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I generally shy away from using technology for technology's sake. In my small summer courses, I was known for refusing to use Powerpoint in class, preferring the free-flowing style of being able to write innovative ideas and suggestions on the board as they occurred in discussions (see Tom Creed's article on PowerPoint for reasons why I have reservations about this technology, and Tom Rocklin's well-reasoned response regarding how PowerPoint can be used). In spite of this, I am somewhat known as the techno-nerd in my department because I believe that technology should be employed to enhance learning in the classroom, provide structure and resources for courses, and facilitate communication with students outside of class (examples are shown below). With these goals in mind, technology has become a central part of my teaching, even if I still find Powerpoint to be somewhat stifling.
Below, I have given several examples of how I have employed technology in my courses along with an explanation of why I use it and how students responded to it. In my small summer courses I maintained extensive course websites, demonstrated statistical concepts using applets, and created dropboxes in which students submitted drafts and reviewed each other's work. When I prepared to teach a course with a large enrollment for the first time, I became aware of how technology could be used to establish and maintain contact with students, support teaching assistants (TAs) in their work, provide constructive feedback on papers, and greatly reduce the amount of time needed to do such things. The effort I put into learning the technology and preparing the course paid off a hundred-fold in time saved and the connection established with students.
To learn more about technology in the classroom at Penn State, please consult the Teaching and Learning with Technology website and the free seminars for faculty and graduate students given through Information Technology Services (I.T.S.). I have many seminars through I.T.S. and have always found them to be succinct and invaluable. It is time well spent. Undergraduates at Penn State should consider attending some of the workshops at the Technology Center through the University Learning Centers or taking a course on their topic of interest.
When I consult with faculty regarding technology, I first ask them what takes up most of their time outside of preparing lectures. Whatever answers they give, they have identified good places for them to focus their efforts. I find that this helps reduce "technology overload," wherein all technology seems important (or at least exciting) and there is no place to begin or end. Generally, faculty identify wanting to post articles, assignments, or grades, which is relatively easy with the system we use. With some small goals and successes, I have watched formerly techno-phobic professors become enthusiastic users of course websites and online grading. I hope that the examples given below will provide some ideas of how faculty might use technology to improve the learning of students and the ease of handling large enrollments.
My teaching style is inherently interactive. To boost discussion, I try to break up class time into smaller chunks of learning and synthesizing material. To do this, I use a variety of technologies from Powerpoint for lectures in large classes to videos that demonstrate the concepts we have discussed to interactive websites wherein students can apply material. Students frequently comment on how they appreciate the variety of teaching techniques used in class. It captures their attention and lets them actively process material.
Although I still think that the chalkboard is preferable for smaller classes, I have become accustomed to using Powerpoint for larger classrooms to maintain some structure. To complement my teaching style, I generally avoid detailed slides. Instead, I give a general outline of points, pose questions which are interactively answered in class, and provide charts or statistics when necessary. Initially, I did not post these slides online but have found that it is generally useful to give students these skeleton notes and have them add their own thoughts throughout the class. Because discussions can be very unstructured, students have responded well to having structured notes to refer to when studying for quizzes.
As an example, in one of the early lectures in HD FS/WMNST 250 students attempt to answer the question "How many LGB people are there in the U.S.?" I have two major goals for this class: students should begin to understand that answers to social science questions are determined by the sampling schemes used and students should begin to understand the complexity of sexuality and question their assumptions about dividing the world into straight and gay (and sometimes bisexual) individuals. I choose to accomplish these goals in an active way.
First, I have students break into groups to discuss questions on a handout (pdf document) wherein they attempt to design their own study to find the answer to the question. One section of the class discusses sampling and the other section designs questions to ask. As they discuss these questions, students are predictably frustrated; usually at least one student will say, "This is impossible!"—which is entirely the point. When we come back together as a class, I ask students for their answers, which vary widely from group to group. Then, I ask students to evaluate how each method or question used will impact the prevalence estimate. As a class, we decide upon an optimal study.
