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PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup
This poster outlines approximately 20 suggestions to help students navigate online courses more successfully. Even with careful planning and development, the normalization of remote learning has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses. Besides worrying about a stable internet connection, students must confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs notwithstanding, and despite our carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and the like, students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the brave new world of the virtual. The reduction of course material by instructors to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them as they make the shift to online learning. But there are a number of fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth this rocky road over which students must now travel. The tips I share have emerged and been developed further as part of my own ongoing process to minimize confusion, frustration, and improve levels of engagement, while simultaneously imparting more agency to the students enrolled in my IAH courses here at Michigan State University.To access a PDF of the "Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup
Stokes Schwartz, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities
College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University
Abstract
The normalization of remote learning during 2020-2021 has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses. Besides worrying about stable internet connections, they must also confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Even with instructor participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs, carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and etc., students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the virtual. Our reduction of course material to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates via Zoom or Teams do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them either in the shift to online learning. But there are a few fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth the rocky road over which students must travel. The tips and suggestions I share in this poster presentation have emerged as part of my own ongoing process to minimize student confusion, frustration, and improve engagement, while simultaneously impart greater agency and opportunity for success to the young adults populating my asynchronous online IAH courses here at MSU during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Background
In mid-March 2020, school pupils, university students, and educators everywhere were thrown into disarray by the mass onset of the Covid-19 virus, related lockdowns, and interruptions to normal student-instructor interactions.
At Michigan State University, we scrambled throughout the summer to prepare for the 2020-2021AY and reconfigure existing courses for online delivery.
Yet reasonably well developed and presented online courses alone have not enough for students to succeed. Even in the face of MSU’s push for empathy and understanding, students have demonstrated that they require additional help making the leap from traditional face-to-face to online learning.
Instructors are well-placed to assist students in an ongoing way as they make this challenging transition.
Without much additional work, we can support and encourage our students with weekly reminders that exhibit kind words, cues, prompts, signposts pointing the way forward, and calls to action.
We can foster improved student engagement, learning, and success despite the challenging, new environment in which we operate.
We can guide students through their many weekly activities with roadmaps to help them navigate course intricacies more easily
We can provide students with ample opportunity for new ways of learning, thinking, knowing, and the acquisition of 21st century skills.
In short, faculty teaching online courses occupy an ideal position to prepare students to operate more efficiently and productively in the real world after graduation since remote work and collaboration online is expected to increase markedly as society speeds further along into the 21st century.
Develop Supporting Communications
Beside online syllabi, course modules with seem to be clear directions, etc. students need reminders to keep an asynchronous online general education course in mind, on the rails, and moving forward.
Routine, consistent supporting communications to students from the instructor help to minimize student confusion.
Send reminders on the same day each week for the coming week.
Include headers in all course documents, and email signatures, listing a few ‘how to succeed in this course’ tips.
Share same supporting communication to weekly modules in LMS.
Students benefit from supporting communication that guide them through the activities for a given week during the semester.
When students see supporting communications routinely and predictably, they are more likely to remember and act on it.
Provide Weekly Guidelines
Through supporting communication, provide additional prompts, directions, clarifications, and reminders to students. Let’s call these weekly reminders “guidelines.”.
Emphasize steps students can take to achieve success in the course.
Keep guidelines fairly short and to the point to avoid information overload.
Include the week, your name, course name, and number at top of guidelines as both an advance organizer and to help guidelines standout in students’ email inboxes.
Provide students with concise ‘roadmaps’ in these guidelines making it easy to plan and carry out their coursework each week.
Conclude guidelines with a call to action for students to complete course-related activities, much like a TV or online commercial, or an old fashioned print ad.
Think of weekly guidelines as marketing communications that have a higher purpose than just promotion however.
Share same guidelines at top of weekly online modules in LMS, so students can access them in more than one place.
Include Key Course Policy Reminders
Students will not remember all course policies, and expectations outlined in our syllabi. Some might conveniently “forget.”
Provide gentle reminders from week to week.
Assist students by including important course information as part of the guidelines sent each week.
Remind students of key course policies, expectations, and their responsibilities as members of the course.
One possible segue way might be, “For students who have chosen to remain in this course, the expectation is. . .”
Remind students that we are in a university setting, they are adults, and to avoid letting themselves fall through the cracks.
Invite students to seek help or clarification from the instructor if they or their student learning team need it.
Foster Civil Interaction
We have asked students to make a huge leap into uncharted waters. They are frustrated and possibly fearful.
Many are not used to online learning, self-reflection, thinking on their feet, problem solving, or working cohesively with others.
Many already exhibit an entitled, customer service mindset.
Make expectations for civil interaction clear with a concise statement in online syllabi, modules, and weekly guidelines.
Model civility with polite decorum and kindness to reduce potential problems with disgruntled students.
Be respectful and civil in your synchronous, asynchronous, or email interaction with students. Listen without interrupting.
Avoid terse replies, even to naïve questions!
Use the student’s name in verbal or email replies.
Reduce the potential for unpleasant episodes by opening all email replies with “Thank you for your email,” and conclude them with “Best/Kind Regards. . .”
Be the adult in the room and show patience, patience, patience!
Here are vital teachable moments that allow us to help shape students for collegial and productive working lives following graduation.
Civil interaction is challenging given the various pressures and constraints under which all of us, faculty and students, must operate, but it is an important part of facilitating continued student engagement and success in our online courses.
Remind Students of the Skills They Cultivate
Besides the specific subject matter of the course, remind students in weekly guidelines that they are also cultivating real world expertise.
‘21st century skills, ’ a term used by Christopher J. Dede, John Richards and others in The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy (2020), enable a smooth transition into the globalized digital economy after graduation.
Remind students that they are refining relevant skills in:
Deeper (critical) thinking
Collaboration and collegiality
Personal and agency and proactive engagement.
Effective planning and organization
Time management.
Intellectually openness and mental agility.
Learning from mistakes.
Accountability and ownership
Self-Awareness
Attention to detail
Timely and Frequent Communication with Your Team
Creative problem-solving
Development of high quality work
Consistency
On-time delivery of assignments and projects.
Self-regulation
Frequent practice of skills like these during weekly course-related activities better prepares students for long term employability through an anticipated six decades of working life in a rapidly changing world.
Establish Consistent Guideline Format
Below is a possible format for the weekly guidelines I propose:
A recurring header in your weekly that lists easy steps students can take to ensure their own success in course.
Begin with an advance organizer that identifies right away the week, semester, and dates the guidelines are for.
Follow with a friendly greeting and focusing statement in a brief paragraph.
Highlight any due dates in yellow below the greeting below greeting and focusing statement.
