sah edrs 825 self study teacher identity final 042815
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SAH EDRS 825 Self Study Teacher Identity Final 042815TRANSCRIPT
Running Head: THE MODERN PROFESSOR
The Modern Professor: A Self-Study Approach to Instructor Identify and the Challenge
of Moving Traditional Courses Online
Seth Andrew Hudson
George Mason University
The Modern Professor
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction, or, The Modern Professor 4
Rationale 5
Research Problem/Research Question 8
Literature Review and Conceptual Framework 9
Research Methods 13
Teaching Philosophy Stress Test 13
Noise Recording 14
Findings 18
Discussion and Self Critique 21
Conclusion: a lesson from writing class 26
References 27
Appendix A: Teaching Philosophy Stress Test 29
Appendix B: Noise Recording (Waveforms) 33
Appendix C: Analytical Memo 1 & Peer Responses 35
Appendix D: Analytical Memo 2 & Peer Responses 39
Appendix E: Analytical Memo 3 & Peer Responses 42
Appendix F: Hudson Courses Evaluation—Fall 2014 45
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Abstract
This study investigates the way instructor identity and practice are affected by
moving a traditionally face-face (f2f) course into the online format by employing a self-
study method that combines living educational theory and arts-based inquiry. The
instructor, teaching a games story design course at a large public institution, provides a
background and rationale in regards to the self-study methods employed in addition to
presenting and reflecting on the various data collected via classroom noise recordings,
analytical memos, and reflection on the personal teaching philosophy statement.
Furthermore, the author concludes with a self-critique and discussion of this self-study in
hopes that it might be augmented and adopted by other practitioners in the discipline.
Keywords: arts-based self-study inquiry, game design, living educational theory, online
writing instruction, noise recording, teaching philosophy.
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The Modern Professor
Introduction, or, The Modern Professor
Photo 1: The Modern Professor
I sat down to take a photo of a post-it note. It contained notes from a previous critical friend meeting, and I wanted a digital copy for a potential film clip. Reflecting in an instant, I realized what was happening by the composition of the photo. Obviously, the screen has my reflection. Immediately I thought of being “trapped” in the computer, rather than with my students, but I began to look deeper. Behind me is the bookshelf—some sort of “proof” that I have experience—I go to only occasionally as a resource. For some reason, though, I feel the need to have those resources at hand: perhaps on display. As further “proof” of my experience, my MA hangs behind me and just below that a pewter plate with the seal of my alma mater. Why do I need these physical objects? What auratic value do they hold for me? Does that play into my conflict regarding leaving the classroom? That same reflection holds another screen, a laptop—enough said. The real takeaway: the vast majority of my time as an instructor is behind a screen, preparing, grading, researching, etc.. The 45 hours I spend face-to-face with students each semester might be my only reward for this labor.
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Rationale
In response to factors ranging from geographical limitations to budgetary
concerns, universities are embracing online education as a solution (Redmond & Lock,
2011). My research question asks, what happens to instructor identity when moving from
face-to-face (f2f) to online engagement? This study will be valuable to those challenged
with utilizing online tools for their teaching in the future. Moving forward, some may
not have a choice. Specifically, I hope to target two specific audiences: instructors of
game design and instructors of performing and visual arts, though the topic is relevant to
others teaching in higher education. The former is a relatively new discipline in higher
education, just now beginning to codify best practices. The latter benefits from centuries
of tradition, though those same traditional models may hinder innovation when it comes
to online migration.
Self-study seems a productive way forward for the question at hand. There is
indeed difference between teaching f2f and online; the transition is complicated though,
as many academics’ identities are a product of past f2f teaching (Redmond & Lock,
2011). Though there exists a core of time-honored best practices, and an impressive
body of knowledge regarding online teaching and learning is still forming, how does an
individual navigate such a change in format while maintaining instructor identity? As all
educators have experienced, there are “good” class meetings and “bad,” regardless of the
theoretical base of the practice. Before making this move—these are my students and my
class, so the emotional stakes are high—and studying it in a meaningful way, I must first
ask/answer: What in my practice, currently, authenticates my professional self? How
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can this knowledge inform moving a traditional workshop environment to a hybridized
course model?
Only with that answer, and related changes to behavior and practice, can I hope to
address my ultimate question: How can I utilize my unique strengths to design and
deliver a course, no matter the setting/format, that maximally benefits students? This
question has implications across higher education as online options are increasingly seen
as a more accessible, more efficient, more cost-effective, and more marketable option for
course delivery (Ham & Davey, 2005).
Rather than relying on the ‘results’ of online instruction through traditional means
of student evaluation and assignment assessment, meaningful as they are (Davidovitch,
2009), self-study allows instructors like myself a different philosophical and political
stance from which to answer these important questions (Brandenburg, 2009), as stance
that challenges the status quo and focuses on the ‘I’ when addressing teaching
effectiveness.
The self-study methodology is uniquely useful in answering this question—we all
vary in discipline, pedagogy, relationship with technology, and teaching style. In other
words, the time has come for instructors to stop reading Chronicle articles about moving
online and get in the messy sandpit themselves. I am an example of a junior faculty
member teaching at a large pubic university—sharing coming experiences with others in
the same boat, the push to move courses online is present and the potential for improving
practice with self-study is there for us. Reflective practice is already a key factor in the
professional development of many, but self-study can take those skills to the next level
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while helping instructors move online with the same quality and personality they
currently display in the classroom.
Modeling best practices in teaching is important, but it can be tedious and risk
losing the personality/essence of the instructor. Instead of inhabiting a model, this S-S
demands that instructors claim and embrace a personal identity before moving online and
modeling the best practices there. The goal is improved instruction; if one’s passion is
for teaching then this really means improved quality of life! The model will not always
hold the answer, so making the move to artistry—you’ve already mastered the models,
right?—keeps the passion in teaching, passion that invigorates students and infects other
faculty members.
Engage a friend who teaching in the following discussion: would you still teach if
you never again stood in front of a classroom? Getting the conversation started now will
help practitioners down the road when those challenges come. It may be about moving
your teaching out of the classroom, or something else entirely, but finding ways to
challenge yourself and your practice in a meaningful way will improve your practice and
push forward our craft.
I have felt this tension in several ways. First, as a professional I want to try new
things and be at the cutting edge of my field, though am concerned that student learning
may be negatively affected while I experiment. Second, as an administrator I see the real
problems regarding space and resources that might be aided in more online course
offerings. Lastly, as a person who loves teaching, I’m hesitant to move away from the
classroom, a place I’ve spent almost a decade learning and growing with my students.
