How to maximize effectiveness, participation, active learning and authenticity while teaching and learning (especially STEM) in the online environment

1. Authenticity Online: Teaching,
Learning and Assessment
By Fred Feldon
Professor of Mathematics
Coastline College, Fountain Valley, CA
August 25, 2021

2. This presentation is available at
https://www.slideshare.net/ffeldon

3. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• I can’t see their faces
• I can’t call on students
• I can’t do group work
• There’s no whiteboard
• I can’t communicate using discipline notation
• Students can’t communicate using discipline notation
• I have to water down the material
• I have to do Zoom meetings
• No one’s gonna attend my Zoom meetings
• No one’s gonna participate in my Zoom meetings
• I can’t chat with students one-on-one
• I can’t cover all the material
• They’re gonna drop/fail
• My success rates will go down
• They’re gonna cheat with online exams

4. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• There’s no whiteboard
• I can’t communicate using discipline notation
• Students can’t communicate using discipline notation

7. Digital Teaching Tools
For a STEM Professor
Dell Latitude
Microsoft Surface
Lenova X1
iPad with Zoom App
Digital Ink & Paper
Wacom Tablet

8. Tablet & Stylus Tech

9. Tablet & Stylus Software
Computer Tablet with apps such as OneNote,
Evernote, Nebo, FluidMath, ScrbleInk, Journal,
Xournal − to copy, paste, annotate, etc.

10. More Digital Teaching Tools
For a STEM Professor
$25
$45
TutorCam GO

11. Low-Tech Solutions
Poster Board Paper
Wall Mount or Stand Portable Whiteboard

12. Computer Software

16. But What About the
Students??

17. Students write their work by hand and send you a
multi-page PDF file using a free mobile scanning app
See video https://youtu.be/UkYlGa3y4tk

18. Students can use screen capture software
to embed HTML code or an image into the
body of a Discussion Board message

19. Students use thick Sharpie pens to write
with, hold their paper up to the web cam
“Graph this parabola and
show me the vertex.”

20. Students show work using markers and an individual
whiteboard. Hold it up to their webcam.
$10-15

21. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• I can’t see their faces
• I can’t call on students
• I can’t do group work
• My success rates will go down
• They’re gonna drop/fail

22. “Studies show active learning increases
student performance and decreases failure
rates… Teachers need to build discussion and
social interaction into their classes.”
Samuel Gedeborg, student in math education at Utah
State University, NCTM Focus Issue “Teaching
Mathematics Online,” November 2016

23. 1,000 HS and college students were asked,
“What percentage would you assign to the
importance of each of the following”:
40%
38%
23%
FACILITATING ~ Primarily
student-led work
COACHING ~ You help
students perform, give
feedback and advice
DIRECT TEACHING ~
Instruction on
knowledge and skills
-- “The More I Lecture, The Less I Know What they Understand,”
Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education, NJ, 2014

24. Instead of giving a lecture…
ask a question!

25. End the Didactic Contract:
Students want help; they feel
they can’t do it themselves or
they don’t see a need to do it.
Teachers want to help. But
helping too much removes the
cognitive demand.
Guy Brousseau, Theory of Didactical
Situations in Mathematics Education

26. Increase Success and Retention
Include the Affective Domain
Manual or
Physical Skills

27. The Holy Grail
“Getting students to interact with one another,
instead of responding individually to the
instructor, might be the holy grail of class
discussion.”
David Gooblar, University of Iowa, The Chronicle of Higher Education,
November 5, 2018, https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Holy-
Grail-of-Class/245009

28. The Results
• YOU will discover the joy of doing what is
uniquely human and more interactive, rather
than simply delivering lectures.
• YOU will have more time to interact personally with
students, to mentor, advise, review individual
work, and answer questions
• YOU will learn more
than ever about your
subject matter and the
way students learn!
Tim Gunn, Fashion Consultant, Project Runway, Making the Cut

29. How Do You Maximize Participation?

30. Ear
Eye
Toe
Leg
Hip
Toe
Arm
Rib
Abs
Jaw
Gum
Gut
Cap
Pit
Ass
ACL
MCL
Knee
Heel
Foot
Tooth
Butt
Three Letter Body Parts

31. NYU Steinhardt Zoom Active Learning Activities
• One Minute Paper
• Muddiest (or Clearest) Point
• Clarification Pause
• Chat Bowl
• DIY Quiz Questions
• Turn and Talk
• Show and Tell
• Jigsaw Group Discussion
• Can I See Yours
• Cooperative Groups
• Active Review
• Think, Pair, Share
• Games (e.g. Jeopardy)
• Interview Reports
• Guest Presenters
https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nyu-steinhardt-
toolkit/instructional-activities/zoom-activities