Include two-three concise paragraphs that enumerate and outline individual assignments or team projects for the week.
Provide brief directions for how (and when) to ask questions or seek clarification.
Furnish technical assistance contact information for students who experience challenges uploading assignments or team projects.
Remind students gently about the collaborative course design and expectations for students enrolled in the course.
Mention to students of the need to keep course policies and expectations in mind as they complete their work.
Highlight the big picture skills students practice each week besides the specific subject matter of the course, and how those skills are relevant to their lives after graduation.
Finish with a closing salutation that is a bit less formal and includes good wishes for students’ continued safety and well-being.
Conclusion
The approach outlined here has emerged, crystalized, and evolved over two semesters in the interest of ensuring student success in asynchronous online IAH courses.
While these observations are preliminary at this point, most students in the six courses taught during 2020-2021 have met the challenges facing them, completed their individual and collaborative coursework, and met or exceeded rubric expectations.
Anticipated student problems and drama either have not materialized, or have been minimal.
Early impressions suggest that supporting communications like these are helpful to students when it comes to navigating online courses more easily and completing related tasks.
Weekly supporting communications, presented as brief guidelines, might also be useful in the context in synchronous online, hybrid, and hy-flex as well as traditional face-to-face courses when it comes to helping students navigate and complete coursework in less confused, more systematic way.
Future plans include refining the weekly guidelines further and possibly assessing their effectiveness through a small study.
Description of the Poster
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup
Stokes Schwartz, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities
College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University
Abstract
The normalization of remote learning during 2020-2021 has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses. Besides worrying about stable internet connections, they must also confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Even with instructor participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs, carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and etc., students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the virtual. Our reduction of course material to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates via Zoom or Teams do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them either in the shift to online learning. But there are a few fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth the rocky road over which students must travel. The tips and suggestions I share in this poster presentation have emerged as part of my own ongoing process to minimize student confusion, frustration, and improve engagement, while simultaneously impart greater agency and opportunity for success to the young adults populating my asynchronous online IAH courses here at MSU during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Background
In mid-March 2020, school pupils, university students, and educators everywhere were thrown into disarray by the mass onset of the Covid-19 virus, related lockdowns, and interruptions to normal student-instructor interactions.
At Michigan State University, we scrambled throughout the summer to prepare for the 2020-2021AY and reconfigure existing courses for online delivery.
Yet reasonably well developed and presented online courses alone have not enough for students to succeed. Even in the face of MSU’s push for empathy and understanding, students have demonstrated that they require additional help making the leap from traditional face-to-face to online learning.
Instructors are well-placed to assist students in an ongoing way as they make this challenging transition.
Without much additional work, we can support and encourage our students with weekly reminders that exhibit kind words, cues, prompts, signposts pointing the way forward, and calls to action.
We can foster improved student engagement, learning, and success despite the challenging, new environment in which we operate.
We can guide students through their many weekly activities with roadmaps to help them navigate course intricacies more easily
We can provide students with ample opportunity for new ways of learning, thinking, knowing, and the acquisition of 21st century skills.
In short, faculty teaching online courses occupy an ideal position to prepare students to operate more efficiently and productively in the real world after graduation since remote work and collaboration online is expected to increase markedly as society speeds further along into the 21st century.
Develop Supporting Communications
Beside online syllabi, course modules with seem to be clear directions, etc. students need reminders to keep an asynchronous online general education course in mind, on the rails, and moving forward.
Routine, consistent supporting communications to students from the instructor help to minimize student confusion.
Send reminders on the same day each week for the coming week.
Include headers in all course documents, and email signatures, listing a few ‘how to succeed in this course’ tips.
Share same supporting communication to weekly modules in LMS.
Students benefit from supporting communication that guide them through the activities for a given week during the semester.
When students see supporting communications routinely and predictably, they are more likely to remember and act on it.
Provide Weekly Guidelines
Through supporting communication, provide additional prompts, directions, clarifications, and reminders to students. Let’s call these weekly reminders “guidelines.”.
Emphasize steps students can take to achieve success in the course.
Keep guidelines fairly short and to the point to avoid information overload.
Include the week, your name, course name, and number at top of guidelines as both an advance organizer and to help guidelines standout in students’ email inboxes.
Provide students with concise ‘roadmaps’ in these guidelines making it easy to plan and carry out their coursework each week.
Conclude guidelines with a call to action for students to complete course-related activities, much like a TV or online commercial, or an old fashioned print ad.
Think of weekly guidelines as marketing communications that have a higher purpose than just promotion however.
Share same guidelines at top of weekly online modules in LMS, so students can access them in more than one place.
Include Key Course Policy Reminders
Students will not remember all course policies, and expectations outlined in our syllabi. Some might conveniently “forget.”
Provide gentle reminders from week to week.
Assist students by including important course information as part of the guidelines sent each week.
Remind students of key course policies, expectations, and their responsibilities as members of the course.
One possible segue way might be, “For students who have chosen to remain in this course, the expectation is. . .”
Remind students that we are in a university setting, they are adults, and to avoid letting themselves fall through the cracks.
Invite students to seek help or clarification from the instructor if they or their student learning team need it.
Foster Civil Interaction
We have asked students to make a huge leap into uncharted waters. They are frustrated and possibly fearful.
Many are not used to online learning, self-reflection, thinking on their feet, problem solving, or working cohesively with others.
Many already exhibit an entitled, customer service mindset.
Make expectations for civil interaction clear with a concise statement in online syllabi, modules, and weekly guidelines.
Model civility with polite decorum and kindness to reduce potential problems with disgruntled students.
Be respectful and civil in your synchronous, asynchronous, or email interaction with students. Listen without interrupting.
Avoid terse replies, even to naïve questions!
Use the student’s name in verbal or email replies.
Reduce the potential for unpleasant episodes by opening all email replies with “Thank you for your email,” and conclude them with “Best/Kind Regards. . .”
Be the adult in the room and show patience, patience, patience!
Here are vital teachable moments that allow us to help shape students for collegial and productive working lives following graduation.
Civil interaction is challenging given the various pressures and constraints under which all of us, faculty and students, must operate, but it is an important part of facilitating continued student engagement and success in our online courses.
Remind Students of the Skills They Cultivate
Besides the specific subject matter of the course, remind students in weekly guidelines that they are also cultivating real world expertise.
‘21st century skills, ’ a term used by Christopher J. Dede, John Richards and others in The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy (2020), enable a smooth transition into the globalized digital economy after graduation.
Remind students that they are refining relevant skills in:
Deeper (critical) thinking
Collaboration and collegiality
Personal and agency and proactive engagement.
