The Centre for Teaching & Learning Faculty Picks...Faculty Pick 2011-2012 Faculty Picks Humber College’s new full time faculty members bring a variety of experiences and skills to

Faculty Picks2011-2012

The Centre for Teaching & LearningInfinite Possibilities...

Faculty Pick 2011-2012

Faculty PicksHumber College’s new full time faculty members bring a variety of experiences and skills to the classroom. Throughout the duration of the Teaching Excellence Program, faculty had an opportunity to share one of their favourite teaching and learning strategies. This document is a culmination of some of their favourite picks.

Sincere thanks to all of the contributors for sharing.


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Faculty Picks PageActivating Prior Knowledge

PowerPoint Games ........................................................................................................................................................... 7Starting Your Class with Music ........................................................................................................................................ 8Word Scramble ................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Acquiring New KnowledgeAudio PowerPoints ............................................................................................................................................................ 13Effective Vocal Communication ....................................................................................................................................... 14Exploring a Student Centred Approach ........................................................................................................................... 15Humanities @ Humber Video Project .............................................................................................................................. 16Scenarios as Teaching Tools ............................................................................................................................................ 17Students Completing Their Own Research Projects ...................................................................................................... 18What Your Librarian Can Do For You ............................................................................................................................... 19

ApplicationActive Learning Strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 23Enhancing Lectures with Movies and Documentaries and Creating Essay Assignments that are related to Lectures ............................................................................................ 24Games in the Classroom .................................................................................................................................................. 25Maintaining Student Interest ........................................................................................................................................... 26Personal Stories and Humour.......................................................................................................................................... 27Research and Active Learning ......................................................................................................................................... 28Show & Tell ........................................................................................................................................................................ 296 Thinking Hats ................................................................................................................................................................. 30Speed Dating .................................................................................................................................................................... 31Spotlight: Twitter in the Classroom ................................................................................................................................. 32Students’ Engagement with Active Learning .................................................................................................................. 34The Dynamics of Seat Choice .......................................................................................................................................... 35Trying to Build Student Engagement ............................................................................................................................... 36

AssessmentA Potpourri of Lessons and Things that Worked for Me ................................................................................................ 39Engagement and Assessment: Developing Tests as Contests ..................................................................................... 40Facilitating and Supporting Student Engagement (Rubric as well) ............................................................................... 41Photography and Pictures in the Classroom .................................................................................................................. 43Signature Hunt .................................................................................................................................................................. 44Touches with Technology ................................................................................................................................................. 45Wimba as an Aid to Improve Student Success ............................................................................................................... 46


3Faculty Pick 2011-2012

Activating Prior Knowledge





Point to Ponder

Use examples. College level courses are full of abstract concepts. Analogies and real-life examples help students comprehend. Metaphors allow for a greater and deeper understanding of complex notions.

Adapted from: http://quazen.com/reference/teaching-tips-for-professors/



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For more “Points to Ponder” refer to The Centre for Teaching & Learning website:http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/

PowerPoint Games


Ryan Campbell, MA

Ryan’s Pick: May 1, 2012

Teaching and learning strategy:

I frequently employ technology in the classroom to assess students’ prior knowledge of a particular topic and/or to prepare them for tests and exams. Of the many strategies I currently use to reiterate key course content, PowerPoint Games remain a particular favourite. To date, I’ve used: “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”; “Jeopardy”; “Humberwood (Hollywood) Squares” & “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”.

Benefits:

• Helpsassessstudents’priorknowledgewhenusedtointroduceatopic.• Givesstudentsageneralsenseofthetypesofquestionsthatwillappearontestsand

exams.• Helpsdirectstudents’studyingastheyevaluate(basedonthequestionspresentedin

class) what they know and what they need to review.• Revealsanycontentareasthattheinstructormayneedtorevisit,basedongroup

performance on a particular set of questions.• Providesstudentswithanopportunitytoscaffoldeachother’slearning,particularlywhen

experience requires that they be arranged in small groups (or teams).• PowerPointslides(whichincludepotentialtestquestions)canbepostedforstudentsand

serve as a study guide.• Providestheinstructorwithanopportunitytobuildtestbanksovertime.• Isinteractiveandfun!

Methods:

The templates for these games (along with many others) can be found at: http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/ppt-games/

Visit this website and download/save the template you are interested in using.Each template includes a clear, concise set of instructions for adding content.

Follow each step to produce a game that can then be used in any classroom as it operates through PowerPoint.

Potential Uses:

“WhoWantstobeaMillionaire?”–Idealformultiplechoice-typequestionsandfill-in-the-blankquestions

“Jeopardy”–Idealforfill-in-the-blanktypequestionsorfordefinition-basedquestions

“Humber College (Hollywood) Squares” – Ideal for true/false type questions




Starting your Class with Music


Colin Flint

Colin’s Pick: 13 April 2012


I start every class with music.The music is loosely themed to the topic I’m covering that day in class. For example, when my topic was the changing role of women in advertising, I chose “Sisters are doing it for themselves” by Aretha Franklin and the Eurythmics. When it was the 1930s and the laissez faire approach to advertising in that decade I chose “Anything Goes” by Frank Sinatra.

I try to choose something upbeat, especially if the class starts at 9 am.I start it dead on start time and when it is over I go straight into the lesson. Istartbyaskingthemthesignificanceofthatpieceofmusic.

In terms of a broader strategy this is designed to engage the students right from the start of the class and to use different modalities (in this case a modality - aural - is rarely used in academic classes).

Benefits:

It provides positive energy to the class, engaging the students from the start even when they are half awake.

It introduces the theme of the class in an unconventional way using an unconventional modality in contrast to the primarily visual and verbal modalities of most of the class, engaging those students who are very aural.

It provides a hard start to the class. They have around 3 minutes to settle in. Then they know the class will start once the music stops.

When asked about it on the SFQs, 95% of the students (I got the same results across two different classes) agreed that, “The music at the start of the class helped me learn.” i.e. It isn’t just fun. It reinforces a key measure on the SFQ.

Methods:

SometimesIusemyownmusicasanmp3file;sometimesYouTube.AllofourclassroomsthatIusecanplaysoundfilesdirectfromthecomputerorfromtheinternet.Thisisallowableunderour copyright rules as long as you do not burn and hand out a copy.


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Word Scramble


Diogo Barco

Diogo’s Pick: 9 April 2012


Distribute handouts (see preparation under ‘Methods’ section below) to students to work on in class.(Students may work individually or in pairs/groups.)