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Research Problem/Research Question
How is instructor/professional identity affected by the transition from a f2f course
to the online format and how can self-study methods answer this question, leading to
improved professional practice? The movement to the online format is nothing new,
entire post-graduate degrees can now be earned online, but there is encouragement—one
might even say ‘pressure’—for instructors to move online. Expecting instructors to adopt
best practices should be a constant, but utilizing digital tools to extend the classroom is
something different than moving online entirely. As Redmond and Lock (2011) put it,
“These changes have had an impact on the role and the expectations of university faculty.
As the work of academics moves increasingly to online spaces, it is essential that there is
greater awareness and understanding of the roles and practices that comprise online
teaching presence” (p. 1). Especially pertinent for junior faculty like myself, those
teaching in higher education should address this question proactively rather than entering
the online teaching environment blindly, even with the best of intentions.
The Modern Professor
Review of Literature and Conceptual Framework
As Wilcox, Watson, and Patterson (2004) suggest, self-study helps improving
practice by demanding we question “the self” and “the story.” Given that I teach story
design, using self-study to tell my story seems apropos. This current research was born
out of a difficult place where I questioned my hesitations to move away from f2f
teaching, seeing that hesitation as weakness. Self-study encourages this discomfort, as
collecting data means capturing our own voices and requiring us to listen to
uncomfortable and even unkind things (Pinnegar & Hamilton, 2009).
This journey to the innermost cave—a theme present in Joseph Campbell’s
‘Monomyth’ that has a permanent place in my teaching vocabulary—is required to
complete any journey. In the terms of Whitehead (2010), improving my practices
requires living a contradiction where I claim to uphold a value yet deny it in my practice.
Naturally, students form opinions and make assumptions about the instructor, and
the organization of the course, from the first meeting (Jones, et al., 2008), but
instructors should begin by questioning themselves as professionals and think in
terms of identity.
Inviting other practitioners in the field to participate in my process, and scrutinize
my data, only heightens the tension—data collected on the self, detached, then given to
others for inquiry and reflection is one way to face this contradiction. As thinking
critically about how my actions may be interpreted from multiple perspectives (Samaras,
Hicks, & Berger, 2010), those of critical friends can naturally lead to improved practice
through a constant sense of accountability.
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The Modern Professor
My critical friends, composed of colleague-professionals from higher education,
secondary education, and coaching, asked about my motivation for teaching early on.
Traditional means of assessing teaching in higher education—peer reviews, students
evaluations, registration numbers—are not sufficient to answer the question at hand. An
arts-based method, beyond affording a means to reflect on the subject matter
meaningfully, can spark ideas for research questions and inspire the design of a particular
study (Weber & Mitchell, 2004). That was surely the case, here. Though I learned a
great deal about myself, my practice, and my students through this self-study, the arts-
based methodology has inspired whole new tracks of investigation to pursue later on.
There is indeed a difference between teaching f2f and teaching online, but an academic’s
identity remains encapsulated by their past f2f teaching (Redmond & Lock, 2011); self-
study is a way to challenge our presumptions about our professional practice beyond the
traditional methods we have grown accustomed to as a field.
Devising meaning from self-study measures is a challenge, as these standards are
resistant to clarification through language alone (Whitehead, 2010), and the images of
arts-based inquiry can mean or represent many different things depending on who is
viewing and in what context (Weber & Mitchell, 2004). Embracing the ‘I’ for this study
in hopes of professional growth and improvement, that ambiguity—the messy sandpit it
can occasionally be—seems right to fit the initial impulse of this study. The teaching ‘I’
actually gains importance in the online environment, as studies show that students rely
more on faculty away from the f2f environment (Ham & Davey, 2005).
Critical friends can access the data with the opportunity to provide feedback and
integrate my ideas into their own practices (Hamilton, Smith, & Worthington, 2008), but
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they can get a sense of my identity through how the story is presented. Unique to self-
study, this data is not only applicable to my concern (Pinnegar & Hamilton, 2009), but to
my overall approach in this study. Looking at learning outcomes alone—outcomes that
are measured in fairly structured, traditional ways—would not help decipher the
difference between the experience of teaching online and f2f, it would skip to the product
rather than analyze the process.
Ham & Davey (2005) complicate things further: their comparison of virtual
teaching and face-to-face teaching show that students’ dependence on the instructor
actually increases in the online environment. Instead of losing myself entirely online, I
can embrace my new importance to students and hone my practices. And while a
desirable (information) gap is created with the online environment, so to is a lack of
facial expressions and other non-verbal communications that help facilitate learning
(Cunningham, 1996). An increasing number of studies claim that online education isn’t
just more cost effective, efficient, and marketable, but that online education is
qualitatively improved teaching and learning (Ham & Davey, 2005).
Oliver et al (2008) observed that “many evaluation systems have emphasized the
characteristics of the teacher,” instead of looking at student learning in the way the
institution is looking for (p. 620). The focus of these evaluations, many times, has more
to do with the bureaucracy of the course—the clarity of the grading policy, the relevance
of the text, lectures aligning with the syllabus, assignments being returned on time—
rather than student learning success. This study hopes to do something different that
accounts for the space between the syllabus and those course evaluations, it hopes to
account for the classroom experience.
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`Stanley Fish shared such evidence in the Chronicle in 2005. In “Who’s in
Charge Here?” Fish reported that his practice of trashing student evaluations immediately
upon receipt—surely an impulse that many have resisted time and time again. Knowing
the problems with traditional course evaluation and instructor resistance to this sort of
assessment, self-study asks us to “think beyond traditional borders” (Pinnegar &
Hamilton, 2009). Additionally self-study helps professionals create a body of personal
and professional knowledge (Wilcox, Watson, & Patterson, 2004) that can serve as data
for future studies to contextualize the traditional methods of teaching/course assessment.
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Research Methods
Living educational theory was the driving force behind this study, as it went hand-
in-hand with challenging my beliefs and practices. To drive the project, though, arts-
based inquiry was used in conjunction with memory work to create a larger narrative in
this case to as a “way to think about and share experience” Hamilton, Smith, &
Worthington, 2008, p. 19). In order to challenge myself with these questions, look at
how I may be living a contradiction, I employed these various methods to create a body
of personal and professional knowledge while revisiting some past evidence.
Teaching Philosophy Stress Test
Among this evidence was a ‘stress test’ of my teaching philosophy (Appendix A). The
separation between reflection and the original text denoted through my use of italics, this
memory work offered a chance to engage my “ideal professional self.” The same
document that I submitted with the application for my current position, the original
statement outlined what I saw as my process. In the context of this project, though, I
made it a point to revisit paragraph by paragraph rather than to reflect on the experience
as a whole. This sort of critical autobiographical reflection fits the memory work method
of self-study (Samaras, 2011).
