Results for "design"

It's July 5th everyone, and no rest for the wicked I suppose. I've been thinking about student engagement once again the last week or so and came across these interesting short pieces on YouTube by John Spencer:

Shift from Engaging to Empowering Learners -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBJQ5rIFjA

10 Ways to Empower Students with Choice -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08wNizulOY


We might use some of the ideas Spencer presents here to revise our approach to motivating and e...

It's July 5th everyone, and no rest for the wicked I suppose. I've been thinking about student engagement once again the last week or so and came across these interesting short pieces on YouTube by John Spencer:

Shift from Engaging to Empowering Learners -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBJQ5rIFjA

10 Ways to Empower Students with Choice -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08wNizulOY


We might use some of the ideas Spencer presents here to revise our approach to motivating and engaging our students. An interesting point to mull over during the dog days of summer.

At last I have come across the missing link, or key to motivating and engaging students more effectively. Have a look at this brief explainer video by John Spencer on student empowerment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBJQ5rIFjA

At last I have come across the missing link, or key to motivating and engaging students more effectively. Have a look at this brief explainer video by John Spencer on student empowerment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBJQ5rIFjA

Just completed a third WSTKS-FM Worldwide podcast, this time explaining my rationale behind, and approach to "digital collaborative learning for the 21st century." The planned first series of a dozen or so podcasts is pitched toward students. As the series moves forward, it will provide practical guidance on how to collaborate more effectively as part of a student learning team.

Youtube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhmJzit0Vc&t=485s

AnchorFM/Spotify -- https://anchor.fm/s...

Just completed a third WSTKS-FM Worldwide podcast, this time explaining my rationale behind, and approach to "digital collaborative learning for the 21st century." The planned first series of a dozen or so podcasts is pitched toward students. As the series moves forward, it will provide practical guidance on how to collaborate more effectively as part of a student learning team.

Youtube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhmJzit0Vc&t=485s

AnchorFM/Spotify -- https://anchor.fm/stokes-schwartz/episodes/Episode-3----Digital-Collabortaive-Learning-for-the-21st-Century-Explained-e1j2eec

Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/p/CeBZla3r2We/

Twitter -- https://twitter.com/WSTKSFM

Have just finished putting the final touches on the first episode in a new podcast series -- created using Audacity and AnchorFM -- that is intended to support the learning of students in my face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses from Fall 2022. . . WSTKS-FM Worldwide: Podcasts for Digital Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century. Here is a link for anyone who might find this of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01UohhFXXCI

Additional interesting apps for creating podcasts th...

Have just finished putting the final touches on the first episode in a new podcast series -- created using Audacity and AnchorFM -- that is intended to support the learning of students in my face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses from Fall 2022. . . WSTKS-FM Worldwide: Podcasts for Digital Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century. Here is a link for anyone who might find this of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01UohhFXXCI

Additional interesting apps for creating podcasts that are worth exploring further include:

RiversideFM -- https://riverside.fm/

Soundtrap -- https://www.soundtrap.com/

Headliner -- https://make.headliner.app/create

How to Start a Podcsat -- https://www.thepodcasthost.com/planning/how-to-start-a-podcast/

New Ed Tech Classroom YouTube Channel (Lots of cools stuff, including information on creating podcasts for and by students -- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd6vizTYlSgpR6zJ8j5KiyA

Thank you everyone for an interesting year of discussion in and around the ongoing challenge of how we might better motivate and engage our students in the physical and digital classroom here at MSU. With that in mind, I've complied a working bibliography, of sorts, containing (mostly) recent titles that provide practical information on motivating and engaging students, teaching critical/deeper thinking, the application universal design for learning, collaborative learning, reflective learn...

Thank you everyone for an interesting year of discussion in and around the ongoing challenge of how we might better motivate and engage our students in the physical and digital classroom here at MSU. With that in mind, I've complied a working bibliography, of sorts, containing (mostly) recent titles that provide practical information on motivating and engaging students, teaching critical/deeper thinking, the application universal design for learning, collaborative learning, reflective learning, culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices, Ed Tech and digital learning among other approaches. All titles are readily available through Amazon. I hope you might find a few of the titles useful as we steam through the coming summer months and toward Fall 2022. Maybe there are a couple of titles here that might provide some lighter "beach reading" as we look forward to some downtime after a couple of difficult years.