Instructor can discuss or elaborate on each word to present or review that particular topic as the worksheet is taken up.

**SeeiftheserefreshYOURownmemory!!:D1. Tiechnag excnelcEel2. eaGnve aPkr3. enrigLna eSlty4. icMro cheaT5. snseLo alPn6. ianltoauEv

Benefits:

A Word Scramble can be a fun teaching tool for introducing new terminology.It can also be effective as a review i.e. to reinforce concepts.

Some reasons to consider using a Word Scramble in your teaching:• goodforterminology/review• worksforanysubject• goodconversationstarteramongstudents• studentshaveahandouttotakeaway• stimulatesthebrain(rearrangeconnectionsi.e.Dr.NormanDoidge&Neuroplasticity)• jogsmemory(review)

Methods:

If you tried the exercise above and caught yourself smiling then perhaps you should consider giving it a try in one of your courses. It only takes a few minutes and is really easy to do.

Quickly build your own WORD SCRAMBLE at either of these websites...

http://search.teach-nology.com/cgi-bin/scramble.plhttp://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/word-scramble/

Havefun!:)

k a n T h o Y u



Acquiring New Knowledge





Point to Ponder

Good teaching is about staying current in your area of expertise. It is about doing your best tokeepontopofyourfield,readingsources,inside and outside of your areas of expertise, and being at the leading edge as much as possible. It is about bridging the gap between theoryandpracticebygoingintothefield,talking to, consulting with, and liaisoning with other practitioners.

Adapted from: “Good Teaching: The Top Ten Requirements” by Richard LeBlanc, York University, ON



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For more “Points to Ponder” refer to The Centre for Teaching & Learning website:http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/

Audio PowerPoints


Noah Gentner

Noah’s Pick: April 13, 2012


This teaching strategy involves adding audio to PowerPoint presentations which can then be posted to Blackboard for students. When students go to their Blackboard site they will be able to click on the audio PowerPoint and it will immediately open up in that window. They do not havetoworryaboutdownloadingorsavingalargeaudiofile.

Benefits:

This strategy is great for a number of reasons. If you have material that you did not have time to cover in class you can post an audio PowerPoint which your students can view. You can also use this to post additional lecture material or things that need further explanations. It can also be useful if you need to cancel class and still want students to get a “lecture”.

From a student perspective this strategy is great as it allows them to hear their “lecture” severaltimeswhilestudying.It’sparticularlybeneficialforESLstudentswhomayneedtohearthings several times before they fully understand it.

Methods:




Effective Vocal Communication


Lisa Martinelli

Lisa’s Pick: April 13, 2012


Find your authentic speaking voice and learn techniques to maintain a healthy vocal sound.

Benefits:

Achieve a pleasant vocal quality that projects your message effectively.Maintain the health of your voice and avoid injury.Prolong your teaching career.

Methods:

Havingaconfidentanddynamicspeakingvoiceinvolveshavinggoodposture,alignment,proper breath support, forward resonance and good diction. It is important to become aware of which habits are inhibiting communication and how to change those habits to make you a more effective communicator.

1. Posture/Alignment - if you have a tendency to slouch or jut out your chin, that may create tension in the throat which will in turn inhibit natural vocal production. One needs to work on ways of maintaining good posture while speaking. Sample Exercise:Standtallwithyourfeetshoulderwidthapartandfirmlyplantedontheground. Rotate your shoulders back and down keeping your chest high. Feel the elongation of the back of the neck. Your head should be balanced evenly and your chin should be level. Your jaw and tongue should be relaxed.

2. Breathing - it is important to speak using full and comfortable breaths. Shallow and noisy breaths usually indicate tension.Sample Exercise: Take in a breath and exhale your air while sustaining an ‘fff’ sound. Your stomach will move automatically but make an effort to actually pull it in. At the end of your exhalation, pause (wait for a moment) then let your stomach muscles pop out as you inhale. Try to keep the inhalations silent. Repeat this a few times.

3. Resonance - it is important that the vocal tone is clear and understandable. One needs to avoid sounds that are muddy and indistinct by incorporating enough nasality into the sound.Sample Exercise: Say ‘mm-hmm’ as if you were agreeing with someone. Bring awareness to the bone above your upper lip and feel the vibration as you do this with comfort and ease.Nowtrysustainingthe‘hmm’sothatyouarehummingonasteadyandcomfortablepitch. The goal is to maximize the vibration you feel while minimizing your effort.

4. Diction - proper articulation and pronunciation is necessary to help people decipher what youaresaying.Peopleoftenblurtheirwordsmakingtheirmessagedifficulttounderstand.Here is an example of a tongue twister that might help you become aware of the muscles involved in making the sounds.Sample Exercise: Repeat this phrase over and over. “The lips the teeth the tip of the tongue, the tip of the tongue the teeth the lips”


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Exploring a Student Centred Approach


Anne Lyden

Anne’s Pick: May 2012


The issue I was trying to address through the strategy I discuss below was student engagement and making connections between the students and the material that we focus on in COMM300

Student Voice and Input into the Course.

In my COMM 300 classroom I experimented with giving students direct input into the content and shape that the course would take during the semester. COMM300 is a skills based class thatgivestheinstructorareasonableamountofflexibilitywhendecidingwhatcontenttouseto help students acquire the necessary skills.

Benefits:

Therearedistinctbenefitsandcoststogivingstudentsalotofinputintothecontentoftheclass.

Themostimportantbenefitwasthestudentsknewthattheyhadinputintotheirlearningexperience and were more engaged with the material as the semester unfolded. This ongoing project also made the students into experts who had a strong understanding of the context and background of the material on which we focussed as we developed and built up our project.

One of the costs to me as an instructor was that I had to constantly work to stay one step ahead of the students, in terms of developing and building the classroom learning experience, in order to provide background and continuity.

Bytheendofthesemester,mystudents’workshowedadirectbenefitbecausethecontinuityof subject matter (that is provided by a project-based approach) meant that they had a better grasp of how to use the approaches to writing on which the course focussed.

Methods:

Idecidedtogivemystudentsaseriesofchoicesaboutthecontentoftheclass.Thefirstchoice was that each assignment would be based on a different scenario, and the second was that we would choose one topic that would be the focus for all of the assessment for the rest of the semester.

