chance to have their say.
The affordances of this tool match the needs of both myself and my students needs in the sense that class will not be boring. The student’s attention will be captured by the tasks that I will post on face book for them to either complete or comment on. I will be able to address all my students and get to know their way of thinking through their comments.
I feel this tool will prove most beneficial to be and my teaching as it covers most if not all of my needs and goals for my students.
I am looking forward to implementing this tool in my classroom.
Thank you
Khalida
please find the two you tube videos about my intervetion attached.
http://youtu.be/eOebLc_sLhQ
http://youtu.be/Vj-XCUIbbcE
Dear Khalida
DeleteFirstly my apologies for only replying now. I'm glad you are so enthusiastic about this new tool! And it is a good idea to rather try something which you are comfortable with yourself.
I like the way in which you've highlighted some of the affordances of FB. It might be perhaps an idea to clarify your student needs a bit more. Is it a quite large group? Will this tool be used during lessons or as preparation / homework? Also, have you thought about the activities you are going to use in FB? Will it only be discussion (will you use the chat function or status updates?). Will they need to create e.g. a fan page? We are a relatively small group - will you be able to keep track of all comments?
I suggest that you pay a bit more attention to the link between your affordances and the learning problem of your students.
Have a quick glance at this article - it might give you some practical ideas to consider: Gray, K., Annabell, L., & Kennedy, G. (2010). Medical students' use of Facebook to support learning: Insights from four case studies. Medical Teacher, 32(12), 971-976. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2010.497826
Hope it helps!
Sonja
Hi Sabi
DeleteI like the positive attitude you express and wish you lack in implementing your intervention. it would be good to indicate what context the intervention will be implement
My Initial Prototype
ReplyDeleteSo I’ve been thinking long and hard about what to use because honestly there were quite a number of them that were presented in our 2nd face to face that I thought would be useful. I decided on creating a wiki, however, because this seemed the most appropriate. The presentation given at our face to face and our own wiki that we needed to create informed this decision.
The affordances of the using a wiki is that this will create an environment of collaboration where beginners can benefit from students with prior knowledge. Using the wiki will most probably be new to these students and I also hope to use this to capture those students and gain their participation in class.
Using a wiki will also give me some idea as to what students understand and what are problem areas. What I hope to do is create sections covering various aspects of my subject and assigning groups to work on those sections. Each student will also have to comment on at least two other sections of the work which I will also assign. That said all students are free to comment on any other section that confuse them or that they feel the information given there is incorrect or needs to be refined.
As an added angle to this intervention I hope to , in class, perform peer reviews where students might comment on each other’s work and suggest changes or even compliment each other.
I think that this tool is well suited to address the gap existing between my more advanced students and those without any prior knowledge of the subject by creating that environment of collaboration.
A wiki! Indeed. It looks like a good fit to your problem as it combines peer and teamwork, discussion and peer review, as well as an in-class tool you can use.
DeleteThe wiki can (and you mention this) have the function of Just in Time Teaching, where you look at students' entries and discussions and then learn where they battle and what you should focus on in the next class. In this way the blended approach gives you crucial information about your students' understanding, before they see you again - and that gives you the edge.
About the students differing in levels - I think you are right. My experience so far has been that if stronger students are working with weaker students, they do engage (and not disengage) as they get tremendous value out of the process. I think it has something to do with them getting the role of "teacher", which is a role that makes for fast and deep learning. The whole idea of teaching an idea to someone else, makes you learn and apply it more deeply yourself.
Good luck, looking forward to your final project and presentation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deletedear pad
DeleteA good choice of tool as far the affordances it would offer in teaching and learning of your subject. just wondered what subject you would be teaching and the teaching and learning challenge you will be addressing.
Reflection 2
ReplyDeleteI lecture in the Department of Public Relations Management, and the subject I teach is Marketing and Advertising for Public Relations (long title there). The students are in their second year.
What problem have I decided to address?
Case study analysis. I often notice that students have a difficulty in identifying and interpreting the concepts that they have been introduced to. I often use case studies as a method of assessment. They have to read these, analyse them and then apply what they have learnt.
What activity have I decided to develop?
An activity that would require to observe, watch, listen to a video that speaks about what they have been taught. Instead of giving the students an article to read, I give a video to watch. It is a practical application of the different types of segmentation and target marketing that they have been taught. These are important concepts in marketing literature.
What tool have I selected and why?
I selected a video as an open education resource that is available from the university’s Blackboard as part of the course content. Students can watch this in class and in their own time at home, the library, computer lab and even on some of their smartphones. However access is limited to those students that are registered for the subject. Even though OER’s are available to the public, the restriction can be a way of assisting the lecturer in having some control.
What are the affordances of this tool?
The video affords learners to play it back so that they can understand it. According to Bower (2008,6), this kind of tool offers temporal affordance to the students because they can access it anytime and can play it back. They can use their notes and prescribed literature for reference. From the video, they can also see a real life situation that they are familiar with. The video explains the reasons why the company follows a certain approach for the particular advertised product.
How well do the affordances of this tool match these learning needs?
