Growth and Reflective Practice as Online Educator
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Online teaching has provided me with great opportunities to think differently on how I present materials in unique and diverse perspectives. I challenge myself to develop new skills and learn new technology to better myself and the learning environment for students. Reflective practice is instrumental in the learning and development of students. Below are examples of how I put these principles into my courses.
Personal-Development-Action-Plan-Template_Rosenbusch_ATI.pdfReflection in practice
Reflection in practice
As a trained executive coach I think reflection is instrumental in learning. I have worked hard in my courses to build in time and assessments to have students pause and reflect about themselves. During my courses I have students take self-assessments about the content we are covering. Then they have to write and reflect on what they have learned about themselves and how they hope to improve for their future. Over the last 8 years I have done this in many different formats for a few years the students would create a blog and share across sections with feedback from others. When I heard from students they wanted to make it more private so they could share more deeply, I converted the assignment into a reflection journal. This past year I have shifted to a reflective video to enhance the students professional skills and prevent them from using artificial intelligence to write their reflection. The quality of reflection has improved dramatically since asking the student to reflect via video. With the introduction of so many social media platforms it seems that they are more comfortable reflecting on camera. At the end of the semester we ask the students to write a personal development action plan. After a semester of reflection they must now put it into action. We ask them to create a set of goals and action plans to improve their weaknesses and utilize their strengths. Many students have commented that this exercise was extremely valuable.
Student Comments:
"The reflection videos were definitely an eye opener to see what type of manager I am. It helped me understand myself and what I need to work on."
"The most valuable things I learned in this course were a few more details about what type of work person I am. I think that those self assessments were very rewarding in showing us what we are strong in and what we need to develop or get better at before entering the professional world."
“The class was intellectually stimulating. I got to learn about myself, and how I work with others. I also was able to get a better understanding of the roles manager plays. I also loved the conversations in both the lecture and recitation and doing the activities. The class was both fun and knowledgeable. The teacher made the lesson fun and easy to understand.”
Feedback & Improvement
Feedback & Improvement
I strive to constantly improve the courses. Listening to the students is crucial to find the balance of rigor and reflection of learning. I work to provide an open and honest conversation with the students regarding the content and design of the courses I teach. I collect feedback from students in the online and in person classes twice in the semester. The anonymous survey allows students to be open about what they like and what they do not like about the course. In real time I often make modifications based on this feedback. One challenge I have had with online courses is that it is harder to pivot mid-semester given the shear number of sections that I am facilitating. I diagnose what is manageable in real time versus what I will change for the next semester. I use both these surveys along with course evaluations to improve and perfect the learning in my online courses. I believe that it is important to give the student's a voice in the learning. Providing this platform ensures a continuous improvement process.
I have also participated in the OCDI at Mason three times. I believe there is always room for improvement. Gaining feedback and review from colleagues is valuable to helping me look at my courses in different perspectives. I have undertaken peer evaluations from colleagues to understand how to improve my online courses. See the Effectiveness & Impact tab for the peer evaluations of my online course.
OCDI cert.pdfFaculty Reflection_Online Course Portfolio Review_MGMT303.docxReflection on Course Development:
Real Life Cases
Real Life Cases
Throughout the semester I embed activities through the instruction that cater to each students needs and assist them in developing research and writing skills. Each week they analyze case studies from real companies that they are familiar with and may even consume. This allows them to see application of our theoretical frameworks in practice. It allows significant growth of the student in understanding and being able to utilize the theory into their own practice.
Student Comments
“I enjoyed the real-world application of the class. Sometimes classes feel they are only textbook classes, and it makes the class hard to apply to the real world. However, this class had many wonderful examples and lessons from firsthand experience by the professor herself. I was very impressed with how much I learned management applied to not only business- but many real-world scenarios."
Recorded Lectures
Recorded Lectures
I have carefully curated a number of videos that enhance the topic each week. I have spent countless hours in the GMU TV station pre-recording lectures for my courses. It is my hope that these tools will serve as engaging learning material that brings the content to life. These videos have helped with accessibility and given all students the ability to learn at their own pace. When I first started, I would record 15-20 minute lectures per chapter. After researching the retention of student learning and discussing the issues with my class, I decided to adjust my approach. Last year I recorded 5-8 minute lecturettes for each major topic in each chapter. This makes the information more digestible and memorable for the student. I have had really good feedback from the students on how much more they remember given this approach.
Student Comment:
"Your well-structured modules, clear instructions, accurate dates, and visible documents - that did not require to be downloaded every time, made it much easier for me to manage my studies while working full-time. I especially appreciate your commitment to timely grading and your professional approach to recording your lectures. It made the course engaging and accessible. I also want to take this opportunity to express my admiration for your dedication to teaching and for the care you put into creating a positive and effective learning environment. Your professionalism and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring, and I hope more professors would follow your example."
Active Learning
Active Learning
Learning Environments Group (LEG) video to promote Active Learning Classrooms at George Mason University
I am an advocate for active learning. As soon as I set foot on this campus, I have worked to bring the engagement and active learning model to my classes. For years I have served on the Active Learning Consortium that promotes the use of the active learning classrooms throughout campus. Within this role I have redesigned my curriculum to fit the space/modality and incorporated creative techniques to build the students competencies. I have provided feedback to university officials to design and build active learning classrooms. One idea that I have incorporated in my face-to-face management class is the use of TedTalk presentations. The student design and deliver innovative talks about topics that they are passionate in. We incorporate creative techniques and I coach the students on creating storyboards to communicate an engaging message. We have recorded their talks so they can continue to learn how to improve their communication skills.
Because of my involvement in Active Learning Community on campus I serve on the Learning Environments Group led by Dr. Kim Eby and I serve as a facilitator for the Active Learning Faculty Learning Community in the Stearns Center. I have presented multiple proposals for the Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference at George Mason in Fall 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 where I share my experiences and lessons learned from active learning and online teaching. I have done a presentation on reflection in the classroom with a panel of School of Business colleagues as well as a workshop on building intercultural competence experience through abroad programs. This year I focused on integration of team tactics for learning and reflection in multiple modalities.
In my online classes I have added creative activities to bring the content to life. Below is one of the activities I do in my cross cultural class. I have the students take a world map quiz to see how many countries they can identify. I also use word cloud to brainstorm ideas of their cultural perspectives. I provide critical incidents to the students to see how they can use critical thinking and problem solving in cultural contexts. We use padlet to brainstorm solutions to the cultural issues. I use videos to supplement learning and engagement.
Sample Lesson on Cross-Cultural Frameworks from MGMT 461: Cross-Cultural Management
Teaching outside the classroom
Teaching outside the classroom
Some of the most impacting experiences I had during college were outside the classroom as a student leader. After I received my masters, I decided to start a position in student affairs. I saw how impactful teaching students outside the classroom could be. When I joined Mason 9 years ago, I knew I wanted to give back to students through extracurricular experiences. I currently serve as the advisor to the Mason Consulting Club. I provide consultation to executive board and mentor the students on their careers. I assist in obtaining speakers for their events and provide workshops to give them life skills. Since the inception 5 years ago we have hosted multiple events, workshops and community service opportunities. I serve to build the organization up and grow the pipeline of student volunteers. Over the pandemic we pivoted and hosted online webinars for the student group. We are regrouping to provide a robust experience for the students. The students have facilitated focus groups for our new building campaign in the College of Business. I trained the facilitators and notetakers to gain valuable research skills that can be used once they graduate. This semester we have had 4 outside speakers share their experience and expertise with the students. It is my hope to inspire those students engage in action research.
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