The students chose the second option. They then came up with a series of topics on which the classcouldfocusfortherestofthesemester,includingtheirfinalreport.Oncetheyhadalist,the class members decided which option they would concentrate on. All of the assignments (in-classwork)thatwedid(excludingthefinalexam)wasbasedonthetopictheychose.




Humanities@Humber Video Project


Nathan Radke

Nathan’s Pick: May 14, 2012


Youtube is a powerful tool, and one with which our students tend to be very comfortable and familiar. We frequently use videos in our lectures and presentations to add a visual component, however, there can be copyright issues, or problems with content. To remedy this, agroupofushavewritten,filmed,edited,anduploadedseveraleducationalvideosforthepurpose of allowing them to be used in a classroom setting.

Here are some examples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1QFTGbHGt0&list=UUlz5KgLZoLmxno1EeEZPtSA&index=9&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cp6pEzx3uw

Benefits:

Wegettotailorthevisualcontenttoourspecificlectures.Thestudentscaneasilyreviewthevideos at their leisure. We can take into account the different learning styles of our students, and have a portal through which we may promote awareness of our programs.

Methods:

The videos are all made in-house, created through the generosity of Humber staff. All equipment used is assessable through the Liberal Studies department.


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Scenarios as Teaching Tools


Judith Hart

Judith’s Pick: April 12, 2012


Inquiry based learning

Benefits:

Stimulates teaching-learning

• Createsnewideasandconcepts• Processengagesstudentstoaskandanswerquestionsonthebasisofcollected

information • Engagementfacilitates:

○ creationofnewideasandconcepts○ studentstoaskquestions○ investigationofthephenomenon○ discussionofthephenomenon○ developmentofpossibleanswers○ reflectiononpossibilitiesand○ applicationofknowledge

Methods:

• Dialogue–introduction• PowerPoint• Scenarioexamplewithcomponents• Questionandanswer• Discussion• Individualandgrouppresentationofanswers




Students Completing their own Research Projects


Alyssa Taylor

Alyssa’s Pick: April 10th, 2012


Enhance student engagement by having your students participate in their own research projects. They tend to feel a sense of accomplishment and most stay engaged with the material.

Both small and large-scale research projects can be accomplished. I have found that small-scale work best in groups and large-scale work best individually.

My current experience with this has been within psychology and communications, however, it could work in a variety of different schools (e.g., business, music, HRT, etc.)

Benefits:

Assuming these projects relate to classroom content, it improves content learning. Students get to see if their results are consistent with what is reported in their readings and theories.

Critical thinking skills are used to develop methods to examine a research question or test a hypothesis. Analytic skills are used to understand the quantitative or qualitative results.

Students are typically rather excited to present their results to the rest of the class, both in written and oral formats.

Overall, independent research skills can be used in a variety of occupations across several disciplines.

Methods:

Small-scale can involve instructions at the start of the class, students completing the brief quantitative or qualitative study during the class or throughout the week, and presenting their resultsthefollowingweek.Theinstructionsforstudentsneedtobrieflyaddresshowtocreatearesearchprojectthatisbothscientificallyandethicallysound.Beforeanygroupbeginstheirmini-research project, they must get approval from the instructor. This works well in classes of less than 40 students.

Larger projects can be as elaborate as having students seek Humber’s Research Ethics Board approval, developing proposals, creating methods, data collecting, analyzing statistical results, anddisseminatingfindingsthroughwrittenandoralformats.Thiswouldobviouslyhavetobealarge part of the course evaluation.


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What Your Librarian Can Do For You!


Aliya Dalfen

Aliya’s Pick: May 2012


Your teaching and learning can be supported by Humber Libraries. Did you know all the things your librarian can do for you?

Benefits:

Each librarian has unique strengths and interests. Get to know your librarian and how she/he can support you. All librarians are available for:• Teachingyourstudentsaboutlibraryservicesandresourcesthatwillhelpthemwiththeir

courses• Developinglibrarycollectionsandresourcestosupportcoursesandresearch• Assistingyouandyourstudentswithresearch• Assignmentcollaboration

Library support will help you to: • Improveyourstudents’researchskills• Developyourownresearchandclassroomresources• FindouthowtobuildBlackboardreadinglistsandensurecopyrightcompliance• ...andmore!

Methods:

Each Humber School (ie: Business, LAS, Social Community Services) has their own liaison librarian.

Discover and contact your liaison librarian:

http://library.humber.ca/faculty/contacts.php



Application

Application




Teaching Tips

Encourage Active Learning so that students talk, write, relate and apply learning to their daily lives. Students must make what they learn part of themselves. Teachers need to provide opportunities for active learning which involves much more than sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing and providing answers.

Havestudentsfilm(usingtheirownPMD—Personal Mobile Device) or take picture examples in the community.

Reverse the traditional order – put content and lecture on-line (Blackboard) and do homework in class.

Adapted from: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu

Application


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For more “Teaching Tips” refer to The Centre for Teaching & Learning website:http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/

Active Learning Strategies

Application

Nazlin Hirji

Nazlin’s Pick: April 9, 2012


Use a variety of active learning strategies in your class. It supports students who have different learning styles, helps consolidate / reinforce content and avoids a more monotonous lecturing style.

The principles and best practices of leadership - followership can also be applied to teaching and learning.

Benefits:

Applied learningBetter comprehension of materialMore engaged studentsBetter teaching - learning environment

Methods:

Use games / activities that apply the content / material being discussed. Insert those between every ~ 20 minutes of content.

Use 5 Exemplary Leadership Practices by Kouzes and Posner (2007)




Enhancing Lectures with Movies and Documentaries and Creating Essay Assignments that are related to Lectures

Application

Alexander Shvarts

Alexander’s Pick: April 13, 2012

Teaching and learning strategy:1. Enhancing Lectures with Movies and Documentaries2. Creating Essay Assignments that are related to Lectures

Benefits:

1. Enhancing Lectures with Movies and Documentaries:Helpsstudentslearndifficulttheoriesand concepts by making them come alive on the screen.

2. Creating Essay Assignments that are related to Lectures: Increases attendance in classes because the students know that in order to do well on their essays they have to be present in every class so they can learn the theories and the examples that I use in each class. It also eliminatesthepossibilityofplagiarismbecausetheycannotfindanessayonlinethatisbasedon my lectures and the readings and examples that I provide them in my class.

