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.
Photo by Mahdi Bafande on Unsplash
Sierra College's Professional Development and Distance Learning departments have provided a wide range of training opportunities that significantly enhanced the quality of my online courses. Moreover, in response to the pandemic, various institutions offered an array of online workshops that equipped me with invaluable online teaching skills and introduced me to innovative tools. While exploring new techniques, I ventured into using Flip and recording myself for weekly announcements. However, I must admit that I felt self-conscious and uncomfortable being recorded. Prior to participating in the Humanizing Academy, I was unaware of the concept of a "bumper video." Most of my video lectures can be categorized as "micro-lectures" due to their concise nature, typically 5-10 minutes, focusing on a single topic. Occasionally, for more complex subjects, I have extended the lecture duration.
One of the most valuable aspects of this academy for me was the opportunity to immerse myself as a student in a thoughtfully designed Canvas course. There is no substitute for walking in students' shoes when it comes to understanding their needs. Through this experience, I witnessed firsthand the significance of providing detailed and clear instructions that include helpful resources like how-to videos and examples of the final product. It was truly rewarding to recognize practices similar to those I already employ in my online teaching, while also discovering numerous areas where I can enhance my approach. In particular, I appreciated the structured rhythm of reminders in this course, which were provided at the beginning of the week, mid-week, and end of the week. Although I have been consistent in posting announcements, this regularity added a beneficial cadence to the learning experience. Additionally, I had previously made an attempt to create a liquid syllabus a couple of years ago, but during this course, I was able to craft a beautifully engaging introduction to the course and myself, further improving its quality.
The academy presented numerous opportunities for self-reflection and personal growth. One skill that stood out to me was the concept of being a warm demander, which demands constant adjustment as we cater to diverse students, each with their unique circumstances. My determination lies in becoming a warm demander with a particular focus on the "warm" aspect. Moreover, a significant lesson I learned from this class is the value of being real and authentic. I now understand that my videos don't need to be meticulously polished and scripted. Although I continue to grapple with this aspect, I recognize the importance of overcoming self-consciousness. Allowing my videos to be "non-perfect" will contribute to creating a more comfortable environment for students, encouraging them to embrace video recording themselves as well.
Approximately one week prior to the start of the semester, I will send the students a concise welcome email, which will include the link to the liquid syllabus. This webpage serves as an interactive introduction to the course, providing students with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the instructor and gain an understanding of what to expect throughout the semester.
The course card serves as the initial introduction that students encounter when they access the Canvas Dashboard, whether through a browser or the app. It serves as a platform for me to extend a warm welcome to students, creating a sense of belonging and anticipation before they even enter the course itself.
The main objective of this homepage is to provide students with a seamless entry into the course, offering them a jump start without overwhelming them. It serves as a centralized hub where they can access essential elements, including the prominent "Start Here" button, instructor contact information, and convenient links to various support services. By consolidating these crucial resources in one place, the homepage aims to facilitate a smooth and user-friendly experience for students as they embark on their learning journey.
By administering this survey during the initial week of the semester, I am able to gain valuable insights into my students' backgrounds and preferences, enabling me to better cater to their needs throughout the course.
The Wisdom Wall assignment provides students with a dedicated space to reflect on their personal journey throughout the course and share valuable advice with the upcoming group of students who will be taking the same course. It serves as a platform for students to offer insights, lessons learned, and recommendations that can contribute to the future success of their peers in navigating the course.
This 2:31-minute bumper video offers a concise review of the four common distribution shapes and their manifestation in boxplots. It provides a quick overview, highlighting the key characteristics and patterns associated with each distribution shape. It fits well with other descriptive statistics topics.
Math 13, Elementary Statistics, aims to teach students the essential skills of analyzing and interpreting data. This lesson specifically focuses on analyzing and interpreting data using graphical and numerical methods. Students will learn how to summarize data effectively using the five-number summary and create boxplots to visualize the data. They will also develop the ability to recognize the distribution's shape.
This site is by Lyudmila Shved and is shared with a Creative Commons-Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 license. Creation of this content was made possible with funding from the California Education Learning Lab.