My intent was to analyze the writing on the page rather than to recall what I was
“actually” trying to say. I found that many of the questions brought to the fore with this
self-study were lingering for some time; I was truly living a contradiction by denying my
beliefs in my approach (though perhaps not in my practice). Titled, Making Tables:
The Modern Professor
Empowering Students to Develop a Voice,” I begin by justifying my practices in a sort of
‘apology’ for our limited time together.
Teaching presence in the classroom and online is established from the outset of
any course, as “students form opinions and make assumptions about the instructor, and
the organization of the course,” before any f2f interaction (Jones, et al, 2008). It stands to
reason, then, that the teaching philosophy is the first step. A statement of “my ideal
teaching self,” an instructor’s philosophy is an entrée to the university. Though the
thought came later in my current inquiry, it seems this exercise of “stress testing” one’s
teaching philosophy a natural practice—perhaps one that should be undertaken with
regularity.
Noise Recording
Early in my self-study, a critical friend—a seasoned and well-respected writing
instructor—encouraged me to ask: “What are my best classes?” “How do I encourage a
community of writers?” “How do I present the importance of our in-person meetings?”
This last question about f2f class sessions stuck with me, but the language of my
syllabus, assignments, and even teaching philosophy are just words on a page. In hopes
of capturing what it ‘means’ to be in class—with the aim of preserving those portions in a
hybrid environment—I had to get a reliable sense of what class is like. Though I have
some positive peer evaluations in the past, I was not satisfied and seek to improve. From
these observations alone it would seem that I’m modeling best practices, but my
questions need something more. This is where arts-based inquiry becomes vital.
Arts-based inquiry forces us to think beyond traditional borders (Pinnegar &
Hamilton, 2009). In hopes of creating something beyond text, I chose to record the
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“noise” of the classroom. Rather than look at transcripts of the discussions of video
recordings of sessions, looking at waveforms (visual representations of dynamic audio
files) of the noise begs interpretation. If a syllabus outlines practice—an artifact that
points to beliefs, values, and practices—at the outset of a semester and teacher
evaluations sum up the results at the end, looking at the ‘energy’ of the class through
noise recordings can give something unique; somewhere in the middle.
Sound from class meetings was captured via Blue Snowball iCE condenser
microphone in GAME 332 RS: Story Design for Games, a class that had 26 students
enrolled at the time of the study, meeting from 10:30 AM to 1:10 PM on Fridays.
The course is required for Computer Game Design students, as well as those in the Film
and Video Studies program in the Screenwriting Track. It is also designated as a Writing
Intensive Course by the university’s Writing Across the Curriculum Program, and also
designated as a Research and Scholarship Intensive course by the university’s Office of
Scholarship, Creative Activity, and Research program—as such, the course and instructor
as subject to assessment beyond the standard measures for other courses at the same
university.
Though individual voices may have been distinguishable through the recordings,
no transcription was planned and nothing that could identify unique individuals is present
in these findings. Recorded in a large computer classroom with high ceilings, wall-to-
wall windows on one side, and construction entirely of concrete, the space would
generally be considered not optimal for recording—for the present study, however, these
complications that muffle clarity were ideal.
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Given the nature of the recordings, the researcher analyzed the waveforms for the
various recordings. A waveform is a visual representation of the shape or form created
by a wave, in this case sound waves. The sound captured was recorded using Apple’s
Garageband software, offering the ability to isolate and analyze the waveforms from
individual class recordings. This arts-based approach afforded a tremendous opportunity
for reflection and wide possibilities for varying interpretations. Rather than a traditional
transcription of speech from class or video observation, this method should allow a fresh
means of analysis and potential for discussion about the experience in the classroom
rather than the instructor’s practice.
Though crudely recorded, visual representations of two of our class meetings can
be found in the appendices (Figure 1 & Figure 2). These can be interpreted as showing
the varying levels of student interaction in the room. One of my goals in facilitating
student learning is encouraging collaboration with peers. In fact, peer review and editing
of documents is something I already use the online space to do with great success.
Answering my critical friend’s question of “What’s the importance of meeting in
person?” can begin with these images. In a self-paced environment, though beneficial for
the learning of some, being part of something communal can be lost. Getting ‘caught up’
in the energy of a classroom is, to my mind, an important part of the higher education
experience. Though this same sensation, with a similar outcome, could happen in an
online chat room or Skype session, this self-study hopes to gather the essence of the live
experience. Oversimplified; the classroom is the live show, the online format is a
broadcast.
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Not specifically annotated in the appendices are possible ‘types’ of noise.
Though less appropriate for this study, and less reliable due to the crude recording
method, the noise can also be coded. Broadly, noises are either: lively (loud) activity,
moderate activity, laughter, individual voices, and the instructor’s voice. Carefully coded
and more reliably recorded, this method could speak volumes the in-class experience, tied
to various activities to better differentiate between those activities best-suited for f2f
instruction and online delivery.
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Findings
Findings: Teaching Philosophy Stress Test
After analysis of the data collected and consultation with critical friends, the
findings of this self-study were mixed. The ‘Teaching Philosophy Stress Test’ provided
a means of contextualized reflection directly tied to my practice. Perhaps ironically, the
questions at hand in this study were addressed in the teaching philosophy, written several
years prior, though some contradictions were apparent. Pertinent to the question at hand,
my teaching philosophy mentions utilizing “online tools to keep the conversation going
outside of class, […] realizing that student feedback and collaboration can be even more
successful in the digital environment.” (Hudson, 2013, Appendix A) Interesting, then,
that my instinct is to hesitate moving away from f2f interaction with students; however, I
follow the statement above with a definitive statement that “these tools cannot replace a
good table read or workshop.” It would seem that my current research question was
asked and answered long ago, but with the tools of self-study I can revisit it in a more
meaningful way.
Critical friends noted specific themes throughout my reflection, mainly the idea of
valuing the student voice and facilitating learning rather than delivering content. The
blending of efficient delivery of content and a joyful experience can actually be key—the
two need not be mutually exclusive. In the context of this self-study, a course in games
writing, it’s important to note how unnatural writing is for students (Vendler, 2000).
Helping students develop enthusiasm is key to making the skills stick, different for
writing where a process is taught rather than content. If we have “too little delight in the
access of the knowledge, it won’t stick (Vendler, 200, p. 30). With only a semester to
The Modern Professor
teach vitally important skills of writing, analysis, and criticism, it would seem that the
“joy” factor must be there for students and professor alike.
Findings: Noise Recordings
How do we measure things like joy, enthusiasm, energy? Traditionally these are
not part of the assessment lexicon in higher education. In fact, only five of the sixteen
items in the professor’s course evaluation deal with the professor/student relationship of
the course of the semester. Other items deal with the planning of the course, the time
taken to return graded materials, and choice of textbook (APPENDIX F). The visual
interpretation of noise recordings might be an answer to the “middle” of the course.
