User:Vtaylor/Technology Supported Learning/About this workshop

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About this workshop...

Faculty are asking for information and help using technology to enhance instruction, to support learning and to promote student retention. We have packaged everything into one place. We provide the "guide on the side" and maximum flexibility to meet faculty needs within their time constraints.

  • Introduction (Overview) - guided tour of technology, tools, functions, discussions
    .. all work is completed within this course - discussions, assignments, quizzes


  • Enhanced Instruction (Basics) - develop samples within your own course shell, emphasis on application of technology to support learning objectives
    .. each faculty participating has a course shell on the development system for building course content activities


  • Teaching and Learning (Course Management) - further development of your own course to address broader needs of students in a hybrid and fully online learning environment, emphasis on course management and pedagogy, special topics - importing quizzes, content
    .. participants must have previous experience with technology enhanced instruction


For the Facilitated online workshop, students enrolled in the cohort work through the modules together, with predefined deadlines for completing individual lessons. The cohort provides a significant interactive learning experience. The facilitator monitors the progress. The facilitator is available to moderate discussions that go off track and to answer questions as they arise.

Cohorts are scheduled. Registration is required. Participation in discussions is expected. Activity completion is self-paced, but there is considerable advantage to working within the cohort schedule.


Workshop objectives

The workshop structure provides participants with the opportunity to

  • apply the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education to a specific course
  • evaluate instructional technology functions provided within the Moodle course management system for current and improved curriculum delivery and learning activities
  • review assistive technology to support learning for all students
  • use the Moodle technology to enhance instruction and support student learning
  • discover open source / open course resources for enhancing instructional practices
  • participate in a community of technology-using educators


Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

In 1987 Chickering & Gamson published the now famous Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. These principles are based on the perspective that the goal of a proper undergraduate education should be active, cooperative, and challenging.

  1. encourage student-faculty contact
  2. encourage cooperation among students
  3. encourage active/engaged learning
  4. give prompt feedback
  5. emphasize time on task
  6. communicate high expectations
  7. respect diverse talents and ways of learning


Course modules address each of the seven principles. Each module contains activities grouped for building blocks for learning

  • Learn - notes, reading, discussion about concepts associated with the Practice theme of the module, introduction to the technologies that support this module's Practice
  • Explore - as a "student" use the tools and participate in demonstrations of the Practice
  • Apply - from the instructional perspective, observe and/or implement the Practice tools
  • Evaluate - reflect on the Practice, implementation process and student outcomes


Just want the overview? Complete the activities within the course identified as components of the Introduction, Learn and Explore. You will see that there are many other activities listed and tagged for Enhancing Instruction or Teaching and Learning. You are welcome to do any or all of these as your time and interest permit.

If you are planning to supplement an existing classroom course, you should work through all the activities tagged Introduction, Enhancing Instruction.

Experienced technology using faculty planning to use the course management tools are to review and participate in all activities.


Course Completion

How do you know when you are done? Rubrics are provide to check your work. If you would like academic credit for the work, a formal registration and review process is being considered.

All the assignments and quizzes are hands-on learning experiences - show and tell, only. Did you do the assignment - yes/no? Do you have a student experience with various Moodle options? Did you get something to think about, discuss and/or add to your own course? That is the ONLY objective for including graded assignments in this course.

Grades are not important, other than to see the ranges and how they work from a student perspective. The "course" is about personal learning experience, professional development, community building, and working toward providing more options for students.


Resources

The material in the course is intended to serve as a stand-alone self paced course as well as an ongoing reference for any faculty interested in learning more about the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and their application to courses via technology.

Self-paced study - Work through the lessons and activities in the order presented. Engage colleagues in discussion, review of course development. Available anytime.

Valerie Taylor, Instructor


Rather than a course, think of this a group project. That is a better model for this learning experience. We are all in this together. I changed the Moodle course Settings to say Facilitator and Participants, because this more accurately represents our respective roles.

The group project process was an extremely valuable learning experience in the CSUEB MS Ed Online Teaching and Learning program. In fact, that was the subject of my Masters Group Project Project (most of which is available from my DeAnza web page).

Please contact me if you have questions of suggestions.

Enjoy!