Online Teaching and Learning - Syllabus by James M Skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus Graduate Seminar, Fall Term 2020, University of Waterloo en-us 2020-09-01 00:42:40 UTC 2026-03-21 20:20:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4e1.png skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710454795 2020-09-01 00:50:27 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710454795 Seminar Description skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710462301 This course explores the theory and practice of online teaching and its impact on student learning. Students will assess the efficacy of different approaches, analyze online courses currently on offer in higher education, and learn about the role of technology in content delivery and community building. They’ll develop their own approaches by designing their own online course in their discipline, and they’ll contribute to an open textbook being developed during the course.
 
Geared to online teaching in the humanities, social sciences, and languages, this seminar will be offered online asynchronously with additional synchronous elements as agreed upon by seminar participants.
 
The course is modular in nature; each module will correspond to a discrete topic from one of three categories: Online Course Design; Online Teaching; Online Learning. 
]]> 2020-09-01 00:54:38 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710462301 By the end of the seminar, students will be able to: skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710472161
  • expound current thinking informing online teaching and learning
  • describe and assess the thornier issues in online teaching and learning
  • evaluate the contextual appropriateness of online teaching and learning strategies
  • apply fundamental online course design approaches and skills to courses in their discipline
  • incorporate new media and tools into their teaching practice
    • ]]>     2020-09-01 01:00:27 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710472161     Required Syllabus Statements, University of Waterloo skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710522686 Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]

    Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

    Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

    Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

    Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.]]>     2020-09-01 01:29:39 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710522686     Seminar Particulars skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710527980
  • Sept 8 - Dec 7, 2020 (with a Reading Week Oct 10-18)
  • Asynchronous online course with some synchronous elements
    • ]]>     2020-09-01 01:32:41 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710527980     Online Course Observation skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710534938 Students observe an online course in their discipline throughout the term and prepare a set of observations based on seminar topics.
    • 20% of seminar grade
    • contributions due throughout term
    ]]>     2020-09-01 01:36:42 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710534938     Webinar skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710535379 Students will contribute to an open access text being developed in parallel with the seminar. Students will research in detail one of the course topics, then, collaborating with the instructor, they will develop an interview/webinar on that topic that will be added to the textbook as supplemental material on the topic at hand.
    • 30% of seminar grade
    ]]>     2020-09-01 01:36:56 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710535379     Undergraduate Course Design Project skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710535739 Students design an online course in their field, including one complete module (instructor content; third-party readings/viewings; tasks/assignments). In addition to the course design, students will provide a short essay outlining their concept, design strategy, and theoretical underpinnings of the course. 
    • 50% of seminar grade
    • scaffolded assignment with different checkpoints during term
    ]]>     2020-09-01 01:37:09 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710535739     Engagement skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710538794 Though there is no grade for participation in this seminar, the instructor reserves the right to deduct points from the final grade (to a maximum of 10%) for lack of engagement with the learning tasks as set out in this syllabus.]]> 2020-09-01 01:38:54 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710538794 About James Skidmore skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710574182 2020-09-01 01:58:44 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710574182 Portfolio skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710627390 So here’s the thing: I'm a big believer in reflective learning, i.e. that as part of the learning process we should devote time to reflecting on our learning. To that end you are being asked to develop a learning portfolio in which you capture and reflect on the key learning moments you experience in the seminar. 

    You'll put your portfolio together in either Padlet or Milanote and update it throughout the term. ]]>     2020-09-01 02:31:20 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710627390     Regular Seminar Tasks skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710632847 You'll learn a ton doing the following:
    • reading course readings and viewing course viewings
    • attending the synchronous webinars as time allows
    • participating in course discussions (asynchronous) - students will be assigned topics for which they will set questions to be discussed by seminar participants, and summarize the discussion at the end
    • AMENDMENT (timestamp: 2020.09.05, 12noon): in order to reduce the workload for students a little bit, the instructor will set and moderate the discussion activities; individual students will only be responsible for doing a summation at the end of the discussion (and which they can then use in their portfolio - see below)
    ]]>     2020-09-01 02:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710632847     Getting in touch with the instructor skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710635736
  • use the chat function in MS Teams to contact the instructor (as opposed to email).
  • to book an appointment with the instructor, use the Book an Appointment feature in MS Teams (General Channel).
  • I don't respond to queries on the weekends, otherwise I try to get back to you as soon as I can.
    • ]]>     2020-09-01 02:36:34 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/710635736     Microsoft Teams skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711216234 Our seminar will take place in Microsoft Teams. I've chosen Teams as opposed to a regular learning management system (LMS) like UW LEARN (Brightspace), Moodle, Canvas, etc, because I find those systems very limiting when it comes to collaboration. Teams is built for workplace collaboration, and since this is a graduate seminar, I think that emphasis makes Teams more useful for us.]]> 2020-09-01 09:34:55 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711216234 What will the instructor be doing? skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711222229 A bit of this and a bit of that:
    • participating in all of the discussions
    • publishing ProfBlog, a daily blog (60 posts in total, one for each day of instruction in the term), commenting on relevant topics as they come up during the seminar
    • developing an open textbook alongside the seminar
    • coordinaring webinars on seminar topics in conjunction with seminar participants  
    • working with each student individually on their particular projects
    • napping on those afternoons when I have no teaching obligations
    ]]>     2020-09-01 09:41:05 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711222229     Exploring Contexts skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711238035 In putting this seminar together, I've been confronted by the sheer amount of information that I'd like to impart. This is always the way with any course; there is much more to be taught than there is time to teach.

