Humanizing Online STEM Showcase
by Sarah Williams, Mathematics Instructor at Foothill College
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.
Reflections
Hello colleagues! On this page, I'd like to share an update from the grant project I've been participating in, the "Humanizing Online STEM Academy" pilot. Some of the examples here may give you helpful ideas if you need to move your class online temporarily, but I want to offer some context about that possibility:
A familiar principle probably applies at this moment, if you are new to offering instruction online:
- "KISS: Keep it simple, silly."
That said, at this moment, there might really be a call for sharing one message with your voice or face with your students; or sharing one encouraging image. If you find that would be valuable to you and your students, I can help, please feel free to reach out. WilliamsSarah@Foothill.edu
Liquid Syllabus
The Liquid Syllabus is a website that students can access at any time. I have linked mine from the Foothill online course catalog and from my faculty directory page. It emphasizes learning expectations and supports, answers frequently asked questions, and introduces potential students to my personal style as an instructor: ready, willing, and able to improve their math learning experience; here to help.
Course Card
This course card image shows people celebrating together after a challenging uphill climb. The hill image is fitting for Math 1A, where we study slopes! I hope math students will embrace challenge, camaraderie, and success like the people in this image. This silhouette style of the image makes it easy for students of many backgrounds and identities to relate to these fellow-travelers.
Homepage
The homepage greets students upon their first login, and it can also be updated on a weekly basis during the term. On the first days of the term, this homepage serves as a kindness cue to students, especially those who might have negative expectations for a math class. The page includes an image of students succeeding, a very casual and short video from me, and calendar information to help the students understand the (demanding) arc of the week before they jump into the course content. Another important kindness element, instructor contact information, should be included here and/or in welcome messages and the orientation module.
Getting to Know You Survey
One important question from this survey is "What is the best way to reach you? ... If you prefer email, text or phone, please provide your contact info." I hope that by asking this question at the start of the term, I'll be able to more quickly and effectively connect with students who show signs of needing extra support later in the term.
Another important question from this survey is "What is the one thing that is most likely to interfere with your success in this class?" I hope this question will help me reach out more proactively and sensitively to students who have serious concerns.
Ice Breaker
This is a getting-to-know-you activity, using the VoiceThread asynchronous video/voice app, integrated into Canvas. The students are asked to share a wish (not grade-related!) for the course; and they are asked to comment on the substance of two peer responses. Often, with new-to-us technology, getting over the hump of trying it once breaks the ice, and the same can be said about speaking with new people, of course. This assignment familiarizes students with VoiceThread in a low-stakes way where they will not feel mathematically "exposed," and it familiarizes them with their classmates' voices and faces so that they will be in a better position to connect again throughout the course.
Wisdom Wall
This assignment serves as a "debrief" after students have taken the first major in-person exam of the course. They will return to the classroom (or distance testing center) one more time at the end of the course, so they are also encouraged to give themselves advice for the final exam, or give future students advice about how to approach exam preparation in this class.
Although many students will not prepare perfectly for the midterm exam, it is critical to help students view themselves as learners who can effectively work toward their goals: Long-term academic success requires growth mindset. By asking the students to speak to a future self, or even a future "younger" student, we help the student re-frame regrets about imperfect preparation for the exam as kind and wise advice.
Bumper Video
A major theme of Math 1A is the connection between the appearance of a function's graph and its derivative values - both first and second derivative. Students have a lot of experience connecting the sign of the first derivative (or slope) with the appearance of a graph; but the second derivative is a new topic. It is not complicated, and it is introduced quickly. Based on midterm results, it seems my students and I had been underestimating the amount of attention we should pay to the second derivative / graph connection. This Bumper Video doesn't dig into the technicalities, but instead seeks to highlight a fairly straightforward issue and raise it to the top of mind.
Microlecture
One learning objective of Math 1A is to distinguish between the value that a function equals, and the value that a function approaches (a limit). This microlecture walks the students through three graphical examples, using each example to compare the two concepts. Following this microlecture, the students can try interactive practice problems on this topic.
This site is by Sarah Williams 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.