tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15136167920281418442024-03-05T11:29:58.701-05:00Connecting 2 the WorldConnecting ideas, cultures, and disciplinesV Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-84260984185940842672022-07-27T15:09:00.003-04:002022-07-27T15:09:28.425-04:00Learning takes a Village<p> I started writing this blog post a month ago after attending #MyFest22 sessions that really required a lot of thinking and reflection. Sessions in Creating an Accessible Syllabus, Global OER, Entangled Pedagogy and Liberating Structures may at first seem totally different. But my mind is always trying to find links and common threads. So needless to say, my mind has been peculating.</p><p>I think what each of these sessions pointed out was:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>a <b>STUDENT</b>'s learning, in fact, has many moving parts in which many people have a say and role</li><li>the learning environment is complex with many moving parts which all people involved in that environment need to understand</li><li><b>Students</b> as well as <b>Faculty</b> need to have choices as they assess the learning landscape (often immediately either in a classroom or in a synchronous online environment) </li><li>Learning (for me) is a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262297178_Dissertation_Findings_Transactional_and_Negotiated_Knowledge_and_Knowledge_Ownership" target="_blank">negotiated process and negotiated knowledge</a>. But the outcomes are transactional knowledge, with the ownership determined by the school, students, and educational policies. </li></ol><div>So let's break this down.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Great Pivot</h4><div>Like many who were teaching when the pandemic hit, I had to pivot from a classroom based class to an online class overnight. Unlike many, however, I have always incorporated flexibility into my course based on: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>student or teacher illness, </li><li>change in classroom, </li><li>change in or lack of access to technology (like the year I lost my online class over a weekend in the middle of the course because of a technology upgrade), </li><li>weather (hurricanes, blizzards, ice jams)</li></ul><div>I worked with other faculty in my department, supporting them in modifying their syllabus, activities, or technology in moving their course online. In fact, there were three faculty members mentored others in our department, trouble shooting problems for the quick pivot. Sometimes the only thing a faculty member needed was a sounding board, other times they needed emotional support, and others needed just to be shown where to find the resources they needed to convert their course.</div><div><br /></div><div>For this last group, they only were aware of their small piece of the university. For both students and faculty, many people needed to find videos that would explain how to use the technology. There were instructional designers and educational designers who I had been working with for years. Pointing students, faculty, administrators, and staff to the correct group of resources was a daunting task, yet necessary for the 3 of us working with our colleagues. It helped that we had a department chair who also was willing to find resources and share them with TA's and instructional staff.</div><div><br /></div><div>My first two weeks online, even though I had gone over how to follow the course online in my face to face class, I spent time explaining to my students how to navigate a fully online semester. We discussed the differences in how to study and do work when living with others who were online or in their space at the same time. While some may think that this was a waste of time to the content students were supposed to learn, it was important to take the time out to:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li> acknowledge the complexity of the new learning environment</li><li>trouble shoot technology and resource shortcomings</li><li>identify accessibility issues (including mental health, learning and disability, and technology) and creating accommodations to insure student access to learning</li><li>renegotiate learning outcomes and evaluation with administrators, the department, and students, and,</li><li>create new pathways and choices for faculty and students to learn.</li></ol><div>Without this time to reorganize the course so that all parties were onboard, created chaos in the class and left out many people in the learning process. I found that for many in my class, they then took the skills they learned in these 2 week and applied it to their other classes. As was discussed in the Liberating Structures workshop I attended, there was structure which students could hold on to, but within the structure was choice and agency by all parties who had a say in student learning.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The New Normal</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>By the summer, it became clear that COVID was here to stay. However, each of the parties began to work as moving pieces at a different speed. Administrators at our university (and at many universities, as reported by academics and students) tried to impose a standardized process to ensure "quality control." Since many universities in the US and Britain have begun to use a business model of education, the focus was on scarcity and allocation of resources, streamlining and standardizing the learning process, creating fixed structures including "instruction delivery" systems and evaluations, and strict time lines. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the first factors to cause problems was the strict time lines that were common in traditional face to face instruction. The next problem area was how to standardize the learning evaluation, resulting in the need for technology to include surveillance of student tests and monitoring of what students and faculty were doing online, something that was rarely done in in-person classes. Many of the online classes were asked to use the standard template that was a universal design that may or may not have been relevant for the content, mode of delivery, student needs, professional requirements, or faculty teaching style. </div><div><br /></div><div>The result was an educational system that allowed for little flexibility or negotiation between staff, faculty, students, professional communities, or student families/communities. While the learning environment was varied and needed more flexibility than ever, the systems put in place were solid, unbendable structures.</div><div><br /></div><div>The result has been a call to change higher education as it faces a crisis not seen since 1968. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Creating a new, equitable higher education system</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Next week and the week after, #MyFest22 will hold two sessions on Reimagining Higher Education. Now is the time for us to recognize the 4 principles I listed at the start of this post. It is important that we also recognize:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Higher education is made up of people, not only systems. People and learning are messy and can be time consuming. While economists and policy makers refer to people as "human capital" as if they are just another material good in the economic processes of a country, <b>HUMANS</b> can be unpredictable, vary from person to person, and have different understanding, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. </li><li>It is important to take into consideration the various factors that go into creating a learning environment including resources, time, relationships/communities, trust and emotions, space(s), goals, and purpose.</li><li>There is an element of negotiation when it comes to creating curriculums, instruction, learning environments, syllabi, and evaluations. However, there are also structures that have been developed within which students learn and teachers instruct, administrators and support staff work at creating boundaries for behavior and learning. In other words, universities are dynamic within the structures that have been created to help in learning. These structures may need rebuilding or reconfiguration as environmental factors change, but too much change will make the university unstable.</li><li>For the university to continue as a place of learning, it is important that multiple voices are heard, there is constant self-examination, and the university has enough resources and say to ensure there is appropriate change when needed. </li></ol></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-49283438787943006082022-06-30T12:15:00.001-04:002022-06-30T12:16:50.665-04:00Reflections on Ungrading and alternative ways to assess <p> As part of #MyFest22, I have been following the ungrading series. One of the assignments was to reflect and write about ungrading. </p><p>So let me start by saying that I probably will never be in a position to use a pure version of ungrading. For one thing, I've retired from teaching (I know there is always the chance I might be contacted to teach again, but I doubt it). For another thing, for the 30 years that I taught, I had to follow fairly rigorous structure I had to follow for grading. Grade distributions were sometimes posted within the dept. and as a non-permanent contingent faculty member, our contract was dependent on the norms of grading laid out by our university. By the time I retired, grades had become a currency. We were often told that too many A's meant that we were not "rigorous" enough. The fact that many of my students used the skills I taught in lower level classes and that most faculty didn't want to teach courses students didn't want to take (thus receiving lower evaluations) meant there was always one of these courses available to me. </p><p>What to do then? I discovered pretty early on that students gamed the system for good grades while not really learning what they needed to for the future. I also didn't want a student in my class who really didn't want to be there, so I had to create a course they wanted to be there for. I decided I could game the game of grades. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Attendance and Class Participation:</u> I tried to give people an incentive once where they would get a bonus if they didn't miss class. This backfired because students came to class for the points and really interrupted other students learning. Also, students came in sick and it disadvantaged those with medical reasons. Instead, I designed class to give students what they couldn't get on their own. I often used groups, but also used some individual in-class practices that students would hand in at the end of class. They did not need to be completed. I would review these so I could determine where students were getting stuck and what their thoughts were. Usually they were in class worksheets. Students would get a C or NC for that class, which converted into class participation grades. The only time students would get an NC were doing work for other classes throughout the class time. They soon learned that if they wanted to study for another class, just do it in the library. I had not maximum or minimum absences, but I took the first 10 C's to grade. So students could decide if it was worth it to come to class or not.</li><li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Peer review, self assessment, and instructor feedback:</u> I let my students know that I was not the only one to determine grades, although I had the final say due to what university laid out. My policy was that students were not allowed to discuss specific grades in class because then I would always have the final say. If they had a problem with their grade, they were encouraged to speak to me during office hours or alone before or after the class (before Zoom, on Zoom during the pandemic). I let them know that I was human and therefore, sometimes when I graded, I may have missed something that demonstrated they understood the concepts they needed to know in class. But they should bring and be prepared to prove their request for a higher grade. Also, while I was very open to hearing their case, I still might not change it, but they would know why. To help me with grading fairly, I also used peer review and the student's own reflections to ensure I did not miss something or was focused on one aspect of the grading while missing something important that demonstrated they understood...just in a different way.</li><li><u style="font-weight: bold;">I always hated grades</u>: How do you grade the same assignment when one person in really reaching and taking risks results in a mistake while another person only regurgitates what is in the book as they have been taught to do. I KNEW which one learned more, while the one who did not was only doing what they had been taught to do to success in school. So I tried to design assignments that encouraged taking risks and making mistakes, while supporting those that were scared to do so by making projects and assignments accumulative. No one part carried too much weight and as an assignment progressed there were changes to revise and make it better. </li></ul><div>In a way, I think I was able to incorporate many of the elements of ungrading into a rigid university grading structure. My students often told me that they learned more in my class than many others. I kept track of many of my students on LinkedIn and I see how they use the skills learned in my class to this day. More importantly, they continue to learn. </div><p></p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-52160809469147457902022-06-14T18:34:00.005-04:002022-06-14T18:35:18.876-04:00Can Learning be Equitable if the Student Isn't Able to Access Learning Resources? <p> <span style="font-size: medium;">Over the last two days I have attended 2 different #MyFest22 presentations (<span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Accessibility Crowdsourcing for Digital Literacies Toolkit and</span></span><span face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;"> </span><span style="background-color: #f7f7fc; color: #39394d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Open Learning Journey Week 2 Kickoff)</span></span> where the heart of the discussion was the question: what happens if a student or community is unable to access learning (tools, resources, content, courses)? In short, the student or students in a community will not be able to learn at the same level as those that have no trouble access the learning as it was designed. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">What is Learning Accessibility in a Digital Environment?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So let's start by identifying what is meant by accessibility. Often, in higher education, accessibility is often a medical condition that prevents a person from learning in a traditional way (labeled "disabled") thus requiring accommodations. Digitally, there are accommodations or finished products that must meet a certain standard when designing an online resource or course. There are tools that an instructional designer can use to ensure a learning object is accessible (for those that are identified as disabled). For the most part, these tools look at the design for those with hearing or vision impairment. However, there are many more impairments that might need accommodations such as neuro-diversity, chronic illnesses/pain such as back, neck, or limb pain, headaches, blurred vision, seizures due to or triggered by time on a electronic devise. There are impairments that can be amplified such as ADHD/ADD, speech impediments, audio processing disorder, light or sound sensitivity, dyslexia, or dysgraphia, or machine augmented speech/hearing. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In most of the checklists I have seen for accessibility, these disabilities are not included. In some cases, typed writing (e.g. dyslexia or dysgraphia) may be a better learning environment for the student, with a minimum of changes (ensuring dictation software can be used or the font and spacing is accessible). But as other times the solution is in the instructional design (giving tool options, excluding timed tests). This is rarely given in a checklist.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another area of inaccessibility often overlooked is made up of cultural, linguistic, epistemological, or technical differences. The first 3 are especially important to consider for international education. This is problem not only in distance/online education, but also for international students who attend a university outside of their home country. This could also be a problem from those from other regions of a country where the learning norms are different. In online education, it may not be obvious for an instructor (unless it is made explicit in the course design) that a student is from a community in which the basis of learning and how to learn, understanding of what "information" or "knowledge" is, and/or the rhetorical style is different from the standards of the educator/educational system. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Take for example the definition of plagiarism and the technology used to identify plagiarism. This technology assumes a student comes from a culture in which the norms for quoting and using others work are the same as those in the US or Western cultures. When I taught in Costa Rica, my students had difficulty writing in their own voice at the university level, because they had been taught that only those with the highest education and experience (professors) had that right. While this may be changing globally, there still are cultural differences that a anglo/western tool will privilege those from anglo/western societies. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another accessibility issue is based on technological constraints, either due to official policies (government, university) or infrastructure. Believe it or not, in New York state, there is an internet "dessert" in approximately 1/4 of the state, often in the mountainous, rural areas. Even students using cell service may have to go to a location from their home to actually use their phones/devises. In New York City, the cell demand, especially during the day, can result in some older areas having slower or intermittent internet service. This means that students from rural or poorer neighborhoods may have difficulty accessing large files, downloading or uploading multimedia, or participating in video conferences. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Why is accessibility important?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We often hear instructors, instructional designers, and policy makers/administrators claim that it is impossible to meet everyone's demands. There is a push for a standard design that will meet all needs. However, many times this becomes a standard template that does not take into consideration students' diverse needs. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As one person mentioned in our <span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">Accessibility Crowdsourcing for Digital Literacies Toolkit, assessing learning is the difficulty. This is where the idea that assessment should be <i style="font-weight: bold;">equal </i>rather than <i style="font-weight: bold;">equitable. </i>Equal assessment will use the same measure for each student regardless of their barriers to access learning. This is especially egregious in online learning/activities. Time, culture, technology, and ableness (health) all are amplified when using the same metrics to assess learning. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: medium;">Without support, either within the instructional design, the technology, or support systems and staff, those that cannot access learning, will fail assessments that are based on their having accessed the learning resources and environment. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: medium;">However, there are many solutions to making learning accessible to all, some through technology use or choice, others through instructional design. At the core of this is an instructor/instructional designer's awareness of the needs of students and an understanding of the community they come from. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: medium;">As Lauren Lechtman said in the Open Learning Journey Week 2 Kick-off, it is important to engage in the community so there will be by-in. Often they have developed their own resources which means a student will be able to better access learning using resources developed within their community. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: medium;"><b>Some Ideas about Solutions</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">As this is not a new problem, it is important to look at what solutions are already being used. When it comes to technology, many of the software companies have already extended packages that can be used with standard technology. Most of these packages address audio and visual impairments. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">In addition, <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/college/disability/faculty/universal-design.html">Universal Design (link</a>) is one way to offer students with accessibility issues choices in learning. There are some shortcomings to this, such as course policies which may limit access. However, working through the process will help someone new to course accessibility an outline of what to consider. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">Another thing to consider is to limit the amount of visuals. If you have a student that needs to have visuals, you might want to consider embedding a link to an alternative site that contains visuals. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I also would like to see a directory of technology where an instructor or instructional designer can go to identify the accessibility features (including accessibility extensions) for a technology. As someone who is an instructional designer, I myself am never sure if the technology I use is accessible, and if so, for which disabilities. I am still learning how to make my work more accessible and need to reach out to those whose disabilities are different from my own to get feedback on how to make my work more accessible. Having a directory with icons next to technology (as you have on travel sites for features at hotel) would make choosing the technology easier. These icons should include design orientation (i.e. reading right to left for non-western languages, using easily read fonts in multiple languages, color combinations that make it easy for those with colorblindness), audio extensions, visual extensions, eye strain/seizure warnings, low cognitive load/or cognitive load ratings, interaction with disability devises (text reading, dictation devices, alt text for visuals, audio or visual controls), and upload/download speed/internet capacity. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, it is important that when designing online learning we include opportunities for student support such as choice of media, flexible or long time frames for online work completion, working in pairs or groups (making sure that someone who may have access difficulties is paired or grouped with others that do not), options for alternative technology in case of lack of internet or devise, and access to technology support 24/7 outside of the instructor led class. </span></span></span></p><p><br /></p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-16041610550857360892022-06-08T19:17:00.000-04:002022-06-08T19:17:00.430-04:00Many People Making Small Changes can Change Higher Education<p> Yesterday, I participated in a 30 minute reflective workshop by Karen Costa as part of the #MyFest22. It was based on the ideas presented in Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown. While I haven't read the book (although it has just been added to my reading list), according to Karen, the idea is that making societal changes can be overwhelming, but if we all work together doing something to change society, the sum of all of our efforts will be a good starting point and lead to societal change.</p><p>As she was presenting this idea, I thought of what we accomplished in the area of water and air pollution in 70's to the 90's. When I was a child, the Hudson River was so polluted that we could smell it in the Spring about 3 miles away. Today, there are fishing boats back in the river. While we still have a long way to go, this is quite an accomplishment. How was it achieved? Letter writing to industries along the Hudson, class projects measuring pollution in the Hudson, advocacy groups like the Clear Water sailing up and down the Hudson informing citizens and legislators about the problems and how they could be solved, and educating special interest groups such as those who like to fish, tourism industry, and chambers of commerce of the importance to the overall economy and quality of like that cleaning up the Hudson is a good investment. </p><p>As part of Karen's presentation, she used a Google Jam Board. For those that have never used one of this, it is a virtual bulletin board in which users can upload sticky notes with responses from a prompt. This sharing of ideas is a great way to brain storm and even categorize responses to the prompts. In this case, Karen gave us 9 prompts to allow us to reflect on our understanding of Higher Education and the direction we would like to see it go. </p><p>In the moment, I found it hard to really "reflect" on where I would want to see Higher Education go. But forcing me to just respond with the first thing that came to mind, but also see what others came up with, stayed with me for the rest of the day. As like many academics, I like to have time to think of an issue, virtually rolling it around in my head, seeing its many angles and possibilities. So this morning, I decided to present some of the ideas that came to mind of what direction I'd like to see Higher Ed go (these are actually not new) and how I could contribute to change in getting them there.</p><p><b>Changing Academia</b></p><p>When asked what I wanted to change in Academia, equity, acceptance, and balance came to mind. I also realized that I was thinking more of the power system, decision making, and organizational structure than the people who make up the university. However, for this to happen, all the people who make up the university from the students to the staff to the grounds keepers/maintenance to top administrators to dept/school heads to tenured faculty to contingents to the community members in surrounding areas need to have a dialog and interest in how the university is run, its goals and policies, and how each stakeholder can influence or benefit from the university.</p><p>This got me to thinking about my work the last five years before I retired last year. Last week I was happy to see that something I and my fellow adjuncts had been working on had finally come to fruition. In negotiations for our union contract, we finally had adjuncts represented on the negotiation team. Many of our concerns have been addressed this time around. While it may seem like a baby step, for adjuncts, even a small recognition of what WE want and having representation is a game changer. </p><p>I look back to my first year as a representative to the University Senate. I had resisted doing any service work without pay. Three different times I was asked to be on the Senate, and I turned it down 2 times until I finally asked to be paid for it. It was a nominal amount they finally agreed upon, but it was setting the precedent that tenured faculty were paid 8 times more than an adjunct because they were expected to do service and research also. On the other hand, contingents were expected to "volunteer" their service. In other words, pay to have a place at the table.</p><p> This was a small concession, but a monumental change that our time was recognized as valuable. It also was a fight towards equitable pay for the same work. </p><p>One of the questions I asked at the first committee meeting (all Senators were required to be part of a committee) was why Senators for PT employees (which was the group I represented) were not elected by PT employees. You see, I was elected by Full Time employees only because Part Time employees were allowed to vote. With that simple question, Part Time employees elected me in the next election as they were allowed to vote for their own representation. Again, a small victory, but a change in mindset that Part Time employees should be considered responsible enough to vote for their own representation.</p><p>I then realized that each of the committees had annual or biannual reports that were read into the permanent record of the Senate. I asked if there were any committees, subcommittees, or reports on Contingent Concerns required by the Senate. Since 50% of the undergraduate courses were taught by contingents, didn't it make sense that there would be an annual report? This simple question led to my addressing this as a Senator to the Senate and top administration. In the end, we passed a requirement for the report, but then the Pandemic hit and even though it is on the books, I'm not sure if this ever was implemented.</p><p>In each case, these were baby steps. But with each baby step, came a growing awareness of how contingents and part-time faculty (which also includes staff at our university) were being treated unfairly. Students began to see how their professors were treated and tenured teachers were shocked at the inequities that they had been unaware of. Initially I viewed each of the groups as enemies against adjuncts. But as I began to speak to them about our work environment, I realized that I needed to inform them of our situation since they were often unaware of it.</p><p><b>Where to go from here</b></p><p>I hope that I have left even a bit of a mark on my university before I left. Looking at the new union contract, it appears I have. But more importantly, others have taken up the mantle to fight for change.</p><p>As a retired lecturer (hate this title because I never lectured EVER), I have tried to continue to keep the discussion going, encouraging balance, equity, and acceptance. This is not the same as equal, giving over my own values to avoid conflict, or excluding anyone from the dialog. </p><p>This year I have learned about the importance of centering discussions to listen to those who feel/are excluded. I also have always believed it is important to listen to people to understand their perspective but also to set boundaries as to what is acceptable and what is not for myself, my community, and society (balance). Without listening, it is difficult to know how and where to change thinking (both mine and others) for a better university and society. Often it is not a matter of wrong or right but rather what am I willing to accept and when do I set boundaries for behavior (hint: hating someone because of factors outside of their control is outside the boundaries for me). </p><p>I continue to do work that I hope will have an impact on others such as working with my former colleagues or Phd students. I continue to try to make the small changes that I hope will turn into changes on a mass level.</p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-54550677187175589492021-08-28T16:22:00.000-04:002021-08-28T16:22:20.211-04:00Preparing to Teach in Crisis<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">In February 2020, I decided to restart my Blog. I outlined a
series of topics (26 at that time) that I would write about, mostly having to
do with the research I was doing on International Virtual Exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A week later, our university called a special
meeting to discuss the closing of our university due to a pandemic that they
foresaw in the near future. It was not a question of if there would be a
pandemic, but when.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time, my
son, who lived and studied in Northern Italy was talking about an unusual
illness/flu going around Milan with a dry cough which was turning into
pneumonia. It would turn out to be Covid-19.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the beginning of March, our University announced that in
person classes would be suspended after Spring Break and that students (except
those with no other place to go) would be expected to stay home and finish the
semester online. We were lucky that our Provost (which I discovered later) was
a specialist in infectious diseases; many professors in our school of public
health had joint appointments with the New York State Dept. of Health; and for
many years my department had been involved in a research project on healthcare
disparities in minority communities focusing on (among other things) improving
communication between public health officials, healthcare providers,
scientists, and the population in marginalized communities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Pivot</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Needless to say, my idea to restart my Blog went by the
wayside as we were forced to pivot to online learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first case of Covid was identified in New
York state on March 1, 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
luckier than most universities, because we had been given about a month to
start preparing for alternative teaching methods, encouraged to start thinking
about contingencies if the university had to close down. Many faculty didn’t
take this opportunity either because they did not believe we would need to
close down (we lived through SARS even though it raged through Toronto and
Ontario, only a bit more than 200 miles away) or because they were not sure how
to prepare for a long term shut down. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the university had been trying to move more courses to
an online format, most of the online courses were graduate level and only about
10% of the courses were offered online. This meant there were few teachers that
were trained or experienced enough to create and teach an entire class online.
The good news though was that many (but not all) faculty used technology to
augment their teaching due to a push/program in the early 2000’s for all the
schools to hire professors with a joint appointment in the then School of
Information Studies and another field of study (e.g. Education, Communication,
Government, Social Work, Criminal Justice). Those with joint appointments would
be the resource on teaching and research technology. To support this group of
special appointments, an educational technology group and a center for teaching
and instruction was created, providing instructional support for faculty and
teaching assistants interested in integrating technology into their classes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I myself had received a Phd in Curriculum and Instruction,
with a focus on educational technology. I had not only taught online (having
received training within the SUNY system in 1999), but had taught classes in
distance learning and other educational technology courses to teachers from
Pre-school to all levels of K-12 (primary and secondary education) to university
to professional education. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During class, as I was preparing my students for what would
happen after Spring Break when we would move the class online, I projected my
screen to the class to show them how to navigate the course I had quickly put
together on the LMS. In order to get to the LMS, I needed to go to our
university portal. Up popped an announcement across the screen to my class:
“Effective immediately, classes are canceled for the rest of the week!” The
first case of Covid had been diagnosed in the county from someone on our
campus. After calming down my students, assuring them that we had everything
under control, I quickly went through the course design. Some students were
upset, but this seemed to calm them. Other students were convinced they’d be
back on campus by the beginning of April.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I and some other colleagues in my department who had
been teaching online for a while were prepared, many others were not. Three of
us stepped up to help prepare those that were not. They had 10 days to figure
out what they would do for the rest of the semester.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Long-term vs Short-term Crisis Preparation</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For many in the department, they were prepared for a short
term crisis (illness, family emergency, snow days). They may even have taught a
regular online course. However, few of us were prepared to design for online
courses for a Long-term crisis. So what is the difference between long-term crisis
preparation and short-term crisis preparation?</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Student trauma</b>: Most "short-term" crises result in individualized trauma (family emergency, illness such as cancer or long-term chronic disease). The result is usually an individualized plan to address the student trauma or no direct student trauma if the crisis is only suffered by the teacher/instructor. However, long-term crises such as natural disasters, campus violence, or campus outbreaks of disease (e.g. mold infestation in the dorms, flu, meningitis, or other diseases that may result in the closing of campus) can result in a collective student trauma. This collective trauma may require instructors or instructional designers to address the results of this trauma on student learning (see <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21838059/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oleenu, Arnberger, Grant, Davis, Abramson, Asola, 2011</a>). To do this, however, they need to know what will work, how to manage classroom behaviors that are the result of trauma, and the "viral" effect of those that are associated with those that have affected trauma (have not suffered trauma first hand, but feel the affects from those around them dealing with trauma). </span></li><li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Student centered instruction and teacher stress</b>:</span> In most short-term crisis it is either the faculty OR the student which means that faculty or students are more flexible. But in long-term crisis, both students and faculty may be suffering from the crisis. Instructors may want to give choice or support their students, but due to their own personal stress (family, health concerns, emotional load), the instructor may not have the capacity to do more than he/she/they may have already done (see <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0013189X211004138" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" target="_blank">Pressly, 2021</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> for factors contributing to burnout). As a result, student centered instruction may become more difficult, which then creates the cycle of stress. </span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Technology: </b>In short term crisis, faculty often use the technology that students are already using and/or can be more flexible with assignments if students don't have access to technology. For example, students that are hospitalized can be given extensions, upload assignments via email if it is ready to go (rather than the LMS), or be given a new assignment when he/she/they are return to school. Many faculty have "emergency assignments" already prepared in case of a short term emergency in which the instructor, students, or both can't be on campus for class. However, in a long term crisis, issues such as access to the internet, devices with sufficient power or storage, and appropriate technology for the learning design becomes more complex. For example, I taught a speech presentation class. When we had closure due to weather, I was able to upload an assignment in which my students could view videos and discuss them in the LMS discussion board. But in a long term closure such as we had due to Covid, my students needed to be able to give a presentation online. I needed to find tools within those offered by my university that would allow them to give these presentations weather they lived in a deadzone (urban or rural), only had a phone for communication technology, or had limited locations/bandwidth when and where they could use the technology. I needed to incorporate numerous technology options for my students which meant I needed to learn how to use new technologies (when in fact I had limited time to learn these). </span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> <b>Administration requirements (teacher autonomy)</b>: As it appeared that the crisis would last longer than just one or two weeks, there were multiple accounts and calls for insurance that there would be no "loss of learning" when learning remotely. Short term remote learning often has mechanisms within the educational structure to make up for short term interruptions in the educational process (extending the school year, adding instructional days or taking away vacation days, delaying standardized tests). But the educational system, especially in the US, has not been set up for remote learning that may require the reset of curriculums and evaluation systems. I have seen very little discussion in the press and trade journals about new skills that would need to be identified and assessed due to the change in educational delivery (e.g. digital communication skills, self-regulated learning, technology/digital literacy). In addition, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a rash of law suits claiming that online learning was less effective than face-to-face. There has been much in the literature about face to face vs. online learning and the consensus is that there are different results depending on level, instructional design, and other factors such as technology, age, and student type. However, since many schools still have faculty with little experience in online learning, administrators moved to standardize instruction, resulting in less teacher autonomy. In addition, assessment of student learning became more standard. In order to make online learning easier for novice online teaching instructors and students, many schools went to a standard template in which the instructional design was already developed and the teachers used that as a jumping off point. As more faculty become more technologically and educational technology pedagogically saave, this might change. But during long term crisis, the standardization of instruction means faculty have less choice, on one hand, but, on the other hand, less preparation requirements as new technology, curriculum, and assessment tools are introduced.</span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;"> Conclusion</h3><div>No doubt over the next few years, there will be in-depth analyses on lessons learned from the pandemic (hopefully). However, these lessons can result in preparing our educational systems and teachers for educating in times of crisis (war, natural disasters, pandemics). We need to look at ways that the educational system can pivot quickly when needed, especially in terms of reassessing curriculum and assessment; providing students, administrators, teachers, and communities with tools during a crisis; and to quickly prepare teachers, instructional designers, students, and parents in new ways of learning dependent on the situation.<br /></div>