Next, I present how major researchers have assessed sexual orientation from Kinsey to current studies (see Powerpoint (pdf document)). Invariably, there is a study that matched each of the methods we discussed, reassuring the students whose designs were not selected that their methods were not "wrong." I also present some of the research on how different interview techniques (telephone, paper, computer, etc.) affect people's responses to sensitive questions. Students begin to understand the complexity of research and move towards a more critical consumption of research "findings."
This example demonstrates how I use Powerpoint as an interactive, rather than passive, tool. Instructors who are interested in creating Powerpoint presentations that enhance learning should consult some of the resources at the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence. With their help, I have improved the ways in which I use this method. Also, see the sources at Notre Dame
To illustrate concepts in the classroom, I frequently use feature films and short videos such as those posted on YouTube. For the sexuality course, I used videos to show the viewpoints of different LGBTA people. For example, on the second day of class, I show Gay Republicans, a film about how different members of the Log Cabin Republicans reacted to the Constitutional Amendment proposed by George W. Bush in 2003 to ban same-sex marriage. After being assigned to follow a specific member, students are asked to apply Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Erikson and Marcia's theory of identity development to explain why members reacted the way they did. Students reported that they enjoy the use of media, in combination with guest speakers, to demonstrate theories and that it made theories seem less esoteric and more applicable to understanding human behavior.
With the current generation of undergraduates, the internet presents numerous problems. Most of my students do not know how to distinguish between reputable and disreputable web sources. I have frequently talked with students who will question me about a "fact" that they learned on someone's website. Rather than abandoning web sources altogether, I bring up websites that demonstrate class concepts. Then we discuss how to assess the reliability of these sources and whether or not we trust the "facts" that they are reporting. Please see the iStudy module on Search Strategies and Source Evaluation for independent learning on this topic. Furthermore, I have found some statistical websites that contain applets that visually demonstrate changes in statistical outcomes with changes in the data (for some of these sites, see the Resources Regarding Statistics page). When I demonstrate these applets in class, I can frequently see students nodding or even gasping as they finally understand the meaning of concepts like "restriction of range." Students have frequently told me that these interactive sites have been crucial in their understanding of statistics.
For my course websites, I use ANGEL, which is used for almost all Penn State courses with websites. This system automatically allows enrolled students to access course materials and allows instructors to add teaching assistants and others as necessary. It has several commendable features such as an intuitive user interface, ease in posting materials, and ability to restrict materials to certain users or teams. Although I rarely use it, online quizzes and games are easily created, which would be ideal to allow students in entry-level courses to practice for or take multiple-choice exams. If you are interested in learning how to use ANGEL, seminars are available through I.T.S. Faculty can also receive individual consultations on ANGEL by contacting I.T.S.
The following screen capture shows the main page of the HD FS/WMNST 250 Lessons page (where most items are stored) from the perspective of a student on Team Village (teams are discussed below):
For the examples below, clicking on the links in the headings will take you to a document or a screen capture of the feature. Note: I have not included typical uses of a course website, such as posting the syllabus and grading rubrics, but these are also included on my sites.
Through ANGEL, I have randomly generated teams for students for two different purposes: peer review and TA assignment. For peer review, students were assigned two to a team and posted drafts, commented on their peers' drafts, and received feedback from me regarding their drafts. I used this technique in a writing-intensive summer course wherein students had multiple revisions of the same paper that slowly built into a final research proposal. Many students wrote that they found the peer-review process invaluable. As one student told me, "Now I know why my professors always said to have someone read over your work. Now I get it." Also, by using online peer review, I was able to also review the students' work and give them feedback in a timely fashion, rather than having them submit a draft, have their peer review it, then me, and then return it to them. In fast-paced summer courses, this extra time for revision was deeply appreciated by the students.