Effective planning and organization
Time management.
Intellectually openness and mental agility.
Learning from mistakes.
Accountability and ownership
Self-Awareness
Attention to detail
Timely and Frequent Communication with Your Team
Creative problem-solving
Development of high quality work
Consistency
On-time delivery of assignments and projects.
Self-regulation
Frequent practice of skills like these during weekly course-related activities better prepares students for long term employability through an anticipated six decades of working life in a rapidly changing world.
Establish Consistent Guideline Format
Below is a possible format for the weekly guidelines I propose:
A recurring header in your weekly that lists easy steps students can take to ensure their own success in course.
Begin with an advance organizer that identifies right away the week, semester, and dates the guidelines are for.
Follow with a friendly greeting and focusing statement in a brief paragraph.
Highlight any due dates in yellow below the greeting below greeting and focusing statement.
Include two-three concise paragraphs that enumerate and outline individual assignments or team projects for the week.
Provide brief directions for how (and when) to ask questions or seek clarification.
Furnish technical assistance contact information for students who experience challenges uploading assignments or team projects.
Remind students gently about the collaborative course design and expectations for students enrolled in the course.
Mention to students of the need to keep course policies and expectations in mind as they complete their work.
Highlight the big picture skills students practice each week besides the specific subject matter of the course, and how those skills are relevant to their lives after graduation.
Finish with a closing salutation that is a bit less formal and includes good wishes for students’ continued safety and well-being.
Conclusion
The approach outlined here has emerged, crystalized, and evolved over two semesters in the interest of ensuring student success in asynchronous online IAH courses.
While these observations are preliminary at this point, most students in the six courses taught during 2020-2021 have met the challenges facing them, completed their individual and collaborative coursework, and met or exceeded rubric expectations.
Anticipated student problems and drama either have not materialized, or have been minimal.
Early impressions suggest that supporting communications like these are helpful to students when it comes to navigating online courses more easily and completing related tasks.
Weekly supporting communications, presented as brief guidelines, might also be useful in the context in synchronous online, hybrid, and hy-flex as well as traditional face-to-face courses when it comes to helping students navigate and complete coursework in less confused, more systematic way.
Future plans include refining the weekly guidelines further and possibly assessing their effectiveness through a small study.
Authored by:
Stokes Schwartz
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup
This poster outlines approximately 20 suggestions to help students ...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, May 3, 2021
Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course
The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both challenges and opportunities. An off-campus, flipped section of ANTR 350 has been offered in Grand Rapids during the summer since 2017. When Michigan State University moved to online learning for summer 2020, the class was adapted to a Zoom-based, synchronous model. Students were required to complete online learning modules as preparation for each class. During class, students worked in small groups to complete application activities in Zoom breakout rooms.
Groups were assigned and reconfigured for each unit. The instructor provided recommendations for working effectively in a group and students received feedback after the first and third units regarding their teamwork skills and class performance. Unit exams were two-stage examinations, consisting of an individual exam followed immediately by a group exam. These examinations were timed and proctored over Zoom by faculty and staff.
Students and faculty faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. However, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and flexibility. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous iterations of the course. The instructor observed improved group work skills, which was mirrored by student feedback. Overall, we were able to retain the flipped approach and emphasis on group work by using Zoom breakout rooms to simulate a collaborative learning environment comparable to that of the in-person experience.
To access a PDF of the "Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course
Ryan Maureen Tubbs, Department of Radiology, Division of Human Anatomy, College of Human Medicine
Alexis Amos, Michigan State University, Psychology Major, Senior
ANTR 350 Goes Virtual
ANTR 350, Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionalsis an undergraduate course traditionally offered as large, in-person lecture sections on main campus and as a flipped, in-person section in Grand Rapids during summer semesters.
When Michigan State University moved to online learning for summer 2020, the class was adapted to a Zoom-based, synchronous model. Students were required to complete online learning modules as preparation for each class. During class, students worked in small groups to complete application activities in Zoom breakout rooms. The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both challenges and opportunities in terms of creating a collaborative learning environment.
An online preparatory assignment was due at start of each class
Readings interspersed with videos, interactive models, and questions
Guided by specific learning objectives
Variable number of questions but each assignment worth 2pts (total 11.2% of grade)
Image: screenshot of a portion of a Top Hat Assignment titled "Preparatory Reading June 9". Some of the learning objectives and headings are shown.
During class, students primarily collaborated in Zoom breakout rooms to review and apply the content covered in the preparatory assignment. The instructor moved between rooms to check on group progress and answer questions. Most in-class activities utilized Google docs or Top Hat, so the instructor could also observe group progress in real time. For most activities, keys were available during class so that groups did not end up stuck on any questions.
10:00-10:03 Application prompt while people logged in, answers entered in zoom chat
10:04-10:15 Synchronous, Top Hat-based Readiness Quiz, 5 questions
10:15-11:45 Groupwork and mini-lectures*
11:45-11:50 Post-class survey soliciting feedback on activities & overall session
Image: screenshot of example application exercise using Google Docs. A CT is shown on the right side of the image and a series of questions is shown on the left. Students answers to the questions are shown in blue.
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment
The importance of developing teamwork skills was emphasized in the syllabus and during the course overview presentation. Students were given descriptions of five different group roles (leader, learner, time-keeper, recorder, and summarizer) and asked to try moving between the roles. Students were asked to read and agree to expectations for student interactions, including keeping camera on when possible, actively engaging with the group, agreeing not to take screenshots or record the session, and guidelines about private chats. The instructor acknowledged the awkwardness of working with strangers over zoom and asked all students to be generous of spirit with each other.
A brief ice-breaker activity was assigned at the start of each unit to give students an opportunity to develop their collaborative learning relationships. After each unit, students were asked to give honest feedback to the instructor about each of their groupmates’ collaborative learning skills. Students received feedback summaries and recommendations about how to improve their collaborative skills at the end of units 1 and 3. Groups were also asked to set ground rules and group goals at the start of units 2 and 3.
Image: screenshot of June 9 Top Hat In-Class Page. Activity 1 is an ice breaker for new groups. Activity 2 is an axial muscles google doc groupwork exercise. Activity 3 is the review of that google doc as a whole class and Activity 4 is setting Unit 2 goals.
The importance of collaborative learning was emphasized by the inclusion of collaborative testing. Unit exams consisted of an individual exam followed immediately by the same exam taken in their groups. The group exam contributed 16.67% to each unit exam score.
Student feedback was collected in SIRS, post-class, and post-course surveys
Student Feedback
Image: bar chart showing responses to "How many of your classmates that you did not know previously did you communicate with outside of class during the semester?"
