Humanizing Online STEM Showcase

Andrew Lazar

Mathematics Instructor at Modesto Junior College 

This site provides examples of the assignments completed during the Humanizing STEM Online Academy offered through California Community College's @ONE courses. Look through the links below to see examples of how to humanize your online class. 

Reflections

Where I Was

When teaching online, as a first time instructor, my view was to deliver the content through video and have links to homework through modules. It was very cut and dry with how material was delivered and did not feel organic to my personality. 

Where I Am

Now that I have completed the course, I am really excited to know of many different ways I can humanize my online classes. We learned about tools such as Flip or the embedded tools in Canvas. I learned about strategies such as changing the homepage or using bumper videos to help. Making some informal greeting videos and including things beyond the classroom can help too! 

Where I Am Going

I plan to implement these practices in my classes going forward. I am teaching an online statistics class in the upcoming spring semester (Spring 2024) and I am ready to put these lessons into practice as I set up my Canvas shell. 

Liquid Syllabus

A liquid syllabus is a website which is basically an introduction into your course and a starter, if you will, to the class. The information contained in it is an introduction to yourself (the instructor), first week assignments and requirements, materials, support resources, tips for success, and a course pact. A course pact is the learning agreement between me (the instructor) and the students. I make promises and describe what I expect from them as well. Feel free to explore my liquid syllabus. 

Course Card

Have you ever looked on your Canvas courses and gotten bored with just a box filled in with a color that was randomly chosen for you to represent your class and it feels like you don't have a say in design? (Imagine me saying this in infomercial voice) Well the answer to fixing that is by changing your course card and it is a simple fix in the course settings. In all seriousness, students see the same blocks of those randomly chosen colors and with a customized course card, I think it shows you put in some extra effort into designing the class and that you are paying attention to detail. It is also a chance to show personality. The image to the right is the course card I used for Statistics and I just love the colors and the designs in the word art and I think it is inviting for a stats class. 

Canvas Homepage

The canvas homepage should be a place where students get a glimpse at your personality. A welcoming picture of yourself is nice to include and/or a banner. I like to include a brief narrative about the course. I also include contact information and a button for getting started in the course. For a tour of my homepage, please watch the video to the left. 

Get To Know You Survey

A Get To Know You Survey is one of my favorite tools to get to know students. I think in assignments like this, it is important to include a warm and welcoming picture. Also encouraging the students to respond to the survey as a means of extending your human side to them. Please watch the video to the left for a tour of my Get To Know You survey.

Wisdom Wall

A Wisdom Wall is a great way for students to exchange information with each other. This one is an activity I have students do after their first exam. I have students reflect on their preparation for exam one and let them share tips for prepping for future exams.

Bumper Videos

A Bumper Video is a great tool for introducing a concept or reviewing a concept. In this short video, I explain sampling techniques in statistics as a way to help students review the different techniques and prepare for a discussion on sampling. 

Microlecture

In this microlecture,  I review sampling techniques and demonstrate humanizing practices. I provide real life examples and differentiate between the techniques. Please watch the microlecture to the left. 

The objectives in this lecture on Sampling Techniques are the following:


This Humanizing STEM Showcase site by Andrew Lazar is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.