The learning tool assists students in comprehending the concepts that are taught in the subject, namely Marketing and Advertising. Observation is necessary in communication disciplines such as public relations and marketing. Students are also encouraged to be observant in social issues, consumer behavior and topical issues amongst others. They should form opinions and arguments based on research and observation amongst others. The video is about a product, the audience for the product and how the organisation segments its market. Four chapters have been linked in one video so it also helps students see and understand the link between these chapters.
I hope that this type of tool would assisst students in understanding the subject, and how it is linked to other subjects that they are doing in the course.
Feedback is always welcomed.
T
Dear Thabisa
DeleteYou have decided to go into a completely new direction with your project. From writing skills in your first reflection, to some PR advertising and marketing problem through the watching of an OER video resource.
It sounds quite plausible that the students will like watching the video, but what I am missing is some intervention/ planning around the video. What must they do before, during and after the video. Should they read some chapter and then watch? And then when watching, should they keep notes, so that they can write a reflection or response to the video - maybe even critically analysing it? These strategies are crucial if one wants technology to engage students more. The technology on its own will not achieve that. It is how we introduce and use and supplement with the technology that provides the power.
You could design a type of "Like" system where students can vote on their experience of the video (maybe the Blog tool in Blackboard) and discuss it.
Just some thoughts. Good luck!
Dear Thabisa
DeleteA well thought intervention.I do agree with JP in that you need to engage students more in the use of the video and JP has given you quite valuable suggestions.
The module that I present to two first year groups in the first semester is called World Economy, South African Economy and the role of Agriculture in it. This requires students to have a basic idea and some knowledge to what is actually happening globally with regards to agriculture and certain macroeconomic variables or elements that can affect their daily livelihoods and or future businesses.
ReplyDeleteI assume that they will follow the daily news in newspapers and on radio/TV but history has shown that less than 1% does this. My problem is to get the students interested in the news and start watching, listening and reading before we touch on augmented prescribed literature for the course (learning problem). I decide that students must follow the global economic trends (WEF latest report on Africa, World Development Banks' latest report on SSA), listen to the SONA (STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS-specifically the agricultural sector), read the latest quarterly economic review of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, etc. Issues affecting agriculture are then envisaged to be discussed on the blog with how do you as a future agriculturalist/agribusiness developer, etc., sustainably plan your day to day activities.
The blog seems like a good tool and medium to reach my audience (1 class size might be +/- 110 students) as I would start a debate as to what is important and what factors should be considered when trying to do business in a global setting where most of the times global norms and trends are introduced to us as well. On the blog I can load links to the reports/recordings mentioned above, my instructions what is expected of the students and I can set the boundaries or framework/context or the extend the debate should go.
The blog can be used for self-study, debates and peer learning and bring to class the aspect of interaction. At least I can also bring in some visual effects which can relate to theory. The affordances for me as a lecturer which finds it difficult to reach each student, is that this tool extends my hand in such a way that I can rely on peer review (I still set the rules & guidelines) and my role as facilitator can be enhanced. The use of a blog can be quite useful if used in the correct context and the outcomes you want to achieve. Using a blog will indirectly ask of my students to go and read and reflect on what they have read, interact, discuss what they have read and ask of them if it can be applied in their daily livelihoods.
I will support the blog by using a “polleverywhere” before I start to establish a foundation or baseline of the knowledge and skills the students have.
Hi Waldo! Interesting idea...I think a blog will work well in your context...as mentioned in the online session, maybe combine it with a Facebook group to alert students to a new blogpost..provide the link, make the access easier... and as Dick argued: how will you engage your students in this blog? is your argument that by providing interesting information in different formats, e.g. as a YouTube video, information that is relevant to students' daily lives, their engagement and reflection will improve? I think Dick also mentioned that you need to carefully scaffold this reflection process, modelling what you expect from students, e.g. with an in-class (or lab) exercise to guide your students in the reflection process...your classes are also quite big, so you would have to think about how to manage students' reflective posts, will you read all of them? mark all of them...we are having to give feedback to 20 participants for this course and we are 6 facilitators...and trust its me its quite a lot of work :) if you are using tools such as this blog there is no functionality that helps you track students how havent responded yet etc...lots of things to think about ;)
DeleteMy students need to have a convenient platform that enables them to exchange their learning experience, deal with the difficult terminology and expose them to illustrations and animations that helps them to understand the morphology and spatial relations of structures in the human body.
ReplyDeleteI have decided to use two prototypes; blogs and facebook pages then compare their affordances and usefulness through the student feedback. I will use the blog to upload information for my ‘specialist module in Anatomical sciences” that is designed for honours student and use the Facebook page for younger classes. The affordances of both prototypes (text, images, videos, and links to bibliography) suit my intentions and students’ needs.
I did not have time to work on my blog but will try to catch up.
Sahar, those are interesting ideas - I was wondering whether Roisin's presentation would be useful for you and whether you could arrange for students themselves to actually put parts of the anatomy or whatever they need to learn on a wiki to make it more active and so that you could see how they were interpreting the concepts rather than it being so focused on your input to the students.
ReplyDelete