Engaging the waveforms via arts-based inquiry seemed logical once underway.
Visually interpreting the waveforms offered challenges, chief among them a possible lack
of precision. Weber and Mitchell (2004) submit that “[w]hat a specific image can mean
or represent at any given time depends on a lot of factors, including who is doing the
viewing and the context in which the image is viewed” (p. 42). In a sense, then this
noise recording portion of the study was as much an experiment with method as it was an
effort to answer the researchers initial question.
Though further studies would benefit from improved recording techniques, some
basic trends surfaced. In general, spikes in volume were dismissed as either a recording
anomaly—the instructor tends to pace about the room and would occasionally pass a few
feet from the microphone while talking. Prolonged instances of volume increases,
defined as lasting for more than a minute, were analyzed in terms of their frequency,
duration, and with thought toward the type of assignment/activity.
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Generally speaking, collaborative student activities geared towards graded
assignments (grade-bearing) meant less noise activity, while warm up (practice-honing)
activities like specific writing prompts and challenges accounted for the prolonged noise
activity. The distinction between these is important when questioning the role of the
professor in classroom learning versus the face-to-face model. Vaughn (2010) challenges
faculty in this situation to engage in a transformational shift where students co-construct
knowledge through interactions. Interestingly, then, the activities related to grade-
bearing material seemed to produce less energy in the classroom.
One critical friend highlighted the peril in the noise recording assumption that
prolonged increases in class volume equaled, well, anything at all. Roughly recalled, his
criticism held that noise “doesn’t mean that they’re learning.” The distinction between
grade-bearing and practice-honing activity speaks even louder in the light of this criticism
—the only “evidence” of learning comes in the form of well-wrought assessment of
carefully-engineered assignments. If students enter the grade-bearing exercises with less
enthusiasm, less joy, it may speak to a larger issue of students working for grades rather
than improvement.
Of note, is the last 20 minutes of our March 13th meeting (Appendix B, Figure 5).
It represents a film screening and discussion where students viewed and reacted to the
final scene from Last of the Mohicans (1992). If there is something to be said for the
“live” nature of class where students share an experience, perhaps something as simple as
screening a film can mean more when we’re gathered together? A question for another
time, but worth noting.
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Discussion and Self Critique
My literature includes the thoughts Helen Vendler (2000) shares about the
teaching of writing: we (writing/literature instructors) seek to teach others to love what
we have loved. That is what I do in class, but now it seems this self-study has taken the
same path: “Writing not done out of love will never serve to teach others how to love
what we have loved” (p. 31). My self-study, with its faults exposed for the world to see,
is an act of love. Adding my voice to the larger conversation will hopefully help others
embrace the uncertainty of practice and embrace their passion for teaching in meaningful
ways.
In attempting to answer the question “How is instructor/professional identity
effected by the transition of a f2f course to the online format and how can self-study
methods answer this question, improving professional practice? “ the key was to start by
identifying that in-class teacher identity. Open to viewing flaws in my practice, and even
questioning why I teach in the first place, self-study allowed me to take an honest look at
my current practice. With this investigation, literature review, and aided by critical
friends I can now begin the move toward the online model with greater confidence. It
appears that I will teach my first hybrid section of GAME 332 RS: Story Design for
Games this coming summer.
The theme of instructor emotion was the real catalyst for this project, as reflected
in Analytical Memo 1. I questioned my hesitation moving away from f2f teaching in
terms of my own emotional need for student adoration/approval, assuming this was a
weakness in my teaching. Digging deeper into the question—dealing with self-doubt and
challenging my own beliefs was no easy task—I have come to realize that this emotional
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tie to the classroom is not ‘bad’ or ‘weak’ on my part. Through this study, it now appears
that my love of teaching and sincere goal of engaging students should be empowering;
teaching with emotion means that an instructor cares beyond professional accolades.
Revisiting my teaching philosophy, a document that was part of my application to
my current position, through memory work drove this idea home. In it, I question my
practice up front and through reflection realize that I justify my practice to an extent from
the outset. I do feel confident as an instructor, but living educational theory and
constantly challenging myself to improve will serve as a productive outlet for the self
doubt I am prone to (outside of my professional life). Presumably, many professors have
such a document somewhere in a digital dropbox or tucked away in a file cabinet.
Perhaps we should dust them off and tear them apart in the name of improved practice
and professional growth.
My noise recording idea was the direct result of critical friends. It is my attempt
to answer: “What do my best classes look like?” Though the results of the arts-based
inquiry of class recording waveforms lack some of the rigor needed for any statistical
analysis, they gave me a whole new way to think about the classroom experience for me
and my students. Though performing as the “sage on the stage” is thought to be negative,
I wonder now if that same “stage” should be embraced.
I love performance, mainly theater and live music. I also love to read plays and
listen to the same music in the comfort of my home, on the Metro, in the gym, etc.. The
point of seeing theater, in my estimation, is not the show itself but rather the discussion
you have with others about the experience over dessert following the performance.
Though I have read the script beforehand, and in many cases wrote pages and pages in
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response, there is no substitute for being there. The same goes for music: the fidelity of a
well-engineered recording that is the product of months in the recording studio can be
breathtaking, but seeing those performers live is something else. The idea of sitting in
your seat and having an experience of your own, though with the ‘tribal’ essence of the
assembled group, is what I seek most.
Reflecting now, that is the impulse behind recording the noise of the class.
Instead of trying to parse out the language of students or review my quality as a lecturer,
the hope is to capture the feeling we get in the classroom. Without some insight into that
experience, the convenience of online teaching and its proven effectiveness is the logical
way forward—we would listen to the recording of our favorite artists, never seeking a
live performance. I joked in my self-study course that I wanted to co-author a paper with
a critical friend, one who is a professional coach outside of higher education, and call it
“I’m a little bit coaching; I’m a little bit rock and roll.” There is some truth in jokes—
that term, “rock and roll,” might speak volumes to my passion for the classroom
experience.
Early in this study I questioned instructors’ passion for online teaching, calling
on my reader to ask a friend who teaches: “Would you keep teaching if you never stepped
foot on a campus or had f2f contact with a student?” Though phrasing the question in
absolute terms was good for research, critical friends helped me realize that this shift to
the online format need not be all-or-nothing. My instinct to use these drastic terms—
absolutes are something I avoid with vigor—plays into the larger implications for higher
education. With some entire degree programs now offered completely online, the fear
that the “delicate guidance novices require” could be lost entirely (Wilcox, Watson, &
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Patterson, 2004). Would higher education survive without instructor and student together
in the classroom?