Thank you again everyone!

Kind Regards,

Stokes and Garth

With summer (beach) reading in mind, I've complied a working bibliography, of sorts, containing (mostly) recent titles that provide practical information on motivating and engaging students, critical thinking, universal design for learning, collaborative learning, reflective learning, culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices, Ed Tech and digital learning among other approaches. All are readily available through Amazon. I hope you might find a few of the titles useful as we ste...

With summer (beach) reading in mind, I've complied a working bibliography, of sorts, containing (mostly) recent titles that provide practical information on motivating and engaging students, critical thinking, universal design for learning, collaborative learning, reflective learning, culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices, Ed Tech and digital learning among other approaches. All are readily available through Amazon. I hope you might find a few of the titles useful as we steam through the coming summer months and toward Fall 2022.

An interesting piece this morning on Faculty Focus on creating an inclusive classroom. Here's the link:

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/creating-an-inclusive-classroom-for-a-diverse-student-group/?st=FFdaily%3Bsc%3DFF220504%3Butm_term%3DFF220504

An interesting piece this morning on Faculty Focus on creating an inclusive classroom. Here's the link:

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/creating-an-inclusive-classroom-for-a-diverse-student-group/?st=FFdaily%3Bsc%3DFF220504%3Butm_term%3DFF220504

MSU's new Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation is surveying faculty educators about your needs and expectations for the new teaching center. Any faculty member or educator in another campus role can complete this brief survey by May 6th. https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSYf5dmcxVzLlFc

MSU's new Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation is surveying faculty educators about your needs and expectations for the new teaching center. Any faculty member or educator in another campus role can complete this brief survey by May 6th. https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSYf5dmcxVzLlFc

After the workshop ended, we struck up a discussion about the issue of scale when it comes to creative assignments, namely:

How do you incorporate creativity/alternative modalities into especially large classes?

The example from our discussion was the 450-person IAH courses that run in lecture halls, but we could certainly use this discussion to comment on the ways we scale creative assignments to class size as well.

What experience do you have with handling the challenges of creat...

After the workshop ended, we struck up a discussion about the issue of scale when it comes to creative assignments, namely:

How do you incorporate creativity/alternative modalities into especially large classes?

The example from our discussion was the 450-person IAH courses that run in lecture halls, but we could certainly use this discussion to comment on the ways we scale creative assignments to class size as well.

What experience do you have with handling the challenges of creativity with a large group? Alternately, if you have any sources that address this question, please feel free to share here as well!

Since we ran out of time to discuss the creative rubric examples today, I've posted links below. Please take a look and consider sharing your thoughts, or your own examples of rubrics you use to evaluate creative work, as a comment on this post!
- GJS

Creative Thinking VALUE Rubric (from AACU): https://teaching.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/value_rubric_packet.pdf

Creativity Process & Product (from OECD): https://www.oecd.org/education/class-friendly-assessment-rubric-creativity...

Since we ran out of time to discuss the creative rubric examples today, I've posted links below. Please take a look and consider sharing your thoughts, or your own examples of rubrics you use to evaluate creative work, as a comment on this post!
- GJS

Creative Thinking VALUE Rubric (from AACU): https://teaching.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/value_rubric_packet.pdf

Creativity Process & Product (from OECD): https://www.oecd.org/education/class-friendly-assessment-rubric-creativity.pdf

Co-Creating Rubrics with Students (from UC Boulder): https://www.colorado.edu/center/teaching-learning/teaching-resources/assessment/assessing-student-learning/rubrics/co-creating-rubrics-students

Hope this is the right place to share this:

10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Tradit...

