Practicing What You Practicing What You Preach: Lessons Learned Preach: Lessons Learned from a First Time Instructorfrom a First Time Instructor

Karen D. Oates, PhDKaren D. Oates, PhD

Manager, eLearning GroupManager, eLearning GroupUniversity Educational Technology ServicesUniversity Educational Technology Services

Information Systems & TechnologyInformation Systems & TechnologyAdjunct Assistant ProfessorAdjunct Assistant Professor

MSIT, COEMSIT, COEGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University

koates@gsu.edukoates@gsu.edu

The ChallengeThe Challenge

Teach IT8430: Computer-based Education Teach IT8430: Computer-based Education – Principles & Practices– Principles & Practices Graduate courseGraduate course Summer term (6-weeks)Summer term (6-weeks)

The challenge continues…The challenge continues…

Three-weeks noticeThree-weeks notice

Jury duty, conference, vacationJury duty, conference, vacation

Out-of-date course descriptionOut-of-date course description

No syllabus No syllabus

No textbookNo textbook

And continues…And continues…

I had never designed an entire courseI had never designed an entire course

I had never written a syllabusI had never written a syllabus

I had never selected a textbookI had never selected a textbook

I had never taught an entire course before!I had never taught an entire course before!

The greatest challenge of all!The greatest challenge of all!

My position as an instructional My position as an instructional technologisttechnologist How to design coursesHow to design courses How to teach onlineHow to teach online

Practice what I had preachedPractice what I had preached

What do I tell faculty?What do I tell faculty?

Conduct a learner analysisConduct a learner analysis

Write course objectives (Bloom)Write course objectives (Bloom)

Develop instructional strategiesDevelop instructional strategies

Promote student interaction/engagementPromote student interaction/engagement

Evaluate their course; redesign when Evaluate their course; redesign when necessary to improve itnecessary to improve it

Seek help from othersSeek help from others

The DesignThe Design

Talk to othersTalk to others

Take ownership of the courseTake ownership of the course

Ask, what do I know about myself?Ask, what do I know about myself?

What do I know about myself?What do I know about myself?

I’m not a lecturer I’m not a lecturer

I’m a constructivistI’m a constructivist

I believe…I believe… Experiences and backgrounds of students Experiences and backgrounds of students

varyvary Students learn better through active Students learn better through active

engagementengagement Students have various learning stylesStudents have various learning styles

Rewrite the Course DescriptionRewrite the Course Description

Catalog description:Catalog description: The purpose of this course is to provide students with The purpose of this course is to provide students with opportunities to study instructional design and learning principles as they opportunities to study instructional design and learning principles as they relate to the use of the computer in the instructional process. Students relate to the use of the computer in the instructional process. Students design and implement computer-assisted instruction units and study design and implement computer-assisted instruction units and study emerging technologies that support computer assisted education. emerging technologies that support computer assisted education.

My description:My description: The purpose of this course is to provide students with The purpose of this course is to provide students with opportunities to study the state of computer-based education in various opportunities to study the state of computer-based education in various learning environments (K-12, higher education and business and industry) learning environments (K-12, higher education and business and industry) by examining the principles, practices, issues and challenges encountered by examining the principles, practices, issues and challenges encountered by decision makers and instructional technologists. The course is organized by decision makers and instructional technologists. The course is organized around topics for discussion. Students will focus on selected topics, around topics for discussion. Students will focus on selected topics, thoroughly explore them, share them with the class, analyze their impact, thoroughly explore them, share them with the class, analyze their impact, and formulate frameworks to address their effect on education at the level of and formulate frameworks to address their effect on education at the level of interest to the student. interest to the student.