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<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-16081475287826235072021-06-29T19:33:00.000-04:002021-06-29T19:33:12.730-04:00Resilience and Inclusion<p> I'm back after a few years from blogging. Hopefully I will be able to restart my blog to a weekly post. But this weekend, I had 2 events/pieces of art that made me think of the current discussion of institutional racism and exclusion within our society, institutions, and politics. </p><p>My friend and research collaborator, Dr. Marilyn Easter, has written a novel (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Bravery-Corruption-Privilege-Academia/dp/1737146010/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M3J4L02EB7HG&dchild=1&keywords=resilience+marilyn+easter&qid=1624982605&sprefix=Resilience+Ma%2Cdigital-text%2C179&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Resilience: Bravery in the face of Racism, Corruption, and Privilege in the Halls of Academia</a>). This is a piece of fiction based on her own experience in becoming the only African American full professor in the school of business at her university. The day after I finished reading Marilyn's book, I saw the film <i>In the Heights</i>, based on the community that Lin Manual Maranda grew up in. Both works have shared themes of inclusion and resilience when the social systems are stacked against the main characters. But more importantly, both show the importance of family, community, and key mentors/allies in confronting the barriers built by those in power. Power vs. Power-Less (<i>In the Heights</i>). </p><p>In Resilience, Emma, the main character decides as a child that she wants to be a teacher. While those in a position of power found excuses to prevent her from being a teacher, key people in her life, like her mother, her husband, her daughter, mentors and acquaintances encouraged her to find a way around those barriers. Sometimes they would counsel her to give up the fight so she could achieve a victory down the road. But she always persevered, eventually becoming the teacher she always wanted to be. </p><p><i>In the Heights</i>, Nina is a college student at Stanford, living away from her family in New York City and the community in which she grew up. While at school, she feels excluded. At a school function, a professor assumes she is part of the wait staff. Her father, without even a high school education, sells his business to send her to school. He wants her to have the opportunities he never had. So if she fails, she feels as if she lets down her community and family as well as herself. But her father and community have an <span style="background-color: white;">idealized</span> notion of college. They don't have to deal with a complex political and social system that is academia for first generation students. Without help, first generation students get lost in the labyrinth of college.</p><p>Like Nina's story in <i>In the Heights</i>, Emma is always made to feel an outsider in Academia. She too has a parent who never received her high school diploma so Emma is on her own for navigating her education. Throughout her life, people step up to give her advice, but she soon learns that she can't always trust those people who are supposed to know what they are talking about. Those that she can trust, <span style="background-color: white;">just don't know</span> how the system works because they live outside the power structure. </p><p>Emma and Nina both are straddling two worlds and at times they feel they don't belong anywhere. But then, family and friends step in to make them realize that their place in the world is just where they are, with people that love them and believe in them.</p><p>In both works, structural racism is the most difficult to <span style="background-color: white;">fight</span>. The unwritten rules are stacked against them but it also makes it difficult to prove that racism is at the root. Emma's mother and Nina's father believe that their daughters "can do anything <span style="background-color: white;">they want</span> to" with the help of education. Both women are hard working, successful students, kind and well-liked, but it seems as if the rules for success were written to exclude them from the place they deserve in society because of their accomplishments. </p><p>However, Emma and Nina never appear to be hopeless victims of discrimination. Emma surrounds herself with allies and fights back legally, publicly, and politically, working at changing the system so that her students, young colleagues, and daughter will not have to <span style="background-color: white;">suffer </span>from the system of exclusion (based on race, sexual identity, gender, or disability) she had to fight in academia. At the end of the film, Nina decides to stay in college and work in advocacy to represent those in her community. My only criticism with <i>In the Heights</i> was that Nina goes back to Stanford. I would have liked for her to go to Columbia just up the street from Washington Heights. Unlike Nina, Emma always finds an alternative path, even when she feels like giving up. She won't give into to those that want to keep her down. But also recognizes that at times, she needs help in fighting the fight. </p><p>At the end of both of these works, there is not a "happily ever after" as much as hope for the future. This hope is for the generation that comes after them. Both Emma and Nina are living fulfilling lives which will always be a struggle, but with a supportive life outside of their struggles. They surround themselves with optimistic, supportive people, but also give as much as they receive. They focus on how much they have accomplished, the people in their life that lift them, and a sense of contentment with the decisions they have made in their life.</p><p>I would highly recommend reading Resilience. I read it in 3 days, wanting to know what would happen next (although after 30 years in academia, I was afraid I would know). <i>In the Heights</i> also left me with a happy feeling, especially after the community musical scenes. Both left me with the sense that community, love, and music makes everything in the world better.</p><p><b>Note: </b>I feel the Resilience should be a must read for all first gen students, any BIPOC considering or already in graduate school, and anyone interested in mentoring BIPOC students. </p><p><br /></p>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-64484135058052797492017-03-17T14:04:00.000-04:002017-03-17T14:04:38.304-04:00Some changes to the blogI have decided to start blogging on a regular basis again. Over the last few years, I have moved away from blogging to focus on my academic career. However, I have decided to move back to focusing on my professional career, opening up my research for more public venues such as my blogs. So here are some things you can expect in the next few months:<br />
<br />
1) Posts on some of the software and technology I have been testing out and using. Included in these posts will be how I am incorporating the technology into my teaching, research, and professional activities.<br />
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2) I am working on a few research and teaching projects which I will highlight on this blog. Among these are integrating design thinking into my courses and looking at student knowledge networks (an extension of my dissertation) for student success inside and outside of the classroom.<br />
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3) I will be starting a new blog next month called <i><a href="http://universitytotheworkplace.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">University to the Workplace</a>. </i>The audience for the new blog will be students entering the workforce, mentors and student services for those students, and human resources/recruiters who will be onboarding students straight from the university. Among the topics I will be writing about are soft skills needed to be successful in the workplace, training needs and preferences for the transition from the university to the workplace, and the role of technology in the workplace.<br />
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I hope with a more regular posting (my plan is the first Friday of the month), you will check back on a regular basis. Feel free to share my posts.V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-38029141783038280142016-04-29T17:01:00.000-04:002016-04-29T17:03:02.155-04:00An instructional development framework for developing 21st Century skills in the University<br />
My colleague, Diane Crosley, an instructor in Natural Sciences at Spring Arbor University, and I gave a presentation at the Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching and Learning in Traverse City, MI last October (2015) entitled, "Bridging the skills gap: Preparing Higher Education students for the 21st century workplace."<br />
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It has been a while since our presentation, and I am currently working on a follow up presentation for the <a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/7516e7_4716cd24c5bb402882b68a6ac289de4c.pdf" target="_blank">International Lilly Conference</a> in June (Helping student to create knowledge networks for current and future success). My presentation in June is the outcome of discussions we had in our October session. So I thought it might be the right time to share what some of the highlights/discussion questions were for our <a href="https://prezi.com/covmp9ksevxv/lilly-conference-presentation/" target="_blank">October presentation</a>. <br />
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This presentation came out of the discussion Diane and I had about teaching, the needs of our students, and conversations we had with our colleagues on how to teach these skills. We both come from different disciplines (she was a high school science teacher and currently teaches at the college level most natural sciences including biology, environmental science, geology, and botany; I did training in the workplace before teaching business, communication, global studies, foreign language, and education at the college level). However, we discovered the same gap between high school students and employer expectations. The planning framework came out of the universals we identified in giving students the skills expected from employers, students, policy makers, educators, and society in general.<br />
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<b>The Presentation: </b><br />
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Abstract: Many experts the workplace have identified a lack of skills by new college graduates needed for the 21<sup>st</sup> century workplace. These skills include self-regulated learning, communication, networking, critical thinking, analysis (data, numeric, and content) and problem solving. This presentation will present a framework that can be used to create and analyze activities that will develop these soft skills. The framework, based on a variety of learning theories and subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities, Business, and STEM), includes identifying student soft skills, identifying the instructor’s role (and changes needed by the instructor), and situational learning strategies to meet the student/workplace gap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many experts in industry and the workplace have identified a lack of skills by new college graduates needed for the 21<sup>st</sup> century workplace. These skills include written and oral communication (Bersin, Agarwal, Pelster, and Schwartz, 2015; Chronicle of Higher Education, 2015; Hart Research Associates, 2015; Weiner, 2014); lifelong learning skills (Bersin et al, Chronicle of Higher Education 2015); creating knowledge networks (Hart Research Associates; Weiner), problem solving and analytical skills (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2012; Hart Research Associations, Hilborn and Friedlander, 2013); Rhetorical reasoning and critical reading (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2015); applying theory to practice (Hart Research Associates; Hilborn and Friedlander; Weiner); community building and engagement (Bersin et al.); and mathematical reasoning (Hilborn and Friedlander).<o:p></o:p></div>
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These skills can be further broken down into the following skill sets: self-regulated learning, communication, networking, critical thinking, analysis (data, numeric, and content) and problem solving. While the common core curriculum was designed to address this gap between the academic and workplace skill development, the implementation of K-12 curriculum has focused on assessment and standardized teaching rather than development of the of workplace “soft-skills”. This presentation will present a framework that can be used to create and analyze activities that will develop these soft skills. The framework, based on analysis of activities using a variety of learning theories and subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities, Business, and STEM), includes identifying student soft skills, identifying the instructor’s role (and changes needed by the instructor), and situational learning strategies to meet the student/workplace gap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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References: </div>
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Bersin, J., Agarwal, D., Pelster, B., Schwartz, J. (2015). Global Human Capital Trends 2015: Leading in the new world of work. Deloitte University Press: DUPress.com<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chronicle of Higher Education (2015). Special Report: The Employment Mismatch. <i>Chronicle.com</i>, May 22.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chronicle of Higher Education (2012). The Role of Higher Education in Career Development: Employer Perceptions. Retrieved May, 2015 from <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://chronicle.com/items/biz/pdf/Employers%20Survey.pdf">https://chronicle.com/items/biz/pdf/Employers%20Survey.pdf</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Hart Research Associates (2015). Optimistic About the Future, But How Well Prepared? College Students’ Views on College Learning and Career Success. Prepared for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, April 29, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015 from <span style="color: blue;">http://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2015StudentSurveyReport.pdf</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hilborn, R. & Friedlander, M. (2013) Biology and Physics Competencies for Pre-Health and Other Life Sciences Students. CBE Life Science Education, 12 (2), 170-174. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Weiner, J. (2014) The STEM paradoxes: Graduates’ lack of non-technical skills, and not enough women. <i>Washington Post (online edition), </i>September 26. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The presentation format was as followed: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Introduction to topic <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->What is the perceived lack of necessary skills coming into college? Participants will Brainstorm by content areas (e.g. STEM, humanities, social sciences, business, professional)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->What does the research say is lacking with regards to skills coming into college?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Basic math usage issues, <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->communication issues,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->group dynamic issues,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->ability to problem solve in new situations (critical thinking)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->adaptability and teachability<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->What are the perceived deficits of college graduates entering the workforce from the perspective of business and industry?<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->A discussion of the disconnect between educational expectations (K-12 to college) and workplace skill set needs (college to the workplace expectations): the workplace/education skill gap (i.e. self-regulated learning, communication, networking, critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->A.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->How do we change our classrooms to help facilitate student learning? What is the role of the professor? How does that role need to change? Research says that the role of the instructor needs to change to one of mentoring student learning rather than presenting content to the student. How many instructors feel uncomfortable with this idea of a changing role? Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->B.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Strategies instructors can use in their content area to help build these missing skills (a demonstration of two different activities used in two different contexts that build “soft skills”). Both activities will model the need for students to be faced with real world open ended problem solving. However, both activities will be grounded in two different educational theories (experiential learning and project based learning).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->C.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Interdisciplinary group activity in which participants brainstorm existing teaching strategies and how to adapt them to maximize practice of the missing skill sets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->D.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Framework to create activities that will develop the skills university students need in the workplace. The frame work consists of planning, execution, and feedback phases (Appendix A).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Summary: This presentation presented a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4qbY12g5kCablJrcWhlcmRkQmM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">framework</a> that can be used to develop student skill sets, identify activities that will will develop those skill sets, and a record for instructors to document their teaching and its impact on student employability and community engagement.<o:p></o:p></div>
