This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
At the beginning of the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, I was really feeling the need for some new tools to help connect to students and to help students connect with each other. I have used the Canvas Discussion Forms a lot in the past, worked to build community through group work, and strived to use a varied media approach to help students find the best tools to help themselves in the learning process. However, at the end of Spring 2021 after a year of all virtual learning due to COVID-19, I was beginning to see that students were feeling more disconnected that before in their synchronous and asynchronous courses. I really didn't want my classes and students to lose their connection to the topic we discussion since it's so important and directly affects their lives. That's what really drew me into this Academy.
Here, at the end of this six week Academy, I feel so motivated and accomplished in all the tools in which we've been introduced. While there are many resources we explored, there are several that I think are exactly what I was looking for to reinvigorate that spirit of connection in my courses and encourage students to see how whether it's virtual or in person their learning is only limited by their ability to engage with the material. I have taken several of the tools shared in this Academy and incorporated them into my asynchronous GEOL 106 Earthquake Country course which I am teaching this fall. All the items detailed below are incorporated into my fall course and help to supplement the activities and goals of the course. I have also decided to use many of the tools in my synchronous courses as well since they are hosted virtually this term.
Moving forward, I am very excited to continue adjusting previous activities and developing new resources for students that utilize things like bumper videos, microlectures, liquid syllabi, and wisdom walls. I also see a great need for these same tools and resources in all my courses and plan on sharing them with my colleagues. While some of these concepts aren't new, they have new looks and deliveries which I think elevate our courses and keep them timeless with the learning of our students. One thing I have come of understand about teaching in the virtual platform is that sometimes the best way to connect to our students and help them see the value in the material they are learning is to meet them on the platforms they already use (e.g. YouTube, text). I think that helps students see that we really are people and we care about their learning.
The use of a "liquid syllabus" is something that I find extremely valuable. In the past I've created a "Welcome to GEOL 106" page that I included in an email to students to help them with the basics of the course the week before the course began. However, it was very text based and not everyone would watch the Welcome Video Clip I included - I think the hyperlink sometimes got lost in the email text. So when introduced to the "liquid syllabus" I was very happy to provide something much more interactive and welcoming.
This new tool provides we with a resource where I can host a short welcome message that presents me as a person and shares a little of who I am so students can connect. It also allows we to address those important "getting started" notes and tips for success. I know that I would have greatly appreciated something like this as a student because that week before the semester I was always a little anxious, but this provides a quick glimpse into what to expect so hopefully on Day 1 students feel ready to jump in.
I chose to use this picture for my course card because it shows the local geology that students will be learning about in this course. It also allows the students to connect to how tectonics and geology influence the landscape and coastal vistas that California is known for.
I took this photo out on Cape Mendocino looking towards the south in the region known as the Mendocino Triple Junction. This location is important because it's where the San Andreas fault movement and the Cascadia subduction zone meets. These faults are the largest faults in California and pose a major shaking hazard to those that live in California. This is an image and geologic region we spend a lot of time talking about in this course.
This is my new course homepage, and I think it's a good way to bring students into the course during Week 1. In my mind, I really think of this as the "Welcome Page" where students land the first time they login. This allow them to see a brief overview of our course goals and provides a direct method for contacting me with any questions.
I like having a landing page like this to orient the students right off the bat. My plan is to use this for the first week of the semester, then as we move through the course and into Week 2 I'll replace this with an updated homepage with key information for each weekly module - similar to how our Academy's homepage changed each week.
I will be utilizing my Get to Know You Survey in the Get Started Module in my course. In the past I've had students complete an activity in Week 1 where they try to predict an earthquake during the semester and one of the last questions of that activity is to let me know if there's anything they would like to share with me. This was my attempt at allowing them a place to share something in a confidential way; however, this survey is a more direct and honestly a better approach.
In my video tour you'll notice I've included seven questions and two that I find to be most important are:
When you use Canvas (our online platform), will you mainly use your phone, a laptop, a computer, or something else?
What is the one thing that is most likely to interfere with your success in this class?
In addition to the other questions, these two questions will help me have a better understanding of the access my student will have to some of the resources we use in my course, especially tools like Google Earth, Canvas quizzes, and images. I've communicated with students in the past that have been unable to complete a task because of their platform and it's incompatibility with Canvas. Additionally, these questions allow me to understand if there are barriers or conflicts my students face that could limit their ability to complete tasks. This will help me with connecting to them and providing additional tools and resources when needed.
For the Ice Breaker activity, I have chosen to turn this into an Introduce Yourself Video Forum where students will be able to get to know each other and me at the beginning of the semester. My goal here is to provide a space where students can share their interests and major, connect a voice to the text they will see in class discussions in the future, and allow them to share their perspectives.
As I was editing my Canvas page for the fall term, I have actually updated this activity a little more than what's reflected in this video tour. I have asked them to think about how we react to earthquake and their experiences with them. My hope is to alleviate some of the fear that comes with the topic so we can advance through the course together and feel more comfortable and confident in our ability to understand what's happening when the ground is shaking.
The use of a Wisdom Wall is something I'm excited about trying. It's always interesting to talk to students at the end of the semester to see what stood out to them the most in terms of the content covered, but this activity really helps to highlight the other side of our goals in the course.
I think allowing students a place to share their observations and tips for success could be very beneficial for students who may be hesitant about online learning, the course topic, or other struggles with academia. I'm also a firm believer in "if at first you don't succeed, try try again" and think this type of platform allows for students to reflect on their successes as well as their struggles. It's usually in the struggles where we find our understanding and connection to material and people. I'm really looking forward to using this tool at the end of the semester, and sharing with students at the beginning of next semester.
While I think the name is a bit interesting - Bumper Video - I find the tool and application to be very informative. I think of this as a "Concept Tutorial" which is something I think is very helpful on assignments, especially if it involves new concepts or hands-on learning.
For my Bumper Video, I created a short clip that describes the difference between fault types and the stress associated with that movement. There is an activity we do in GEOL 106 where students form their concept connections between Plate Tectonics and fault movement by completing a worksheet hosted in H5P. In this activity they determine the type of fault presenting in an image, identify the stress involved and the surface response to that stress, and then they associate that with it's corresponding plate boundary condition. In this Bumper Video, I was able to remind them the fault types and associated stresses as well as link that to particular analogies so they could visualize what's taking place. I now have this video embedded in the instruction page on Canvas for this activity and hope the students find it valuable when completing their activity.
I think of microlectures as instructional demos or tutorials that highlight particular tips and clarification points for the topics addressed on a task. Sometimes these can be concept heavy and define terms or topics addressing in readings, or other times this can walk through the steps for completing an assignment that may be otherwise a little confusing.
For my Microlecture, I created a short clip that described the goals and some important tips for success connected to an activity I have students complete in Week 2 of the semester. Here I was able to clarify important concepts - like how to envision two tectonic plates interacting - with my hands and a visual demonstration. The goal of this activity is to have students move two hypothetical tectonic plates relative to one another and identify the activity taking place along the boundaries so they can determine the type of plate boundary being represented.
This video also allowed me to cut out a triangle, move it relative to the surrounding paper, and highlight what students should be looking at as they work through the assignment. That's a very important step as it sets students up for success on this assignment versus foster confusion and anxiety at how to understand what's being asked.