Fall 2019 (in-person section): Average of 1.3125
Spring 2020 (Fall 2019 (in-person section until COVID moved asynchronous): Average of 1.2181
Summer 2020 (sychronous zoom) 1.5625
Fall 2020 (asynchronous online) 0.8082
Image: bar chart showing response to "Overall, did you have someone you could reach out to if you struggled with content during this course?"
Fall 2019 (in-person):
Yes for all units 79.2%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0%
Yes, for 1 or two units 12.5%
No, I never really did 8.3%
Spring 2020 (mostly in-person)
Yes for all units 67.3%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4%
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.3%
No, I never really did 10.9%
Summer 2020 (synchronous, virtual)
Yes for all units 81.3%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0%
Yes, for 1 or two units 6.2%
No, I never really did 12.5%
Fall 2020 (asychronous, virtual)
Yes for all units 60.8%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4%
Yes, for 1 or two units 14.9%
No, I never really did 18.9%
Spring 2021 (asychronous, current course)
Yes for all units 54.7%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 4.7%
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.1%
No, I never really did 24.5%
Image: 100% Stacked Column Chart showing student responses to "How comfortable did you feel reaching out to a course instructor if you struggled with content?"
Fall 2019
Extremely Comfortable 54%
Somewhat comfortable 29%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 8%
Somewhat uncomfortable 4%
Extremely uncomfortable 4%
Spring 2020
Extremely Comfortable 36%
Somewhat comfortable 29%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 20%
Somewhat uncomfortable 15%
Extremely uncomfortable 0%
Summer 2020
Extremely Comfortable 87%
Somewhat comfortable 0%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 13%
Somewhat uncomfortable 0%
Extremely uncomfortable 0%
Fall 2020
Extremely Comfortable 39%
Somewhat comfortable 32%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 18%
Somewhat uncomfortable 8%
Extremely uncomfortable 3%
Spring 2021
Extremely Comfortable 35%
Somewhat comfortable 30%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 30%
Somewhat uncomfortable 4%
Extremely uncomfortable 2%
Image: Pie Chart Titled "Overall, how supported did you feel during this course compared to other courses you have taken?” (Summer 2020)
Far above average is shown as 81%, Somewhat above average is shown as 13%, Average is shown as 6%. Somewhat below average and far below average are listed in the legend but not represented in the chart as they are 0%
Conclusions
Summer 2020 was a hard semester for everyone. We all faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. Despite these challenges, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and we were able to create a collaborative learning environment using Zoom breakout rooms. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous Summer iterations of the course. In addition, students felt more connected compared to the asynchronous Fall sections.
Image: Table “Student Performance”
Number of students enrolled in course:
Summer 2019: 22
Spring 2020: 338
Summer 2020: 52
Number of students withdrawn from course:
Summer 2019: 0
Spring 2020: 1
Summer 2020: 0
Mean percent score overall:
Summer 2019: 82.85%
Spring 2020: 90.19%
Summer 2020: 89.03%
Number of students with passing scores (2.0 or higher):
Summer 2019: 20
Spring 2020: 332
Summer 2020: 50
Number of students with failing scores (1.5 of lower):
Summer 2019: 2
Spring 2020: 4
Summer 2020: 2
Percentage of students with failing scores:
Summer 2019: 9%
Spring 2020: 1%
Summer 2020: 3.8%
Image: Results of MSU Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS)
Summer 2019 SIRS
Course Organization
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 55.5%
Average 11.1%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 55.5%
Average 11.1%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Your general enjoyment of the course
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 44.4%
Average 22.2%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Summer 2020 SIRS
Course Organization
Superior 70.9%
Above Average 19.3%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 3.22%
Inferior 0%
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course
Superior 77.4%
Above Average 16.1%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Your general enjoyment of the course
Superior 54.8%
Above Average 38.7%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
References
Gaillard, Frank. “Acute Maxillary Sinusitis: Radiology Case.” Radiopaedia Blog RSS, radiopaedia.org/cases/acute-maxillary-sinusitis?lang=us.
ANTR 350 Top Hat Course. www.tophat.com
Acknowledgments
A giant thank you to the ANTR 350 Summer Class of 2020!
Groups were assigned and reconfigured for each unit. The instructor provided recommendations for working effectively in a group and students received feedback after the first and third units regarding their teamwork skills and class performance. Unit exams were two-stage examinations, consisting of an individual exam followed immediately by a group exam. These examinations were timed and proctored over Zoom by faculty and staff.
Students and faculty faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. However, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and flexibility. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous iterations of the course. The instructor observed improved group work skills, which was mirrored by student feedback. Overall, we were able to retain the flipped approach and emphasis on group work by using Zoom breakout rooms to simulate a collaborative learning environment comparable to that of the in-person experience.
To access a PDF of the "Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course
Ryan Maureen Tubbs, Department of Radiology, Division of Human Anatomy, College of Human Medicine
Alexis Amos, Michigan State University, Psychology Major, Senior
ANTR 350 Goes Virtual
ANTR 350, Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionalsis an undergraduate course traditionally offered as large, in-person lecture sections on main campus and as a flipped, in-person section in Grand Rapids during summer semesters.
When Michigan State University moved to online learning for summer 2020, the class was adapted to a Zoom-based, synchronous model. Students were required to complete online learning modules as preparation for each class. During class, students worked in small groups to complete application activities in Zoom breakout rooms. The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both challenges and opportunities in terms of creating a collaborative learning environment.
An online preparatory assignment was due at start of each class
Readings interspersed with videos, interactive models, and questions
Guided by specific learning objectives
Variable number of questions but each assignment worth 2pts (total 11.2% of grade)
Image: screenshot of a portion of a Top Hat Assignment titled "Preparatory Reading June 9". Some of the learning objectives and headings are shown.
During class, students primarily collaborated in Zoom breakout rooms to review and apply the content covered in the preparatory assignment. The instructor moved between rooms to check on group progress and answer questions. Most in-class activities utilized Google docs or Top Hat, so the instructor could also observe group progress in real time. For most activities, keys were available during class so that groups did not end up stuck on any questions.
10:00-10:03 Application prompt while people logged in, answers entered in zoom chat
10:04-10:15 Synchronous, Top Hat-based Readiness Quiz, 5 questions
10:15-11:45 Groupwork and mini-lectures*
11:45-11:50 Post-class survey soliciting feedback on activities & overall session
Image: screenshot of example application exercise using Google Docs. A CT is shown on the right side of the image and a series of questions is shown on the left. Students answers to the questions are shown in blue.