Methods:

1. Enhancing Lectures with Movies and Documentaries: I teach various Sociology and CriminologycoursesatLAS,andtherearemanydifficulttheoriesandconceptswhichthestudents need to learn. For every class that I teach, I bring at least one clip from a movie or a documentary to make the theories and concepts clearer to the students. For example, when teaching about how, according to Freud, the self is made up of three parts, the id, ego, and superego, I show them what I believe to be one of the best Freudian movies, The Fight Club.ThisishowIbrieflyrelatethemovietoFreud’stheory:InThe Fight Club,EdwardNortonplays a computer specialist, who one day decides that he can no longer live in a world where we are bombarded with media images that tell us what we should like and how we should act; where we go to the same, boring jobs everyday and do the same things day in and day out; where we live in a bureaucratic capitalist system where we are all cogs in a machine. He meets up with Brad Pitt (his id – part of his subconscious), who teaches him how to rebel againstsociety’snorms,andopenupafightclub,whereallmencanescapefromsociety’snormsanddowhateverpleasesthem.Norton’ssuperegoisrepresentedbysociety’snorms(rules),whichheusedtoobeybygoingtoworkandfollowingsociety’snormsandlaws.Nortonhimself represents his ego, which tries to balance between his id, which wants to satisfy all his pleasures, and his superego, which wants him to only follow society’s norms.

2. Creating Essay Assignments that are related to Lectures: In my diploma level crime course, I get the students to relate one theory to a sociological or criminological journal article which I have chosen for them to read. In each essay assignment, they are required to cover 8 sections when they are relating the theory to the crime article. In each class, I go through one theory and one article, and I teach them what the theory would state for each section and what evidencetolookforinthearticleforthatsection,sothattheyarelearninghowtofindevidencefor the theory. The marking scheme is separated into 8 sections - half of the marks for each section are given for theory, and half of the marks for providing evidence from the article. In my degree level crime course, I get the students to be more creative by telling them to prepare a crime prevention strategy for the mayor. This crime prevention strategy has to incorporate the different theories and crime strategies that we learned about in class. They are marked on their ability to incorporate theories and crime strategies to their own unique crime prevention strategy.


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Games in the Classroom

Application

Nicole Chuchmach

Nicole’s Pick: April 16, 2012


Games in the classroom.

Benefits:

Incorporating games and activities into my lectures has encouraged student engagement and participation. Students become involved in their learning and place a greater emphasis on attending class as they understand the value of learning through these methods. Further, games and activities provide an environment where students can “practice” their skills and receive immediate feedback based on their participation.

Methods:

I use board games, famous TV shows, and simple arts and crafts to foster student engagement and learning. I feel it is important to provide a hands-on approach to correlate with a traditional lecture format. I have used Rubik’s Cubes, Monopoly, Jenga, The Amazing Race, The Dragon’s Den and other games and TV shows to encourage student engagement.




Maintaining Student Interest

Application

Paul Minstrell

Paul’s Pick: May 11 2012


I have always approached teaching through the methods that have worked for me in my own learning. I also think this is how most teachers/faculty deliver their instruction when teaching a subject that they are familiar with. Computers provide both an interesting challenge and advantagewhenlearning.Thechallengecanbethatweexpectstudentstohavespecificskillsassociatedwithcomputeruse:navigationoftheoperatingsystemormanagingtheirfilesfor example. The upside of computer related instruction is that information is immediately available through the device. Much of the teaching in my class is facilitated on the computer through various software applications. Rather than simply walking the students through the processwithablindgoal,Itendtoprovideafinishedexampleofthelesson’sgoal.Idiscussthe process with them and demonstrate the completed task through my lecture. Following the demonstration I ask the students to use their computers and follow me through the same exercise themselves. I implore and encourage the students to ask questions during the processandchallengethemtorecallwhatIdemonstratedpreviously(Ifindtheattentionofthestudents improves as the semester progresses by doing this).

Benefits:

I believe the college’s role is to prepare students for the workplace following the successful completion of their program; therefore, students need to be presented with real-world problem solving whether it be through discussion, table-top exercises or through an assignment/project.

Methods:

My approach to instruction has always been about helping students make connections to their experiences (constructivism). For example, if I am conducting a class related to web design I willinitiateadiscussionabouthowsomeonearrivesatthefinishedproductfromarealworldweb site. As we dissect the process I outline these processes (steps) for clarity. My students and I then proceed to construct our own web page, all the while following the process we outlined as a group. I have found that student’s attention and participation increases when they understand the end goal of the process, and its relevance to job related practicality. Bates and Poole in their book “Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success” caution facilitators to utilize learning theory but emphasise the need for “quality” in the delivery of any instruction.


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Personal Stories and Humour

Application

Joseph Gibbons

Joseph’s Pick: April 13, 2012


1) Incorporating personal stories2) Adding humour to your lesson

Benefits:

Personal Stories:Students in the Kinesiology and Fitness program need to be adept at working in a people-centred industry. Using personal stories allows them to grasp the types of situations they may face when they begin their career. Explaining to them what they could expect, as well as the correct and incorrect way to handle the situation, is a great way to make the material relevant.

Humour:Keeping the mood in the classroom “light” and casual will hopefully allow them to relax and digest the material in a contextual manner. If students focus more on the overall theme of the lesson/topic, rather than memorizing facts and numbers, they are more likely to remember the subject matter.

Methods:

Personal Stories:Whenpossible,usefirst-personnarrativetorelatethecurrentmaterialtoasituationyouhaveencountered in the workplace.

Humour:Using funny pictures to relate materialTelling silly jokes • it’sgreatifyoucanmakethejokerelatabletothematerial• offersmallprizestoanyonewhocangetthepunchline-buttheyhavetoattendthenext

class to claim their prize




Research and Active Learning

Application

Heather Ramey

Heather’s Pick: May 2012


I was teaching a class on diversity and social inclusion in a degree program. I wanted to incorporateresearch,theory,self-reflection,andopportunitiesforactivelearning.Todothis,in each week’s class I re-created research studies on the topic and had students act as participants.

Example 1. Racism Survey: Using clickers, students participated in a survey about racism, derived from two Canadian studies (Angus Reid, 2010; The Dominion Institute, 2005). Sample questions included, “I have personally been the victim of racism.” and “Which groups do you think are most likely to be targets or victims of racism in your community?”. We compared students’ results to the studies’ results.

Example 2. Newcomer Helping:Studentsparticipatedinanexperimentonaspecificpersonality characteristic, perceived threat, and attitudes toward newcomers to Canada (Costello&Hodson,2011;Esses,Jackson&Armstrong,1998).Individually,theyfirsttooka short measure of the personality characteristic. They were then divided into small groups, and given three different versions of a newspaper editorial on a wave of immigration coming from an African country (unbeknownst to students - all fake). They were asked to decide if and how they would help this group of newcomers, and each group shared their article and their decision with the rest of the class. We then reviewed their personality scores, the threat described in their article, and how they had decided to help, and compared it to the studies’ findings.

Benefits:

Students receive a brief theoretical background. They then have a chance to experience the researchprocess,andtheyhavetheopportunityforself-reflectionandmakinglinksbetweenresearchfindings,theory,andtheirownexperiencesattheendoftheactivity.Studentsareactively engaged throughout most of the process.

Methods:

Wheretofindactivities:• In research studies, which often include some details. If they do not, study authors will

usually respond with more information (e.g., vignettes) if they are sent email requests.• Colleagues, especially those who do research and teach in the area in which you are

teaching• Websites (e.g., http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/activities.htm)


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Show & Tell

Application

Dr. Jennifer Marotta

Jennifer’s Pick: October 2011


Brief Presentation that allows students to apply Theory from Course Materials to their Everyday Lives or Current Events.

Please enjoy this Prezi Presentation which provides a clear example of how this could be implemented in the classroom.

http://prezi.com/78_f_vn7-pme/closer-show-tell/?auth_key=0955b7572ce07cd1f08d84a181f4d2d8023049a6

Benefits:

The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate the relevancy of course theories, and to promote critical thinking in students, especially concerning the media that surrounds them. It encourages students to take an avid interest in current news stories and to thoughtfully engage in the deconstruction of popular culture.

Methods:

Students can turn to online news sources, current magazines or newspapers and blogs to scopeoutinterestingeventsorpeoplethatfitcoursecriteria(inthiscasethestudyofTheBody, Beauty, Sex and Consumerism.) They must provide a brief explanation of their topic to theirclassmatesaswellasposeafewreflectivequestionsthatgeneratediscussion.Thebestpresentations tie in course materials and theories to show how these concepts are “lived” on a daily basis.




6 Thinking Hats

Jeff Szmyr

Jeff ’s Pick: April 12, 2012


Edward De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats:

WHITE Hat = Facts • Whatarethefacts?WhatinformationdoIhave?WhatinformationdoIneedtofindout?

YELLOW Hat = Positives• Whyisthisagoodidea?Whataretheadvantagesandbenefits?

BLACKHat=Negatives• What problems could arise? What are the disadvantages?

RED Hat = Feelings• How do I feel about this? What do I like about these feelings? What do I not like about

these feelings?

GREEN Hat = Creativity• What new ideas are possible? What is my suggestion? How can this be changed or

improved?

BLUE Hat = the Big Picture• What thinking is needed? Where are we now? What do we need to do next?

Benefits:

• Promotes critical thinking• Allows students to take on different perspectives in order to reach a decision• Reduces confrontation in groups as every member is assigned a key thinking role• Encourages the silent students to participate

Methods:

1) Could be used with case-studies and group work:a) Assigneachstudentoraparticulargroupofstudentsonespecificcolouredthinkinghat.b) The student(s) must then view the particular problem or situation at hand from that

particular perspective (ie. Red Hat people can only comment on the feelings involved)

2) Can also be used as a process for a whole-class discussion or meeting:a) Present facts (white)b) Generate ideas on how issue could be handled (green)c) Evaluatemeritsofideas–benefits(yellow)anddrawbacks(black)d) Get everyone’s gut feeling about alternatives (red)e) Summarize and adjourn meeting (blue)

Application


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Speed Dating

Samantha Callow

Samantha’s Pick: May, 2012


A classroom activity that can be used in a variety of ways to reinforce curriculum.

Benefits:

Astructuredmethodofbrainstormingclassroomconceptswiththeaddedbenefitofincreasingnetworking amongst the students.

The activity can be use to reinforce the following classroom concepts:• Activity tool• Ice breaker• Engage students• Expand student interaction• Discussion of class concepts• Review of prior lesson• Case Scenarios• Test review

Methods:

Students are rotated to meet each other over a series of short “dates”, usually lasting from 3 to 8 minutes.

At the end of each interval, the organizer rings a bell, clinks a glass, or blows a whistle to signal the participants to move on to the next date.

Depending on the material or concepts being reinforced, the same topic may be used with each “date” or a new topic may be provided with each new rotation.

To ease the students into the process, a generic and fun topic may be used. For example: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Following the exercise, there can be some larger classroom discussion by sharing those concepts discussed during the “dates”.

Application




Spotlight: Twitter in the Classroom

Anne Cramer

Anne’s Pick: April 10th, 2012


TEACHINGANDLEARINGSTRATEGY:Toincorporatesocialmediatechnology,specificallyTwitter, in the classroom. Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows people to send 140-character messages or “tweets” for anyone to see. This strategy aims to create an exciting, interactive, and engaging learning environment for students.

Benefits:

IT’SFUN:Usingsocialmediatechnologyinthelearningenvironmenthelpstoreachstudentsina delivery format which is seen as entertainment and has a novelty factor.

ITFOSTERSPARTICIPATION:Itisagreatwaytochangethingsupandcanbeanextremelyinclusive activity. For example, I have found students who may not actively participate in class discussions are given an opportunity to share their thoughts and views in a different way.

IT’SRELEVANTTOTHEINDUSTRY:StudentsunfamiliarwithTwittergetanintroductiontothe service which continues to be increasingly relevant for marketing, communication and promotions.

Methods:

REVIEW EXERCISE: I have focused on using Twitter for a review exercise to prepare students for an upcoming Marketing test. The week before the review session, students receive an introductory handout, so they can follow four simple steps to prepare: Before class students are asked to read the handout; use an existing Twitter account or set up a new account; and follow the class Twitter account. The day of the review session students are asked to bring in cell phones or laptops to use to “tweet”. During the exercise, the professor “tweets” questions inquiring about course content, and students answer by “tweeting” their response. All activity is projected on screen. This exercise requires some behind the scenes preparation. For more informationpleaseseetheattachedPowerpointfile.

Additionally, Twitter has many applications in the classroom. The technology could be used for a variety of purposes or activities including:• astudyaid• research–buzzwords/trackaword• tweetstory• twitterpoll• discussion,collateviews• beyondtheclassroom

Application


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Spotlight: Twitter in the Classroom

Anne Cramer

twitter in the classroom INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL TEST REVIEW SESSION

Review Session Date is: _______________________________ Before Review Session: Step 1: Use existing twitter account or set up twitter account for this class Step 2: Read this handout! Step 3: Follow the class account for the review session. Class user id is __________________________ Day of Review Session: Step 4: Bring cell phone or laptop to class – whichever you will use to tweet. Come to class and let’s review for the test together, using twitter. Be ready to tweet about our course material!

BRUSH UP ON YOUR TWITTER KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

Video instructions on how to use twitter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0xbjIE8cPM

4 KEY POINTS TO UNDERSTANDING TWITTER BASICS:

Tweet: Is a message which you can use up to 140 characters including spaces. Type this in the What’s Happening box. @replies: If you want to reply to a particular tweet, click the reply button/backwards arrow button OR you can type the @ symbol followed by the person’s user ID (@example), then type your message in the What’s Happening box. IMPORTANT: For our review session you should always reply @ our class user id (see above for class user id details), in addition to any other users you wish. Hashtags (#): You can use hashtags to create groupings and help generate popularity around a particular key word. Also see below on ‘CAN WE TREND OUR COURSE CODE?’. Retweet: Sending a message that was previously posted by another user; it is like quoting them. You can click the retweet button or type RT followed by the @ symbol followed by the person’s user id (RT @example), then type or paste the original message.

CAN WE TREND OUR COURSE CODE? Are you up for a challenge? Can we trend #fash119?! Include this in your tweets too!

Student Handout

Twitter Opener PowerPoint

Application




Students’ Engagement with Active Learning

Parveen Gill

Parveen’s Pick: April 30, 2012


Three techniques have been working effectively in regards to students’ engagement and active learning.

1. Class Ritual: BMGT 201-Principles of Management is a 2nd semester course. 2. HRNewsletter:Classritualtakesaformalrouteinmy3rdsemesterclassonHuman

Resource Administration. 3. LinkedIn Discussions: This was the most exciting experiment and it worked very well.

Benefits:

Students start reading through business news.Get insight about the company.They develop presentation and analytical skills.They connect class teaching with real business practices.I include those companies and examples in my lectures. International students get to know more about Canadian workplaces and their culture.

Methods:

1. Class Ritual: BMGT 201-Principles of Management is a 2nd semester course. On the very firstweekofclass,Iaskmystudentstostartcatchingupondailybusinessnewsviatheinternet, TV and newspapers. Start every class with this question: “What is happening in the real business world?”

2. HR Newsletter: Class ritual takes a formal route in my 3rd semester class on Human ResourceAdministration.TheveryfirstweekImakegroupswithnotmorethan5studentsineachgroup.EveryweekonegrouppreparesandpresentstheHRNewsletter.Studentsrelate the concepts learnt in the class with actual HR in the real business world. (Enclosed: one sample). Students learn how to research ethically and of course they enhance their analytical and presentation skills.

3. LinkedIn Discussions: This was the most exciting experiment and it worked very well. IcreatedaLinkedIngroup(withclassname:BMGT300-3B)onmyLinkedInprofileandasked my students to join that group. After every class I would post one discussion, article, news item, video, etc. and students would comment on that thread. Every week at the start of the class, I displayed that group page and announced the names of the students actively participating in discussions. The best outcome of this activity was a realization for students that Facebook was the fun part and LinkedIn showed them the reality of the competitive job market.

Application


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The Dynamics of Seat Choice

Lynn Bachinski

Lynn’s Pick: April 2012


To get students to consider why they often choose the same seats and what it might say about their personality and comfort zone within the classroom. Teaches them to be aware of their nonverbal communication, such as seat selection, and why someone else may respond to them in the manner that they do.

Benefits:

Recognizing that we are always communicating. The power of our nonverbal communication, such as where we typically sit in the classroom, is interpreted by others. Where we sit may reflectourlevelofcomfortwithlearning,ourinterests,howwewantotherstointeractwithus,andcanevenreflectourabilitytohear,process,andappreciatewhatisbeingsaid.Ourseatingchoicescanbenefitusorhinderourlearningandsocialization.Thereisalsosomediscussion that research shows that more socially isolated people (although this should be done delicately so as not to alienate those students further) are at greater risk for failure within the educational system, physical and mental health challenges, inreased accidents, and even premature death.

Methods:

About one third or so through the term, ask students to participate in an in-class experiment. Direct them to stand up and take all their belongings with them and move to the sides of the classroom.Fromthere,askthemtotaketheseatthattheywouldtypicallypreferinthefirstclass. Ask them to then turn to 3 or 4 people close to them and discuss why they might have chosen that seat and what others might think of them because of where they chose to sit. You can plant a few ideas such as:

Students who sit in the front row are ...Students who sit by themselves are ...Students who sit at the back are ...

This gets them considering how our nonverbal communication is interpreted by others which, in turn,influenceshowothersinteractwithus.

Depending on their comfort zone, you could then ask them to switch seats to the opposite of where they feel most comfortable (back row students sit in the front row, those who sit by themselves sit in the middle of other students etc.). This allows them to experience things from a different perspective and have others respond to them differently.

Application




Trying to Build Student Engagement

Application

Tim Berry

Tim’s Pick: April 14, 2012


Connecting with students : knowing their names

Challenges: • Largeclasssizesmakeitdifficulttorememberstudentnames• StudentphotosonLIS,whilehelpful,notalwaysclear

The Idea: Using a multifunctional student name/tent card. The inside of the card includes a weekly attendance record,and feedback questions: • Whatwouldyouliketolearnmoreaboutinthiscourse?• Whatconceptsdoyoufindmostconfusinginthiscourse?• Whatdoyoulikemostaboutthiscourse?• Whatdoyoulikeleastaboutthiscourse?