    In trying to figure out how to put it all together, I've been looking at similar courses that exist out there. They're all very good and we'll be using some of their resources in this seminar. But they also share a particular structure and approach that strike me as very didactic. These courses are put together by professional educators, and it shows: very well organized, very comprehensive, and very dry.

    What is lacking in these courses is the encouragement to explore. To explore the issues that have come up in the time of COVID as universities everywhere pivot to online teaching. To explore the contexts of teaching and learning that will always trump "best practices" when it comes to deciding how to approach a particular pedagogical problem. To explore course design. To explore authentic assessments. To explore how to engage learners in the online environment.

    In this seminar, we'll be exploring these contexts and issues. Along the way we'll pick up some useful tools and strategies that will make all of us, including me, better online instructors. ]]>     2020-09-01 09:59:38 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711238035     What will students be doing? skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711248021 Учиться, учиться, учиться!
    (Learn, learn, learn!)
                             - Vladimir Lenin

    You'll be doing a couple of things:
    • as with any graduate seminar, you'll be reading, reading, reading
    • you'll be discussing what you read with seminar colleagues via chat
    • you'll also be 
      • observing an online course in your field
      • preparing a seminar webinar in conjunction with me
      • designing an undergraduate course in  your field
      • preparing a portfolio of your learning for an end-of-term chat with me
    ]]>     2020-09-01 10:12:03 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711248021     Learning Outcomes and Activities Matrix skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711267234 Is matrix the right word?]]> 2020-09-01 10:35:41 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711267234 Open Learning skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711271123 One feature of this seminar might take some getting used to. We'll be conducting our work out in the open. By this I mean that all work that you produce in this course (both Tasks and Assignments) is visible to all seminar participants. There are a couple of reasons for setting up the seminar in this fashion:
    • we all benefit when teaching is a communal and collaborative activity 
    • teaching is about learning, and to learn about teaching we need to learn from each other
    • teaching is never complete, it is always a work in progress, so we don't have to be concerned that our unpolished efforts are on display
    ]]>     2020-09-01 10:40:25 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711271123     What do you mean by Tasks? skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711272459 Tasks are learning tasks, all the stuff you do in a seminar that isn't graded, but which is at the core of your learning.]]> 2020-09-01 10:42:16 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711272459 What do you mean by Assignments? skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711272865 Assignments are those pieces of seminar work which are graded by me, Prof. Redpencil (Deutsch: Herr Prof. Dr. Rotstift; français: M. le professeur Crayonrouge)]]> 2020-09-01 10:42:55 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711272865 Seminar Website skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711282049 2020-09-01 10:54:43 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711282049 Readings and Resources skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711282933 Readings and resources will all be online and free of charge. Check each module in MS Teams to find that module's readings.]]> 2020-09-01 10:55:49 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711282933 21st-Century Educator skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711344090 This workshop is a professional development opportunity focused on applying new media and tools in smart, humane ways to the learning process. It will start in week 4 and last for about six weeks. It is being developed by me and Sara Ghaffarian and is based on a professional learning resource developed by eCampusOntario. The topics of the workshop complement very nicely the topics of our seminar.

    The reason for making it a separate part of the course is because we're looking for your feedback on it as a standalone workshop opportunity for graduate students. ]]>     2020-09-01 11:56:29 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711344090     End of term chat skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711857579 After you've submitted all of your work, we'll arrange a one-on-one interview of about 20-30 minutes to review the term, get your feedback on it, and to provide you with feedback on your progress and ideas.]]> 2020-09-01 14:37:35 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/711857579 Grading Scale skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/712132648 A+ = 90-100% = outstanding!
    A   = 85--89% = jolly good!
    A-  = 80-84% = well done!
    B+ = 75-79% = you're getting there!
    B   = 70-74% = hmmmmm]]>     2020-09-01 15:41:47 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/712132648     What should we call you? skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/718296245 2020-09-03 15:30:06 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/718296245 READ ME FIRST! skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/720946727 Welcome to Padlet. This page is scrollable left and right, and each column is scrollable up and down as well. If you want to enlarge any of the posts (the separate tiles), simply double click or right click on them and select "expand post." When you do that you'll see arrows that will take you to the next post, but I advise against doing that - that feature seems to randomize the order. Better just to close that post and open the next post you want to read.]]> 2020-09-04 14:21:44 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/720946727 Twitter skidmore https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/731986707 You can follow me on Twitter (@jamesmskidmore). I'll use the hashtag #ger615 when I tweet something of interest to our seminar.]]> 2020-09-09 16:41:38 UTC https://padlet.com/skidmore/ger615syllabus/wish/731986707