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment
The importance of developing teamwork skills was emphasized in the syllabus and during the course overview presentation. Students were given descriptions of five different group roles (leader, learner, time-keeper, recorder, and summarizer) and asked to try moving between the roles. Students were asked to read and agree to expectations for student interactions, including keeping camera on when possible, actively engaging with the group, agreeing not to take screenshots or record the session, and guidelines about private chats. The instructor acknowledged the awkwardness of working with strangers over zoom and asked all students to be generous of spirit with each other.
A brief ice-breaker activity was assigned at the start of each unit to give students an opportunity to develop their collaborative learning relationships. After each unit, students were asked to give honest feedback to the instructor about each of their groupmates’ collaborative learning skills. Students received feedback summaries and recommendations about how to improve their collaborative skills at the end of units 1 and 3. Groups were also asked to set ground rules and group goals at the start of units 2 and 3.
Image: screenshot of June 9 Top Hat In-Class Page. Activity 1 is an ice breaker for new groups. Activity 2 is an axial muscles google doc groupwork exercise. Activity 3 is the review of that google doc as a whole class and Activity 4 is setting Unit 2 goals.
The importance of collaborative learning was emphasized by the inclusion of collaborative testing. Unit exams consisted of an individual exam followed immediately by the same exam taken in their groups. The group exam contributed 16.67% to each unit exam score.
Student feedback was collected in SIRS, post-class, and post-course surveys
Student Feedback
Image: bar chart showing responses to "How many of your classmates that you did not know previously did you communicate with outside of class during the semester?"
Fall 2019 (in-person section): Average of 1.3125
Spring 2020 (Fall 2019 (in-person section until COVID moved asynchronous): Average of 1.2181
Summer 2020 (sychronous zoom) 1.5625
Fall 2020 (asynchronous online) 0.8082
Image: bar chart showing response to "Overall, did you have someone you could reach out to if you struggled with content during this course?"
Fall 2019 (in-person):
Yes for all units 79.2%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0%
Yes, for 1 or two units 12.5%
No, I never really did 8.3%
Spring 2020 (mostly in-person)
Yes for all units 67.3%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4%
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.3%
No, I never really did 10.9%
Summer 2020 (synchronous, virtual)
Yes for all units 81.3%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 0%
Yes, for 1 or two units 6.2%
No, I never really did 12.5%
Fall 2020 (asychronous, virtual)
Yes for all units 60.8%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 5.4%
Yes, for 1 or two units 14.9%
No, I never really did 18.9%
Spring 2021 (asychronous, current course)
Yes for all units 54.7%
Yes, for 3 or 4 units 4.7%
Yes, for 1 or two units 16.1%
No, I never really did 24.5%
Image: 100% Stacked Column Chart showing student responses to "How comfortable did you feel reaching out to a course instructor if you struggled with content?"
Fall 2019
Extremely Comfortable 54%
Somewhat comfortable 29%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 8%
Somewhat uncomfortable 4%
Extremely uncomfortable 4%
Spring 2020
Extremely Comfortable 36%
Somewhat comfortable 29%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 20%
Somewhat uncomfortable 15%
Extremely uncomfortable 0%
Summer 2020
Extremely Comfortable 87%
Somewhat comfortable 0%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 13%
Somewhat uncomfortable 0%
Extremely uncomfortable 0%
Fall 2020
Extremely Comfortable 39%
Somewhat comfortable 32%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 18%
Somewhat uncomfortable 8%
Extremely uncomfortable 3%
Spring 2021
Extremely Comfortable 35%
Somewhat comfortable 30%
Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 30%
Somewhat uncomfortable 4%
Extremely uncomfortable 2%
Image: Pie Chart Titled "Overall, how supported did you feel during this course compared to other courses you have taken?” (Summer 2020)
Far above average is shown as 81%, Somewhat above average is shown as 13%, Average is shown as 6%. Somewhat below average and far below average are listed in the legend but not represented in the chart as they are 0%
Conclusions
Summer 2020 was a hard semester for everyone. We all faced many technological, health, and personal challenges during the semester. Despite these challenges, students demonstrated tremendous resilience and we were able to create a collaborative learning environment using Zoom breakout rooms. Overall, the course was a very positive experience; student performance and SIRS ratings were higher than during previous Summer iterations of the course. In addition, students felt more connected compared to the asynchronous Fall sections.
Image: Table “Student Performance”
Number of students enrolled in course:
Summer 2019: 22
Spring 2020: 338
Summer 2020: 52
Number of students withdrawn from course:
Summer 2019: 0
Spring 2020: 1
Summer 2020: 0
Mean percent score overall:
Summer 2019: 82.85%
Spring 2020: 90.19%
Summer 2020: 89.03%
Number of students with passing scores (2.0 or higher):
Summer 2019: 20
Spring 2020: 332
Summer 2020: 50
Number of students with failing scores (1.5 of lower):
Summer 2019: 2
Spring 2020: 4
Summer 2020: 2
Percentage of students with failing scores:
Summer 2019: 9%
Spring 2020: 1%
Summer 2020: 3.8%
Image: Results of MSU Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS)
Summer 2019 SIRS
Course Organization
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 55.5%
Average 11.1%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 55.5%
Average 11.1%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Your general enjoyment of the course
Superior 33.3%
Above Average 44.4%
Average 22.2%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Summer 2020 SIRS
Course Organization
Superior 70.9%
Above Average 19.3%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 3.22%
Inferior 0%
Adequacy of the outlined direction of the course
Superior 77.4%
Above Average 16.1%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
Your general enjoyment of the course
Superior 54.8%
Above Average 38.7%
Average 6.45%
Below Average 0%
Inferior 0%
References
Gaillard, Frank. “Acute Maxillary Sinusitis: Radiology Case.” Radiopaedia Blog RSS, radiopaedia.org/cases/acute-maxillary-sinusitis?lang=us.
ANTR 350 Top Hat Course. www.tophat.com
Acknowledgments
A giant thank you to the ANTR 350 Summer Class of 2020!
