Archive for November, 2011
course update
As we’re entering year 3 of a 5 year development cycle, my colleague Jeff Miller and I sat down to see where my course needs updating. In bits over the last several weeks I’ve been hacking away at it: now I just need to upload the pages into WebCT Vista. Something I seem quite skilled at messing up!
What’s been done:
- With 2 assignments due the ultimate week of the course, we moved the discussion topic to the penultimate week
- The resource upon which the (original) penultimate discussion was structured has died an internet death. So we didn’t replace it (see above)
- Ensured all instructions to all assignments was consistent across the site pages
- Added some detail to one of the summative assignment descriptions–and some more points!
Still to do: Update assessment rubrics for several assignments. That’s what December is for, right?
Within the course we use Chickering and Gamson’s 7 principles (must reading for all teaching in higher ed methinks) and I’ve been ruminating on how well my practice aligns with the principles. How about a table then?
| Practice | Reflection |
|
I do this very well: I’m available, I engage substantively, and I participate in the learning community. |
|
In addition to one team-based activity (required; not summatively assessed), the nature of the assignments advantages those who work collaboratively—and fairly—with one another. |
|
Heck yeah: every learning activity is authentic. They’re also linkable to real-world practice. |
|
One week turnaround on assignments. 100% record working to this standard. |
|
More than some of my colleagues. I don’t allow for ‘flexible” due dates without compelling reasons for accommodation. In the professional world life is “pass/fail”: work must be done to standard, including timeliness. |
|
Very much so—and my assessment strategy (based on mastery) is skewed to reward industriousness and self-reflection. |
|
This is one I could work on more.There’s materials for verbal, kinesthetic, and visual. But it’s also very structured: there are bits of each learning style, but nowhere do I offer the same content via multiple learning styles.Any suggestions? |
See? Not perfect.
Reference
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39 (7), 3-7. Accessed online 11 Mar 2009 http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm