Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities

Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities

Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities:

Pedagogical Tools for Design and Implementation

By

Marie-Anne Visoi

Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities: Pedagogical Tools for Design and Implementation By Marie-Anne Visoi This book first published 2019 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2019 by Marie-Anne Visoi All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-2694-1 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-2694-5

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Part I Blended Learning Chapter One ................................................................................................ 5 Blended Learning: The Flipped Classroom Chapter Two ............................................................................................. 25 Developing Cultural Awareness through Meaningful Communication Chapter Three ........................................................................................... 33 Strategies for Active Learning Part II Hybrid Learning Chapter Four ............................................................................................. 51 The Integrated Curriculum: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching French in a Blended Format Chapter Five ............................................................................................. 69 Metacognitive Strategies for Effective Reading, Writing and Research Skills Chapter Six ............................................................................................... 87 Blended Course Design and Implementation: Best Practices for Quality Learning Part III Online Learning Chapter Seven ......................................................................................... 101 Teaching Approaches for Reading and Interpreting Authentic Texts in an Online Course

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Chapter Eight .......................................................................................... 123 Facilitating Online Collaboration in Asynchronous Text-based Discussions Part IV Experiential Learning Chapter Nine ........................................................................................... 137 Building Online Learning Communities for Experiential Learning Chapter Ten ............................................................................................ 149 Developing an Online Student Portfolio for Bilingual Careers Chapter Eleven ....................................................................................... 159 Undergraduate Internship Programs in French Glossary .................................................................................................. 167 Bibliography and Further Reading ......................................................... 169 Useful Links ........................................................................................... 175 Index ....................................................................................................... 177 List of Illustrations ................................................................................. 183

INTRODUCTION "Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities: Pedagogical Tools for Course Design and Implementation" adds to the growing body of knowledge and research suggesting that our notions of teaching and learning need to be expanded. In order to genuinely improve the learning experience of 21st century undergraduate students, we have to ensure that blended and online teaching meet relevant learning outcomes and provide meaningful and exciting experiences that benefit all learners.

The implications of blended and online teaching are far reaching. It becomes obvious that content and skills must be presented in a new context that allows easy access to course materials, research links and virtual communities. In the field of humanities, faculty can take steps to engage undergraduate students in aesthetic understanding and cultural sensitivity through digital tools that enhance knowledge of language, literature, philosophy, art or history. Promoting a differentiated instruction and borderless learning, supported by carefully selected audio, visual, or concept-mapping supports, the strategies presented in this book will help create a more equitable learning environment where students with diverse needs can succeed.

In preparing this book, I have introduced perspectives and ideas that have emerged from recent literature, experts in the field, and feedback from students and colleagues. Drawn extensively from my own blended and online teaching experience and teacher research projects, the book is written for all those professionals who truly want to make a difference in their teaching. With the renewed recognition of the role online learning can play in providing students with innovative educational paths in universities and colleges around the world, I hope that the following pages will inspire instructors to discover new ways of teaching French language and Cultural Studies courses.

PART I

BLENDED LEARNING

Part I looks at the need for developing and implementing blended learning in the humanities. Each of the chapters will concentrate on specific issues related to a successful design and implementation of the flipped classroom and discuss challenges and obstacles to the transition from face-to-face teaching.

CHAPTER ONE

BLENDED LEARNING: THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM

Abstract

The rapid extension of modular type of learning enriched by open-access resources has resulted in curricular changes to face-to-face humanities courses. Furthermore, the popularity of blended and online learning in Humanities courses has been closely linked to students’ attitudes and characteristics. This chapter discusses important considerations regarding the planning, development and implementation of a flipped classroom model. The introductory Humanities course “Pain, Pleasure and Nostalgia in Belle Époque” was designed with a focus on student engagement achieved through a combination of face-to face interactive sessions and web-supported class activities. Although the course is taught in English with an enrollment of approximately 18-25 students each year, it also accommodates students who are fluent in French and wish to complete their readings in French. The purpose of this chapter is to share current pedagogical practices that support the design of an inclusive curriculum and promote active learning in a flipped classroom. Based on current research on blended and online teaching and learning and on my own experience enhanced by student feedback, it addresses faculty who are committed to finding instructional strategies that can both inspire their teaching and improve their students’ learning efficiency.

A Humanistic Perspective on Curriculum Renewal and Course Design

While the benefits of technology in enhancing students’ learning in the humanities are supported by current research, the traditional classroom teaching continues to be the preferred mode of course delivery in many universities. Weekly lectures where students are expected to be passive learners do not align well with the variety of learning styles, motivations and interests of the 21st century student.

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If we want to inspire students to engage in meaningful learning in the humanities, major changes in the way e-learning is perceived and understood by many faculty members are required. In response to the growing needs of a diverse undergraduate student population, humanities departments need to review their curricular priorities. With evidence suggesting that student engagement and participation in face-to-face, hybrid and online courses are increasingly motivated by their attitudes toward technology (Buzzetto-More, 2007), one of the priorities for curriculum reform is aligning course objectives and outcomes to innovative teaching and assessment strategies that integrate students’ needs and provide an inclusive curriculum supported by technology.

When faculty members develop a clear and shared understanding of their programs and goals, they create opportunities that could have a positive effect not only on the quality of their teaching but also on student achievement. To achieve high-involvement in course material and activities, new teaching strategies that integrate online tools need to be developed, with particular emphasis on those which encourage reflection on the learning process itself. A coherent, humanistic perspective on course content and delivery, thoughtful choice of textbooks and modes of assessment will provide the basis for a quality, inclusive curriculum.

The Flipped Classroom

An innovative teaching pedagogical model, the flipped or the inverted classroom is a combination of regular in-class teaching and web-based lectures and activities. With an emphasis on the process of discovery and interpretation of knowledge characteristic of humanities, the flipped classroom has significant advantages. Firstly, students’ active involvement in the educational process (Berrett, 2016) will help them understand the connections between the various aspects of culture. Secondly, the process of “discovering” knowledge about French culture will allow both students who have limited knowledge of French and those who are fluent in French to think creatively and gain new insights into the values, ideas and significant accomplishments of another culture by accessing online resources in both languages. Clearly, the exploration of the cultural content in a flexible environment will motivate students to reflect on past and present knowledge and formulate own interpretations of the presented material. By promoting the development of cultural skills and intercultural competence and the desire to learn throughout life, face-to-face regular classes combined with online learning material will provide significant

Blended Learning: The Flipped Classroom 7

support to the 21st century students who desire to enrich their humanistic education.

The use of technology can be thus viewed as a necessity in today’s pedagogical environment where active knowledge acquisition, individual learning styles and student personal motivations and goals need to be given significant consideration (Tapscott, 2008).

According to current research, humanities students need multiple opportunities to activate prior knowledge, engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborate on writing tasks in order to be successful. A selection of multimedia documents can, for instance, prepare students for class discussions and promote cultural awareness. Teaching methods and approaches that encourage students to reflect about human experience through scholarly investigation, dialogue and critical interpretation will inspire them to understand values and ideas of different cultures.

By combining effective teaching techniques which aim at guiding students how to practice thinking skills and the use of a multidisciplinary approach enhanced by technology, the flipped classroom model can help learners gain new insights into the cultural accomplishments of a specific historical period. As they learn how to appreciate a work of art, read a novel or listen to a musical piece, students can also have instant access to authentic resources which can help them make connections between their own knowledge and information and specific cultural competence required in the course. By varying the types of material and easy access to a course website, weekly announcements and regular activities could get students to understand the importance of learning the theoretical concepts presented in each class.

The incorporation of complex thinking tasks can be achieved through regular classroom practice such as compare and contrast activities and group debates (Collis and Moonen, 2002). In a flipped classroom where some course components including lectures, short videos and readings can be viewed online before or after each in-class session, students become autonomous, active learners as they explore the online content on their own. By reversing the elements of the course, instructors can thus devote their time to in-depth concept presentation and clarification and provide students with the necessary content and knowledge they must have in order to apply the higher-order thinking skills learned in the classroom such as: judge the credibility of a source; identify assumptions and bias; understand the purpose and significance of a cultural object; make critical

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judgments; think deeply and from multiple perspectives about culture (Nitko & Brookhart, 2011).

The flipped classroom model promotes a differentiated instruction and plays an important role in addressing various learning styles. With the increased use of e-learning tools in their courses, students will have more opportunities for learning at their own pace. In special circumstances where online learning is the only alternative as in the case of students with disabilities, those who are on an exchange program abroad or students who are in their final year and need to complete their course requirements by a specific date, the flipped classroom becomes an effective teaching approach.

As the examples provided in this chapter will show, one the main advantages of a flipped course in the humanities is that it provides multiple opportunities for student engagement and participation through easy access to authentic materials. By combining classroom teaching with online approaches, instructors can enrich their students’ learning experience and ease their teaching as they focus on specific language aspects. However, before deciding to redesign a traditional format course into an inclusive, flipped classroom model, three important aspects need to be taken into consideration: 1. motivation to redesign a face-to-face course into a flipped one; 2. departmental/institutional support and financial considerations; 3. instructor’s technical computer skills and availability of customized training and institutional workshops.

1. Motivation to redesign a face-to-face course into a flipped model

Humanities instructors who never taught a flipped classroom, a blended or a fully online course do not have a clear notion of what is involved. Many assume that online teaching relies on expertise in technology and advanced computer skills. According to research, advanced pedagogical skills and the desire and motivation to innovate teaching by using a variety teaching techniques and tools will enable instructors to teach online. In many cases, instructors may be motivated by an awareness that curriculum changes need to be made in order to improve student learning. In other cases, providing students with learning choices and additional time for review can be a source of motivation. By identifying specific learning goals and instructional objectives that support the flipped classroom, instructors can identify/create content, select instructional activities and prepare learning materials to be adapted to the new model.


For instance, in developing the course “Pleasure, Pain and Nostalgia in Belle époque” several objectives were taken into consideration:

provide students with authentic videos to watch before class in order to have an understanding of “culture” not only as referring to great achievements in the artistic and historical life of French people but also as a system of values shared by a community: social customs, traditions, values;

familiarize students with the new concepts to be taught in-class through the regular use of an online Cultural Terminology;

incorporate online cultural quizzes to be used as formative assessment tools in preparation for major course assignments;

include specific concepts for in-depth learning in thematic power-point presentations to stimulate students’ curiosity about the subject matter and theme the course;

help students reflect on culture-related topics, identify similarities and differences between French culture and their own culture and make objective, unbiased comparisons as they prepare questions about class discussions.

2. Departmental/institutional support and financial considerations

Availability of grants for the development of blended and online learning are now common in each higher education institution. Instructors who plan to teach a blended course need to initiate contact with administrators, Department chairs and Online learning directors and become fully aware of institutional policies before they embark on a course redesign. For instance, University of Toronto requires a proposal process to be approved by the Department Chair, Director of Online learning and the Vice-Dean of Innovations. Networking during national and international conferences with other online instructors, becoming familiar with recent research on the topic and seeing several samples of blended courses could be useful.

For instructors who plan a flipped classroom, online and print resources included in the Bibliography will provide useful information on the pedagogy to be used, benefits and challenges of the model, case studies and best practices.

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3. Instructor’s technical computer skills, availability of customized training and institutional workshops

Responses from faculty who have already designed blended courses reveal that a certain familiarity with course design and computer skills are necessary. In order to successfully plan, develop and implement blended courses in French Cultural Studies or French language courses, instructors need to use word-processing software, respond to e-mail communications, download files and most importantly, be able to use the institutional learning platform effectively (Desire to Learn, Canvas, Blackboard, etc.). The activities described in this chapter were designed for Blackboard, currently used at several Canadian universities. Customized training can be an excellent way of starting to learn about blended and online learning. Departments and individual instructors can request customized Blackboard training that may range from a one-time workshop to a multi-session training series to cover such topics as:

Blackboard: Getting Started Blackboard: Assignments Blackboard: Grade Center Blackboard: Discussions Blackboard: Integrating Educational Tools; Collaboration Tools

Beginner instructors in blended and online learning will need to devote sufficient time for various workshops and regular sharing meetings with experienced instructors in order to develop the necessary skills. If they want to take full advantage of Blackboard as a student-centered learning system, instructors need to be able to post handouts, audio clips, java applets, reserved readings, and lecture notes. As they become more confident in their ability to use technical computer skills in redesigning their own teaching approaches, instructors will realize how important the connections with authentic materials can be for culture and language learning. When the information posted becomes available to students, they can access content and review it at their own pace. In addition, course materials can be saved in various formats in order to accommodate different types of learning styles.

For instance, when teaching a humanities course with an oral component, students could be given multiple opportunities to watch and listen to online debates, interviews and conversations independently as they learn contextual terminology and concepts taught in the classroom. In this manner, they can focus on understanding the material and concepts as they


are presented so that they can be better prepared for in-class interaction. Students who receive accommodations will also benefit from the online component: they can review lecture notes, use an accessible format for their readings or language activities and participate in regular discussion forum sessions.

From Face-to-Face Learning Environments to Flipped Classrooms

Course Design: Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment

In designing a flipped-classroom pedagogical model, instructors must start with a review of their face-to-face course learning goals and outcomes. By establishing clear goals that include the two learning modalities, face-to-face and online, instructors could help students understand the flexibility provided by web-enhanced activities for their learning. The instructor’s ability to create a safe, stress-free learning environment both in-class and online will have both a direct and indirect influence on student learning, including their motivation to learn and engagement in what is being taught.

One of the most important aspects of designing an inclusive course is to ensure that students have multiple opportunities for practicing the concepts learned. Faculty who can foster a sense of belonging and help develop a learning community in their courses will have a higher degree of participation and interaction from their students. If the sensory or physical context of a classroom such as the noise level or the arrangement of student seating may influence students’ attention, instructors developing a flipped classroom model need to include the following elements in their planning for the online components:

an orientation module clarifying the course structure and use of both components;

protocol for virtual office and social presence of instructor and students;

overview of the course and teaching methods; calendar, important dates; clear description of assessment and evaluation procedures including

deadlines; course-specific and institutional resources; related bibliography, dictionaries and glossaries; accommodations for students with disabilities

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The use of a Blackboard platform for a flipped course model can help create a simple, inclusive course design where closed captioning, descriptive tagging and proper formatting of documents will ensure that there are no barriers to online learning. The flipped classroom model described in this chapter showcases the introductory course “Pleasure, Pain and Nostalgia in Belle-époque”.

The screenshot from page 13 will show that by customizing a course menu, instructors can select the course entry point for students, change theme colors or add a thematic banner image to appear on the course entry page. For easy navigation, the menu can contain a number of buttons and text links as presented in Figure 1.

Creating a Syllabus for the Flipped Classroom Model

The syllabus can be divided into sections, as illustrated here:

Course Description Required Texts Course Information Course Goals Course Expectations Assignments and Evaluation


Figure 1 Course Banner

Since the flipped classroom is a new teaching model, a paragraph in the Course Information section informs students of the organization of the classroom and online components of the course. Each segment of the syllabus is presented as follows:

Course Description:

The delightfully simple “joie de vivre” of Parisian music-halls and cabarets fascinated the Western world and art took new forms with Impressionism and Art Nouveau during “La belle époque”, a period in European history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. This course will explore ideas and cultural representations through examples of French art, philosophy, and literature with an emphasis on the critical discussion of two literary narratives that challenged tradition and authority: Gustave Flaubert, “Madame Bovary”; Guy de Maupassant, “Bel-ami”. The literary themes of “guilt” and “self-

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quest” as well as the inherent philosophical tension between “pleasure” and “guilt” will be analyzed in the context of the bohemian culture of “La belle époque”. Multimedia presentations and selections from Fernando Trueba’s 1992 film “Belle époque” will supplement the reading material in the course.

Required texts:

Flaubert, “Madame Bovary”

Maupassant, “Bel-ami”

Film: “Belle époque” (Fernando Trueba, 1992)

Electronic copies of the two novels will be available via Blackboard. A selection of course notes and multimedia presentations will be available via Blackboard.

Assignments and evaluation:

In-class test (35%); In-class essay (30%); Final in-class essay (25%);

Overall assessment (10%).

Prerequisite: None

Course Information

This course uses a flipped classroom model, which combines regular classroom lectures with online course materials accessible from the course menu in Blackboard. Classes start on Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 1:10 PM with an introduction to La Belle époque. In-class lectures will provide background for the required readings in order to help students develop an appreciation of 19th century French culture. Lecture notes will be posted in the course website after each in-class meeting. In addition, thematic online resources, which incorporate cultural, historical and social perspectives on Belle Époque, will be added each week. Please review attentively the Course Syllabus, Course materials, Writing Resources and the Assignments and Evaluation pages posted in Blackboard. Students should consult regularly the Course Notes, Assignments and Evaluation page for reminders, helpful links and a detailed breakdown of all assignments and their due dates.

Classes end on March 30.


Course Goals:

Students will:

gain a deeper understanding of the cultural implications of various art forms in Belle époque

explore two 19th century French novels develop an awareness and appreciation of French culture demonstrate the ability to read critically, interpret analytically, and

write coherently about the texts and multimedia documents presented in the course.

Course Expectations

Regular attendance to all in-class lectures and informed, active participation in class discussion will be expected of all students. Please ensure that you check the schedule of our class meetings and the information/documents provided in your Blackboard course website regularly. Bring the assigned texts/readings to class and be prepared to discuss each week's assignment.

Absences due to emergencies will be reported as soon as possible to the instructor and to the appropriate college official, if necessary. Students are responsible for making up missed work and requesting hand-outs. No marks will be communicated by e-mail or telephone.

Plagiarism is a major academic offense. Please consult the following link regarding academic integrity, plagiarism and student conduct at the University of Toronto: http://www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/resourcesforstudents.html

Assignments and evaluation:

In-class test 35% In-class essay 30% Final in-class test 25% Overall assessment 10%

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French Culture Quiz (50 minutes): January 19

The will consist of ten questions. Your answers should demonstrate ability to understand French cultural topics and concepts discussed in the course and in your assigned readings (weeks 1-2 only). The marks for this test will be included in your Overall assessment mark. No aids will be allowed.

In-class Test (110 minutes): February 9

The test will be based on the material discussed during the weeks 1-5 only. It will consist of two parts:

Part 1) Ten questions related to topics and concepts discussed in the course and in your assigned readings.

Part 2) A short written response (250-300 words) based on your close reading of Flaubert's Madame Bovary, with particular attention to the passages discussed in class. Possible questions will be posted in your course website one week before the test. Knowledge of appropriate terminology used in the course is expected. Answers should be double-spaced. Please consult the following resources on writing: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/general-advice.

No aids will be allowed.

In-class Essay (110 minutes): March 9

The essay (approximately 600 words) will be written on a topic chosen from a list provided by the instructor and related to the course lectures and readings to date; a list of possible topics will be posted in your course website during week 7. Knowledge of appropriate terminology used in the course is expected. Essays should be double-spaced. Please consult the following resources on essay writing: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/general-advice.

No aids will be allowed.

Final In-class Test (110 minutes): March 30

The test will consist of twenty questions. Your answers should demonstrate ability to understand French cultural topics and concepts discussed in the course and in your assigned readings. Possible questions


will be discussed in class. Knowledge of appropriate cultural and literary terminology used in the course is expected. No aids will be allowed.

Overall Assessment (on-going) includes participation in class oral and written activities such as the French Culture Quiz, course preparation, and attendance. The class participation and overall assessment marks will be based on your ability to read attentively and understand the assigned readings; consult all Blackboard course materials in order to prepare for each class; present and discuss concepts taught in the course (pair/group discussions; short written responses; French Culture Quiz); use a respectful, unbiased language in all class discussions; use related terminology and develop critical capacity and analytic skills.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Your final mark will be based solely on the tests and overall assessment mentioned above – no additional assignments are possible under any circumstances. Should you miss any of the tests due to illness or major circumstances beyond your control, you must contact your instructor within a maximum of one week to arrange a retake. For missed tests due to illness, you must provide an official University of Toronto Student Medical Certificate signed by a physician. For tests missed due to any other major circumstance, you must provide a letter from your registrar. Any test missed and not made up will be assigned a grade of ‘0’. For details regarding marking criteria, please consult the attached Grading regulations: http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/rules.htm

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Course Orientation Module

The purpose of the Course Orientation Module is to help students understand the organization and structure of the flipped classroom model, routines and course expectations. Since the face-to-face lectures will provide in-depth information about the course, the use of a course orientation module posted in the course menu will contain important reminders for students who need to review the information provided in class.

The module may include:

course menu presentation overview of the course and teaching methods time allotment for in-class and online components) availability of resources: hand-outs posted after each lecture,

multimedia resources, open resources availability of administrative and technology support staff workshops provided by the library staff; Blackboard online student expectations including: time commitment; technological

skills; study skills; interpersonal skills for participating as a member of an online learning community

instructor expectations quiz previous student feedback

Course Content: Selecting Course Materials and Activities

Planning a flipped classroom implies a clear segmentation of the content and activities to be presented. Instructors have the flexibility to teach specific concepts in-class through lectures and student activities while selecting only a number of items to be posted online for their course such as:

Course notes Authentic multimedia resources E-texts Terminologies


In-class Lectures and Activities Component

The in-class lectures and activities in a flipped course play an important role in establishing a rapport with students. When presenting the introductory lecture, instructors need to familiarize students with the discipline (French Cultural Studies) and include an overview of their course. The use of a Course Timetable, as illustrated here, indicates key concepts to be taught throughout the semester in a logical, easy to follow fashion and gives students the big picture of the course.

Course Timetable

CCR199H “Pleasure, Pain and Nostalgia in Belle-époque”

Week 1

Course description and theme Introduction to the course La Belle époque: historical and cultural overview Characteristics of European life during La Belle époque Tensions between the individual and society: “pain” and “pleasure”

Week 2

Paris and Montmartre at the end of the 19th century Popular entertainment: cabarets and music-halls Course themes: “guilt” and “self-quest” across a range of artistic, philosophical and literary contexts.

Week 3

Forms of art and literature: Art nouveau and Impressionism; Realism and Naturalism The French Novel: Flaubert, Zola, Maupassant Madame Bovary: introduction Read: Madame Bovary, Part 1 * French Culture Quiz (overall assessment)

Week 4

Madame Bovary Provincial life: description and mood in the novel Read: Madame Bovary, Part II

Week 6

Madame Bovary “Guilt” and “self-quest” Contrasting viewpoints: “Immorality” in the novel *In-class Test Reading Week

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Week 8

Bel-ami Georges Duroy or the portrait of a rascal Parisian society and “bohemian life” The role of women; family relationships; adultery Read: Bel-ami, Ch.4-7

Week 9

Bel-ami Journalistic life and social ascension: importance of money and wealth Maupassant’s modernity in Bel-ami Read: Bel-ami, Ch. 8-10 * In-class Essay

Week 10

Subversive narration and readers’ expectations in Madame Bovary and Bel-ami Fernando Trueba’s film Belle époque (1992) - Introduction Final Test Review Session

Week 11 Fernando Trueba’s Belle époque Film Discussion and Analysis “Carnivalesque” and “Nostalgia” in Trueba’s Belle époque

Week 12

In-class Final Test

Using a Thematic Approach in a Humanities Course

The sample course presented in this chapter uses a thematic approach where cultural content areas (history, literature, philosophy, psychology, music and art) are interrelated. Specific terminology posted in the online Cultural Terminology familiarizes students with concepts and terms used in the classroom. “Pleasure, Pain and Nostalgia in Belle époque” Since the theme of the course deals with universal human topics, content can be easily connected to students’ lives, their values and world knowledge. By providing in-depth information about the content of the course, material to be covered, availability of resources and types of assignments during the first lecture, instructors will encourage students to take on greater responsibility for their learning and help them develop clear, attainable goals and success criteria.

A key to effectively communicating content is varying the presentation of each lecture. Since all lecture notes will be posted online, it is important to


have students’ attention for at least 20 minutes. Writing an outline of the ideas on the board and signaling each important aspect of the lecture will get students into the mindset of the discipline, and teach them to be receptive to learning new material. In order to increase depth and breadth of each lecture, instructors can start by presenting challenging questions at the beginning of their lecture and gradually allow students to present their points of view through Socratic questioning.

The use of a Study Questions and Topics of Discussion hand-out provided in-class could orient students to important aspects of material to be learned and help prepare them for a major assignment.

The following is an example currently used in the course:

Study Questions and Topics of Discussion (hand-out)

1. What are the main characteristics of “La Belle Époque” in France?

2. What is Freud’s view on pleasure?

3. What caused the tension between society and individuals in 19th century France?

4. Name two major events that took place in Paris during “La Belle Époque”.

5. Why did the French artists and intellectuals’ rebel against conventions and rules?

6. Discuss the characteristics of “La Belle Époque” through French art, music, literature and fashion. Refer to a work of art, a musical piece, a fashion house, or a novel of your choice.

7. Creative works are often discussed in terms of “Apollonian” and “Dionysian”. Explain.

8. Explain why architectural and urban transformation had a profound influence on the everyday lives of Parisians.

9. How were women perceived in the 19th century?

10. How does the socio-historical information help you understand the evolution of art and literature in 19th century France?

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11. What specific circumstances influenced the social class blending at this time?

12. Discuss the importance of the new scientific discoveries and technological inventions for the 19th century French society.

In addition, familiarity with the historical period discussed in the course can be gradually developed through exposure to thematic online resources as students reflect on various cultural components such as social customs and norms, lifestyles and leisure activities, the arts, the environment. Sensorial experiences facilitated by technology have the ability to familiarize students with 19th century France during La Belle époque and motivate them to articulate their thoughts, ask questions and share opinions in class. Similarly, when students are provided with online biographies of major writers or artists studied in the course, their level of anxiety regarding their unfamiliarity with a specific historical period is reduced. As they see more opportunities for making connections with the course theme and material presented in class, students will be able to understand meaningful patterns of interconnectedness with their own world.

Documents

Blended and Online Teaching in the Humanities