32. NYU Steinhardt Zoom Active Learning Activities
• One Minute Paper
• Muddiest (or Clearest) Point
• Clarification Pause
• Chat Bowl
• DIY Quiz Questions
• Turn and Talk
• Show and Tell
• Jigsaw Group Discussion
• Can I See Yours
• Cooperative Groups
• Active Review
• Think, Pair, Share
• Games (e.g. Jeopardy)
• Interview Reports
• Guest Presenters
https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nyu-steinhardt-
toolkit/instructional-activities/zoom-activities

33. NYU Steinhardt Zoom Active Learning Activities
A Few Tips:
• Before breaking students into groups give them a
couple minutes to think deeply about the problem
and make notes, otherwise they may have nothing to
contribute to the group
• If asking for a response in the Chat, tell students to
begin typing but do NOT hit Enter until you give the
signal, to eliminate a “conga line” of responses that is
students just copy each other
• Hop in and out of the small groups to gather
information about what your students are thinking;
ask them to SHOW YOU what they’re working on

34. Webcams?

35. Webcams?
Kindergarten Teacher Mackenzie Adams
Goes Viral on TikTok - See 3-min video
https://youtu.be/ujjNIjqKSSU

36. Webcams?
Minimize the Frequency and Duration of Cameras and Monitoring Solutions
Instructors have an obligation to not create undue hardship or inequity for students. Therefore, the California
Community College Chancellor’s office published a legal opinion related to faculty requiring students in synchronous
online classes to have their cameras turned on. The letter addressed faculty Academic Freedom, California Privacy
Rights, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). In the end, the
Chancellor’s Office provided a recommendation which seems very reasonable. While the recommendation is for
synchronous online classes, I believe the information is also helpful for our asynchronous classes.
Colleges should adopt a cameras-optional approach that respects student concerns regarding privacy, access, and
equity. Such a policy should address or include:
• Cameras should be presumptively optional for live synchronous online classes.
• If audio and visual student participation is essential:
• Allow faculty to require cameras to be on, but only to the extent necessary, and with adequate notice to
students.
• Clearly identify the essential nature of video for instruction and consider a student's privacy or technical
objections and create a confidential "opt-out" mechanism that allows a student to decline video
participation.
• Encourage faculty to consider an alternative to video participation such as audio participation.
• Encourage the use of electronic video backgrounds; and allow students flexibility to turn off their cameras
or mute audio unless needed.
• Encourage the use of the chat feature for attendance and discussion.

37. Webcams?
Math C100 Zoom Meetings & Review Sessions

38. Webcams?

39. Spring 2019 semester without webinars
23.5% success
Fall 2019 semester with required weekly
webinars 68% success
Spring 2020 semester with required weekly
webinars 87% success!
College Algebra with Support
Weekly Webinars

40. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• I have to water down the class
• I can’t cover all the material

41. • Teaching is no longer about
the lecture
• Content is
everywhere!

42. Learning results from what
the student does and
thinks… Our job is to create
the conditions that prompt
students to do the work of
learning.”
-- Herbert Alexander Simon, 1916-2001

43. Good Teachers = Good Coaches
-- Maria Andersen, busynessgirl.com

44. -- Maria Andersen, busynessgirl.com
Illustrations by Mat Moore

45. PatrickJMT
Content Is Everywhere!

46. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IMuAtfbn6Rz2iW2Zr6-UcdhnR2OJ9yPw3AlYlQpsKZQ
By Beatris Mata, Elementary Math Coordinator, Ector County Independent School District, Odessa TX
Follow her @beatris_mata

47. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• I have to do Zoom meetings
• No one’s gonna attend my Zoom meetings
• No one’s gonna participate in my Zoom meetings
• I can’t chat with students one-on-one

48. Successful Webinars
• Show up 15 minutes early, chat one-on-one,
then hit “Record” and summarize what was discussed
• First third (10-15 min): Any questions, comments or
concerns? An ice-breaker (What city are you in?
What’s the best thing that happened to you this week?
Who/what is your support system if you’re struggling
in the course?)
• Affective Domain topic (What’s it like being an online
student?)