Hope this is the right place to share this:

10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Traditional 2-3 page essay
• 5-6 minute Voice Recording or Video
• Sketchnotes (a hybrid of note-taking and creative doodles that presents students’ grasp of new information, gleaned from scholarly reading, and connection of those ideas to specific novels, plays, or films in the course)

Collaborative Project #1 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week Five)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two recent journal articles (less than ten years old) on material presented during the first third of the course. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• TV Newscast (WeVideo)
• TV Talkshow (WeVideo)
• Podcast -- starting in Fall 2022 – (anchor.fm)

Collaborative Project #2 @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 10)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two books, two journal articles, and two digital sources to have to do in some way with intersections between course material on one hand, and systems of power, oppression, equity, and justice on the other AND create a readers’ guide based on that work. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Readers’ Guide Flipbook (Flipsnack)
• Reader’s Guide Infographic (Canva)

Collaborative Project #3 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week 14)
Student learning teams 1) revisit five to six novels, plays, or films presented in the course, 2) examine them in terms of power, oppressions, equity, and justice, AND 3) brainstorm practical solutions to how we might better address similar longstanding ills in 21st century society. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Interactive Academic Poster (Power Point or Prezi)
• Interactive Digital Scrapbook (Canva)

Capstone Project – Individual Semester Reflection @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 15)
Students develop a guided reflection in which they revisit and evaluate their learning for the course. Students have the following options:
• Traditional Five to Six-page Self-Assessment Essay
• Five to Six-minute Self-Assessment Video


Questions for “Guided” Individual or Team Reflection
• For you introduction, describe your work and related activities for the week/semester in general.
• Briefly describe the projects, processes, and skills you will discuss.
• Discuss three points/projects you found most enjoyable and explain why.
• Explain three processes for the projects described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding.
• Explain three skills you gained or improved upon during the week/semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• How might you improve your independent and/or collaborative work habits and related choices in the course?
• Describe your biggest “A-ha Moment” this week/semester.
• How does that same “A-ha Moment” connect to something you have learned in other courses?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about team members, assignments, the course, instructor, or previous grades.

Well, we have reached the end of the road, at least for the 2021-2022 academic year. With that in mind, here is a list, no doubt incomplete, of possible ways we might foster and improvie student motivation, engagement, and success in the classroom:

* Digital Materials and Projects
* Provide Feedback (High Impact)
* Agency and (Assessment) Choice (Universal Learning Design)
* 21st Century Skills (Relevance and Usefulness)
* Collaborative Learning (High Impact)
* Critical (Deeper) Thin...

Well, we have reached the end of the road, at least for the 2021-2022 academic year. With that in mind, here is a list, no doubt incomplete, of possible ways we might foster and improvie student motivation, engagement, and success in the classroom:

* Digital Materials and Projects
* Provide Feedback (High Impact)
* Agency and (Assessment) Choice (Universal Learning Design)
* 21st Century Skills (Relevance and Usefulness)
* Collaborative Learning (High Impact)
* Critical (Deeper) Thinking (High Impact)
* Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (Tasks and Feedback)
* Inclusive Pedagogy (Collaboration)
* Social Justice Pedagogy (Intersectionality, High Impact )
* Animated Explainer Videos
* Universal Design for Learning (Inclusivity)
* High Impact Practices (Feedback, Collaboration, Reflection, Capstone Project,)
* Project-based Learning/Problem-based Learning
* Digital Learning (Assessment, etc.)
* Reflective Learning
* Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) – Empower students and expand their capabilities through ownership.
* Create Accessible Content
* Cultivate DEI Practices (Foster a sense of belonging, instill respect, and promote tolerance for ALL members of the class and related ideas.)
* Envision and enact new ways of teaching (leading).
* Multiple Modes of Assessment.
* Continuous Improvement in Our Efforts and Course Design/Presentation
* Encourage students to adopt an interdisciplinary approach in their course projects.


Considerable overlap between some of these very broad points, but if we can incorporate even a few of these ideas into our work with undergrads, we might get just a bit closer to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when it comes to improved student motivation, engagement, and performance in our courses. Thank you for an interesting year everyone!

Stokes and Garth