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What is the need?
What is the need?
Greg Colley, originally a professional engineer, teaches Math in the School of STEM. He approaches teaching with an engineer's eye for design and solutions. When I talk with Greg about his teaching and his students, I hear him consistently asking, what is needed? What's the best way to get there? In my conversation with him, I heard the value of this patient, persistent evaluation and search for solutions that will help his students and the workforce of our state. Another benefit of consistent inquiry and improvement is keeping himself engaged in his teaching. Burnout is always a risk as teaching careers unfold and Greg's consistent exploration helps keep his teaching life vital.
Greg is an innovative, practical, and fearless adopter of fresh teaching solutions. Below are some ways to explore tools and methods he's tried and found effective and valuable. Perhaps some might lead you to some new possibilities for the needs in your classes.
Come spend some time with Math.
Episode 3
Episode 3
Listen here to our third episode or subscribe on Apple or Spotify.
Choosing and Using an Open Educational Resource (OER)
Greg spent careful time researching and creating OERs for some of his classes and continues to expand use of them. OERs can reduce or zero out student textbook bills, which can vastly improve student access to learning. OERs can be ready-made or custom-built. If you're curious about what an OER for your class might look like, we've gathered a few resources here. These are just a beginning point. Contact the CTE to schedule a consultation customized to your instructional needs.
OER Curation
OER Curation
This is a series of webinars about OERS made by a group promoting open-access learning. The video called "OER Curation" on this page explains what an OER can be (many possibilities!) and describes how to find OERs that fit your teaching goals.
Explore Possibilities
Explore Possibilities
SCALE (South Carolina Affordable Learning) is just one source for OERs. Here's the link to find their list of subject-organized OERs, which might give you a sense of possibilities in your field. If your subject isn't represented, contact our library and they'll connect you with resources for your topics.
Consult with an MTC Librarian
Consult with an MTC Librarian
Perhaps you'd like to stop scrolling and have a conversation about possibilities with an expert. If you're curious about what OERs are available in your field and how you might might choose one that fits your needs, follow this link to book a consulting appointment with an MTC librarian.
Getting Deeper into D2L Functions
For online testing, Greg needed a much better and smarter test bank for Math classes than he began with. A deep dive into D2L's test functionality gave him that but he had to patiently define his needs and then explore what D2L could do. If you want D2L to offer you a custom function but aren't sure where to start, consulting with an instructional designer at the CTE should be your next step. Please reach out to us and schedule a consultation.
The Five Whys
The Five Whys
Greg, an engineer, mentions using a process tool called The Five Whys. This is a series of simple questions designed to get to the root cause of an issue so problems can be solved or mitigated most effectively. It originates in Japanese workflow and is still used in Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing. Here is a fuller explanation with examples using the Five Whys in a higher education setting. You could use this simple process to uncover what may be surprising root causes of issues in your classes. And if you can't solve the root cause, you may be able to mitigate it.
Academic Support Resources for Students
Greg believes that if more students accessed the services MTC has ready for then, many would greatly benefit. He's noticed that students seem anxious that tutors will somehow confuse them and thus avoid this support. Greg thinks that if professors better connect their classes to academic support, beyond simply recommending students seek it, there might be much greater student use of the resources and therefore better student outcomes. If you haven't explored our particular academic supports recently, it's worth your time to see what they're currently offering and how you could connect your students. Academic support is part of our instructional ecology!
D2L and Tutoring
Here is the explanation of how students access Tutor.com and who they can contact with technical questions about access. You can also make contact to have your technical questions answered in order to help students.
Tutor.com
This service offer live tutors, not AIs. When students log in through D2L, they have access to Tutor.com at no expense. You can explore what Tutor offers here so that you can better explain to students how to use it for your classes.
Scheduling In-Person Tutoring
MTC offers in-person tutoring. Here is the schedule for tutors and academic centers so that you can know when your students can access these services. You could also arrange to have a tutor visit your class as Greg suggests.
Our Libraries
Our library system is undefeated as a source of support for students and professors. If you haven't recently looked at what they offer, explore their site here. MTC faculty can always contact a librarian to talk through how they can directly support you and the needs of your students.
MTC Faculty
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