Critical friends aided me in answering my question; also in improving as a
practitioner and growing as a teaching professional. It was especially hard to have my
motives called into question. As mentioned previously, I am prone to self doubt and am
in the same “fake it ‘til you make it” club with many junior faculty. Coming through the
process of self-study, emerging from the inner-most cave, I have indeed been tested on a
level beyond finishing a dissertation and constructing a strong tenure case. Those are
well-worn paths with substantial hoops to jump through along the way—this process may
have been an even greater challenge. I think critical friends, even the peers and loved
ones I have shared this study with, would say I have changed and in ways that will
benefit my teaching and scholarship.
The change will hopefully continue. As a sample among many of early-career
professors trying to navigate the landscape of higher education, my self-study has helped
me embrace the fact that my many doubts are really just room for growth. Without them,
teaching would be stale and I would not serve my students well. Self-study has taken
these doubts from ‘fears’ and turned them into ‘questions’ that I might continue to answer
and help others answer.
Particularly difficult to answer, I found myself resisting the definition of my own
values and beliefs what the chief struggle of this exercise. When asked about these
important aspects of my professional self, I always approached with a “not necessarily”
attitude, holding that my beliefs did not really exist. That impulse is part of my academic
self: everything relies on context for meaning and depends on who is making meaning;
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language to describe these things is ultimately meaningless. Struggling with that impulse
will continue, though now I see self-study methods as a way forward. I may not arrive at
right and/or wrong answers, but strong research and dissemination of findings can help
others.
The shift to online education is underway, and though it may not be an absolute
shift away from the classroom we as professionals owe it to ourselves and our students to
engage the uncertainty in a meaningful way. Looking back at one’s teaching philosophy
is a great way to start—regardless of the question we seek to answer about practice,
revisiting it can be a guidepost and reminder of our ideal teaching selves. Even if not for
a grant application, promotion, or tenure dossier, revising that document and renewing
our dedication to the field should be a regular undertaking.
As for the noise recording method, it is at the very least an attempt to capture
what happens in the classroom. Others in my field may not adopt the same research
design—I hope to refine it in the future because I see potential—but it could serve as a
call to try something new in self-assessment. Stop relying on course feedback and
student performance. Find something that speaks to you. Regardless of the outcome, the
process will yield something important that leads to professional growth. If my greatest
contribution to the field, for now, is inspiring others to question not only professional
practice, but the processes through which they question, this self-study has been a
worthwhile undertaking.
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Conclusion: a lesson from writing class
When helping students craft a story, we often rely on the three-act structure. It is
not the only way to tell a story, but instead a model to follow that leads to better plot
development and writing. Students soon find they have an idea for a beginning and an
end, but get to the long middle and become lost. Usually this results for a lack of
character development from the outset, and other details needed to create a world,
because many of those important details are not in the script. “You have to know it, even
if you never tell your audience,” is a sentiment I often share. Now I am in the long
middle, a place where the story is underway and we have the basic themes and
overarching conflict. At this point in the story, the good writer includes a plot point or
pivot that complicates things for our main character. The portion of the story leading up
to it has to be included in the rationale or the story is not believable, but an inciting
incident changes the scenario and the character to move things forward.
This self-study may be that plot point (Plot Point 1) that complicates matters.
Professors like myself play the role of the protagonist, they have to shift their actions and
expectations as a result of new knowledge, but doing so while acknowledge the past and
keeping the overarching conflict in mind. That is my story; that is our story as
professionals. If we avoid those inciting incidents that complicate things and put us in
peril, we will never grow.
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References
Brandenburg, R. (2009). Assumption interrogation: an insight into a self-study researcher’s
pedagogical frame. In Tidwell, D.L., et al (Eds.). Research methods for the self-study of
practice, self-study of teaching and teacher education practices 9. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-
4020-9514-6.12
Cunningham, D. (1996). From distance mode to the classroom. (Cover story). Primary Educator,
2(6), 1.
Davidovitch, N. (2009). Myths and facts about student surveys of teaching the links between
students' evaluations of faculty and course grades. Journal of College Teaching &
Learning, 6(7), 41-49. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
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Online and Hybrid Courses. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved from
https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/107/teacher-presence-using-introductory-
videos-in-online- and-hybrid-courses/print
Oliver, B. Tucker, B. Gupta, R., & Yeo, S. (2008). eVALUate: an evaluation instrument for
measuring student’s perceptions of their engagement and learning outcomes. Assessment
& Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(6), 619-630. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Pinnegar, S., & Hamilton, M.L. (2009). Data collection methods in S-STEP research. In Self
Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices 8
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Redmond, P., & Lock, J. V. (2011). Does teaching presence change over time? Paper presented
at Global Learn Asia Practice 2011 - Global Conference on Learning and Technology,
Brisbane, Australia (April, 2011).
Samaras, A. (2011). Self-study teacher research: Improving your practice through collaborative
inquiry (pp. 103-109). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Samaras, A.P., Hicks, M.A., & Berger, J.G. (2010). Self-study through personal history. The
International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices.
Vaughan, N. D. (2010). A blended community of inquiry approach: Linking student engagement
and course redesign. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 60-65.
Vendler, H. (2000). What we have loved, others will love. In Richter, D.H. (Ed.) Falling into
theory: Conflicting views on reading literature, 2nd edition. (pp. 31-40) Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Weber, S. & Mitchell, C. (2004). Visual artistic modes of representation for self-study. In J. J.
Loughran, M. L. Hamilton, V. K. LaBoskey, & T. Russell (Eds). International handbook
of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 979-1037). Dordrecht, The
Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Whitehead, J. (2010). How do I improve my practice? Creating and legitimating an epistemology
of practice. In Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives, 1:1,
91-104, DOI: 10.1080/71369312
Wilcox, S., Watson, J., & Paterson, M. (2004). Self-study in professional practice. In Loughron,
J. J., Hamilton, M.L., LaBoskey, V., & Russel, T. (eds.) International Handbook of Self-
Study in Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 273-312).
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Appendix A: Teaching Philosophy Stress Test
Stress-Testing a Teaching PhilosophyLooking for evidence of my teaching practice beyond personal observation in
class, I decided to revisit some relevant documents—in this case, the teaching philosophy I submitted (October of 2013) in applying for my current role. The following will break down the statement in regards to my teacher identity, role in the classroom, and how those two might factor into the realm of online education.
Revised October, 2013 / Reflected March, 2015
Making Tables: Empowering Students to Develop a Voice
Often times, the phrase “for our purposes” finds its way into our discussions and
assignments—this is a constant reminder that our class is a group endeavor. Each is
entitled to embrace his or her opinion, but occasionally, for our purposes, we must adopt
a certain level of inter-subjectivity to get the most out of our semester together. We think
about ourselves as members of various communities, chief among them our audiences
and end users. First we must question ourselves, being mindful of our influences, before
we can hope to participate creatively and productively in our culture.
Reflection: I notice now my tendency to justify practices to my students in real-time.
“For our purposes” might neglect the students’ own desires, the statement reminding
them that they are participating in a course rather than growing as individuals. Along
those same lines, I feel the need to highlight the time limitation, “our semester together,”
almost making an excuse for the limited experience they will gain from the course.
I generally cast my students as makers of tables. They strive to make sturdy tables of the
best materials, on time and on budget. They must first research the materials and decide
which is best for this particular project. My courses start with a study of exemplars in
“what works” and analysis of “what the author does” to the audience. Once students
begin to appreciate best practices and understand important voices in the medium, their
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voices take over. Once we are confident in achieving the table’s basic purpose, we can
focus on artistry.
Reflection: The table-maker analogy is one that I borrowed from a game-writing text—
one I always attribute in quoting the line. At it’s heart is the notion of hard work being
the key to unleashing creativity. I hope this sentiment frees them from fear rather than
limiting scope; the blank page is daunting, so putting it in terms of a tangible (yet
complex and vital) object might help them move forward.
Check your syllabus: “We will write every single day.” I utilize online tools to keep the
conversation going outside of class, to the point of realizing that student feedback and
collaboration can be even more successful in the digital environment. These tools cannot
replace a good table read or workshop, however, so this just allows for a more intense
classroom experience.
Reflection: This paragraph speaks for itself in terms of my current project—I praise the
use of online tools then dismiss their ability to replace the f2f experience I refer to as
“intense.” Questioning my word choice, I see that my focus on f2f meetings is
“experience” rather than utility. I see this as my embracing the flipped-classroom model
to an extent, but should an instructor be looking to make time “useful” rather than
“intense”? One key question for my study: “What can the f2f experience provide that the
online experience cannot?”
Seeing the look on a student’s face when his or her first scene is read in class remains a
constant source of joy. Be it dread or delight, the author becomes an audience member
with 25 other students hanging on every word. Regardless of previous notions of their
abilities, the students see their words come to life—instead of discussing North By
Northwest, we now spend our time considering “2-Character Scene: Draft One.” After
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all, we can only determine if a table is sturdy once our elbows have rested on it for a
while.
Reflection: JOY. There it is. I do love the classroom when things go well—the
experience for students does something more than produce “better work.” If my goal is
to help them “work better,” these looks on faces might be one of the chief measures of
success or failure in that regard. For the purposes of the study at hand, I’ll leave my
motives aside and focus on the students, though I am always skeptical.
As skilled craftsmen, our task is not the reinvention of traditions, but rather skillful
execution of those most relevant to our individual purposes. Mastered first, these skills
are what enable the artist to come through. Though my enthusiasm and excitement for
new methods in the class might call for experimenting with new things, my first
responsibility to students is to make sure their tables stand sturdily.
Reflection: My hesitance to move to the online format could be read as a contradiction,
here: why would I hesitate to take on this challenge? It could be a sincere, deeply-rooted
belief that it’s not in the best interest of my students. Perhaps I simply lack the
confidence to conduct a class without the ability to “read the room,” but that same
ability—permitting some self praise—might be what makes me effective as a teacher.
I will continue to grow through reflection, along with each and every one of my students.
If they throw away their manuscripts and forget our lessons on Aristotle, they will leave
with a new respect for themselves as artists and craftsmen. In my humble view,
transmitting information and giving summative feedback is the most basic function of
teaching. The true goal should be empowerment. A student that asks questions and
relentlessly pursues answers in the classroom will use those skills for a lifetime of
learning.
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Reflection: Here’s that growth. I do believe in empowering students; it is how I
see the role of higher education, regardless of discipline. With the pressures of
tenure, though, I also know that the clarity of that information and the timeliness
of returning grades can be counted over “nobler” intentions. The hesitance to
moving online line may come from protecting my own interests: wanting stellar
reviews to help with my dossier, not wanting to risk something new and failing.
Confidence in my abilities allows me to experiment in the classroom, experience
provides me with the judgment to know what works, and my passion for student learning
makes each new challenge a pleasure to pursue.
Reflection: Confidence? I am indeed living a contradiction at this point. Though this
closing thought is meant to show confidence—makes for a better philosophy statement in
a job application—it really may just be for show. Questioning practice doesn’t have to
come from doubt and insecurity, though, so it would seem that I still
have the chance to decide what this philosophy “means” more than define what it “is.”
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Appendix B: Classroom Noise Recordings
Figure 1: Noise Recording from March 13th, 2015
Figure 2: Noise Recording from March 20th, 2015
Figure 3: First 40 minutes
Figure 4: Second 40 minutes
Figure 5: Last 20 minutes from March 13th, 2015 (Film Screening)
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Appendix C: Analytical Memo 1 & Peer ResponsesSeth Andrew HudsonEDRS 825Dr. SamarasJanuary 27th, 2015
Analytical Memo 1My personal relationship to the phenomenon:
I am connected to my personal learning event as a lifelong student and educator. Often, the line between professional practice and artistic expression continues to solidify then blur as my career continues. As I think about better serving my students, then, I am naturally exploring my own processes/fears/aspirations/habits/etc.. I wonder if I will be better able to serve my students by pushing further with my own creative work. Rather than a practitioner in a creative field that ends up in education, my goal was always education. I am not—at least I don’t think—doubting my credentials or qualifications, but wondering if personal and professional benefit may come from spending more time with my creative self.
Reflection on the research question:My current research question, one that will undergo many revisions, asks: can an
emotional need for student approval/admiration/validation be a positive in good teaching? I arrived here by questioning my own motives for preferring in-person teaching to the online environment, and realized that I might derive more pleasure out of the classroom experience. At first this felt wrong: shouldn’t a real “pro” be able to teach anywhere?
Possible links and other connections:Linked to my question are thoughts surrounding the spread of online education,
the attitudes of different stakeholders involved in online/traditional educations, and a revisiting of teacher attitudes. Also linked is teacher education. Though not all in higher ed receive any “formal” training in this regard, we might revisit our approach. (BONUS QUESTION(s): Can a professor who “learned” to teach face-to-face be as effective online as one who came through the online ranks all the while? Can a student be expected to learn in this environment when there earliest education was traditional?)
My place in the study:I, luckily, was provided with some teacher training in grad school, and was able to
teach from the beginning—a 23-year-old teaching English Comp to 19-year-olds. My previous training, and a career enhanced by reflective practice, make me well suited to pursue this inquiry. Since, I’ve learned from other educators by participating in various collaborative groups, finding that many ties exist in teaching across disciplines. Many ties that I tend to trace back to composition. Those things that I know, however, are all up for questioning once again.
The timeliness of the study:Given challenges in regards to budget, class size, 4-year completion rates, job
placement, and the like, a fresh look at how and why we teach in higher ed is overdue.
