Course Design

Modesto Junior College, Summer 2021

Welcome!

I'm excited to have you here! I'm really looking forward to working together in our course. This site is meant to give you a brief introduction to our course and let you know what tools you'll need, how to get started in Canvas, and how to contact me. Please view my brief introduction video below!

I'm Ashli Bumgardner, and I'm the instructional designer at MJC. I was an English undergraduate and former MJC student. I have a single-subject teaching credential in English, and I am currently working toward a Master of Science in Instructional Science and Technology at CSU Monterey Bay. (I love being a student!)

When I'm not on the computer, I like to play fetch with my dog, Belle, hang out with my younger siblings, and go on road trips with my husband, Kirk.

I just go by Ashli. 😎

About this Course

Our course begins August 23, 2021. Please log in by the end of the day and complete the Day 1 activity so that I know you are able to access the course. Please feel welcome to log in early to have a look around on August 20. The course orientation module and getting started materials will be available then if you'd like to get a head start.

We will not have any required synchronous sessions, but there will be weekly office hours that you can join if you'd like. Links to these sessions will be available in the weekly modules and I'll make announcements.

Materials You'll Need

There isn't a required textbook, but you will need

a laptop
a webcam (built-in to laptop works!)
a smart phone for recording videos
optional: microphone (often, the ones built-in to laptops, webcams, or phones work just fine, but sometimes a separate microphone may be required for optimal sound quality)

Course Goals

Every activity in this course is meant to help you achieve the course goals below. You'll learn through discussing with colleagues, building and revising content, and reflecting on design practices.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to

Apply Universal Design Principles to learning content and assessments.
Create accessible learning content and assessments.
Apply instructional design principles to interactive learning modules.

Week 1 Success Kit

To get off to a strong start with Week 1, please log in on the first day, August 23, and complete the brief "Day 1 Activity." Read through the module content and take note of the due dates. You'll be using your smartphone and laptop for the first weeks' activities.

This Week's Due Dates

Monday, August 23: "Day 1 Activity"
Wednesday, August 25: First post for "Introduce Yourself Video Discussion"
Sunday, August 29
- Read all of the module content
- Complete the module quiz
- Submit the "Objectives" Assignment
- Peer replies for "Introduce Yourself Video Discussion"

Communication

I am available by email or phone, and we can always schedule time on Zoom or through Teams. I'm typically available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. I try my best to respond to emails within 48 hours, but if there is something that needs immediate attention, please feel welcome to email again or give me a call.

Email: bumgardnera@yosemite.edu
Call: (209) 575-6878

You can also ask questions in our Course Q & A and get to know your peers in the Student Lounge

My Teaching Philosophy

People's hands lined up on the trunk of a tree

My teaching philosophy is that everyone, the facilitator/instructor included, should be an active part of the learning community in a course. I’m always learning new things about design, and I welcome feedback and advice. I acknowledge the various experiences we all bring to our course, and I want to honor those differences and share them so that we can learn from one another. That means we have to be able to build trust in one another to feel safe enough to try new things and be honest in our discussions. We have to be supportive of one another as we struggle through the messy process that is learning.

Our goal is to create online courses that are designed with student success as a guiding factor via relevant content, responsive communication, and community-centered activities. All of this is in hopes to help our MJC students stay on their educational and career paths that can eventually help lead them to the lives they want.

Our Pact

What you can expect of me

I will be an active participant in our online course by participating in discussions, posting announcements, and responding to questions in our Open Q & A discussion.
I will respond to all messages within 48 hours.
I will remember that we all have busy lives, so I will be flexible to best support your success.
I will provide individualized feedback on all assignments within 72 hours.
I will provide you with ways to improve when needed and opportunities to try again in order to succeed.
I will respect the learning process and experiences of you as a student.
I commit to being an active learner myself and continue to look for ways to improve my own teaching strategies and learn from you the best ways to support you.

What I'll expect of you

You will log in every week by no later than Monday to take a look at the week's activities and due dates.
You will reach out to me and/or to your colleagues using the communication channels when you have questions about the activities.
You will communicate with me if there is a due date that will not work out so that we can work out something that will work for you.
You will check your grade feedback weekly to access the individualized feedback and revise/resubmit as needed.
- How to access comments (written)
- How to access grade feedback (video)
You will respect the learning process and experiences of yourself and your colleagues. Be patient with yourself. Choose kind, constructive language and interactions in our online forums.

My Advice for Success

Whenever I try a new course design idea or technology tool, it is rare that the first iteration or attempt is what I want. I try things over and over (and I'm always learning better ways to design!).

I recommend you lean in to the process, struggles and all. Try new things. You can't break Canvas! Sandboxes are for the messy test-runs. They're our space to figure things out. It's all a great big work-in-progress. My advice for success is to

log in every Monday to evaluate the due dates for the week. This will help give you a clear focus for the week.
log in multiple times throughout the week to check announcements, grade feedback, and discussion threads.
use Google Chrome as your browser. It's the recommended browser for Canvas, and we'll be using extensions in Chrome.
set up Canvas notifications to get notified of course activity such as announcements, discussion replies, and grade feedback.
if you find that a due date won't work, please communicate with me. We can work something out.

Sign reads, "Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations" with a small plant

Support for You
and Your Students

There are many resources available to MJC Students. We have resources available to support their learning, physical and mental health, and accommodations for disabilities. If there is a need that isn't covered by the following, please let me know so that I can find the best resource to support you and your students.

Canvas & Technical Support

MJC's Online Education page includes resources for students and faculty, including contact information for our Online Learning Help Desk.

Call (209) 575-7900 (press '4' for Tech or '5's for Canvas)
Email onlinelearning@yosemite.edu
Chat from the Canvas dashboard by clicking on the chat box in the lower right corner.
- You can send an email using this chat box when live chat is unavailable.

Tutoring Resources

Tutoring is available through MJC's Tutoring & Writing Center, and students can get tutoring support for various subjects via NetTutor in Canvas courses. (If you don't see NetTutor in your course, enable it by customizing the course navigation menu.)

Health Services

Physical and mental health resources are available to students through MJC Health Services.

Food Pantry

Pirates' Pantry is open to all currently enrolled MJC students. They offer free food and on- and off-campus resources.

Counseling and Academic Support

Students can chat online with MJC Counselors and Student Support Specialists.

Accommodations for Disabilities

Disability Services & Programs for Students (DSPS) can help with accommodations.

Let's get started!

Use your Yosemite email and password
hint: bookmark this page for easy access

Need help signing in?

Contact MJC Daytime Tech and Canvas Support

Call (209) 575-7900 (press '4' for Tech or '5' for Canvas)
Email onlinelearning@yosemite.edu
Chat from the Canvas dashboard by clicking on the chat box in the lower right corner.
- You can send an email using this chat box when live chat is unavailable.

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