49. More at https://bit.ly/2QmHbWl

50. 25 Affective Domain “Quick” Discussion Prompts!
https://www.screencast.com/t/H6bigXIQv

51. Successful Webinars (Cont’d):
• Second third (30-40 min): Interactively present and solve
problems from topics you KNOW students struggle with!
• Take attendance by asking a question to which everyone must
reply to in the Chat Box. Do that a few times.
• Use fun and collaborative strategies such as Kahoot, Two
Truths and a Lie, Think/Pair/Share, Breakout Groups, Polling,
Professor Leaves the Room, etc. just as you do in f2f classes.
• Ask questions, have students type answers in the Chat Box but
wait for your signal to hit Enter.
• More at https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nyu-steinhardt-
toolkit/instructional-activities/zoom-activities

52. Successful Webinars (Cont’d):
• Second third (30-40 min): Interactively present and solve
problems from topics you KNOW students struggle with!
• Take attendance by asking a question to which everyone must
reply to in the Chat Box. Do that a few times.
• Use fun and collaborative strategies such as Kahoot, Two
Truths and a Lie, Think/Pair/Share, Breakout Groups, Polling,
Professor Leaves the Room, etc. just as you do in f2f classes.
• Ask questions, have students type answers in the Chat Box but
wait for your signal to hit Enter.
• More at https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nyu-steinhardt-
toolkit/instructional-activities/zoom-activities

53. Successful Webinars (Cont’d):
• For whole-class discussion, use Gallery View. You can
see body language, facial expressions, thumbs up if
you understand, thumbs down if you don’t
• For students to communicate mathematically with
you and with each other, use Sharpie pens or mini
whiteboards then hold up to their webcam

54. Successful Webinars (Cont’d):
• Last third (5 min): Any questions?
• Closing remarks
• Highlight, summarize, motivate, encourage,
inspire!
• Offer to stay behind for one-on-one time (you
may continue, pause, or stop recording)
• Post link to the recording with captions & chat file
for students who missed the meeting

55. The Biggest Fears About Teaching Online
• They’re gonna cheat with online exams

56. Assessment Options
Giving up in-person paper and pencil exams proctored by a human was difficult. But necessary in a
national health emergency. Options might include:
• Open Canvas and Proctorio (or not). Send students to MyMathLab for a test with infinite
variation, scramble question order and show work. Review every test for partial credit.
• Open Canvas and Proctorio (or not). Students take a test you imported into Canvas from
TestGen, Word, Cengage, Webassign, etc.
• Hold Zoom meeting during scheduled exam. Distribute the test. They work while you watch in
Gallery View and listen to audio feeds, as if you were all in the same room. They show work on
paper and use a mobile scanning app to send it to you for grading. Have multiple forms of the
test ready for alternate meetings.
• Hold individual Zoom meetings where students talk to you about their answers, show their work
and explain their thinking.
• Alternative methods of assessment such as projects, papers, student-created videos, peer
review assessments, etc.
• Be creative. There’s no one, right method for remote assessment. Adjust grading scale if
appropriate. Have more frequent, low-stakes assessments.
• Accept the inequity of remote assessments. Some students are honest, some will cheat. And it’s
easy to cheat. But this is a crisis. And there’s no evidence that surveillance improves outcomes.
Focus on instructional continuity, student retention and course completion.

57. Institutional Practices
Students
%
Pre-recorded Lectures 59
Live Lectures 64
Videos from External Sources 54
*Live Discussion 72
*Real-World Examples 56
*Frequent Assessments 57
*Personal Messages from the Instructor 66
*Assignments Having You Express What You Learned 54
*Breaking Course Into Shorter Pieces 40
*Group Projects 25
*Breakout Groups During a Live Class 24
*Best Practices and satisfaction data from Digital Promise: Accelerating Innovation in Education
https://digitalpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ELE_CoBrand_DP_FINAL_3.pdf

58. Assessment Options (Cont’d)
OR… Be Really, Really Brave: Break the Rules!
• 7 Exam Questions for a Pandemic (or any other time) -- by Francis Su
• COVID-19 Exposes Mathematics Education Inadequacies: A modicum
of (secret) relief for Educators -- by James Tanton

59. Francis Su: Ask questions that assess persistence, curiosity, imagination,
beauty of math, creativity, strategization, thinking for oneself.
• Pick one homework problem you worked on this semester that you
struggled to understand and solve; explain how the struggle itself was
valuable
• Write 10 T/F questions that illustrate a variety of ideas from this course
that you might put on this exam if you were teaching this class. Give a
key, explain the answers, then explain why you chose these particular
questions and what you hope they will assess.
James Tanton: You think students are cheating and are suddenly
“geniuses?” Our kids are citizens of the 21st century and they know it. Of
course, they’re going to use all the resources available to complete any
given task.
• You only get about 30% of your students to actually do anything? It’s the
mathematics curriculum that’s out of whack, not our wonderful kids.

60. The Big Takeaways For Success!
• Maintain rigor
• Don’t drain your time or energy creating content;
use what’s out there
• Offer an abundance of mentoring, flexibility and
compassion; 80/20 Rule
• Pay deliberate attention to the affective domain
• De-emphasize concern about cheating; think about new
ways of assessing
• Add synchronous activities with active learning, student
participation and breakout groups
• Use Sharpies or whiteboards
• Have fun. You got this!

61. Thank You!
ffeldon@coastline.edu