Benefits:

• Beingabletorefertostudentsbytheirnamesisakeyfoundationtobuildengagement• Usefulasastudentattendancetakingtool• Studentsabletowritequestionsandoffercommentsthroughoutthecourseastheythink

of them in class• Opportunitytoengageshystudentsastheycanaskaquestiononthecardvs.infrontof

other students• Goodfeedbackforteacherintermsofstudents’areasofcourseinterest,areasof

difficulty,positiveandnegativecommentsregardingthecourseandtheclassroomenvironment

• Morestudentstendtoarriveontimeinordertopickuptheirnamecard• Fewerstudentstendtoleaveafterthebreakastheyneedtohandbacktheirnamecard• Helpsstudentstoknownamesofclassmates• Facilitatesclassroommanagementandminimizesstudentanonymity• Whilenomarksareprovidedforattendanceinmyclassesmoststudentsseemtowantto

ensure their attendance is accurately recorded

Methods:

• Useofasimple8x10blankcardstockforstudenttowritenameonoutsideofcard• Insideofcardarepre-printedfeedbackquestions(seeabove)withafewresponse

opportunities for each question over the semester• Teachercollectsnamecardsattheendofeachclass• Usefultorecordattendance-wherestudentalsohasvisibilitytoattendancerecordaswell• Importanttoaddressanyquestions/feedbackrecordedoncardatnextclass,with

opportunity to provide positive feedback and responses to students writing comments and questions

• Whilethisstrategyarguablydoesnothelpflexmyfailingmemorymuscle,intermsofmemorizingnames,itsbenefitswhenusedasamulti-functionaltooltendtobeworthwhile


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Assessment

Assessment




Teaching Tips

Give Prompt Feedback to help students assess existing knowledge and competence. In classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement. At various points during college, and at the end, students needchancestoreflectonwhattheyhavelearned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves.

Adapted from: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu

Assessment


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For more “Teaching Tips” refer to The Centre for Teaching & Learning website:http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/

A Potpourri of Lessons Learned & Things that Worked (for me)

Assessment

John Pucic

John’s Pick: March 2012


As you know by now (or will soon know) the ProDev experience provides new faculty with a plethora of new ideas, advice, practical tips & tricks etc. on a wide variety of classroom issues. Below are a few ideas that I’ve picked up in the last year from my colleagues and incorporated (successfully) into my repertoire. The learning strategy utilized is the one that I try to incorporate into each of my classes - experiential learning to maximize student engagement.

Benefits:

1. Provision of some key start-up essentials.2. Ausefulfirstdaystrategy.3. De-constructing a typical class.4. A few innovations to assist with classroom management.5. Simulation caveats (simulations are great but preparation is the key).6. Incorporating the case-study approach to ensure maximum engagement.

Methods:




Engagement & Assessment: Developing Tests as Contests

Assessment

Lydia Boyko

Lydia’s Pick: April 10, 2012


Experiential and empirical teaching and learning customized for business and media studies subjects. I am a passionate advocate of structured involvement that permits students to create their own framework for assessment, becoming totally engaged in the process. This goes back to my days teaching life insurance to 18-year-olds in an applied college business degree.Ihaveneededtofindnovelwaystogetstudentstorelatetoesotericsubjectssometimes of little direct relevance to their lives at that point, so were born the “mock trial” and“mocknegotiations”ontopicssuchaswrongfulbeneficiaryclaims,conflictingclaimantsand negotiating for group health insurance contracts. Students have always said these sessions are semester highlights. A recent incarnation is the creation of tests as contests in integrated marketing communications classes. Students develop their own goals and objectives on which strategies and tactics are then created. They discuss and agree on common goals and objectives, and then in teams set to create innovative plans and programs, time tested and self-assessed. Typically, these exercises are evaluated formally and everyone who participates earns the same mark. They are based on theory and require practical application in given real-life situations and current events. As the teacher, I am the passive typist, recording their discussion, before they split into teams for the creative process. After a specifiedperiodoftime,theyregroup,presenttheirwork;theentireclassevaluatesthemandvotes on the winners. In a tie, I ask skill-testing questions (from previous tests).

Benefits:

• drivestotalstudentengagementintheclassroom• allowsforimmediatein-classassessmentofstudentknowledgeandabilitytoapplytheory

to practice• measuresretentionofmultipletheoreticalconcepts• reinforceskeyaspectsofthecurriculum• providescontextforcomplexcurriculum• distilsdifficultmaterialintocoreconcepts,actedouttoreal-lifesituations• fosterseffectiveteam-building• encouragesanon-critical,open,collegialenvironment• createsaforumforfreeexpressionofviewsandinput

Methods:

• contests• role-playing• mocknegotiations• mocklegal“trials”


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Facilitating and Supporting Student Engagement

Assessment

Iris Sokoloff

Iris’s Pick: January 24, 2012



Two sample strategies are included in engaging students in classroom activities and discussions.

These include:1. The Professional Behavior Assessment (rubric attached) and2. Engagement of selected students through Blackboard Communication

Benefits:

With both of these strategies, students are provided with incentive to engage in class activities and discussion. This is both through gaining marks in the course and building skills that are necessaryforstudentstodemonstrateinHumanServicejobs;thus,thebenefitsextendfarbeyondtheclassroom,intofieldplacements(whilestillinschool)andtoprofessionalsettingsfollowing graduation.

Skill development is in the areas of interpersonal skills and job readiness. These clusters of skills include respectful and non-judgemental communication, the ability to speak publicly, reliably and dependably and to communicate in clear, focussed and relevant ways.

Methods:

1. Professional Behavior Assessment (PBA - attached)) ThePBAisarubricthatassessesavarietyofskillsthataredesiredinthefield.Theseinclude punctuality, appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication, appropriate use of technology (e.g. not texting in meetings) and participating in experiential learning opportunities.Studentsaregivenmarkstowardtheirfinalgradewhentheydemonstratethe desired skills and behaviors. Students are also asked to evaluate their own participation.

2. Engaging Students Through Blackboard Communication At the beginning of a given course, students who struggle with class participation are asked to identify themselves (privately) to the professor. Should they be interested, they are supported through the offer of strategies to assist them in building this skill (e.g. positive self-talk, imagining the worst and then assessing the likelihood of it happening). These students are then emailed periodically throughout the term to offer positive feedback on how they are managing class engagement, and given additional ideas as to how they may participate in an upcoming class or activity. Follow-up is then provided through direct feedback from the professor regarding the strengths and contributions that were observed. As well, students are asked to evaluate their own participation (e.g. what went well, what was challenging).





Iris Sokoloff

SSW 202 -‐ Professional Behaviour Assessment

I attend all classes (25 marks)

I missed 1 class (20 marks)

I missed 2 classes (15 marks)


I missed 4 classes (5 classes)


I attend full classes (10 marks)

I have been late /left early for 1 class (8 marks)

I have been late /left early for 2 classes (6 marks)




My non-verbal communication and actions are always attentive (25 marks)

My non-verbal communication and actions are almost always attentive ( 20 marks)

My non-verbal communication and actions are often attentive (15 marks)

My non-verbal communication and actions are sometimes attentive ( 15 marks)

My non-verbal communication and actions are attentive from time to time. (6 Marks)

My non-verbal communication and actions are never attentive ( 0 marks)

I always ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information (20 marks)

I usually ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information. (16 marks))

I often ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information (12 marks)

I sometimes ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information ( 8 marks)

I rarely ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information (4 Marks)

I never ask questions, offer informed opinions, or share information ( 0 marks)

I always demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (10)

I usually demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (7)

I often demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (5)

I sometimes demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (3)

I rarely demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (1)

I never demonstrate appropriate use of technology in the classroom (0)

I always actively participate in role plays and other in-class activities (10 marks)

I usually participate in role plays and other in-class activities (7 marks)

I sometimes participate appropriately in role plays and other in-class activities (4 marks)

I rarely participate appropriately in role plays and other in-class activities (0 marks)

FINAL Grade /100 = %

Professional Behaviour Assessment

Assessment


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Photography and Pictures in the Classroom

Michael Teune c.c.c.

Michael’s Pick: May 10, 2012


One of the strategies I employed was the use of pictures in the classroom. These pictures demonstrated the higher levels that could be achieved .

Benefits:

Each student took something different from this experience. Some wanted to improve the quality of their work based on what they saw in the pictures. Others were able see areas on which to focus within their own skill set.

Methods:

Take photos in the classroom of high and low levels of outcomes. Show outcomes from outside of the school using the same techniques. Another great use of a camera in the classroom is it allows us to build community. There is a real buy-in when you can post pictures of the days’ works and the individuals responsible for that work.

Assessment




Signature Hunt!

Heather Sprenger, PhD

Heather’s Pick: Winter 2012


To have students teach, discuss, and explain to each other key concepts in a fun and interactive way in preparation for a test. This activity is a great way to review key concepts and challenge each student’s knowledge on certain topics within a teaching module.

Benefits:

• Class interaction• Student teaching• Challenge the current knowledge of each student• Highlight topics that need extra attention in preparation for a upcoming test• Working together to understand a concept

Methods:

Signature hunt involves making a chart with multiple columns and rows. Include questions in eachboxthatthestudentscanminglearoundtheclassroomandfindaclassmatewhocanteach the answer to them. Upon successful teaching, the student gets the signature of the student who provided the teaching and then moves on to the next question. This provides a great review of key concepts in preparation for an upcoming test.

Signaturehuntcanbeatimedactivity,whichisreallyfunforthestudents!Whoeverisdonefirstwinsaprize,butMUSTbeabletoanswerafewquestionsthatyourandomlychoosetochallenge their ability to learn from their fellow classmates.

To illustrate, below are a few examples of questions that I have used in the signature hunt for my physiology class…

“Describe the role of hemoglobin in a red blood cell.”“List 4 physiological factors affecting the regulation of blood pressure.”“Explain the concept of homeostasis & provide an example.”

IfyouwouldliketoseeatemplatethatIuse,feelfreetocontactme!

Assessment


44

Touches with Technology

Lisa Wallace

Lisa’s Pick: April 13, 2012


Integrating technology into the classroom

Benefits:

Taking small steps to integrate technology into my classroom had helped enhance the following:

Student engagement-Ifindstudentsreallyappreciatemycreative,professionalapproachto my PowerPoint presentations. They love hearing from industry professionals who reinforce points I have made in the classroom. Generally, students also see an effort in my rubrics and feedback that heightens their attention.

Student appreciation - All of these touches seem to be appreciated by the students. Feedback leads me to feel as though the care, creativity and diligence to create engaging PowerPoints is appreciated. I receive continued feedback as to their appreciation for bringing a wide variety of industry leaders in via Skype. In receiving computer generated rubrics I get student feedback that has a “wow” and the sentiment that they know an extra effort and level of care was put forward on my part.

Methods:

PowerPoint Templates - I develop my own PowerPoint templates for the semester. This ensures that the students have not seen the layout previously and creates a bit of a brand or “look and feel” to the given course and how we are going to approach it. I look at using images asbackdropsthatarereflectiveofthegivenclassroom.Byplacingatransparencyonshapesset over the images, they become great backgrounds for the delivery of content. I also play with text sizes, directions and positioning to provide a less predictable nature to my slides.

Fireside Chats -My“FiresideChats”havebecomeabitofasignatureformeinthisfirstyearof teaching. These chats are 20-30 minute Skype conversations with industry professionals nationwide. We use this time to ask the given speaker a multitude of student and teacher developed questions regarding the topic of the day. If I need a certain message reinforced, I am certain to echo the message to the speaker in advance of the chat so as to help drive home our objectives for the day. Be sure to bring a back up internet cable in the event that the wireless is having a rough day.

Computer Generated Rubrics - I utilize Excel to record each student’s marks for each section of an assignment. I then develop a total and insert my given comments. In Word, I develop the rubric template. I utilize the “Mail Merge Wizard” to create a letter template so as to merge the student marks and comments in my Excel form to the rubric template. In the end I press print and have individualized, computer generated student rubrics. Feedback has shown appreciation for this touch.

Assessment




WIMBA as an Aid to Improve Student Success

Assessment

Dr. Surinder Jassar

Surinder’s Pick: April 30, 2012


WIMBA as an aid to improve student success

Benefits:

To enhance students learning experience, WIMBA - a virtual classroom tool has supplemented theclassroomteachingwiththefollowingbenefits:

Monday Morning exams: WIMBA sessions on the weekend have helped students to get answers for their last minute questions when they had Midterm and Final tests on Monday at 8:05am.

Accessibility: WIMBA sessions gave students an extra opportunity to talk to the instructor on weekends too.

Methods:

I created a virtual classroom through Blackboard. All the students registered for that course have an opportunity to join the room at a scheduled time slot. Students can talk, can type their questions, and can listen to the instructor. They have access to all course content through WIMBA’s interactive whiteboard.


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A sincere thanks to all of our contributors.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success”.

Henry Ford



Documents

The Centre for Teaching & Learning Faculty Picks...Faculty Pick 2011-2012 Faculty Picks Humber College’s new full time faculty members bring a variety of experiences and skills to