A Different Kettle of Fish:
Re-visioning Classroom Courses
for Online Learning
Elisa (EJ) Sobo
Anthropology

ANTH 402
 Dynamics of Biocultural Diversity:
“Interaction of biology and culture in human
populations. Relating genetic and cultural
processes to the changes in human populations
over time.”

ANTH 402
 Upper division GE course
◦ Explorations - Natural Science
◦ Cultural Diversity
 Constantly offered
◦ WC 220 – 150 seats
◦ 2 or 3 F2F meetings per week
 Lectures interspersed with in-class activities

Design Cycle
 First phase: Decide to do it!
◦ Opportunity to increase learning
 Will lack of lectures lead students to engage directly and more
deeply with course materials?
◦ Opportunity to ‘update’ F2F version and
free up more in-class time for discussion by making
more active use of Blackboard
 Content delivery
 Assessment
◦ Opportunity to service more students

But I don’t know nuthin’ about…
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/25/fondue_coolrunnings_narrowweb__300x423,0.jpg

Up the steep learning curve
 Advanced use of Blackboard
◦ Test & Survey functions
◦ Various assignment submission modes
◦ Voice Presentation tool
◦ Live Classroom
 Captivate software for animated ppt shows
 Full commitment to learner-centered approach
◦ Complete pre-fabrication
◦ Active learning tasks
◦ Relevant graded work

Where am I now?

Concerns but not Worries
◦ No live energy, no hand waving, no body language
◦ Cheating
 Rotating questions etc.
 Safe Assign
◦ Technical problems

What keeps me up at night?
◦ Will students feel isolated / Will students
enjoy the interactive projects?
 Position paper
 Wiki

What keeps me up at night?
◦ Will students feel isolated / Will students
enjoy the interactive projects?
 Position paper
 Wiki
◦ Will students follow instructions?
 Will students be able to navigate the Website?
 Will students do the work?
 Will students meet deadlines?
◦ Will students learn?
 Will no-lecture format lead to better outcomes?

What keeps me up at night?
◦ Will students feel isolated / Will students
enjoy the interactive projects?
 Position paper
 Wiki
◦ Will students follow instructions?
 Will students be able to navigate the Website?
 Will students do the work?
 Will students meet deadlines?
◦ Will students learn?
 Will no-lecture format lead to better outcomes?

What Next?
◦ Course building
 Upload resources, assignments
 Test links
◦ Resource creation
 Captivate presentations
 Voice recordings
 Documentation (book chapters)
 Quizzes and tests

What I’ve learned so far
 Set aside truckloads of prep time
 Take test drives
DJ Sobo

What I’ve learned so far
 Set aside truckloads of prep time
 Take test drives
 Prep students for tech probs, ‘high’ workload
 Issue reminders, post waymarkers
◦ ‘Pedagogically Proactive Maternalism’
◦ Free students to think about content, not form
http://media.canada.com/idl/cahr/20080813/218787-75500.jpg / Grant Black, Calgary Herald

http://jpehanich.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/olympics-winners-circle_jamaican-bobsled2.jpg