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-76161664580585674342015-11-04T13:51:00.000-05:002015-11-04T13:51:05.263-05:00Digital Writing: Do you have to have visuals?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI3e4U6D5KhU1kjpaUtvvS4jn6WPb41WefLskaFDh7qmPikeyTsBqvGCJYIXblXC3-G-2p7dODuKH8py7Gs1XPhAZ6SSEBqoT9mOw6O61WAQVJyqXWfIpGxCIM3Y4LO1h7GW-JKIxDk4/s1600/IMG_0583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI3e4U6D5KhU1kjpaUtvvS4jn6WPb41WefLskaFDh7qmPikeyTsBqvGCJYIXblXC3-G-2p7dODuKH8py7Gs1XPhAZ6SSEBqoT9mOw6O61WAQVJyqXWfIpGxCIM3Y4LO1h7GW-JKIxDk4/s320/IMG_0583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
In response to in <a href="http://www.digitalwritingmonth.com/2015/11/03/digital-inclusion-its-not-all-or-nothing/" target="_blank">Yin Wah Krehar's post </a>on making digital writing accessible, I realized that this is how I tend to write. Living in area with limited internet access for many years, I'm always aware of the features of my writing.<br />
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So I'm going to flip the challenge Yin Wah Krehar gave the #digiwrimo community and ask instead, when is it appropriate to use visuals?<br />
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<b>4 Questions to ask yourself before using a visual</b><br />
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<b>1. Why do I want to use the Visual? </b>Many times it is simply something that will catch the eye of the reader. Or perhaps you've been told that blog posts or digital writing SHOULD have visuals. Perhaps it is personal preference. However, if you really don't have a good reason (it will help you get your message across, it will reinforce an emotion you want to evoke, it will help the reader understand), then why use it?<br />
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<b>2. Is the Visual you have chosen really relevant to what you are writing? </b>Now, I have to be honest, I love that picture of the jelly fish at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. I might even be able to justify it by saying it's like writing in that a writer has all these ideas floating around and writing is a way to put them altogether in a uniform product. But really, it doesn't really do anything for my post except to illustrate that the visual should be relevant.<br />
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<b>3. Is the visual easy to understand? </b>For one of my assignments, I made my students create a visual on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/avickers0243/" target="_blank">pinterest</a>. Can you figure out what they were supposed to create? To be honest, I knew it would be difficult for them to achieve the kind of visual we discussed in class using pinterest. While pinterest includes visuals, it doesn't allow for the type of task I assigned them (which was part of goal). I was very impressed with the graphic they ended up with. However, for anyone who did not know the task, it would be difficult to understand the graphic.<br />
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<b>4. Is it engaging? </b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GIZ8fT0eo-4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GIZ8fT0eo-4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Would you be engaged in watching this video? The fact is that my students weren't and I think you'll understand why as you watch it. I made this video so my students who were having trouble finding electronic materials from our library would have a visual aid. It was not really made for engagement purposes but rather as a reference. However, I do think I could have made it a bit more engaging by considering who my audience was and what questions they may ask.<br />
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So before putting that visual into your blog post, facebook post, or attaching it to a tweet, ask yourself if it is really necessary.<br />
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<b><br /></b>V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-68259099788363052692015-11-04T11:21:00.000-05:002015-11-04T14:25:54.526-05:00Our Activity for #DigiwriI teach computer mediated communication at the University of Albany. I am always looking for activities that will connect my students to the real work so that 1) they can get feedback from someone other than just myself and their classmates, who they will end up getting to know very well in class, and 2) so they can see how what we learn in class can be used in the real world.<br />
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This is the reason I decided to use <a href="http://www.digitalwritingmonth.com/" target="_blank">#digiwrimo</a> to work on online writing. Surprisingly, this is a topic rarely covered in CMC classes. I will be focusing on audience, format, message, and medium. We will begin with a twitterchat from 3:00-3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. <br />
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Then we will discuss the different forms of digital writing I have examples of for this class. These examples include <b><a href="http://connecting2theworld.blogspot.com/2015/11/cross-cultural-dialog-teaching-our-next.html" target="_blank">writing for academic audiences,</a></b> writing instructions, <a href="http://connecting2theworld.blogspot.com/2015/11/digital-writing-do-you-have-to-have.html" target="_blank">writing for a professional audience</a>, writing for mobile technology, writing for social media, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIZ8fT0eo-4" target="_blank">writing for video clips</a>. Part of the writing process will be getting feedback on their writing and measuring its impact.<br />
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Finally, students will be asked to choose 3 mediums and produce writing for each. In preparing for their writing, they will need to include who the audience is, their message, special features/considerations for digital platform they've chosen, and how they will measure impact (this worksheet will be available on <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4qbY12g5kCadEI2aXp0WFJwcmM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Googledocs</a>).<br />
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They will then share their digital writing via twitter, linkedin, and facebook.V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-29275861378408274682015-11-04T10:51:00.001-05:002015-11-04T10:51:46.334-05:00Cross cultural dialog: Teaching our next generation to engage with others different than themIn my last post I wrote about the course I taught last semester and some of the activities I was using. Today, on the eve of Independence Day, it is even more important that our society restart the intercultural dialogues that have stopped and started, molded our society, led to civil wars and protests, and ultimately created our current society.<br />
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<b>Intercultural dialog and conversations</b><br />
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As I began my course in January, there were many discussions of race and religion on campus. I teach at a very diverse university that draws from urban, suburban, and rural communities; diverse cultures including international students from most continents, along with indigenous (Mohawk and Iroquois mostly) students; differing sexual orientations; a wide variety of religions; and diverse socio economic backgrounds. Most of my class had very different living and family situations: you name it, there was probably someone who fit that live style. <br />
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My first month of class I used to get to know my students, their values, cultures they associated themselves with, how they identified themselves socially, biases (prejudices), and communication style. I used a <a href="http://connecting2theworld.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-need-for-intercultural-dialogue-one.html">categorization exercise</a> to assess their starting point in understanding both other cultures and cross-cultural communication skills. I also used three other projects to assess their intercultural communication skills as we progressed through the semester: Intercultural/Diversity Interview, assimilation project and log, and a group intercultural training project. (These projects are all described in the previous blog post).<br />
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The intercultural/diversity interview allowed me to assess the preconceptions my students had coming into an intercultural/cross cultural dialog. For the most part, my students went into these interviews with an open mind. Some did not and it showed in their analysis as they did not try to understand the answers the person they interviewed had given them. They assumed they already knew the answer and there was very little discussion after the initial questions. However, many of my students were surprised by the answers they received, especially if they were interviewing close friends. The majority began to see their own values and biases that they used to lead discussions. I noticed in-class discussions had much more interaction and asking for explanations rather than giving just their view point. There also was much more intellectual conflict, with a deeper level of listening as students not only listened to others, but tried to understand what they were saying. There was also more identification of potential biases, but still not a recognition of others values and understanding. It was during this time that I introduced socio-linguistics and conversation "enders." <br />
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Conversation enders are things people say which will make others in the dialog stop listening or trying to make themselves understood. I was shocked at some of the things my students said they had heard or been called which shut them down from further dialog (either wanting to understand the others viewpoints or wanting to connect with another group). Every student in the class was able to identify at least one thing that they felt would stop the conversation.<br />
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The next project I had my students work on was a group project in which students collected first and secondary research on intercultural communication within a certain context (e.g. education, politics, healthcare, environmental conservation, customer service, law enforcement) and to choose 3 cultures for the analysis. Group members needed to find information on how each of those cultures discussed and communicated within each of those contexts. For my students, this was very difficult because they had never had to look at content and data from multiple perspectives. They began to understand the more subtle assumptions they made based on their own experiences. Perhaps the hardest part of this exercise was to identify and define the cultures they would be using. The labels they would put on groups often was very wide and identified their own biases. In some cases, a more complex group was identified based on shared beliefs rather than physical characteristics (e.g. people who have been incarcerated, law enforcers, those who have not had any experience with law enforcement).<br />
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Finally, my students were asked to participate in 3 events of a club or group whose culture was different than their own. Initially this was difficult as students were wary of immersing themselves into another group's culture. However, with the help of their classmates, all of the students participated in this activity. They had to keep a journal of their expectations, observations about the group, and strategies they used both before and after the event. They then handed these logs in along with an analysis of intercultural communication. These logs gave me insight into how they actually grew and engaged (or were not able to) in intercultural dialog. Their analyses revealed the pre-existing biases that interfered with intercultural conversations, the fear of insulting those of other beliefs, and the fear of being judged based on others pre-existing biases. However, it was this assignment more than any of the others that got them interacting with other groups and truly engaging with others in a meaningful way. <br />
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I assessed their final level of intercultural communication skills by giving them the same categorization activity I had given them the first class. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, many students were used to diversity. Their ability to recognize that others had different ways of communicate and behave was very advanced. However, they learned to cross a communication barrier to interact and actually engage in dialog with those outside of their own groups. The majority of the groups had much more difficulty creating categories as they could see numerous levels of culture and communication. In the end, many based their categories based on communication preferences (non-verbal/verbal preferences; direct/group/circular reasoning; social, group, individual). Even then, they had much more conversation and discussion that resulted in questions that could not be answered with out having the individual to speak to.<br />
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<b>Lessons learned</b><br />
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It has been a while since I have taught this class. One area that I noticed a difference was in the basic awareness of differences. One reason could be that my university is diverse in many ways with a growing international student population; many first generation university students (who are many times also children of immigrants); rural, suburban, small town, and urban populations; a wide range of ethnic groups (including native Americans); and diverse age, lifestyle, ableness, gender/gender identity, and religious backgrounds. However, despite this diversity, there seemed to be little dialogue outside of their social groups. As a result, there seemed to be preconceived understanding or those outside of their own social groups. <br />
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I used by understanding of social groups as a starting point for my students which allowed them to go beyond cultural stereotypes and begin to understand others from of a view of outsiders/insiders. Using this as a starting point helped to create opportunities for dialogue. <br />
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Another barrier I found to starting intercultural dialogue was the previous learning students had had in K-12 in which they were taught to treat each person as the "same." While I understand this approach (find what you have in common and use as a starting point), this was often used instead as a way to shut down identifying differences. As a result, students were afraid to speak about the elephant in the room-differences. They were never given the tools to create these dialogues to use as a way of understanding other perspectives, creating communicative connections, and developing a relationship with those outside of their own social groups. This needs to be discussed at the beginning of the course and included in my learning objectives.<br />
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I was a bit wary at first in pushing students out of their comfort level to interact with those of other cultures. I still struggle with the fear of adverse reactions should they feel attacked, judged, or disapproval from their own social group. I feel by letting them choose the "culture" that they wanted to interact with, they could decide the comfort level. By allowing them to journal about this experience and then use that as a basis for analysis, they were able to understand their own transformation, level of understanding, and boundaries if they decide to immerse themselves in another culture. It is important to give students choice (with teacher approval) while at the same time push them out of their comfort zone. Much of the feedback I received from their analysis was positive. <br />
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Finally, I feel it is important that we begin to create diversity/cross-/intercultural training programs that focus on dialogue. Many of the diversity programs I have seen were heavy on content and processes and light on actually engaging in intercultural dialogues that addressed problems and worked on finding solutions. Diversity training programs that focus on intercultural dialogue training with a focus on problem solving take more commitment (resources, training, preparation, and time) so are rarely implemented. I feel more research needs to be done on this. <br />
<br />V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-10956807954857900402015-01-20T16:02:00.000-05:002015-01-27T08:12:56.757-05:00The need for intercultural dialogue: One approach to start the conversationThis semester I will finally get the opportunity to teach intercultural communication again. It has been many years and I feel it is long overdue. However, many things have changed over the last 20 years, one of which is how communication, dialog, and culture is taught in our schools. More than ever I see students come into my classroom with fossilized concepts, having been educated in a system in which knowledge is content and facts. As a result, I spend much of my classes trying to teach students how to think and communicate critically. <br />
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I foresee a course like critical communication creating very uncomfortable conversations. However, I want my students to engage in these conversations, yet at the same time feel safe to extend their knowledge boundaries. This is not always easy to achieve. So I decided to begin the class with an exercise that will hopefully allow them to access their emotions, perceptions, and beliefs in a safe space.<br />
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<b>Activity</b><br />
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I will be using a <a href="http://www.sfsusepal.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Smith-2013.pdf">card sorting activity</a> adapted from a workshop given by Kimberly Tanner from <a href="http://www.sfsusepal.org/research/research-opportunities/">SEPAL</a> at San Francisco State University.<br />
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<b>Step 1: Personal Reflection</b><br />
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First I will ask students to <i>think<b></b></i> about how they would react to the following people if they were working alone late at a convenience store in their neighborhood. Students will not be asked to share their answers (or write them down), rather they will be asked to react and note their reactions mentally. My goal here is to begin the dialog about stereotyping and profiling in a non-judgmental way. As humans, we tend to categorize people by attributes, language, "otherness", and "likeness". Often these categories are based on values, perceptions, experience, and beliefs developed through personal experiences, our families, and our communities. These then create the patterns of perception, attitudes, and beliefs that are the basis of culture.<br />
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<ul><li>A white professional middle aged woman with a dark complexioned young child</li>
<li>A group of teenage boys of mixed race dressed in sports uniforms</li>
<li>A group of black teenage girls dressed in hoodies</li>
<li>A white middle aged policeman</li>
<li>A dark complexioned man accompanied by a dark complexioned woman with a scarf</li>
<li>A homeless man in his 40's </li>
<li>A homeless woman with an accent in her 70's</li>
<li>A man with dreadlocks (complexion non-descript) dressed in casual clothes</li>
<li>A group of East Asian men with no English dressed in business suits</li>
<li>Two latina women, in 20's and 40's. The younger speaks English, the elder does not.</li>
<li>An ungroomed older man (60's) in a wheelchair with a younger care giver bi-racial man with dreadlocks.</li>
<li>A group of teenage boys with tattoos and body piercings.</li>
<li>A bald white middle aged man dressed in camouflage with a Ron Paul button.</li>
<li>A middle aged woman wearing a sari with a cough.</li>
<li>A group of teenage boys with body piercings and British accents.</li>
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<b>Step 2</b><br />
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Now I will break students up into groups. Some groups will be random, some will have commonalities (i.e. downstaters, foreign students, gender, major, language groups). I will then will give students cards with each of the groups listed above, one per card and ask them to sort the cards. The only directions will be there has to be at least 2 cards in each category and there has to be at least 2 categories. Students will be responsible for naming the categories into which they have sorted the cards. According to Dr. Tanner, categories tend to be superficial or based on simplistic visual cues for students that do not have a deep understanding of a topic. I expect that my students will sort according to physical attributes (age, race, fashion) or other easily recognizable attributes such as ability or accent. A more advanced student of intercultural communication might use other attributes (e.g. matriarchal, patriarchal, level of menace, distance from personal culture, approach in communication).<br />
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<b>Results</b><br />
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I was pleasantly surprised at the sophistication of categories my students created. One possibility could be the fact that my class is very diverse so when they were put randomly into groups (by counting off in class), there were different levels of expertise within the discussions. As a result, the discussion became more complex. Some of the categories included: in-group, outgroup, strangers (communication rings) and lifestyles (i.e. caregivers, no social ties, members of groups). The word "stereotypes" and "profiling" did come up in class and we agreed to put it aside to later class (I plan on using it in the socio-linguistics class planned in a couple of weeks as the term has become packed with social meaning due to its use in the media).<br />
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I look forward to some great discussions in my class although I am still a bit nervous about opening up what might be difficult conversations in the class. I will update this post with changes to the process based on the results from my class. I will also be replicating this activity the last class to see if student understanding changes over the course of the semester.<br />
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V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-59722728907515438192014-09-23T17:05:00.000-04:002014-09-23T17:05:25.432-04:00Improving online interactionI was asked to give a presentation on improving interaction for online courses. This is a very complex question. The answer lies in research that has been done in online learning, social psychology, distance or online education, communication (including interpersonal, group, and CM communication), and even organizational development. This blog post will give a basic overview of the problems, barriers, factors, and concepts most researchers agree upon. Later next week, I will upload in-depth posts on choice of technology and its affect on interaction (including private, public, and personal interaction), instructional design to maximize online interaction, types of interaction and their purposes, and models of interaction for learning (including organizational learning).<br />
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In a previous paper, I identified 4 factors that affect online interaction: Technology, community, instructional constraints, and time. <br />
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<b>Technology</b><br />
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Many times, instructors have limited choices of technology type. Because of privacy issues, many US universities and organizations require instructors to use learning management systems (LMS) that allow for privacy. However, these same technologies may limit interaction. For example, Blackboard discussion boards may be difficult for students to identify when a new thread has been started. This would result in discussion that favors one discussion over another because students (or even instructors) are unaware of new information. These more structured LMS tend to structure instruction as two way rather than multiple interaction. On the other hand, Adobe Connect, with audio presentation and chat functions that can be used simultaneously, allow for multiple conversations. However, for some students this can be chaotic. <br />
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LMS's also tend to promote "formal" interaction rather than informal. The devise that an individual accesses class interaction can also affect how "public", "personal", or "private" the interaction may be perceived. Even using the same software, an email may appear more private if received on a smartphone than when it is received on a public computer. This might change the way in which a person interacts, either becoming more formal (or informal), more open (or more private) depending on the technology used.<br />
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Finally, the level of support, comfort with technology, and reliable access can influence how successful students can interact with other students or their instructor. Students located internationally or in rural areas may not have access to high speed internet. There may also be compatibility problems that affect student participation.<br />
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<b>Community</b> <br />
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Different programs create different types of learning communities and different communities of practice. The expectations of these communities, a student's ability to relate to the community or know of community norms, and the ability to participate within the discourse community all affect interaction. Students who lack confidence may tend to be "lurkers" who are afraid or, at least, reluctant to participate. They may feel that they will be rejected if they participate or they may not want to belong to community due the perception that they are have a different culture or style.<br />
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Instructors may need to develop (with the class) communication norms so that all students are working from the same set of rules. In addition, an instructor may need to help create a safe environment to work and learn through interaction at the individual, group, and class levels. <br />
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<b>Time</b> <br />
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This is an aspect of interaction that is often overlooked. In face to face interaction, two people can interrupt, read visual cues, and straighten out misunderstandings within a short time span. Interaction online (even if it is through video) may take more time and may be more difficult to follow. On the other hand, there is more time for planned interaction and responses. Instructors can ask for a deeper level of reflection. Another barrier to online learning may be a difference in time zone. As a result, any interaction might take longer to develop. There is also a greater chance of losing motivation during the interaction.<br />
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Two ways in which instructors and instructional designers can help to overcome these barriers is to assign facilitators and due dates. It is important for all members of the class to remember the time differences and ensure that times are posted with time zones. Related to time zones are the outside pressures to an online student. There may be work, family, or other activity pressures that limit the time when students and instructors are available. Therefore, it becomes important that there are clear expectations for predictable times within which interaction will take place. <br />
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<b>Instructional Constraints</b><br />
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I have taught in Language, Communication, Education, Research, Globalization, Marketing, and Business departments. Some are quantitative in content, some are skill based, some are qualitative, some have static content, some have content that is changing AS I was teaching. I have also taught short term intensive weekend courses, hybrid courses, online courses, workshops, full length year long courses, courses with standardized content, courses which are customized...really any type of configuration you can think of. <br />
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In each of these instances, there were some shared givens: well thought out goals and objectives, assessments that matched the course goals and objectives, a student, and a well thought out instructional design appropriate for the student and assessment/goals/objectives.<br />
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However, due to the variability of courses, there may need to be different types of interaction. The Community of Inquiry (developed by <a href="https://coi.athabascau.ca/coi-model/">Garrison, Anderson, and Archer</a>) is one model commonly used as a jumping off point. The model looks at the intersection of social presence, teacher presence, and cognitive presence. Factors such as student experience, previous knowledge, learning environment, external and internal resources, and even culture and language all can have an effect on course interaction.<br />
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<b>Improving Interaction</b> <br />
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Over the next few weeks, I will be writing some suggestions on how to deal with the factors I discussed here. I will look at research from various disciplines and give some concrete suggestions on how to improve the interaction in an online course at the individual, group, and course level.V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-74929899494618829452014-09-08T16:35:00.001-04:002014-09-08T16:35:59.020-04:00Just in Time Teaching #adjunctchat September 9We've all been there. Either the last minute call asking us to pick up a class (that perhaps we've never taught) or not having a class prepared because of a last minute emergency at home or our other job. How do we handle it?<br />
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First, the nature of adjunct/contingent work makes us more likely to get that last minute call when someone quits unexpectedly. On the one hand, many of us feel that this is a favor we can't turn down. If we do this favor, they may give us more/better classes or better times. This may even be a way to connect with the department for tenure track positions. On the other hand, this means we start classes behind. Being given a class last minute means you may not be able to choose the text or even change the syllabus. So the first question is:<br />
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1) When do you say yes to a last minute teaching request? What are the pros and cons of saying yes or no.<br />
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Once you have committed yourself to teaching the course, what are some ways to get prepared quickly? I use other syllabi. Most universities have syllabi on record from previous semesters. This is always good starting point. However, for me it is important that I make the syllabus my own. I usually will take the text if one has already been ordered because it is too difficult to stop the process. It is important not to teach from the textbook, though. I like to divide my courses into 4 or 5 modules throughout the semester (from my online teaching days). This allows me to group together concepts and readings so readings don't have to be taught sequentially. I also look for other universities' syllabi for teaching/assignment ideas. This has been very successful for my own teaching. Why reinvent the wheel when you have limited time? <br />
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So the second question for discussion is:<br />
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2) How do you get prepared quickly for a class you have just been given? What resources are available? What instructional design process do you use?<br />
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Of course, if you are given a teaching assignment last minute, you may find you are one chapter ahead of the students, especially when it comes to specialized vocabulary used in a text or creating assessments (quizzes, tests, assignments, projects). Many of us who are teaching a course we have been given a while ago may also come to class without knowing what they are going to do for that class. Life happens. Illness, family responsibilities (both younger and older members of the family), outside work, research, conferences, weather, etc... <br />
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Even worse for adjuncts are when you have something prepared but are not able to use it. How many of you have taken the wrong bag or forgotten your notes somewhere else? Many of my colleagues admit to having gone to the wrong school or gotten the time wrong (for the day they had to teach) when they work at multiple locations. They also had the wrong class prep at the wrong location. Then there are the times when technology fails, especially for those working early morning or late a night when there is no technical support. The third question for discussion is:<br />
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3) What has caused you to be ill-prepared in class? How did you manage it?<br />
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I have a few types of activities that I have prepared in case I'm not prepared for the class. These usually student generated (i.e. make up their own jeopardy questions which the rest of the class needs to answer or spending the class time working in teams creating a presentation on the topic). I also am a great believer in games and "playing". In my case, games and simulations work well in the fields of communication, management, education, ESL, and marketing (the fields I've taught in). However, I think it could work in other fields also. It is a great way to assess students and allow students to learn in more ambiguous environments.<br />
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4) What are some "go to" activities you use if you can't use the lesson you had prepared? What about activities in the case where you aren't prepared for a class?V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-22196850042173591082014-07-14T12:31:00.000-04:002014-07-14T12:31:03.274-04:00Best Practices with Mobile Tech: #adjunctchat Tuesday, July 15Mobile Technology is here to stay. It is a fact of academic life.<br />
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Many of us may try to resist integrating mobile technology into our classrooms. However, the fact is that it is now a part of our students' lives and it is something as teachers we need to think about whether we work in a traditional classroom or online. What are some ways in which mobile technology has changed the classroom? <br />
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First, there is the positive ways. Students have access to information on their mobile devises which can broaden the curriculum. Instructors no longer have to rely on outdated information and can bring in topical issues. This is true of all majors. Another advantage is that higher education students can be sent out of the classroom to learn, observe, and experience what they are learning in context. I often use my class time to send students out and observe while keeping in touch via mobile technology. Using technology in the classroom also helps the instructor to give instant feedback as students work in class. I am able to point to different resources or help students learn how to navigate through information, developing their information literacy, communication, and critical thinking skills. <br />
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Outside of class, students can contact their instructor or TA outside of office hours. This is especially important for adjuncts and contingent faculty who may not have access to offices or private spaces for discussion. And new mobile technologies allow for more natural conversation through facetime, skype, or google hangouts. I also am able to update my students, giving them access, through mobile apps for programs such as Trello.com, edmodo, googledocs, youtube or blackboard, to updated resources, feedback, and assignments. Finally, for "temporary" faculty, students can maintain a relationship once a faculty member has left the university. Social networking sites such as facebook or linkedin allows faculty to maintain that relationship which can be a reciprocal relationship for graduate school and employment. I will check in with my former students when I'm revising my classes to get real world feedback so my course stays relevant.<br />
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However, more often than not, faculty know the downside of mobile technology. Students become distracted with their technology and social media, neither listening to the instructor or classmates (if they do happen to be focusing on class work) nor being engaged in the class (checking email, messages, or facebook or even studying for another class). For an instructor it is difficult to know when a student is taking notes on their mobile device or communicating with someone outside of class (although grins during a discussion of marketing law are a dead give away). <br />
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There are also technology difficulties, such as the digital divide (those who have more advanced technology compared to those that don't), power outages, access to wifi (or lack of access), lack of support for individual devices, and incompatibility with other digital devices. Many faculty members are not confident to use technology that they either are unfamiliar with or have no academic support for. In addition, designing activities for effective use of mobile technology in the classroom may be time consuming as there may be technology testing and training used. For example, there are different designs for smartphone use, tablets, and laptops. Smartphones require a different format than computer based content. In addition, each screen shot on a small mobile device can be linked but normally can't be seen as a whole product.<br />
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Finally, the ability for students to reach an instructor 24/7 can lead to an adjunct or part-time instructor interacting with students above and beyond the time for which they are paid. Students rarely distinguish between a tenured, full-time, or part-time instructor and may expect unlimited access. <br />
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In this week's #adjunctchat, we will trade some best practices for using mobile technology (m-learning) both in traditional classes and online classes. We will look at the use of mobile technology in academics as a whole and the challenges for adjuncts specifically.<br />
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1) Do you allow the use of mobile technology in your courses? Why or why not?<br />
2) What are some challenges in using mobile technology (especially for adjuncts/contingent faculty)<br />
3) How might you integrate mobile technology into your teaching?<br />
4) What boundaries do/might you need to create for effective use of mobile technology with your students?<br />
5) What resources would you like to have when developing activities, resources, instructional design, technology for mobile use in the classroom?<br />
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This discussion is open to anyone interested in mobile technology in the classroom. I'll try to put up some links of examples I've used in my classes. V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-21181180235886366462014-04-02T10:05:00.000-04:002014-04-02T10:05:30.417-04:00Adjuncts doing research Adjunctchat April 8One of the common myths in society is that only tenure track faculty or Phd students who are forced to do research are doing so at universities. In fact, many adjuncts either want to or are doing research, in some cases on their own, in other cases as part of a full time job out of the academy. <br />
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However, there are a number of issues that come up. If adjuncts aren't being paid for the work, then should they have control over their work? If that is the case, do they have to get approval from the IRB if they aren't using students as participants? How do they handle "school affiliation" that a growing number of journals require when they they have conducted the research over two or more different locations? How can adjuncts overcome their "research itch?" <br />
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In this week's adjunctchat, we'll be discussing how adjuncts can do research, get funding, and trouble shoot problems if they want to continue doing research (inside and outside academia).V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-27868144648302197732014-03-31T10:46:00.001-04:002014-04-01T13:48:24.090-04:00What do adjuncts do? #adjunctchat April 1A few weeks ago, I read something that made me think of this topic. I'm sorry I didn't save the link, but someone stated, "If we were lawyers, we would get paid for billable hours." This got me to thinking, what if we as education professionals, started billing for the work we did as accountants, lawyers, or even "trainers" (who ARE educators, by the way, even though there are some who continue to make the division) do? What if our contracts were to deliver a service, but we could charge more for larger classes (training contract put a cap on maximum class size), tailoring classes or classes we have not taught before (so prep), office hours, administrative work such as inputting grades, writing recommendations or calculating midterm grades for students who need them or verification of progress, making copies of course material, grading student work (which means all of the innovative new ways of teaching requiring more advanced means of assessment or faculty teaching writing courses would get paid more because of the required extra hours) or research in which the school's name is used in a journal or conference (this is part of school image after all).<br />
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So, the problem as I see it is two fold: 1) Adjuncts/contingents don't get paid for all that they do; and 2) most people (except for adjuncts and some department heads & faculty) are unaware of all the work an average adjunct does and does not get paid for.<br />
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Over the last week or so I've collected some blog posts and reports about the work situation for adjuncts which are finally coming to light. However, there is still little information and actual data on adjuncts. So my adjunctchat (Tuesday, April 1 at 4PM Eastern Standard Time) will look at the information gap about adjuncts and how we can address that.<br />
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Some of the questions I'd like to discuss include:<br />
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1) How are adjuncts/contingents/teaching assistants identified and used in higher education? Are there differences in unionized/non-unionized, public/private institutions, community colleges/colleges/research universities, or regions/countries?<br />
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2) What are the requirements and hiring practices for adjuncts? How is this different from Tenure Track? How is this different from other part time employees? How is this different from contract professionals?<br />
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3) How can we make hiring and the work adjuncts do more transparent? How can be begin to publicize the real adjunct work (rather than the public image of an adjunct some experience in the class-but not necessarily an academic degree- popping into to class to lecture 1-3 times a week and giving the class 2 pre-developed standard tests created by the publisher or a tenure track professor, which is graded by machine)?<br />
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4) How much time per class per semester do you contribute to class, service, and research? How can we gather this information so it is not just a self reported guestimate but is methodically collected (I'm thinking there's got to be an app out there)?<br />
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I hope you can make this. It would also help if we could begin to get some additional participants outside of the US and Canada as I think other countries are beginning to be pressured to accept this adjunct/contingent" model which has creeped into the US and is beginning to move into the Canadian system. If we have data, academics around the world can begin to push back so there is a more equitable system of pay and work.<br />
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References:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlmWBEz4bfo&feature=youtu.be">Conjob</a> (video)<br />
<a href="http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/sites/democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/files/documents/1.24.14-AdjunctEforumReport.pdf">Congressional Report</a>: The just in time professor<br />
<a href="http://www.academicworkforce.org/CAW_portrait_2012.pdf">Portrait of part-time faculty</a> by CAW<br />
<a href="http://www.cupahr.org/surveys/files/salary2014/PHE-2014-Executive-Summary.pdf">CUPA-HR </a>Professionals in Higher Education Salary Survey<br />
<a href="https://chroniclevitae.com/news/396-just-visiting-the-candidates-cometh?cid=VTEVPMSED1">Just visiting</a><br />
<a href="http://adjunctaction.org/town-hall/">Adjunctaction Town Meeting</a><br />
<a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Adjunct_Pay_Conditions/136439/">Chronical's Vitae Adjunct stats</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/178821/columbia-university-fired-two-eminent-public-intellectuals-heres-why-it-matters?utm_content=buffer7fc22&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">Columbia Professors</a> fired after yrs as contingents<br />
<a href="http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2014/03/20/open-data-government-commissioned-research/">UK policy maker</a>s getting more data from private sector rather than unis<br />
In case people buy that this is a new problem, read <a href="http://nhmail2.nhnea.org/assets/img/PubThoughtAndAction/TAA_95Spr_05.pdf">this article</a> from 1995<br />
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Please tweet me or add in the comment section any other resources you might have.V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-71550356696818865062014-03-25T17:43:00.000-04:002014-03-25T17:43:24.333-04:00Integrating service learning and blogs into communication coursesIn a recent twitter conversation with Mike Morrison at <a href="http://rapidbi.com/">RapidBI</a>, I mentioned that I felt the current unemployment rate for teen in the US was having an impact on the skills students were coming in with. It used to be that students would learn work skills on the job in low level entry level jobs. These skills included basic jobs skills such as understanding what is expected in a job (being on time, dressing correctly, knowing when to take initiative, knowing when to ask questions, understanding chain of command in a given work situation, company culture), communication skills (interacting with irate customers, problem solving, finding and giving information), and self regulation (taking responsibility for actions, changing behaviors to fit corporate culture, interacting with coworkers, taking initiative). All of these skills can be learned (with support from workplace mentors and training structures) on the job. However, what happens when teens no longer have access to these types of jobs? <br />
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My background (as many who read my blog know) is in experiential learning. This means that I am always trying to figure out how to give my students real life situations that they can learn within and try out new skills without the fear of failing the class. I use Kolb's model: experience, reflection, generalization, experimentation. For me, the biggest challenge is to find real life situations that my students can use (simulations are nice, but there is not the same level of complexity and lack of predictability for my students to feel the discomfort of "not knowing" what they are doing, yet having others rely on their work). So, for the last 3 years, I have had my students do various types of service learning projects. <br />
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This semester, I have also decided to have them blog about the projects. There are two reasons for this: 1) It forces them to reflect on the project beyond the required documents they are required to produce, and 2) They are publicly accountable for the project.<br />
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<b>The Projects</b><br />
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This semester, I am teaching two different levels of group communication. The lower level focuses on understanding group processes and developing communication skills (writing and oral) for effective group processes. I have students working in two different groups throughout the semester simultaneously so they understand how different groups, group purposes/tasks, and communication requirements will result in different group processes and challenges. One of the projects is an open service learning project in which students must work 5 hours per person (i.e. 20 hours for a group of 4, 25 hours for a group of 5) with a non-profit organization. They must keep me informed first by writing a project proposal, then creating a group code of conduct, submitting a progress report, writing a description of their project on a service learning blog, and writing a final report which includes evidence of their hours/work (i.e. letter from organization they work with, receipts, schedule). I allow students to choose whichever organization they want to work with, but they must propose the work and organization and get it approved by me before they start the work.<br />
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The second class I teach is an upper level class that focuses on group leadership. For this class, students were given 5-6 books to start off with, and then collect 4 more books per person (20 for a group of 5, 24 for a group of 6). Next they need to find an organization to donate the books to that is outside of our region. Once a week, they are given a different task to complete to help them find books, find an organization to donate to, and deliver the books to the organization (outside of our region). This project may include fund-raising for postage or soliciting various groups for books that are related to the organization to which they are donating. <br />
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In both cases, students will be asked to document their work and then create a blog which can be used by the university, the students (for future jobs), and the organizations they are working at (for more publicity and perhaps future contributions and help).<br />
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<b>What My Students Learn</b><br />
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Over the last 3 years that I have done these service projects, my students initially are resistant in doing the projects. Many complain that it requires too much outside time with their busy schedules. However, by the end of the semester, the majority are very pleased to have participated and many continue to do the volunteer work started through this class. In addition to being a resume builder, students believe that this project gave them a realistic experience in which they learned to communicate. They were able to use the tools they were taught in class and reflect on their impact on communication in a real world experience. Many students have indicated that they have used those same tools in subsequent internships. They also feel more confident in using the communication skills because they have had to use them in a comparatively low risk situation (the service project) yet being held responsible for using them in a real life situation.<br />
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V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-17177399808439199292014-03-22T11:22:00.000-04:002014-03-22T11:38:43.529-04:00Distributed groups and mobile technology<b>A short history</b><br />
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Twenty years ago, I was working on a <a href="http://www.ciber.gatech.edu/papers/workingpaper/2003/04-025.pdf">management training program for Hungary</a>. The program, funded by USAID,the Pew Foundation, and USIA, was headquartered in the State University of New York's Office of International Programs in Albany, drawing on the resources of 26 campuses (university centers, colleges, technical colleges, and community colleges). In addition to the program headquarters, the program had a Center for Private Enterprise in Budapest which worked with affiliates in 3 provincial towns/cities as well as Budapest and a program group at the University of Buffalo (a SUNY research university). Each group had its own way of working, and my job as project manager was to coordinate it. We used faxes, conference calls, carriers, overnight/express mail, and towards the end, we were in the dawn of the internet, learning how to "program" emails, routing them through university servers from the US, to Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, finally sending them to universities in Hungary who would hand deliver them to our Budapest offices. <br />
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Distributed groups back then required a core group through which communication would pass. If technology or even a vital member of the group was missing, the work of the group could be delayed for days or even weeks. While the majority of work being conducted was in English, Hungary was just coming out of the cold war years, so English was not a commonly spoken language. Due to Hungary's history as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many spoke German as a second language. As the only German speaker in the group (and then it was limited), this meant that I needed to be available in case we had to communicate with the Center's clerical staff, who were in the process of learning English. I would go in many mornings for conference calls or our Center's managerial staff would have to stay late because of the time difference. <br />
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Fast forward to 6 years later, when I was asked to come to take over a project that was ending. There had been 2 previous project managers before me who had been moved to take over other more important projects. Again, this was a USAID funded project, but this time there was a head of project on the ground who handled most of the logistics. My role as Project Director was mostly administrative: financial approvals, budgets, report writing, communicating with the funding agent, writing contracts, making travel arrangements outside of Paraguay. By this time, however, we were communicating via computer (desktop dial up internet). In addition, the Head of Project had a cell phone that we could reach when he was not in the office (either at onsite training or after hours during the summer when there was a 2 hour time difference). <br />
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This helped distribute the power between the distributed group so there did not have to be one central location for decisions. In addition, the internet made communication more efficient as an email could be left overnight for someone to access the next day. However, due to the computer still being tied to a line, if a person was away from the office for any length of time, a colleague would need to access and review their emails. Our office, while multilingual, at times would not have a language specialist to translate correspondence. I was recruited a number of times to translate for our projects in Brazil and Mozambique because I could decipher Portuguese. However, we had to have emails written in Russian either translated into English, put on hold for our Russian speaker to return, or forward the email to another location for the Russian speaker to access. While some work could be distributed, the technology still required some central coordination. In addition, it was still time consuming. <br />
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<b>How has mobile technology affected distributed groups?</b><br />
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So how are things different, 14 years later? Even the fact that I am aware of what my former colleagues are doing is a difference. I can keep up with their work peripherally through the <a href="http://www.cid.suny.edu/our_work/our_work_projects.cfm">web</a>, facebook, and linkedin. When I asked one of my former colleagues for a letter of recommendation, she gave me her cell phone number. She might have been out of the country, but she checked her messages and email via cell phone when needed. She would bring her computer so she could work on projects while she was out of the country. This meant that for more urgent matters, she could make decisions that needed immediate attention. Of course, this also means she is multi-tasking more and team members may know less than they did before if she decides not to share her knowledge or information. <br />
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In a recent chapter I wrote about mobile technology, researchers (Ladner, 2008; Julsrud & Bakke, 2009) found that there is a blurring of the lines between work and home life. While a member of management may have more flexible time (as my colleague now has), he or she may also have more time taken out of their home life/leisure time as they are expected to be "on call" and available at all times in case of emergency. My dissertation also had evidence that the more important members of a distributed group are those that can "translate" information from one group to another. In this case, translate was not only to put into terms that others can understand, but also the language and cultural foundations needed to communicate across borders.<br />
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Distributed groups means that employees are working with other team members that they may never have met face to face. In any work team, individuals want to present a social identity that will make collaboration easier. In addition, a team prospers from members accessing the social and knowledge networks of other group members. Wallis and Law & Peng found workers controlled their identities in the workplace through mobile phone filters such as turning off the phone, limiting who had their phone number (including trading phones to get a new phone number, thus cutting off access to those with whom they did not want to communicate), and developing contact lists on their mobile phone. They developed different communication strategies for different social groups to limit how they presented their social identities for different contexts. The mobile technology gave them agency to communicate and behave as required by their social/knowledge networks (distributed group) and context. My own research supports this, with members of distributed groups sharing or withholding information depending on their perception of how their knowledge was valued within a group. The mobile phone allows group members to access knowledge and social networks, but either publicly (i.e. conference call, social media space), privately (texting, email) or personally (sharing texts or emails if they appear of value, yet acknowledging ownership to the individual rather than the group).<br />