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This question of in-person v online interaction may illustrate changes that need to be made, or at least bring some new questions to the front pages.
Potential Problems with the study:This is not therapy. The research question started there, though, so I have to
watch out for the pitfall of making this too personal/specific. Personal is good, but I would like to keep half an arm’s distance away so I have a better sense of emerging themes. Another problem may be disciplinary specificity—I teach creative writing and cultural studies, mostly. Hopefully, enough legwork and reading will guide this in useful directions that can aide my colleagues and future professors.
Reflection on Analytical Memo 1:Did I just right an analytical memo? (Tried to rely on Saldana for guidance) I’m
not sure. This future/current “study” I keep referring to is loosely formed, even in my head. This is usually the sort of thing that gets honed in literature review, but I’ve wandered from my comfort zone.
Peer Response Notes for Analytical Memo
Author: Seth Andrew Hudson
Peer respondent name: Alice Petillo
Seth, you are clearly “in” your self-study project. This is my current area of weakness so I found this interesting. I noticed that your memo seems to explore the following 3 topics:
1. You describe your professional direction as being fundamentally aimed toward education, using the vehicle of teaching creative writing. I think you may be wondering about your professional identity and whether having your own creative writing work is a necessary condition of being an effective teacher of creative writing. You express a desire to keep growing, ie. to move out of your comfort zone.
2. You are examining various sources of your current preference for f2f teaching: your own past history as a learner, your past history as a teacher teaching composition, your enjoyment of the context of the classroom, and the validation you receive from positive interactions with students.
3. You have been and are engaged in reflective practice and want to apply that here.
I would be interested more specifics about the mentioned ties that you trace back to composition. I believe this might be a reference to your earliest teaching experiences.
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Your wonderings seemed to echo the quote about critical consciousness that Andrea made in her Analytic Memo. You are aware that your ideas come from your particular life experiences and you want to be open to how different experiences or ideas might inform the online experience. I wonder if you may also be asking yourself what might the process of adapting to an online teaching experience look like for you.
Author’s name: Seth Hudson
Peer respondent name: Elizabeth Coberly
a. What do you find most interesting and significant about this analytical
memo? Why?
I like how easy it is to hear Seth in his memo. His tone brings me
right in and it sounds like he is right there talking about his topic. There is
nothing stuffy about it and that makes it easy to read. His section
headings were also very helpful in terms of setting out a flow from one
point to the next.
I also like how personal the memo is. He is very clear about trying
to understand his own motivations as an educator and wanting to learn
about how the change from in-person to online education impacts a
teacher’s sense of validation. I would think this would be a very timely
topic for research.
b. Do you have any questions about this analytical memo? (e.g., any points that
are unclear to you that you think could be explained more fully.) Why?
I would like to know more about why “spending more time with my
creative self” is significant. This thought only emerged once and it is a powerful
statement but I didn’t see any more explanation on why that might be important.
c. Any other comments?
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This topic sounds fascinating and I would love to hear more about his
findings. I think this may be critical work for 2015 and beyond.
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Appendix D: Analytical Memo 2 & Peer ResponsesSeth Andrew HudsonEDRS 825Dr. Samaras10 February 2015
Analytical Memo 2—A Major Challenge: How?
Research Questions: In preparing to try a move to the hybrid course environment, self-study seems a productive way forward. Though there exists a core of time-honored best practices, and an impressive body of knowledge regarding online teaching and learning still forming, how does an individual navigate such a change in format. As all educators know, there are “good” class meetings and “bad,” regardless of the theoretical base of the practice. Before making this move—these are my students and my class, so the emotional stakes are high—and studying it in a meaningful way, I must first ask/answer: What in my practice, currently, authenticates my professional self? (How can this knowledge inform/enhance moving a traditional workshop environment to a hybridized course model?)
Only with that answer, and related changes to behavior and practice, can I hope to address my ultimate question: How can I utilize my unique strengths to design and deliver a course that maximally benefits students?
Research Methods:Living educational theory (LET), memory work, and narrative inquiry will drive this research. Through honest, systematic, and transparent collection of existing materials, memory work will be enhanced through reflection and even a narrative approach to relevant past documents created by the researcher as well as anecdotal evidence. Additionally, using narrative inquiry to understand and make sense of the other data will add a layer of complexity to the study. Trying to discover where I’m really coming from is key to this project as a whole. The LET framework will afford me some guidance in challenging my own assumptions and lead to new knowledge regarding my practice, my beliefs, and the relationship between the two.
Data Collection: What and Why?As mentioned above, I hope to scour my digital and actual memory for artifacts. I plan to use documents from my teaching, professional development (framing statements and teaching philosophies), and even teaching-related work as a graduate student. My own work in regards to the subject of writing and the teaching of writing, may also be sited. I think these examples are important to call upon, as they were written “honestly” in the past and I can observe a healthy distance in the context of this study.
Additionally, as I am performing this study in the context of moving my course to a hybrid model, I will be collecting media from my class in the form of short videos and
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general audio recording. These will not be looking to extract spoken “text” from the course, but rather to document the student reaction to various activities—getting at what we “actually do” in our time together. I have my syllabi and list of assignments; I have student evaluations and my own surveys, but I want to capture what “being there” is all about to the student. Asking these questions directly may be a natural next step in future work, but these very basic methods will hopefully give a sense of the “real” classroom.
Context: Making it MatterThis study will be valuable to those challenged with utilizing online tools for their teaching in the future. Moving forward, some may not have a choice. Specifically, I hope to target two audiences: instructors of game design and instructors of performing and visual arts. The former is a relatively new discipline in higher education, just now beginning to codify its best practices. The latter benefits from centuries of tradition, though those same traditional models may hinder innovation when it comes to online migration.
Validity: Measures and MeansChiefly, validity will come from the review and feedback of critical friends, as well as adherence to best practices involving LET and narrative inquiry. I am already meeting with critical friends in this regard, one an experienced online writing instructor and another who teaches computer programming at the graduate level. These varied backgrounds will help the study, especially as I teach in a subject that lies somewhere between the two.
Additionally, I will change my practice as a result of the study and implement newly identified strategies into my hybrid teaching (provided the course runs, dependent on enrollment). Lastly, the class will return to the classroom the following fall, so I will have the opportunity to test the new knowledge I’ve created.
Peer Response Notes for Analytical Memo
Author’s name: Seth Hudson
Peer respondent name: Tom Opfer
a. What do you find most interesting and significant about this analytical memo? Why?Seth, your ultimate question is well-written. It is evident you have a passion for this research and will change your current practices with your findings. It is evident that you have spent time thinking about this and have your critical friends identified. I look forward to reading more about your work throughout the semester.
