OTL Fall 2020 - Learning Portfolio by Bill L. https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm en-us 2020-12-15 16:49:53 UTC 2021-07-20 18:43:08 UTC hello@padlet.com Learning Experience billn https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm/wish/1020811636
Since the completion of my first Master in 2002, 18 years have passed. During these years I have taught on the Internet from time to time. I encountered difficulties that I overcame with time but I always felt that there was still something missing for me to truly become a good teacher. The truth is, I was missing a lot. Fortunately, OTL came along. I wasn't expecting to get so much information in such a short period of time. I was wrong!
I must give credit to Mr. Skidmore for his amazing way of teaching. 
I liked my classmates very much. The general atmosphere was great and there was a clear effort by everyone to learn and help others learn as well. The step-by-step approach during the course was amazing. The progression was smooth all the way to the end of the term. 
There are things I was not aware of but that affected me on a personal level such as the issue of inclusion and equity. Course observation was a unique experience. I felt as if I were hitting two birds with one stone. On the one hand, I could analyze what I observed and do the required tasks, and on the other hand, I benefited from the course content. Overall, I can say OTL was the best experience I've had from any online lesson so far.]]> 2020-12-15 16:52:30 UTC https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm/wish/1020811636 Learning highlights billn https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm/wish/1020816293
Online Education
Even though distance learning has been here for over a century, online education as we’ve seen during the Covid-19 pandemic is still at the stage of baby steps.
Before the course's beginning, I would have answered the question "if online education is better than face-to-face?" With a resounding "YES!"
I must admit that after learning about different angles and after all the readings and research, I had a change of heart. Not that I don’t favour online education anymore but I think that a purely distance education is not ideal in all situations. A hybrid formula with a face-to-face component can only benefit teachers and students. The data also shows that instruction combining online and face-to-face elements has a larger advantage over purely online or purely face-to-face instruction. Let us not forget the issue of amplification of social inequities through online education.

Learning Frameworks and Theories
I wasn’t aware of how much work was and still being done. Learning about the rationale behind every aspect of teaching was an eye-opener. I especially liked the UXDL Honeycomb for its simplicity and effectiveness, yet I liked ACE even more for the connection and equity parts that it provides.

Webinars
Webinars were the absolute highlight for me. Beside the fact that they were fun to do and attend, Prof. Skidmore was a joy and an honour to work with. It was the first time I co-created a webinar. I learned many-a-thing from the studies I researched on “Online vs. Face-to-Face” and the input from Prof. Skidmore was immensely valuable. All the webinars were an amazing learning experience. I will surely miss them.

Inclusion and Equity
Of all the topics that we discussed, I would put “inclusion and equity” on top of my list. Being myself a “double immigrant”, a member of a visible minority and having to deal with all kinds of social inequities, the readings and discussions showed me that online education not only didn’t fix this problem but amplified it.

Bali, Maha. “The ‘Unbearable’ Exclusion of the Digital.” In Disrupting the Digital Humanities                                                       https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv19cwdqv.21
           
Xu, Di, and Shanna Smith Jaggars. “The impact of online learning on students’ course outcomes: Evidence from a large community and technical college system.”
https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/adaptability-to-online-learning.pdf

Designing for Care: Inclusive Pedagogies for Online Learning https://www.jessestommel.com/designing-for-care/

Authentic Assignments
Another highlight and for me a new discovery is the authentic assignments. I wasn’t a fan of the transactional nature of assignments hence my dislike of the current grading system. I learned thanks to authentic assignments that there is a different way of doing things that adds more and lasting value.]]> 2020-12-15 16:53:28 UTC https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm/wish/1020816293 Major Milestones billn https://padlet.com/billn/j1x0j8luseoiqotm/wish/1026459731
Webinar: Online vs Face-to-Face
Here is the link to my webinar with Dr. Skidmore on the question: Which courses are better? Online or Face-to-Face?
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/bf0e2de1-cf4a-4119-a632-8ca0c105b969

Course Design Project: Introduction to Literary Theory
  • Course syllabus: https://padlet.com/billnajah/bpk63i8754w1wiu0
  • Course design rationale: https://padlet.com/billnajah/j6kw27p076zmpyu3

Course Observation:
The course I was observing is a 3-hour-long synchronous course given once a week to intermediate level undergraduates. The course teaches the socio-linguistic history of the German language and its dialects.
The course is given via Zoom in a chronological/thematic way. Students are expected to listen to the teacher and watch the PowerPoint presentations. They are also encouraged to ask questions. Two languages are used to facilitate communication and understanding of the course content.
There are 4 major assignments in the course I am observing: 
  • 10 short tests (20 minutes) (40%)
    Questions on the subject matter of the previous course.
  • 5 short summaries (20%) 
    Students have to choose from a prepared list of articles.
    1 to 1.5 pages per article; total = 5 to 8 pages.
  • Essays (20%)
    4–5 pages on questions related to a linguistic topic.
  • 1 mini-presentation (20%)
    10–15 minute presentation on a language of students’ choice. 
The short tests function as a review and they work very well for this purpose. I would however have liked to see them done synchronously. The summaries are more or less just a writing exercise which helps the students to learn how to properly write and summarize. The list of texts is good and does help to further the course’s objectives.
Of all the tasks, I found that the Zoom presentations produced the best results. Students practiced their German language skills and discovered how to compare languages based on what they learned in previous classes. The questions and the discussions after each presentation complemented nicely the instructor’s presentations.
I think all tasks would have worked better in a hybrid environment. Especially for this course where the students still struggle with German as a second language. In my evaluation students would have benefited more from a traditional class environment. The parts I would keep online are the essays, the short summaries and to a lesser degree the short tests.
Although beneficial, presentations were of all assignments, the biggest stress trigger. Students were nervous, sometimes even visibly stressed. The instructor managed the students’ anxiety quite well.
I would’ve added some group and some authentic assignments. I find it amusing that students socialized a lot with each other during the synchronous class breaks. I would’ve taken advantage of that and created discussion sessions.
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