Learner AnalysisLearner Analysis

17 graduate students17 graduate students

Masters, ed specialists, doctoratesMasters, ed specialists, doctorates

Varying programsVarying programs

Varying work environmentsVarying work environments

Different points in their programsDifferent points in their programs

Technology experienceTechnology experience

Course ObjectivesCourse Objectives (12) (12)

Based on Bloom’s taxonomyBased on Bloom’s taxonomy Across competenciesAcross competencies

ExamplesExamples Compare and contrast CBE in multiple learning environments Compare and contrast CBE in multiple learning environments

such as K-12, higher education, corporate, government and such as K-12, higher education, corporate, government and military (Level: Analysis and evaluation)military (Level: Analysis and evaluation)

Apply instructional design and learning principles to a CBE Apply instructional design and learning principles to a CBE environment (Level: Application)environment (Level: Application)

Recommend instructional design and learning practices that Recommend instructional design and learning practices that work best for a specific learning environment (K-12, higher work best for a specific learning environment (K-12, higher education, etc) (Level: Evaluation)education, etc) (Level: Evaluation)

Experience and describe emerging technologies in CBEExperience and describe emerging technologies in CBE Predict the future of CBE and draw conclusions based on Predict the future of CBE and draw conclusions based on

current literature on emerging technologies (Level: Evaluation)current literature on emerging technologies (Level: Evaluation)

Matching objectives to instructional Matching objectives to instructional strategiesstrategies

Ask, how can I best achieve this Ask, how can I best achieve this objective?objective?For example,For example, Objective: Apply instructional design and Objective: Apply instructional design and

learning principles to a CBE environment learning principles to a CBE environment Strategy: Students are broken into teams, Strategy: Students are broken into teams,

given a problem (scenario), and have to find given a problem (scenario), and have to find and present a viable solution.and present a viable solution.

Determine deliverablesDetermine deliverables

ParticipationParticipation

AssignmentsAssignments

In-class essayIn-class essay

Final paper and presentationFinal paper and presentation

AssessmentAssessment

Assess student workAssess student work Determine how deliverables will be assessedDetermine how deliverables will be assessed Assign percentages and gradesAssign percentages and grades Create rubricsCreate rubrics

Select WebCT toolsSelect WebCT tools

SyllabusSyllabusCalendarCalendarCourse content moduleCourse content moduleDiscussionsDiscussionsChat roomChat roomMailMailStudent presentationsStudent presentationsSurvey toolsSurvey tools

Next…Next…

Course scheduleCourse schedule My scheduleMy schedule SequencingSequencing

Build a syllabusBuild a syllabus Add an indexAdd an index

Build the WebCT portion of my courseBuild the WebCT portion of my course Get help from instructional designersGet help from instructional designers

Class Begins!Class Begins!

Build communityBuild community Student biosStudent bios Small groupsSmall groups

Engage studentsEngage students Student expectationsStudent expectations Student inputStudent input Give choicesGive choices

TextbookTextbookPaper topicsPaper topicsPresentation f2f or onlinePresentation f2f or onlineetcetc

Class ExperiencesClass Experiences

Technologies experiencedTechnologies experienced AsynchronousAsynchronous SynchronousSynchronous Web conferencingWeb conferencing Course management system (WebCT)Course management system (WebCT) Learning objects (Merlot for example)Learning objects (Merlot for example) eCore® - USG’s online core curriculumeCore® - USG’s online core curriculum Guest speakersGuest speakers

Assessing the courseAssessing the course

Midterm survey (open ended and anonymous)Midterm survey (open ended and anonymous) What is going well with the course so far? What do What is going well with the course so far? What do

you like best? What has been helpful to you? you like best? What has been helpful to you? What is not working well with this class and why? This What is not working well with this class and why? This

includes readings, discussions, classroom sessions includes readings, discussions, classroom sessions and WebCT. and WebCT.

If you could change anything with this class, what If you could change anything with this class, what would you change? How would you change it? Why? would you change? How would you change it? Why?

