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Community college students are more likely to come from underserved populations and are inclined to feelings of self-doubt in academic settings. When learning online, our students need to know they have an instructor who cares and is there to support them, and that they are part of a vibrant learning community. Effective online teachers mindfully cultivate their presence at the course level and one-on-one with students. These interactions foster a relationship based on trust, which is the foundation of a learning community.
This principle underscores:
- Evaluating and incorporating digital tools to support the development of a learning community
- Providing a supportive environment for all learners
- Incorporating tools and activities to support student-to-student interaction and presence
- Using multiple tools to support instructor-to-student interaction
Reflections
Reflections
Where I was.
Where I was.
Before I started the Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning class, I never really gave much thought to how students would perceive my class. The analogy of the "man behind the curtain" in the Wizard of Oz was exactly what my class was like.
During Fall 2018, I had the rare opportunity to experience online learning from a student perspective during the middle of my yearlong, online San Jose State University, Digital Archives and Records Management certificate program. Although, some professors were fully engaged with the students, others just appeared once, then disappeared for the rest of the semester. As a student, it made me feel a little cold and disengaged from the content.
Where I am.
Where I am.
After completing the Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning class, I realized the value of the human connection and engagement with my students. The biggest challenge for me was creating an online video. Being in front of the camera filled me with dread. However, this dissipated somewhat since the ability to edit the video allowed some control over how I presented myself on camera.
As a result, I created an online welcome video for my class as a step towards the Humanization process. I also created a PowToon during the Humanization class. It was fun to create, but a little rough around the edges. Both videos are included as examples below.
Where I'm headed.
Where I'm headed.
As luck would have it, I need to change the textbook for my course this coming Spring 2020. This mandatory requirement allows me time and the motivation to update the modules and create videos for each week.
In one of my upcoming classes, I plan to incorporate a Group Bibliography Assignment. I provided a sample below that would allow students to experience group projects in a virtual environment. Although the modality of the virtual group environment is different from the in-person environment, the dynamics are similar.
I am looking forward to adding the human touch to engage and connect with my students.
Examples
Examples
This is the introduction video for my Library 112 class in Spring 2018 that I created using Screencast-O-Matic. It is a basic introduction video that introduces my course. It includes a brief into with me in front of the camera. Then it leads to a demonstration of logging into Canvas, accessing the modules, and options for obtaining the textbook. I also included closed captioning that is synchronized with the video.
I created this PowToon for the Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning class. PowToon is a cartoon like video that enhances the viewing experience for the student. Overall, it was fun to put together. I am not the most technical person, but I surprised myself by creating a video that I never thought was possible without years of graphic design and computer programming experience. I hope that the PowToon will help engage my students since the content of my class is a little dry. I plan to use a version of this PowToon for my upcoming Spring class with updated content.
Assignment Student Generated Content.pdfThis group bibliography assignment allows students to work collaboratively and independently by applying their knowledge on the library databases along with citing the material that they find in either APA or MLA formats. My hope is that students can learn from each other in a virtual environment in an asynchronous way. I experienced a similar assignment in my SJSU Certificate Program. Although I was resistant to the idea of collaborating in a virtual environment, I found the experience to be helpful for learning the material and learning about online collaboration.
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