Thinking Outside the Bandwagon One instructor’s perspective on managing innovation Robert Runt é University of Lethbridge

outline cautionary tale of my experiences with four innovative technologies online discussion forums web page assignments blogs podcasting audience members share their experiences (enthuse or commiserate)

cautionary tale of my experiences with four innovative technologies

online discussion forums

web page assignments

blogs

podcasting

audience members share their experiences (enthuse or commiserate)

life cycle of innovative teaching technologies a cautionary tale….

to be educationally valid, innovative instructional technology should fill previously identified need…

innovative instructional technology should fill previously identified need…

on-line discussion forums to extend class discussion in large classes gives “quiet” students opportunity to write thoughtful comments, demonstrate knowledge, sway classmates

to extend class discussion in large classes

gives “quiet” students opportunity to write thoughtful comments, demonstrate knowledge, sway classmates

At UofL, David Brown experiments with on-line forums demos success for interested colleagues after several successful iterations innovation is widely adopted

demos success for interested colleagues after several successful iterations

innovation is widely adopted

on-line discussion forums become complete disaster very negative course evaluations

very negative course evaluations

what went wrong?

when just Dr. Brown did it students found reading peers comments, dialoging, and writing their own 10 line comments engaging

students found reading peers comments, dialoging, and writing their own 10 line comments engaging

but when forums widely adopted geometric increase in student numbers overwhelmed computer labs students now had to line up for hours, just to make a 10 line comment (and other users resented those taking lab spaces from computer course students)

geometric increase in student numbers overwhelmed computer labs

students now had to line up for hours, just to make a 10 line comment

(and other users resented those taking lab spaces from computer course students)

forums abandoned ...just as IT brought in hundreds of email stations that made innovation possible again….

...just as IT brought in hundreds of email stations that made innovation possible again….

Web Page Assignments public audience more authentic assessment students take public stand (ownership) increased public accountability (student and instructor) discourages plagiarism

public audience

more authentic assessment

students take public stand (ownership)

increased public accountability (student and instructor)

discourages plagiarism

Web Page Assignments group or individual projects easily accommodated

group or individual projects easily accommodated

Web Page Assignments collaborative, cumulative class projects more authentic assessment provides public service

collaborative, cumulative class projects

more authentic assessment

provides public service

Web Page Assignments students acquire new and relevant skill sets increased marketability of graduates increased student motivation (novelty)

students acquire new and relevant skill sets

increased marketability of graduates

increased student motivation (novelty)

Web Page Assignments BUT as early adopter, had to spend class time teaching HTML, graphic design, etc technology changed faster than instructors could keep up

BUT

as early adopter,

had to spend class time teaching HTML, graphic design, etc

technology changed faster than instructors could keep up

Web Page Assignments

Web Page Assignments BUT when more common place great variation in computer literacy among students issue of grading on HTML rather than course content

BUT

when more common place

great variation in computer literacy among students

issue of grading on HTML rather than course content

Web Page Assignments But biggest problems started when told colleagues about my successes….

But biggest problems started when

told colleagues about my successes….

knew I was in trouble when: first heard student say, “Oh, no, not another web page assignment!” Wikipedia made class collaborative project redundant … crucial to attend to context outside of your own classroom -- life cycle of innovation

first heard student say, “Oh, no, not another web page assignment!”

Wikipedia made class collaborative project redundant

… crucial to attend to context outside of your own classroom -- life cycle of innovation

blogs in the classroom on-line student journal

concern over decline in quality of class discussions: larger class sizes made it impossible for every student to speak in class students not doing readings prior to class majority coasting on a few vocal students inauthentic agreement with (assumed) instructor views

larger class sizes made it impossible for every student to speak in class

students not doing readings prior to class

majority coasting on a few vocal students

inauthentic agreement with (assumed) instructor views

blog as … a (public) reading log

Reading Logs promotes class discussion ensures readings are read for class students take a stand before class going public increases authenticity of responses comment function extends class discussion beyond class time

promotes class discussion

ensures readings are read for class

students take a stand before class

going public increases authenticity of responses

comment function extends class discussion beyond class time

Reading Logs peer correction of misconceptions authentic feedback on assigned readings for instructor generate quotes, discussion questions for next year asynchronous grading and feedback

peer correction of misconceptions

authentic feedback on assigned readings for instructor

generate quotes, discussion questions for next year

asynchronous grading and feedback

blogs first two iterations successful just minor revisions to scoring scheme to encourage risk-taking and authentic expression

first two iterations successful

just minor revisions to scoring scheme to encourage risk-taking and authentic expression

knew I was in trouble when… students this past term said, “Oh no, not another blog assignment…!”

students this past term said, “Oh no, not another blog assignment…!”

podcasting

felt need to do something… … about 3 hour lectures course team kept adding objectives to curriculum students now expect slides to be available ahead of class reviewing slides in class increasingly redundant

… about 3 hour lectures

course team kept adding objectives to curriculum

students now expect slides to be available ahead of class

reviewing slides in class increasingly redundant

encountered podcasting… July, 2005 Evo Terra, Michael Mennenga Tee Morris

July, 2005

Evo Terra, Michael Mennenga Tee Morris

getting on the bandwagon… rebirth of radio educators have the bandwidth educators have the content

rebirth of radio

educators have the bandwidth

educators have the content

8 Advantages of Podcasting audio better use of student time easier for instructor (than video) more individualized instruction scheduling encourages more learning objects

audio better use of student time

easier for instructor (than video)

more individualized instruction

scheduling encourages more learning objects

8 Advantages of Podcasting easily integrated off load lectures from class time reaches a broad audience encourages innovative teaching

easily integrated

off load lectures from class time

reaches a broad audience

encourages innovative teaching

podcasting issues “ free up class time”, by making lectures available out of class but this effectively doubles course hours, since now students “take home” lectures

“ free up class time”, by making lectures available out of class

but this effectively doubles course hours, since now students “take home” lectures

solution: make lectures optional student chooses between readings, listening to podcasts of lectures; or watching videos of Powerpoint shows student finds modality that works best for that student comes to class ready to workshop, ask questions

student chooses between readings, listening to podcasts of lectures; or watching videos of Powerpoint shows

student finds modality that works best for that student

comes to class ready to workshop, ask questions

podcasting? are we ahead of the curve yet?

are we ahead of the curve yet?

barriers to adoption?

weekly encouragement? “ We’ve got to get on this! The VP wants us moving ahead on this.”

“ We’ve got to get on this! The VP wants us moving ahead on this.”

September-December, 2005 podcast team Acquire professional recording hardware work bugs out of Garageband records music intros inservices faculty on the use of the equipment

podcast team

Acquire professional recording hardware

work bugs out of Garageband

records music intros

inservices faculty on the use of the equipment

September-December, 2005 Set up project management blog

Set up project management blog

September-December, 2005 IT support people sets up podcast web page

IT support people sets up podcast web page

April 2008...still no podcasts Barriers are social, not technological “ Day job” has to come first teaching, research and service -- podcasts projects not recognized as any of those potential research output…but ‘low level’ journals, out of our direct field

Barriers are social, not technological

“ Day job” has to come first

teaching, research and service -- podcasts projects not recognized as any of those

potential research output…but ‘low level’ journals, out of our direct field

evaluate each innovation clear need? too early adoption infrastructure available? disproportionate effort student panic / novelty lifecycle expiration

clear need?

too early adoption

infrastructure available?

disproportionate effort

student panic / novelty

lifecycle expiration

administrative supports innovation vs diffusion reward structures based on what has been golden age of the classroom

innovation vs diffusion

reward structures based on what has been

golden age of the classroom

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