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Mobile technology also allows the social networks related to distributed groups to create new in-group norms and values from those of the departments, social groups, or communities in which they work and live. A third culture that superseded their physical environment(s) can be created through mobile interaction within their social networks. Portus (2008) had these findings in her study on mobile phone use in the Philippines. This is a common outcome of distributed groups (Julsrud & Bakke , 2009), which mobile technology helps to maintain. Mobile technology allows for different pathways for interaction, group development, team culture and relationship building, and knowledge sharing.<br />
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<b>References:</b> <br />
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Julsrud, T. E., & Bakke , J. W. (2009). Trust, friendship, and expertise: The use of email, mobile dialogues, and SMS to develop and sustain social relations in a distributed work group. In R. Ling, & S. Campbell (Eds.), The reconstruction of space and time: Mobile communication practices (pp. 159-190). New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.<br />
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Ladner, S. (2008). Laptops in the living room: Mobile technologies and the divide between work and private time among interactive agency workers. Canadian Journal of Communication, 33, 465-489. <br />
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Law, P., & Peng, Y. (2008). Mobile networks: Migrant workers in Southern China. In J. Katz (Ed), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 55-64). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.<br />
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Portus, L. (2008). How the urban poor acquire and give meaning to the mobile phone. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 105-118). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.<br />
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Wallis, C. (2011). (Im)mobility mobility: Marginal youth and mobile phones in Beijing. In R. Ling, & S. Campbell (Eds.), Mobile communication: Bringing us together and tearing us apart (pp. 61-82). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.<br />
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Wallis, C. (2013). Technomobility in China. New York: New York University Press.<br />
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Yonkers, V. (2012). The effect of workplace collaborative writing on the development of knowledge within distributed groups. Dissertation. University at Albany. Available on Proquest.<br />
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-45798907583297253772014-02-19T17:58:00.001-05:002014-02-20T13:45:59.567-05:00Teaching undergrads how to write an analysis.My students have been accepted into our university through a competitive vetting process. Many are top in their schools which vary from large urban, to small rural, to large centralized rural, to small town, to well-endowed suburban. They are the product of the current testing environment of K-12 which in New York state means they have had to write essays since 3rd grade (whether it is developmentally appropriate is another question). So I would expect that they would have at least minimally good writing skills. While many are able to string together content in a grammatically correct manner, over the last five years I have noticed their perplexed looks when I ask them to write an analysis. They can report, they can describe, but they have not been trained to analyze and support their writing with <b>relevant</b> examples and content from assigned readings. <br />
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So this year, I decided I would teach all my classes how to write an analysis. This is the type of writing businesses are complaining graduates are lacking. After reading Deanna Mascle's lastest <a href="http://metawriting.deannamascle.com/we-need-more-writers-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it/">blog post</a> asking what we as teachers are doing to teach writing, I decided to share the document I created to help explain to my students how to write an analysis. Feel free to share this.<br />
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<b>How to write an effective analysis</b><br />
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An analysis takes concepts we’ve learned in class and the assigned readings and applies them to activities we do in class. In the analysis you will:<br />
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• Draw some of your own conclusions<br />
• Support those conclusions with examples from the readings and your own experience<br />
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This is probably different from other academic writing you have done which either is a description or a reflection (your own opinion). However, this is a very important skill to have when you enter the workforce. <br />
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<b>Process</b><br />
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As you do the assigned reading for class, identify some of the key concepts from the reading. You may note these down on <a href="https://evernote.com/">evernote</a>, word, or a <a href="https://trello.com">trello.com</a> card. After you have completed the readings assigned for the analysis, review your notes. Are there any common themes? You may come up with 1-3 themes for the readings as a whole. <br />
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<i><blockquote>Example</i>: Group development is difficult; communication can make or break a group; getting things done in a group is complex.</blockquote><br />
Once you have your theme, review your readings again and identify what the authors have written about your theme. Identify specific examples/quotes from the reading that discuss the theme and highlight them. Now reviewing the highlighted section, think of your experience both in class and outside of class. What conclusions can you draw about the content learned in class in relation to those themes you identified? You may find that the readings contradict themselves or your experience. What is your explanation for this?<br />
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<blockquote><i>Example:</i> Teams that work on a structured task may not go through stages of development, but teams that are working on more social tasks will. According to Tuckman, our group activity should not have been easy to accomplish because our group was in the forming stage (one of Tuckman’s stages). However, we were able to accomplish it because we have worked on similar projects in the past. Our group was more like Gersick’s teams because our task was so structured. So the communication did not rely on our feelings towards the other team members but rather we shared specific information to achieve the task.</blockquote>You should integrate all of the assigned readings into the analysis.<br />
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<b>Some guidelines</b><br />
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If you use information from one of the readings, you should identify it (for the analysis you may, but don’t have to, formally cite the information, but you must identify the author’s name as in the example above*.)<br />
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1)<b>Don’t describe or reword the reading</b>. However, you may use quotes or identify concepts from the reading.<br />
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<blockquote><i>Poor example</i>: (Don’t do this)<br />
Tuckman’s 5 stages of group development are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjoining. In forming, groups will introduce each other.</blockquote><br />
Notice this does not have any examples that demonstrates that you understand what happens in each stage, nor does it have any of author’s conclusions about group formation and communication.<br />
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<blockquote><i>Good example:</i> (Do this)<br />
Groups communicate differently as they develop as Tuckman observed. Our group started off introducing ourselves and tried to learn about each others strengths and weaknesses.</blockquote><br />
In this example, the author identifies Tuckman’s article and gives examples that support the author’s conclusion that groups communicate like Tuckman wrote.<br />
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2)<b>Don’t just give your opinion</b>. You want to put in your analysis, but your analysis should be based on experience and your understanding of the reading.<br />
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<br />
<blockquote><i>Poor example</i>: (Don’t do this)<br />
I think groups should introduce themselves to get the group going. We did this and it helped us to complete the activity.</blockquote><br />
There is no supporting information from the reading, nor is there anything about conclusions the author has made about group communication.<br />
<br />
<blockquote><i>Good example</i>: (Do this)<br />
As Tuckman wrote in his article, introducing yourself to your group members helps to set the atmosphere for effective group communication from the beginning. Setting this atmosphere helps to establish trust. When we did our first activity, we started to create trust using the same methods outlined in Antony’s article (establishing rules for speaking, setting an agenda, giving due dates).</blockquote><br />
Notice how the author gives the opinion that setting the atmosphere created trust, but supported it with information from both readings and the group’s experience.<br />
<br />
3)Make sure your writing uses college level writing standards including, making sure the paper is typed (double spaced), stapled or paper clipped, proper grammar, paragraphs, capitalization and punctuation. Also, you should check for spelling errors, sentence structure (no fragments or run on sentences). Any information taken word for word from a reading should be in quotes with the page number following.<br />
<br />
Remember to put your name and the class number at the top. You may also want to number the pages in case pages fall off.<br />
<br />
<b>Getting Started</b><br />
<br />
Often students ask me how to begin. One way to start your analysis is to develop a research question which your analysis will answer. It is possible that an instructor may give you the "prompt" to use, but most of the time we will only give you a topic. So take that topic and create a question that you think the professor or you want to answer about that topic. The best questions will use question words such as <i><b>how</b></i> or <i>why</i>. These question words will help you to write a paper that is more than just a description. You can also use that question to begin a conversation with your instructor if you are not sure you have understood the assignment. An instructor will know what you are thinking of if you bring a How or Why question than it you say simply, I don't understand the assignment.<br />
<br />
For example: Topic is group communication in teamwork.<br />
<br />
A good question: How does group communication help or hinder a team's work processes? Why do some types of group communication help a team to be productive and others hinder it?<br />
<br />
A poor question: What is good communication? Does group communication help teamwork?<br />
<br />
Notice in the poor questions that the answer would tend to be simple and descriptive, whereas the good questions require you to think and make some generalizations about the topic. <br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b> *While an academic paper would require formal citations, I'm trying to teach my students how to write a "professional" analysis that may be used in the workplace. Most workplaces would not require (or even want) formal citations with a full bibliography, however, I think it is important to train students to identify where their information is coming from. This means they should use a modified citation in which the author and perhaps date are identified in text or as a "source". For some of my writing assignments I do require an approved citation method, which most are adept at (at least in one method, either MLA or University of Chicago).<br />
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-11310263963120577032014-02-09T12:32:00.000-05:002014-02-09T12:32:19.153-05:00Why I like EdmodoFor the last few years I have been using Edomodo.com in my classes. I use it for discussions and for my students to upload assignments. We have an LMS for the university but I don't like using it as it is very UNFRIENDLY for users and sometimes just takes too much effort. We don't have technical support for Edmodo, but we now have minimal support for the LMS as more people are encouraged to use it but the number of support positions have stayed the same (3 dedicated positions for a university of 10,000 students).<br />
<br />
So what do I like about Edmodo?<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>I, the teacher, have control over features like accessing material and who can access it. I can set different privacy settings for different materials and who sees it when. For example, I can create a group project and send access information to group leaders without other group members being able to see the material. I can then do an in-class activity in which only the leaders have in the information until the activity has been completed, then I can show the entire class the information after. This helps in teaching concepts in which I want students first to try out concepts, make mistakes, come up with their own analysis, and then compare it to what research says should have happened. In other words, I'm able to teach critical thinking and problem solving skills.</li>
<li>It used to be that students would have a technical problem and I'd have to send them to the help desk. Students perceived this as my not knowing what I was doing. The fact was I had no control over many of the technical problems they had. Now, I can reset passwords (edmodo allows the instructor to do that), check student status and what they have uploaded or not, and create/modify groups. Of course, this also means that when there is a technical problem, I'm on my own. However, I have found the support/help function very responsive.</li>
<li>I like that I can create something ahead of time but schedule the time and date for it to go "live". I now preview a question of the day and then have the "assignment" come up live after class with the answer. This means my students are more prepared to extend themselves in class and go back after class if they got an answer wrong (fits well into a flipped classroom).</li>
<li>My students LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the mobile app. I love the fact that I can have notifications sent to my school email when students post. And it is not just that they have posted, but I can read the posts so I know if there is a problem right away or just something to handle when I have time.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Like any software, there are some things I don't like about Edmodo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>There is no syllabus creation function. I will always miss the syllabus function of Prometheus/Early WebCT which allowed you to put dates in, days of the week you taught, even holidays and then it populated your syllabus form automatically with dates for classes that you could then input readings, assignments, and even an overview for each class. Since Edmodo was created with the K-12 user in mind, I'm surprised they don't have this feature.</li>
<li>My students that use Mac's have had some interaction difficulties.</li>
<li>The mobile app is great for the students but more limited for teachers. I wouldn't mind a separate "teacher's" mobile app.</li>
<li>I'd like them to improve their attachment ability in the "notes" section. It works well in the assignments section, but not so much in the notes section.</li>
<li>There is constant upgrading. It would be nice to have a newsletter when this happens with instructions or a training video.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Overall, I would strongly recommend Edmodo for anyone looking for a safe alternative to facebook but more user friendly access than many LMS's provide.</div>
</div>
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-8033496822411890752014-01-20T11:43:00.001-05:002014-01-20T11:44:18.830-05:00The challenges and strategies for online adjuncts: Adjunctchat Jan 21, 2014There has been a lot of discussion lately about the possibility of all classes going online and MOOC's (Massive online courses)replacing the traditional classroom. A result has been a backlash in which many still believe that online learning is not as effective as face to face learning (despite the body of work that proves that online learning, if done correctly, has no significant difference to learning outcomes than face to face traditional learning. Add to this that many of the online faculty are adjunct and their is a second layer of challenges online learning adjunct faculty have.<br />
<br />
<b>Background</b><br />
<br />
As an occasional online (and traditional) instructor, an instructor teaching "Distance Learning", and adjunct for 25 years, I still come in contact with misconceptions about online learning, including:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Online learning instructional design is the same as traditional in-class instructional design</li>
<li>Plagiarism/academic dishonesty is easier with online learning</li>
<li>All online learning is the same and can be used for any subject</li>
<li>Online instruction is easier/less time consuming than face to face instruction</li>
<li>Any course can be put online (including same content and class size)</li>
<li>Online instruction will allow for more courses with the same number of inputs (instructors, IT) and in some cases reduces instructional costs</li>
<li>Any student can do well in an online class as long as the instructor is competent</li>
</ul>
<div>
So, for those of you who have never taught an online class, here is the reality:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Most online learning is broken up into modules which allows for more individualized learning over a longer period of time. In addition, because of the lack of social cues, there has to be some differences in how content is presented and there usually is a greater level of "use" of the content than in a traditional lecture. There is at least 15 years of good research which has resulted in a variety of instructional design. However, incorporated in the instructional design is a built in structure required by LMS's (Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard or Angel).</li>
<li>Plagiarism is no more prevalent than in a traditional large lecture or class. Just like a traditional class, there are ways to design a course to prevent academic dishonesty and plagiarism. In fact, because of the fear of plagiarism (from my experience), online instructors are more aware of possible online cheating.</li>
<li>Some subjects still need to have some face to face time. This does not mean that some instruction cannot be online. Subjects such as studio art, theatre, medicine, and some of the lab sciences need to have hands on instruction/learning. More and more, new technologies are making these possible (i.e. via skype or videoconferencing at facilities with labs and studios).</li>
<li>Planning and maintenance of the course can be twice as long for an online course than a traditional course. Because of the lack of social cues in many cases, instructors need to work harder at identifying when students don't get a concept.</li>
<li>Online courses will take more time to communicate. As a result, the content will need to fit into time, technological, interaction, and distance constraints. The ideal class size for an online class is 20 students and anything over 25 may need a TA to keep on top of questions and problems. In addition, online problems require much more IT support which must be designed into the class (as does the use of the online LMS).</li>