Authored by:
Ryan Tubbs, Alexis Amos
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Synchronous, Flipped Course
The move to online learning in response to COVID-19 brought both ch...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, Apr 26, 2021
Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
ISS Innovation: Documentary Storytelling as Engaged Learning in General Education
Michigan State University was an early leader adopter of an integrative studies approach to undergraduate general education. Unfortunately, this program has experienced structural changes that resulted in a significant increase in class sizes for ISS classes in particular. As a result, instruction in these classes has become largely didactic, and in many classes, student assessment is primarily measured through high-stakes, multiple-choice exams. For so many MSU students, this passive pedagogical approach leaves them disengaged and disinterested. The question remains: How can ISS faculty facilitate engaged and project-based interdisciplinary curriculum with the current scale of their large-format classes? It is in this context and around these challenges that this project takes shape, and with the support of a Hub Faculty Fellowship in 2020-2021, we set out to bring innovation to ISS. Over the course of three semesters and amidst mandated remote online learning, our instructional team designed and implemented a meaningful, engaged, interdisciplinary, and team-based research project into an ISS general education course (with enrollments of 300 students) on the broad topic of Material Culture Studies. For the course project, students were required to explore a complex integrative research topic of their choice related to Material Culture Studies. Their research developed within weekly benchmark steps and culminated in the production of a short documentary film over their chosen topic. All student films were then showcased in an end-of-semester virtual student film festival. The course project design and the student outcomes and experiences with this project are the focus of our presentation. Our research proposal team includes the ISS professor of the class, two teaching assistants (both who completed the film project as students in SS20), and three participant students (all who created films in FS20). Together with our various positionalities, we propose to present the findings of this innovative ISS pedagogical research in the form of an academic poster—a common format to present preliminary findings of a research project that is still in progress. Additionally, we will embed into our poster a link to our team-produced short film that documents this guiding course project in engaged digital storytelling within an ISS general education course. We hope this film will demonstrate that we are pedagogically practicing what we preach to our students.To access a PDF of the "ISS Innovation: Documentary Storytelling as Engaged Learning in General Education" poster, click here. Please note: This poster contains embedded videos that are accessible via the PDF or below.
The title of this poster is: ISS Innovation: Documentary Storytelling as Engaged Learning in General Education.
This poster contains several sections. The first section outlines the research problem and purpose and provides a brief literature review on the topic. This section ends with the articulation of the guiding research question.
The second section is a table that describes the research methods and data collection choices for the project. This is followed by the third section that provides a detailed iconic logic model of the data analysis scheme for the research project.
The fourth section presents selected findings from the project. There are three major findings presented, and accompanying each of the findings is a short YouTube video/film that was produced by the research team to give the viewers a comprehensive picture of the guiding course ISS project that this pedagogical research investigates.
ISS Innovation: Active and Engaged Learning
Culturally Responsive CurriculumMotivating Creative Risk Taking
There are links to the associated film festival that showcases the documentary films that MSU students in the ISS class produced as their guiding course projects. The poster has a brief conclusion section and a references section.
The title of this poster is: ISS Innovation: Documentary Storytelling as Engaged Learning in General Education.
This poster contains several sections. The first section outlines the research problem and purpose and provides a brief literature review on the topic. This section ends with the articulation of the guiding research question.
The second section is a table that describes the research methods and data collection choices for the project. This is followed by the third section that provides a detailed iconic logic model of the data analysis scheme for the research project.
The fourth section presents selected findings from the project. There are three major findings presented, and accompanying each of the findings is a short YouTube video/film that was produced by the research team to give the viewers a comprehensive picture of the guiding course ISS project that this pedagogical research investigates.
ISS Innovation: Active and Engaged Learning
Culturally Responsive CurriculumMotivating Creative Risk Taking
There are links to the associated film festival that showcases the documentary films that MSU students in the ISS class produced as their guiding course projects. The poster has a brief conclusion section and a references section.
Authored by:
Eddie Boucher, Katarina Keeley, Taylor Quillinan, Naomi J...
Posted on: #iteachmsu
ISS Innovation: Documentary Storytelling as Engaged Learning in General Education
Michigan State University was an early leader adopter of an integra...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, Apr 26, 2021
Posted on: #iteachmsu
DISCIPLINARY CONTENT
"Thank an Educator": Recognizing and Celebrating MSU Educators
Dr. Crystal Eustice (Department of Community Sustainability Studies Assistant Professor of Practice, Academic Advisor, Internship Coordinator) & Jackie Martin (MSU Extension Leadership & Civic Engagement Educator, 4-H Program Supervisor)
The Thank an Educator Initiative was born out of the #iteachmsu Commons project, an effort to recognize the great practices of individuals on campus who contribute to student success by supporting MSU’s teaching and learning mission. On such a large decentralized campus, it can be difficult to fully recognize and leverage the expertise of educators. The #iteachmsu Commons' current focus has been to develop and launch a web platform for educators across campus to share their expertise and experience, connect with others, and grow in their practice.
You’ll notice that we’ve specifically chosen to denote the audience of this platform as “educators” which the #iteachmsu Commons’ founding units (the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology, the Academic Advancement Network, and the Graduate School) define in the broadest sense – anyone who contributes to MSU’s teaching and learning mission. This includes but is not limited to faculty, academic advisors, librarians, coaches, graduate teaching assistants, undergraduate learning assistants, infrastructure planning and facilities, learning designers, IT, planning and budget, staff, etc.
We (the #iteachmsu Commons team) have had unwavering enthusiasm for the platform, which is now live at iteach.msu.edu, but we weren’t sure that the Spartan community would identify with the goals of the project (despite the platform’s for educators – by educators development). As a part of my 2018-19 Hub Graduate Student Fellowship, I was able to further observe and investigate how individuals on our campus qualified their work (as it related to the mission and vision) and how they identified with the role of educator. While I found overwhelming support for the type of platform we were building, many of the individuals I spoke with did not personally identify as an educator despite their work contributing to teaching and learning at State. Thus Thank an Educator was born.
I designed and launched the inaugural year of Thank and Educator as a part of my Hub fellowship last year as a way to celebrate all the individuals who contribute every day to helping MSU be the institution of higher learning that it is today. By intentionally launching the initiative across the MSU community and asking for individuals to share stories of the positive impacts made by MSU educators, we were able to not only recognize the great efforts of invaluable Spartan community members but also showcase the diverse roles and ways in which people take up being educators on our campus. 80 Educators were nominated by fellow Spartans and were recognized at the first annual #iteachmsu Educator Awards during last year’s Spring Conference on Student Learning and Success. This initiative wouldn’t be possible without the support of Dr. Jeff Grabill (Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Technology) and the Provost’s office, and I am excited to say that it is continuing in this 2019-20 academic year.
I have been at Michigan State for the entirety of my postsecondary experience. I came here in 2008 for my B.S., finished a M.S., and plan to complete my doctoral degree by the end of this academic year. Throughout my time as a Spartan, I have encountered countless individuals who were invaluable to my experience but weren’t limited to those who stood at the front of my classes. Thank an Educator gives me the opportunity to recognize those people who made a difference in my MSU experience (as both a learner and a colleague), and for that I am thrilled. I have received correspondence from individuals directly, saw posts featuring educator awards on Twitter, and have even seen award certificates hanging in offices or by desks. I am deeply honored by the idea that I have played a small part in amplifying the work educators do at MSU, and reinforcing the value of that work through this initiative and community.
