Humanizing Online STEM Showcase
Tawanda Gara | Professor | Cal Poly Humboldt
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
Where I was
Prior to taking this course, I concentrated on the content, assessment, and evaluation aspects of my teaching. I paid little attention on humanizing my course. I was not concerned about my students' well-being or social backgrounds outside. After taking this course, I have re-calibrated myself and want to establish meaningful connections with students throughout their academic path, both in and out of the classroom. My skillset was mainly limited to creating videos in Zoom. I have gained knowledge on designing banners, and programs such as Screenpal and Adobe Express.
Where I am
This course has transformed the way I will teach my online courses. In the future, I plan to create student-centered content that caters to the needs of online students who have additional responsibilities in their lives. I have learnt that student prefer short, well-captioned videos as opposed to long lecture videos. I also learnt the four elements of wise feedback, that is maintain high standards, highlight student’s ability, acknowledgment of the student's effort, and specific actionable steps. At this stage, I have realized that acts of kindness are critical for the success of online students. I admire the idea of a liquid syllabus that provides all of the important material that students need to succeed right from the start of the course.
Where I am going
I need to realign my teaching and humanize my content, particularly my canvas content. I gain a skillset of tools that I have never used before, such as Abode Spark and Screenpal. I am certain that I will use these helpful resources to humanize my online class. In humanizing my course, I am mindful of aspects of students' lives that influence their success. Additional emphasis will be focused on feedback and content that considers online students' emotional well-being. The liquid syllabus and wisdom wall will be useful aids in my online class.
Liquid Syllabus
The liquid syllabus presents valuable tools and hands-on knowledge, such as a brief overview of the content of the course, course goals, success advice/toolkit, class expectations, university-wide community of support, and so on. While the liquid syllabus provides essential details for student achievement, it cannot substitute the main course syllabus, which contains specific information, including course modules, assessment and grading criterion. Please click here to access the liquid syllabus.
Course Card
A course card guarantees that all students feel welcome and that stereotypes are dispelled. I chose an image that represents and celebrates diversity in all of its manifestations, including race, sex, gender, socio-economic status, religion, and so on. The graphics convey the message that students from diverse backgrounds are welcome and that their perspectives and opinions are appreciated.
Homepage
The homepage introduces instructor (with a friendly photo and contact details), provides information on how to get started. The course homepage also includes information regarding office hours and zoom link that will take the student to an online meeting space. The text is compact but contains all of the information that students need to get started.
Getting to Know You Survey
This survey will be included in the course introduction and will be one of the first activities that participants will complete. Twelve questions are asked and here are a sample of questions from the survey
What do you know about how you learn? What works for you? What doesn't?
What is the one thing that is most likely to interfere with your success in this class?
I intend to use this survey to take key notes on each participant, identify individuals with high potential so that I can provide additional support, and use what I learn from the survey to forge relationships.
Wisdom Wall
The wisdom wall's purpose is to inspire students to reflect on their own learning process near the end of the course. It serves as a foundation for discovering the strategies they employed to solve the challenges they faced. This introspective activity will help them develop a growth attitude and connect with future participants. Future participants will benefit from hearing former students success stories.
Bumper Video
The video introduces a new module (Satellite Positioning System). The module objectives are clearly stated in the bumper video. The video concludes with an overview of the modules activities that include, readings, quiz, and lab.
Microlecture
A micro-lecture is a brief video or lecture on a specific, well-defined topic. I made a short lecture on the course's first objective- GPS segments. The three segments of a GPS are discussed in this micro-lecture. The mini lecture closes with an outline of the activities that must be done. It also allows students to learn at their own pace and in their own environment, to focus on one item at a time, to engage in active learning
This site is by Tawanda Gara (PhD) 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.