In my larger class, I divided students into teams and assigned them to a specific TA. This reduced much of the confusion created by having multiple TAs as they knew who to contact regarding reading drafts, absences, and quiz grades. It also helped free up more of my time for answering content-related questions, rather than "house-keeping" ones. Finally, the TAs enjoyed the consistency. They knew that their grading responsibilities were evenly distributed and were able to learn the names, strengths, and weaknesses of most students on their teams. Due to this system, and the high quality of my TAs, I was able to identify struggling students early on in the class and provide them with extra resources as needed.
Dropboxes allow students to electronically submit papers. I have used them in the peer review process described above and in my larger course. I think that they were particularly invaluable in the larger course for several reasons. First, students submitted their papers in dropboxes that were restricted to their team. The TAs did not have to sort papers into teams to grade them. The TAs posted completed grading rubrics and comments to the site. These grades automatically carry over to the gradebook and students are restricted to viewing only their own grades and comments unless settings are changed.
Dropboxes also reduced the time spent grading. Students were informed that their final drafts would be graded on a provided rubric and receive few comments (students who turned in rough drafts received extensive written feedback). The TAs highlighted relevant sections and criteria and cut and pasted frequently used comments onto the rubrics with some individualization.
Besides the ability to avoid re-writing frequently used comments, when grading questions arose (either from a TA who was not sure how to respond to a paper or a student who was upset by a grade), I was able to instantly access both the paper and the grading rubric. By the time a student came to my office regarding a paper grade, I had already assessed the paper and decided whether or not I concurred with the grade received. This greatly reduced the amount of time students had to spend waiting in my office for me to review their paper. Usually, I arbitrated grade disputes via email and found it unnecessary for students to come to my office.
Also, dropboxes are useful for keeping track of late papers, which I accept with penalties. ANGEL automatically records the date and time that papers are submitted. However, I set the dropboxes to automatically close when the paper deadline had passed and a new dropbox marked "late box" opened to accept papers. This easily identified late papers for the TAs and they did not have to concern themselves with the possibility of lost papers, papers that were incorrectly marked late, or papers that were slipped into their mailboxes after hours.
Finally, I estimated that in Spring 2008, with 125 students, we did not use 3000 sheets of paper due to the use of electronic dropboxes. Please consider using this system to reduce the amount of waste! Mother Earth will thank you later, and I thank you now.
In my larger course, students submit two anonymous reaction papers. Through ANGEL, I am able to identify which students have submitted their papers, but not connect any paper to any student. Before the dropboxes, these papers were submitted in class with student ID numbers on them which we then cut off. Students simply had to trust that these measures would be taken to ensure their anonymity. In ANGEL, students can see whether or not a dropbox is anonymous. Indeed, I generally have a couple of students who submit blank documents just to see if they really cannot be tracked. Many students have written that they deeply enjoy the reaction papers, particularly because they can be honest without fear of reprocussion.
I particularly enjoy using the electronic gradebook (I was so enthusiastic about this that I helped pilot the program). Students can access their grades (and only their own grades) for the course, thus bypassing the confidentiality problems encountered when posting grades outside a classroom. Additionally, I try to have many small quizzes instead of exams for continual learning assessment. Students tend to misplace these quizzes when they are returned but keep track of their grades online and let us know if any grades have been incorrectly entered. I use the grading system to automatically enter zeroes for absent students, to drop their two lowest quiz scores, and to upload grades into the Registrar's system at the end of the semester. This has greatly reduced the amount of time needed to double-check grades at the end of the course and students have reported that they greatly appreciate having their averages continually recalculated by the system throughout the course.
Aside from posting grades, I have found the ability to post readings and articles to be invaluable. Because access to materials is restricted to enrolled students, copyrighted materials can be posted under fair use laws, which would not be the case with a regular website. For example, in Spring 2007 I found out belatedly that one of the texts that we regularly used was out of print and thus could not be assigned. I was able to scan and post an essential chapter to the course website, allowing us to retain some of the material from this text. Additionally, I enjoy posting current articles of interest for discussion the following week. Students are able to easily access the articles, even if they have deleted my email about it. Students have reported that they enjoy having the material online. Some students print out the articles and begin reading before the course starts; others access them over breaks or long weekends away from campus. About half of my students report that they do not even print out articles any more. They simply save them to a portable hard drive and keep them for reference. Although this means that there is less paper waste, it also means that I needed to pay particular attention to the format of articles so that they are accessible, generally converting them to Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Although this resource is designed to be used within ANGEL, modules can also be accessed on the website. I have imported iStudy modules into ANGEL for use in my writing-intensive course in the past. These are self-study modules on specific and general academic skills topics such as writing papers, coping with stress, and managing time. I used modules on creating outlines for papers, writing thesis statements, revising one's work, and correctly citing sources in papers. Students submitted worksheets and completed quizzes for each module, (these grades can be automatically included in student's grades or disregarded as desired). Although I expected that students would enjoy these modules, they did not, reporting that they were not sure what needed to be completed online and what should be printed out and turned into me. This indicated a lack of clarity on my part. I recommend that instructors who use these modules be very clear regarding what successful completion of the module means in terms of grading.
Through the calendar I keep track of paper deadlines, homework assignments, and office hours, which I synchronize to my computer's calendar and my PDA. Students can also access and synchronize this calendar to their computer, PDA, or portable media player. I have heard from a few technologically-savvy students who use and appreciate this feature, but not many. I continue to use it because I find it to be personally helpful but would not consider it to be more useful than a well-organized syllabus. If you are looking for technology that significantly reduces time or simplifies teaching, then I would recommend most of the other examples first.
For most topics, I posted additional suggested readings. Struggling students were able to access additional material presented in a different way in order to clarify some topics. Other students were able to pursue their interests beyond the course requirements. Several students told me that they enjoyed the additional readings and felt that it demonstrated a high level of commitment to their learning on my part.
I created extensive links to helpful websites. Resources ranged from help with writing to help with study techniques to help with suicidal ideation. Many students have told me that this was the most useful part of the website. They learned about campus resources that they were not even aware existed, such as the University Learning Centers and Counseling and Psychological Services. Because Penn State has an enormous student body, it is not surprising most of my struggling students did not know how to locate or access resources that would help them. I am in the process of transferring these links to this website and they will be located in the Resources section.
A typical form of communication that I recommend over phone contact in order to have a record of student contact, particularly with large classes ("Kelly? Which Kelly? There are ten of you."). On my syllabi, I also provide response times for emails so that students do not feel the need to re-send emails or initiate other contact unless I do not respond within a specified time. I highly recommend this.
If there are not any students in my office during office hours, I open AOL Instant Messenger. Students are provided with my screen name (kosinclair) on all syllabi. Students reported that they enjoyed being able to contact me from across campus or from home. It eliminates the lag time associated with email contact and allows for quick conversations, which can be saved if needed. Several students have remarked that wished other instructors use this form of communication and appreciated my use of it.
For my sexuality course, I have an anonymous bulletin board on the website wherein students can post any questions or thoughts they are having. I set the bulletin board to alert me when something is posted so that I can respond. Students have posted everything from personal reactions to the material to questions about content. For example, I offer extra credit to students who show me their voter registration cards; one student wrote a post asking how to register to vote, a question the student would have been too embarrassed to ask face-to-face.
For all courses, I conduct a midsemester evaluation to assess the direction of the course and what students are finding most useful for their learning. Using the option to create a quiz on the website, I adapted the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ)an evaluation from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence for an online environment. Although Schreyer will conduct an online SEEQ themselves at faculty request, they cannot record which students have completed the evaluation. Because I provide extra credit for completing the evaluation, I set the website to record that students have completed the evaluation; I cannot connect students to any particular response. I provide students with a general summary of responses and explain what changes I am making to the course due to their feedback. The students, in turn, report that they feel as though I am responsive and make reasonable adjustments based on their words.