ResultsResults(A few of the student comments)(A few of the student comments)I find myself still adjusting to the learner-centered approach as I I find myself still adjusting to the learner-centered approach as I complete my graduate courses. I am still sort of waiting for someone complete my graduate courses. I am still sort of waiting for someone to tell me the information I need to know… I worry that I'm not to tell me the information I need to know… I worry that I'm not getting all of the content I should be in my IT classes, because getting all of the content I should be in my IT classes, because they're so dependent on me! they're so dependent on me! I like the interaction between business and education. I like the interaction between business and education. I really like my textbook. I have never had the luxury of selecting my I really like my textbook. I have never had the luxury of selecting my own before. own before. I like having discussion topics. It challenges me to look at a variety I like having discussion topics. It challenges me to look at a variety of areas, many of which I would not choose on my own to read of areas, many of which I would not choose on my own to read about. It pushes me from that "comfort" zone about. It pushes me from that "comfort" zone I would like feedback from the instructor on my assignments that I I would like feedback from the instructor on my assignments that I have posted. have posted. I would like to have more organization with the bulletin board I would like to have more organization with the bulletin board discussions.discussions.

Assessing the courseAssessing the courseEnd of semester survey (multiple choice and anonymous)End of semester survey (multiple choice and anonymous)

The course met my expectations The course met my expectations The syllabus and rubrics were easily understood The syllabus and rubrics were easily understood liked being able to select my own text liked being able to select my own text Discussions were pertinent and helpful Discussions were pertinent and helpful The chat session was organized and enjoyable The chat session was organized and enjoyable The Whatchamacallit Mfg Co Project was a good application exercise The Whatchamacallit Mfg Co Project was a good application exercise The workload was acceptable for a summer course The workload was acceptable for a summer course Feedback from the instructor was helpful Feedback from the instructor was helpful The number of sessions online and f2f were the right combination The number of sessions online and f2f were the right combination The calendar was helpful to me The calendar was helpful to me I liked having a choice between doing an online and f2f presentation I liked having a choice between doing an online and f2f presentation Would you recommend this course to a friend? Would you recommend this course to a friend? If this course had been totally online (meeting once at the beginning and once at If this course had been totally online (meeting once at the beginning and once at

the end), would you still have taken it? the end), would you still have taken it? If you could change one thing in this course what would it be? If you could change one thing in this course what would it be? Final suggestions or comments? Final suggestions or comments?

ResultsResults

14 of 17 responded14 of 17 respondedTen (71%) felt the course met their expectationsTen (71%) felt the course met their expectationsStudents liked the syllabus, rubrics, being able to select Students liked the syllabus, rubrics, being able to select their own text and the calendartheir own text and the calendarThey liked the discussions but 4 did not like the chat They liked the discussions but 4 did not like the chat sessionsessionSix (43%) did not like the application exerciseSix (43%) did not like the application exerciseEight (57%) felt the workload was too greatEight (57%) felt the workload was too greatStudents liked the combination of f2f and online sessionsStudents liked the combination of f2f and online sessionsStudents liked having the choice of doing an online or f2f Students liked having the choice of doing an online or f2f presentationpresentation

Changes to the course based on Changes to the course based on students’ commentsstudents’ comments

Syllabus – cover in class or quiz students on it Syllabus – cover in class or quiz students on it before being allowed to continuebefore being allowed to continue

Less work, at least for a summer termLess work, at least for a summer term

Discussions – limit the number of sessions or Discussions – limit the number of sessions or topics that a student needs to participate intopics that a student needs to participate in

More organized discussions (by topic perhaps?)More organized discussions (by topic perhaps?)

Provide more feedbackProvide more feedback

More time to spend on the application exerciseMore time to spend on the application exercise

What did I learn?What did I learn?

Too much work – too little timeToo much work – too little time

Discussions need reorganizedDiscussions need reorganized

Students need more feedbackStudents need more feedback

Students like having choices Students like having choices

Teaching online is time consuming, but Teaching online is time consuming, but rewardingrewarding

I love teaching, especially online!I love teaching, especially online!

Thank you!Thank you!

Contact information:Contact information:

Karen D. Oates, PhDKaren D. Oates, PhDGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University

MSC: 4B1379 MSC: 4B1379

33 Gilmer Street SE Unit 4 33 Gilmer Street SE Unit 4 Atlanta, GA 30303Atlanta, GA 30303koates@gsu.edukoates@gsu.edu

404/651-2686404/651-2686