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b. Do you have any questions about this analytical memo? (e.g., any points that are unclear to you that you think could be explained more fully.) Why?There are so many variables in online learning, but it appears that you are open-minded to receiving your results and formulating best practices.
c. Any other comments?It was nice to read your memo. I have certainly listened to your comments in class, but it is nice to see this in writing. I know little about the LET framework, but I look forward to reading more about your work this semester.
Peer Response Notes for Analytical Memo 2
Author’s name: Seth Hudson
Peer respondent name: Dalal Alkandil
a. What do you find most interesting and significant about this analytical memo? Why?
One of the things I liked best about your memo is that it is so well written and clear that you see the importance and value in hybrid courses or blended learning (if that is an appropriate term). Your experience is the best medium to take this study further. I think it is wonderful that you plan to use living educational theory (LET), memory work, and narrative inquiry to capture a well-rounded finding. I look forward to learning more as I read your work this semester.
b. Do you have any questions about this analytical memo? (e.g., any points that are unclear to you that you think could be explained more fully.) Why?
Your research question includes the “I” aspect. I very am interested to see how it may develop over the term.
c. Any other comments?
Your data collection is wonderful however I hope you are not taking in more than you need for this project.
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Appendix E: Analytical Memo 3 & Peer Responses
Seth Andrew HudsonEDRS 825Dr. SamarasMarch 24th, 2015
Analytical Memo #3: So What and For Whom?I was engaged with “so what” early on in my academic career. The simple
formula for interesting sentences in academic writing was: “tell me something; then tell me why I should care.” This sentiment, shared by an English Literature professor struck a chord. Instead of making a convincing argument with reasoned-logic and proof, I was simply making my reader care. Mind you, these are likely just two ways of saying the same thing, but making someone care about what you say gave my academic writing purpose.
This sentiment carries into the question “So What? (and for whom), in that I am attempting to connect with colleagues beyond numbers and accepted metrics. My research question asks, what happens to instructor identity when moving from f2f to online engagement? Self-study is most useful in answering this question because we all vary in discipline, pedagogy, relationship with technology, and teaching style. In other words, it’s time for instructors to stop reading Chronicle articles about moving online and get in the messy sandpit themselves.
So What? Balancing the self and the self for others.I am just an example of a junior faculty member teaching at a large pubic university—sharing coming experiences with others in the same boat, the push to move courses online is present and the potential for improving practice with self-study is there for us. Reflective practice is already a big factor in the professional development of many, but self-study can take those skills to the next level while helping instructors move online with the same quality and personality they currently display in the classroom.
So What? BOLD claims. Modeling best practices in teaching is important, but it’s boring. Instead of inhabiting the model, this S-S asks instructors to claim and embrace a personal identity before moving online and modeling the best practices there. The goal is improved instruction; if one’s passion is for teaching then this really means improved quality of life! The model will not always hold the answer, so making the move to artistry—you’ve already mastered the models, right?—keeps the passion in teaching, passion that invigorates students and infects other faculty members.
So What For Me?I have taught in higher education since 2005, but have never once thought of my teaching through the lens of identity or personality. I saw craft, with the belief that research, practice, reflection, and more practice would make me a competent teacher. I think (hope) that strategy succeeded—a serviceable teacher that can run a classroom and teach the subject well. Now I want to be better, like I hope all of my colleagues want. That old
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method of research/practice/reflection may have run its course. Setting new goals means new methods. This self-study will do that. In the process I will learn more about myself and more about the thing I love to do, so personal satisfaction will come right alongside the professional development.
So What and For Whom?My study asks us to question practice by finding identity where it might already exist.
What is your classroom like? Do your students care if you’re there? How does your teaching philosophy for an identity rather than your pedagogy? Do you want to teach online? Why? Would you keep teaching if you never stepped foot on a campus or had f2f contact with a student?
Ask a friend who teaches. What do they say? Getting the conversation started now will help practitioners down the road when those challenges come. It may be about moving your teaching out of the classroom, or something else entirely, but finding ways to challenge yourself and your practice in a meaningful way will improve your practice and push forward our craft.
The question of “so what?” took an ugly turn in class a few years ago. A group of students weren’t taking an exercise seriously, their work lacked depth so I asked them to tell me the “so what?” of their 3-4 page character analysis. When a group member responded, lacking level of inquiry I was hoping for, I responded “sure, but so what?” The student responded, agitated: “So what this class?! So what this stupid assignment?! So what everything?!”
Indeed.
Peer Response Notes for Analytical Memo 3Author: Seth HudsonPeer respondent name: Dalal AlQandilWhat do you find interesting and significant about this analytical memo?Wow Seth, I wish I was reading/responding to your memos earlier. You are such a luring writer. I love your comment stating “ it’s time for instructors to stop reading Chronicle articles about moving online and get in the messy sandpit themselves”. YES! It is time for us to stop reading about others’ writings and really get up and get in. Your quote reminded me of Benjamin Franklin’s quote “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”.I also loved when you stated “Reflective practice is already a big factor in the professional development of many, but self-study can take those skills to the next level while helping instructors move online with the same quality and personality they currently display in the classroom”. As my interest is in integrating the reflective portfolio for EFL pre-service teacher development, I too now believe that self-study is the new paradigm that allows educators to think outside the box in multiple fresh ways. I agree with you that it is self-study that is allowing us to explore our own unique inquiries and tailor-make our own methods to understand it! I thank you for bringing this up, I never thought about this question: Do your students care if you’re there? Like a true writer, you had ended your piece with something that left the reader to think about. “Indeed” so what?
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Your writing is very articulate and engaging. I hope you think about writing a book upon receiving your PhD. It is evident that you are a good writing instructor and deep thinker. A winning quality for self-study researchers/writers.Do you have any questions about this analytical memo? Why?I didn’t understand this question: How does your teaching philosophy for an identity rather than your pedagogy? I look forward to reading what you write in this paper.Any other comments?I like how you have identified areas that are missing in the educators’ identity and without self-study we possibly would have neglected it for many more years. Perhaps you will explore this for your dissertation and create the next best question.
Author: SethDaniah Aleissa3-31-15
I like your study because online courses have always been a concern to me as a
teacher and as a student. I know I will struggle in such a setting. However, I liked that
you are looking more into the instructor identity. You need to think about yourself in the
classroom, instructor identity is not the same in every class; it changes based on f2f
depending on your students age, setting, etc.
How does your teaching philosophy for an identity rather than your pedagogy?
Could you talk more about this question I don’t completely understand what your saying
Do you want to teach online? Why? Would you keep teaching if you never stepped foot on a campus or had f2f contact with a student?
Great questions. I wouldn’t teach if I never stepped foot on a campus because I believe
f2f is important to know your students and there may not be the same level of
engagement among students or that they may not be as active or won’t participate as
much.
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Appendix F: Teaching/Course Evaluations
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