Anyone can recognize a Spartan educator who has made an impact in their lives by clicking “Thank an Educator” in the left panel of this site! You can also read about educators who have been recognized in our "Featured Educator" posts!
Vivek Vellanki (College of Education Doctoral Student) & Terry Edwards (Assistant to the Chair, Department of Teacher Education)
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2019/honoring-msus-educators/
The Thank an Educator Initiative was born out of the #iteachmsu Commons project, an effort to recognize the great practices of individuals on campus who contribute to student success by supporting MSU’s teaching and learning mission. On such a large decentralized campus, it can be difficult to fully recognize and leverage the expertise of educators. The #iteachmsu Commons' current focus has been to develop and launch a web platform for educators across campus to share their expertise and experience, connect with others, and grow in their practice.
You’ll notice that we’ve specifically chosen to denote the audience of this platform as “educators” which the #iteachmsu Commons’ founding units (the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology, the Academic Advancement Network, and the Graduate School) define in the broadest sense – anyone who contributes to MSU’s teaching and learning mission. This includes but is not limited to faculty, academic advisors, librarians, coaches, graduate teaching assistants, undergraduate learning assistants, infrastructure planning and facilities, learning designers, IT, planning and budget, staff, etc.
We (the #iteachmsu Commons team) have had unwavering enthusiasm for the platform, which is now live at iteach.msu.edu, but we weren’t sure that the Spartan community would identify with the goals of the project (despite the platform’s for educators – by educators development). As a part of my 2018-19 Hub Graduate Student Fellowship, I was able to further observe and investigate how individuals on our campus qualified their work (as it related to the mission and vision) and how they identified with the role of educator. While I found overwhelming support for the type of platform we were building, many of the individuals I spoke with did not personally identify as an educator despite their work contributing to teaching and learning at State. Thus Thank an Educator was born.
I designed and launched the inaugural year of Thank and Educator as a part of my Hub fellowship last year as a way to celebrate all the individuals who contribute every day to helping MSU be the institution of higher learning that it is today. By intentionally launching the initiative across the MSU community and asking for individuals to share stories of the positive impacts made by MSU educators, we were able to not only recognize the great efforts of invaluable Spartan community members but also showcase the diverse roles and ways in which people take up being educators on our campus. 80 Educators were nominated by fellow Spartans and were recognized at the first annual #iteachmsu Educator Awards during last year’s Spring Conference on Student Learning and Success. This initiative wouldn’t be possible without the support of Dr. Jeff Grabill (Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Technology) and the Provost’s office, and I am excited to say that it is continuing in this 2019-20 academic year.
I have been at Michigan State for the entirety of my postsecondary experience. I came here in 2008 for my B.S., finished a M.S., and plan to complete my doctoral degree by the end of this academic year. Throughout my time as a Spartan, I have encountered countless individuals who were invaluable to my experience but weren’t limited to those who stood at the front of my classes. Thank an Educator gives me the opportunity to recognize those people who made a difference in my MSU experience (as both a learner and a colleague), and for that I am thrilled. I have received correspondence from individuals directly, saw posts featuring educator awards on Twitter, and have even seen award certificates hanging in offices or by desks. I am deeply honored by the idea that I have played a small part in amplifying the work educators do at MSU, and reinforcing the value of that work through this initiative and community.
Anyone can recognize a Spartan educator who has made an impact in their lives by clicking “Thank an Educator” in the left panel of this site! You can also read about educators who have been recognized in our "Featured Educator" posts!
Vivek Vellanki (College of Education Doctoral Student) & Terry Edwards (Assistant to the Chair, Department of Teacher Education)
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2019/honoring-msus-educators/
Authored by:
Makena Neal
Posted on: #iteachmsu
"Thank an Educator": Recognizing and Celebrating MSU Educators
Dr. Crystal Eustice (Department of Community Sustainability Studies...
Authored by:
DISCIPLINARY CONTENT
Thursday, Oct 31, 2019
Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Studying Team Adaptive Performance using the Board Game Pandemic Legacy
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, educators from many fields have looked to representations of pandemics to help students study topics the pandemic has accentuated. In the history of science, educators have explored inequalities in medicine, trust in experts, and responses to uncertainty. To help make these issues digestible, some educators have turned to the cooperative board game, Pandemic Legacy. Small groups work together to avert a global health crisis by managing disease. Teams play the game multiple times, but actions in one game have consequences for the next and rules change and develop as the game progresses. The game's development introduces students to new concepts at a manageable pace while giving them new problems to solve. While the game effectively introduced students to topics in the history of science, this study sought to know whether it promoted cognitive and interpersonal skills. It focused on team adaptive performance, which is linked to problem-solving and communication skills. Data was collected using three surveys. Variation in teams' responses was analyzed using the Median test. The Friedman test was used to analyze each team's adaptive performance at each of the three timesteps. All teams were initially quite confident in their ability to creatively deal with unexpected events and reported that they adapted well to new tasks. As they encountered novel situations, some teams reported that their confidence decreased. They were newly aware that they did not have creative solutions to unexpected problems. Teams aware of their limitations performed better than those who maintained their initial confidence.To access a PDF of the "Studying Team Adaptive Performance using the Board Game Pandemic Legacy" poster, click here.Description of the Poster
Studying Team Adaptive Performance using the Board Game Pandemic Legacy
Research Goal
This study examined how team adaptive performance evolves over time. Adaptative performance is understood as a process that more effectively moves a team towards its objectives. The team must recognize deviations from expected action and readjust actions to obtain the best outcome (Salas, Sims, Burke 2005; Priest et al. 2002; Marques-Quinteiro et al. 2015).
While previous studies have examined team adaptive performance in singular events, this study aimed to measure the evolution of team adaptive performance over time. Using a cooperative boardgame that changes as teams play, the study measured how well teams performed in response to three major deviations in game play that necessitated adaptation.
Research Hypothesis
Teams with higher perceived levels of adaptability will have better outcomes (the success measure) over time than teams with lower levels of adaptability
Research Methods
A total of 16 participants were divided into four teams. Each team played the cooperative board game, Pandemic Legacy (Figure 1), nine times throughout the study. Each participant completed a team adaptive performance questionnaire three times during the study, once after each major disruption in the board game. The questionnaire was designed to assess perceptions of team performance, based on Marques Quinteiro et al. 2015. It consisted of control questions about participants’ demographics as well as a 10-item Likert scale team performance questions broken down into categories assessing satisfaction, creativity, adjustability, adaptability, and positivity.