<li>IT will need to have 24/7 support for online degrees along with constant upgrades to programs. Also online degrees and classes can require more security.</li>
<li>Not all students have the self regulation to do well in an online class. Some people also learn better in a face to face class as they need instant feedback they may not get in an online class.</li>
</ul>
<div>
For many of you who teach online, you are familiar with this. As adjuncts, your only interaction with a department may be with those that hold the opinions above. For others, you key contacts may understand, but your university administration may not.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This may mean:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>You are given contradictory instructions/requirements</li>
<li>You are expected to meet criteria that may not be possible</li>
<li>Students may rely on you for support you can't give (i.e. technology glitches, program requirements)</li>
<li>You have limited colleagues to discuss learning/teaching problems with</li>
<li>You don't have enough time to design a course or you did not design the course you are teaching</li>
<li>You spend a lot more time on instruction than you are being paid for </li>
<li>You feel as if you are on call to the class at all times</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Discussion for this Chat</b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
This chat we will discuss:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Challenges for the adjunct teaching online</li>
<li>Getting support for your teaching (institutional and social)</li>
<li>Expectations for adjuncts and online instructors</li>
<li>Strategies to make online adjunct teaching easier</li>
</ul>
</div>
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-17078507129483321852013-12-09T13:18:00.002-05:002013-12-09T13:18:58.672-05:00#adjunctchat November 10, 2013: Managing your commitments at the end of the semesterThis is the time of year when the walls begin to close in. Not only might you be finishing the semester, getting semester grades in, preparing for the holidays, and in many cases juggling multiple workplaces. Perhaps you have a full time job which now requires an end of the year report, or you are responsible for a quarterly AND annual report for research funders. An added stress for the adjunct is IF you have a job next semester, what will you be teaching (is it new or do you need to dust off and update a course you've taught before).<br />
<br />
On top of this, this is the time of year that there are stronger family pressures, either due to travel to be with family, attending children's performances (if you have children or other young relatives), etc...<br />
<br />
This week we will be discussing strategies to manage the commitments so we can enjoy this time of year. Among the questions will be:<br />
<br />
1) How do you prioritize work commitments?<br />
2) Are there devises (including social media) which could make your work flow easier?<br />
3) How do you balance work and personal time commitments? <br />
<br />
Hope you can make it tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 4PM Eastern Standard Time) and we will keep it to 1/2 hr for all of us pressed for time!V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-75656370592037518962013-11-27T10:41:00.002-05:002013-11-27T10:41:34.930-05:00Thanksgiving policies, technology, and higher educationThis week is Thanksgiving in the US. In the past, Thanksgiving had a special place in the hearts of Americans, especially as we became a mobile nation. It was the day when people would go back to their hometowns, families, and communities. But last year, the envelope was pressed and Thanksgiving became a day when retail establishments decided they could force workers to report to work. This year there are even more. However, for college students, higher education policies over the last decade has slowly been disintegrating the importance of the holiday also. <br />
<br />
<b>Higher Education and Thanksgiving in the Past</b><br />
<br />
Some might contend that there has been no change in the policy for attending classes the week of Thanksgiving. Yes, as an undergraduate, I had classes until Tuesday (although it was usually Tuesday at noon). But to understand the current issues, it is important to understand the changes to Higher Education since the 1980's.<br />
<br />
During the 1990's two things changed in Higher Education: the merging of "continuing education" or "night school" with the traditional undergraduate schedule and the "nationalization" of higher education. The impact of allowing traditional students to take courses at night and soon the desolving of two different systems (one for "working" students and one for "full-time students" meant that now there were night classes ending at 10:00 PM. In the past "commuter" or local "continuing education" students would be available for Tuesday night classes while traditional students who may not be local would have travel time.<br />
<br />
Another thing that impacted the educational system was the recruiting of students from outside of the local market. This happened in the 1990's when the demographics of college age students changed to a smaller population to draw from. In addition, US News and World Report changed the basis for assessing and categorizing colleges. Now smaller colleagues could gain status by drawing students from around the US and internationally, moving from "Regional" to "National" colleges. National colleges continue to have more status than regional. However, nationalizing your student population means that students need more time to get back home for holidays such as Thanksgiving. Many of these colleges, however, have not made adjustments to their policies or schedules that consider the new profile of their students.<br />
<br />
<b>Problems and Solutions</b><br />
<br />
How did (does) this affect Thanksgiving? It used to be that classes ended in plenty of time for students to travel back to their home towns. However, when night classes were opened up to traditional students a number of problems resulted. <br />
<br />
These problems can be resolved with some simple policy changes:<br />
<br />
1. Problem: Tuesday classes that meet once a week. If students miss the class they miss a week's worth of instruction. There is a real problem with accreditors and even some students that want their money's worth.<br />
<br />
Solution 1: Schedule classes to end for Thanksgiving on Monday. There are plenty of Monday holidays that this will not result in too many Monday classes if the school year is extended to add a Tuesday class at the end of the schedule.<br />
<br />
Solution 2: Allow for alternative instruction. I usually have an online class the week before Thanksgiving. My students who are on a train (and soon on a plane) or waiting for transportation, many of them with G5 mobile phones with access anywhere, can participate live. Those who don't have access during class time can go to a library and participate before or after the class. I have a colleague that has one on one meetings with students during the week of Thanksgiving. If students need to leave earlier, they can make an appointment for that meeting the week BEFORE Thanksgiving during her office hours. There still is the same amount of contact hours, however, it is not in a classroom. These are very useful for her students because they discuss research work they are doing. In both of these cases, it is important that an instructor document (i.e. save online interactions, save sign up sheets for "tutoral") that the same time was spent on instruction.<br />
<br />
2. Problem: Students who have to leave early due to travel will miss classes. Other students will take advantage of it and it means the professor is teaching to an empty classroom.<br />
<br />
Solution 1: Allow for alternative instruction (see above). Online classes that are set up well can have just as much of an impact as face to face and requires the same effort by an instructor.<br />
<br />
Solution 2: Institute a policy in which students CANNOT be penalized for missing class the week of Thanksgiving. This means no tests can be administered and credit cannot be taken away due to absence. My daughter had a letter grade taken away from her final grade because she had to be picked up early due to the storms this week. My son received a 0 on an oral test which he was not allowed to make up because the only ticket he could be home before dorms closed was during the class where the oral exam was being given. I have heard faculty brag that they had almost full attendance except for the students who lived in the snow belt of upstate New York. It was too bad that they missed the exams, but they made the decision to leave early (despite the closing of roads later that night)so would not be allowed to make it up. <br />
<br />
Solution 3: School has a process to get clearance for travel during this week. Students that live far away which requires travel earlier in the week or road conditions that will be unfavorable will be cleared by an administrator. <br />
<br />
Solution 4: Students can be rewarded for attending classes the week of Thanksgiving. I know of many teachers who will give the answers to exam questions on the day before Thanksgiving or students get extra credit for the assignments they do in class during the week of Thanksgiving. This puts the responsibility of attending on the student. While the student is not penalized for going home early, the student that stays is rewarded.<br />
<br />
3. Problem: Students need to leave less than 24 hours after their last class. This is especially problematic for those who have night classes as they may need to travel during the night when driving difficult or they may not be able to get a ticket for mass transportation because of the demands during Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
Solution 1: My son goes to a Big 10 school (which like all Big 10 schools are in the middle of nowhere with limited transportation options) a 6 hour drive away from our home. He had a choice of leaving before his exam (which he was not allowed to make up) or leave the next day by 10:00 AM. The problem was that would not give us time to pick him up. He also would have to wait outside for 5 hours between the time his bus left and he had to be out of his dorm. Last year the policy changed because there was a football game scheduled. Students had until 5:00 the next day to leave their dorms. The solution then should be to either give students 24 hours after the last class has ended to get picked up or find a common area where students can wait/get food/go to the bathroom before they need to leave.<br />
<br />
Solution 2: End classes on Monday or the Friday before Thanksgiving. This makes it possible for families to pick up children without taking time off from work and/or more options for traveling. Likewise, dorms should open on Saturday afternoon to allow for students coming from long distances to return in time for classes on Monday. Giving a small window to return means students may not be able to make it back to campus on time.<br />
<br />
<b>Impact on Change of Policy</b><br />
<br />
The goal of these changes are to reconcile the needs of administrators, faculty, students, parents, and accreditors. Colleges and Universities need to stay current to the changes in their environment and demographic make up. Parents don't want to get involved, but they are a factor in many undergraduates' lives. Many help pay the bills, pick up students or make travel arrangements, and need to coordinate their own schedules with that of their children. Likewise, faculty and administrators need to deliver instruction being accountable to accrediting organizations, government, parents, and students. With some tweeking of policies, all stakeholders can be accommedated.<br />
<br />
Finally, Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, has a great impact on students. This is a time to reenergize, reconnect, and prepare for the transition back home for the Winter Break. For many students, it will be the only vacation they have as they will work or study during the 4-5 weeks of Winter Break. For the family, especially those who live a considerable distance from their children's colleges, this is the first time they will have been together as a family. While there are those who would like to minimize the importance of Thanksgiving to just the day before Black Friday, the majority of the country still values Thanksgiving as a day for family, however you define family.<br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving.<br />
V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513616792028141844.post-86939154179704773862013-11-24T12:54:00.000-05:002013-11-27T06:48:22.343-05:00The Mobile ProfessorOne thing that #acwrimo has done is to remind me to blog my research ideas and insights as I'm developing them. With that in mind, I've decided to talk about some new research I am considering. Many of the ideas are still in the early stages, but the more I read and participate in online groups, the more I'm convinced this is research that needs to be done.<br />
<br />
<b>The Mobile Adjunct</b> <br />
<br />
Currently, I am involved in #adjunctchat, a community that meets on twitter at Tuesdays at 4:00 PM, New York time. This is open to anyone in the world who is interested in contingent faculty issues, either as a researcher, an administrator, faculty friend of contingent instructors, or (of course) an instructor that works in a temporary position, full-time or part-time, long-term contract or short-term contract, for one university or multiple, by choice or by necessity. <br />
<br />
Recently, we had one of our followers suggest that we discuss online contingent faculty issues. We also have discussed controlling the adjunct's work environment. In many cases, adjuncts either share office space, don't have office space, or work in a virtual office, connecting with colleagues, administrators, or students online. <br />
<br />
My own officemate teaches at two different universities, resulting in managing her resources, physical and virtual, between two distinct university cultures (one school is a large public research university with a high level of diversity, the other is a world renowned technical university with many international students, but little diversity). At times, there have been some comical mix ups as she has arrived at school with the wrong resources for the class she is about to teach. She is not as open to new technology, but she does rely on a netbook to access student records, courses resources, and student communication.<br />
<br />
<b>The Personal Communication Society</b><br />
<br />
Yesterday, while reading an article I am writing for contribution to a book a colleague is working on, I came across Campbell and Park's (2008) idea of <i>personal</i> mobile communication. They point out that research indicates that people communicating using mobile devices in a public place, in fact don't necessarily perceive the conversation <i>private</i> (they are in a public place), but rather as <i>personal</i>. <br />
<br />
This distinction is important because people become uncomfortable if they are forced to hear a <i>personal</i> conversation in a public place, trying not to ease drop or infringe on those who are in the middle of a personal conversation in a public place. In addition, Rettie's (2008) research suggests that there are different ways in which devises are used depending on the level of intimacy between people using mobile devises. The deeper level of intimacy, the more likely communication in a public space and time will be disguised. <br />
<br />
In other words, communication perceived as deeply personal can still be conducted in public spaces, but some type of code will be used to allow for personal interaction (e.g. teens using texting and abbreviations when parents or other friends are in the room). There may also be signals given that an interaction should be conducted in private (i.e. change in location or devise) in which the interaction may not be personal. An example of this would be taking a business call in a restaurant.<br />
<br />
By separating personal from private, I was able to understand a phenomenon my students and I noticed last year. My students interacted on facebook differently depending on what devise they used. While the privacy settings were the same for computer and mobile technology, they were more <i>familiar</i> (slang, communicated on topics in a way that was less socially acceptable, swearing)on mobile devises than when they communicated on a desk top computer. <br />
<br />
It is possible that young adults perceive mobile technology, as Campbell and Park suggest, as more personal, resulting in a more intimate register. This would also explain the dichotomy between published incidences of sexting, uploading of socially unaccepted behavior on youtube, and cyberbullying against <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-Social-Media-And-Privacy.aspx">Pew's</a> findings that American youth are concerned about their <i>privacy</i>. Pew pointed out this dichotomy in their report saying to teens managed their privacy while also sharing more personal information online. <br />
<br />
While I have been looking for data (primary research reports and journal articles) on mobile technology use that supports Campbell and Park's theory, Rettie is the only one that I have found so far that begins to address this dichotomy. One reason is that it may be difficult to operationalize <i>private</i> and <i>personal</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Researching the Mobile Professor</b><br />
<br />
So, combining my interest in contingent and temporary employees, and my current interest in mobile technology, I have decided to create a research agenda looking at mobile devise use of adjuncts/contingent faculty. My first research will be on <i>private</i>, <i>public</i>, and <i><i>personal</i></i> in mobile communications. This is especially important for adjunct faculty who may have to use their own personal devises to communicate with students, and at the same time have federal laws that require their interactions be private. However, faculty that do not have private physical spaces to interact with students will need to carve out a public space that allows for personal interaction or personal interaction that needs to be conducted in private spaces such as a car or online space.<br />
<br />
Part of the conditions that add (or negatively impact) an adjunct is his or her social network. Therefore, it would be interesting to understand what social networks adjuncts create and how they maintain them. For example, now with mobile technology, adjuncts can create more permanent relationships with their students without a close intimacy. Likewise, as an adjunct leaves a position for a semester, are they better able to maintain professional relationships with administrators? With the potential of mobile technology creating sociomental communities (Chayko, 2007), why aren't adjuncts better socialized within departments or the universities? Are adjuncts now being heard because they are creating sociomental communities because they are being forced to interact with mobile devices? Related to this would be determining how adjuncts find each other (which has been a problem with unionizing specific campuses). <br />
<br />
By starting with these questions in looking at contingent faculty and mobile technology, I will be able to then extend this research into all types of temporary and/or contingent workers including consultants (private and government), emergency workers (including local government, hospital, utility, national guard, first responders), temporary or seasonal workers, and per diam workers (nurses, teachers, laborers).<br />
<br />
<b>Resources</b><br />
<br />
Mary Chayko (2007). The portable community: envisioning and examining mobile social connectedness. International Journal of Web Based Communities, 3 (4), 373-385.<br />
<br />
Scott W. Campbell and Jong Jin Park (2008). Social Implications of Mobile Telephony: The Rise of Personal Communication Society. Sociology Compass, 2 (2) 371-387.<br />
<br />
Ruth Rettie (2008). Mobile Phones as Network Capital: Facilitating Connections. Mobilities, 3(2), 291-311.V Yonkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910904367068063554noreply@blogger.com0