Questions to evaluate adaptability included:
Q7:We update technical and interpersonal competences as a way to better perform the tasks in which we are enrolled.
Q8: We search and develop new competences to deal with difficult situations.
Reliability Analysis showed that Cronbach alpha for Q7 and Q8 is 0.938.
Team outcomes were assessed by a success measure that evaluated each team’s number of wins (where > wins = better outcome) and number of outbreaks (where < outbreaks = better outcome)
Research Results: Success Measure
The success measure results of number of wins are displayed in a bar chart.
The success measure results of number of outbreaks are displayed in a bar chart.
Research Results: Adaptability Measure
Differences in the median score of teams’ responses to each question was calculated using the Median Test. Team 3 responded differently than at least one of the other teams to Q8 after Survey 1. Post-hoc analysis with pairwise comparison tests was conducted with a Bonferroni correction applied, revealing a statistically significant difference between Team 3 and Team 1 (p =.030), and Team 3 and Team 2 (p =.030).
Using the above method revealed no significant results after Survey 2. After Survey 3, there was a significant difference between Team 4 and Team 2 (p=.049) for Q7 and Team 1 and Team 2 (p=.049) for Q8.
A Friedman Test was performed to determine if responses to the questions changed over time. There was a statistically significant difference in Team 3’s response to Q8 (X2(2)= 6.500, p= .039). Post-hoc analysis with pairwise comparison tests was conducted with a Bonferroni correction applied, resulting in a significance difference between Team 3’s first and third survey for Q8.
Research Findings
The initial analysis suggests that teams, such as Team 3, that develop higher perceptions of their adaptability will have better outcomes once the higher perceptions are achieved. Teams, such as Team 1, that begin with high perceived levels of adaptability but did not alter their approach when the success measures indicate adaptation is needed will have poorer outcomes. Teams, such as Team 2, that report high perceptions of adaptability throughout and that correspond with the success measure, will maintain good outcomes.
Analysis of the satisfaction, creativity, adjustability, and positivity data is needed to determine if these affect the success measure or adaptability over time.
Acknowledgments
Funding provided by the MSU SUTL Fellows program, a collaboration between the Lyman Briggs College and the MSU Graduate School.
References
Marques-Quinteiro, P. et al. 2015. “Measuring adaptive performance in individuals and teams.” Team Performance Management 21, 7/8: 339-60.
Priest, H.A. et al. 2002. “Understanding team adaptability: Initial theoretical and practical considerations.” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 46: 561-65.
Salas, E. D.E. Sims, C.S. Burke. 2005. “Is there a ‘Big Five’ in Teamwork?” Small Group Research 36, 5: 555-99.
Studying Team Adaptive Performance using the Board Game Pandemic Legacy
Research Goal
This study examined how team adaptive performance evolves over time. Adaptative performance is understood as a process that more effectively moves a team towards its objectives. The team must recognize deviations from expected action and readjust actions to obtain the best outcome (Salas, Sims, Burke 2005; Priest et al. 2002; Marques-Quinteiro et al. 2015).
While previous studies have examined team adaptive performance in singular events, this study aimed to measure the evolution of team adaptive performance over time. Using a cooperative boardgame that changes as teams play, the study measured how well teams performed in response to three major deviations in game play that necessitated adaptation.
Research Hypothesis
Teams with higher perceived levels of adaptability will have better outcomes (the success measure) over time than teams with lower levels of adaptability
Research Methods
A total of 16 participants were divided into four teams. Each team played the cooperative board game, Pandemic Legacy (Figure 1), nine times throughout the study. Each participant completed a team adaptive performance questionnaire three times during the study, once after each major disruption in the board game. The questionnaire was designed to assess perceptions of team performance, based on Marques Quinteiro et al. 2015. It consisted of control questions about participants’ demographics as well as a 10-item Likert scale team performance questions broken down into categories assessing satisfaction, creativity, adjustability, adaptability, and positivity.
Questions to evaluate adaptability included:
Q7:We update technical and interpersonal competences as a way to better perform the tasks in which we are enrolled.
Q8: We search and develop new competences to deal with difficult situations.
Reliability Analysis showed that Cronbach alpha for Q7 and Q8 is 0.938.
Team outcomes were assessed by a success measure that evaluated each team’s number of wins (where > wins = better outcome) and number of outbreaks (where < outbreaks = better outcome)
Research Results: Success Measure
The success measure results of number of wins are displayed in a bar chart.
The success measure results of number of outbreaks are displayed in a bar chart.
Research Results: Adaptability Measure
Differences in the median score of teams’ responses to each question was calculated using the Median Test. Team 3 responded differently than at least one of the other teams to Q8 after Survey 1. Post-hoc analysis with pairwise comparison tests was conducted with a Bonferroni correction applied, revealing a statistically significant difference between Team 3 and Team 1 (p =.030), and Team 3 and Team 2 (p =.030).
Using the above method revealed no significant results after Survey 2. After Survey 3, there was a significant difference between Team 4 and Team 2 (p=.049) for Q7 and Team 1 and Team 2 (p=.049) for Q8.
A Friedman Test was performed to determine if responses to the questions changed over time. There was a statistically significant difference in Team 3’s response to Q8 (X2(2)= 6.500, p= .039). Post-hoc analysis with pairwise comparison tests was conducted with a Bonferroni correction applied, resulting in a significance difference between Team 3’s first and third survey for Q8.
Research Findings
The initial analysis suggests that teams, such as Team 3, that develop higher perceptions of their adaptability will have better outcomes once the higher perceptions are achieved. Teams, such as Team 1, that begin with high perceived levels of adaptability but did not alter their approach when the success measures indicate adaptation is needed will have poorer outcomes. Teams, such as Team 2, that report high perceptions of adaptability throughout and that correspond with the success measure, will maintain good outcomes.
Analysis of the satisfaction, creativity, adjustability, and positivity data is needed to determine if these affect the success measure or adaptability over time.
Acknowledgments
Funding provided by the MSU SUTL Fellows program, a collaboration between the Lyman Briggs College and the MSU Graduate School.
References
Marques-Quinteiro, P. et al. 2015. “Measuring adaptive performance in individuals and teams.” Team Performance Management 21, 7/8: 339-60.
Priest, H.A. et al. 2002. “Understanding team adaptability: Initial theoretical and practical considerations.” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 46: 561-65.
Salas, E. D.E. Sims, C.S. Burke. 2005. “Is there a ‘Big Five’ in Teamwork?” Small Group Research 36, 5: 555-99.
Authored by:
Melissa Charenko
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Studying Team Adaptive Performance using the Board Game Pandemic Legacy
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, educators from many fields have looked...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, May 3, 2021