Lunch and Learn: Continuous Improvement – Maintaining Engagement in the Classroom as an Instructor

Posted on December 12, 2024 by abrusini

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI) hosted a Lunch and Learn panel discussion titled, “Continuous Improvement: Maintaining Engagement in the Classroom as an Instructor.” Featured faculty panelists included Belinda Chen, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Faculty Development Programs in Curriculum Development at the School of Medicine, Anicia Timberlake, Assistant Professor of Musicology at the Peabody Institute, and Lisa Wright, Lecturer in the University Writing Program at the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. Caroline Egan, Teaching Academy Program Manager, facilitated the dialogue.

Caroline Egan opened the session by asking panelists how they maintain their energy and focus, and if they have any techniques to share. Lisa Wright described how she hosts group writing sessions with students and colleagues, something she started as a graduate student during Covid: “I find that I write better when I am with my colleagues. It helps me stay engaged with my classes, my research, and I get to know how my students are impacted by the writing they are doing.” She also regularly engages with the Baltimore community, saying, “I have met guest speakers for my classes and have discovered and hosted special events for students where they are able to work alongside members of the community.”

Belinda Chen noted the advantage she has of working in a clinical setting (in addition to her academic work) and how it enables her to regularly bring new material to the classroom: “Being in the field helps explain why what I’m teaching my students is important and why it matters. It’s really cool and interesting stuff!”

Anicia Timberlake likes to pose questions that interest her to students about the topics she is teaching, such as why a piece of music solves a particular historical problem; in addition, she loves to tell stories about unresolved dichotomies. She also enjoys designing activities that allow students to collaborate and discover new things together. For inspiration, Timberlake relies on the greater instructional community: “I joined a Facebook group about music history and pedagogy which has been helpful.”

The panelists went on to discuss challenges they have faced recently and steps they have taken to address them. Wright, whose research focuses on Black maternal health, stated: “Normally I get a lot of Black students, but not this year. This has changed my course. Students without an African descent bring a different experience to the room.” She described how she has had to make some adjustments in her teaching: “I need to continuously improve; I want to make sure what I’m bringing is what is needed. I have students reflect on every assignment, asking them, ‘How can I do better? What would you like to learn next?’”

Chen has also adjusted her teaching in response to how the faculty who take her course have changed over the years: ”They have less time on their hands. They used to have more time to think, engage, and reflect. Now it’s more like, ‘Give me what I need to know.’ This has led to changes in my assignments and the structure of the class. It can be challenging but I need to be willing to adapt core content to where people are, where they want to be.”

Timberlake raised the issue of getting students to speak during a seminar: “I try to design our time together so that students have more explicit structure resulting in greater participation. I also visit colleagues’ classes to see what they are doing. They often have the same issues, which helps me feel less alone in trying to figure this out.”

When asked what advice they would give to graduate students and new teachers as they embark on their careers, in terms of holding on to their passion, the panelists had these words of wisdom to share:

Lisa Wright urged a prioritization of one’s self: “Reflect on what your true interests are and do not let academia run you down. You have to learn to say no to some things. You will want to be there for students, but you also need to be there for yourself.”
Belinda Chen encouraged a willingness to change your approach to teaching: “Be open to the fact that what you have may not be what students need at the time. Knowledge and information are easier to access nowadays, so maybe what is more important is the questions that you have about the information. It’s ok to admit that you don’t have all the answers. Being a teacher does not require that you know everything.”
Anicia Timberlake had several suggestions:
- Don’t reinvent the wheel: read colleagues’ syllabi, talk to and collaborate with other instructors.
- Recognize that students learn when they do the work, not when the instructor does the work; find more ways for students to engage with each other and work together.
- Do not feel like a failure when things don’t go as planned. Ask yourself: How can I learn from this? Don’t focus on doing everything 100 percent correct all the time.

From this point on, the panelists participated in a Q and A session with audience members:

Q: In the second half of the semester, students tend to lose motivation. Is there anything we can do to address this?

LW: Building relationships in the classroom is important. This may be tougher for larger classes but try to check in with students. Give them a chance to speak. Some students are experiencing trauma or other difficulties and don’t know where to go for help. If they know you care, that can help.
BC: I agree, we do check-ins, too. Go for small wins – what is something that is motivating for everyone? Try to think about a win that everyone can go for. Find a way to engage in something that doesn’t require so much effort but is still moving things along in the right trajectory in terms of the class.
AT: Change something in the middle of the semester. Don’t let students autopilot through until the end. Include in-class activities that allow them to work together, socialize with each other, and require less feedback from you as the instructor. Even a small twist on the rules of the class can help. For example: ask students to call on the next person to speak during a class discussion. Or have students participate in a collaborative writing activity in a shared Google Doc. Try to plan interesting material and activities towards to the end of the semester to keep the excitement going.

Q: I teach writing and communication classes to students in the Whiting School of Engineering. I often hear students talk about Humanities classes as “blow off” classes. What advice do you have to convince them that these skills matter?

LW: I love this age group – these students are invested in the future. We need to take advantage of that. Give them a task but keep the boundaries wide. They need to be invested in the ask. I’m getting Public Health students and students from various other majors, and I’m interested to see what they come up with. You have to be invested in what you are asking of them. It makes a difference.
BC: We are working with high level students. Tap into a special skill that they have. Take the time to understand where they feel like they could have more impact. Ask them, “How could you communicate this to an audience? What would you want to say?”
LW: Audience matters – let them choose their audience. This makes a difference. Allow them to send their ideas out to an actual audience for feedback.
AT: I love the idea of choosing their audience. Choosing topics is also important. I teach students, who are musicians, to write. I assign things that they can relate to, but also things that aren’t relevant to them at first.

Q: I teach international students at the School of Advanced International Studies with little or no experience participating in discussions. Any advice for teaching international students?

LW: Perhaps putting students in small groups would help. This will get them talking with each other. Let them choose their groups and meet with them regularly to check in. Ask them to review their peers’ writings; this will help them grow as communicators.
BC: Figure out why they are not talking. For example, if it seems to be a cultural issue, maybe there are specific strategies to help such as having them talk to each other without teacher interference, or requiring everyone to speak, but keeping the stakes very low, or offering positive feedback for speaking to help them open up.
AT: I teach a lot of international students. I also studied in Germany. In the U.S., we assume the types of classroom conversations that we value are second nature, but they are actually a product of our culture. It helps to point this out to students: a classroom discussion is a learnable skill, not an innate talent. It can also help to show them how conversations work: 80% of a conversation is people nodding or saying they agree with an idea, which doesn’t require any particular preparation and is very low risk. Make it clear that you notice when your students participate in this way; they will eventually build up to taking more risks. Also, the pace of the class can be an issue. Slow things down for your students. Take pauses during activities, allow students to ask questions. Anonymous online interaction tools, such as Jamboard*, might also be helpful. Tools that depersonalize people allow for more freedom and encourage them to ask more questions.

Audience comment: As an international student, I found group discussions very helpful. Eye contact from the teacher and also being invited to speak by the teacher were also helpful.

Q: I am a graduate student and I have 2 questions:
1. I just started teaching and I have a hard time getting quiet students engaged. Any ideas to help with this?
2. I teach History of Science to STEM majors. How can I engage students outside of the classroom, in the community?

AT: For quiet students: consider surveying them anonymously to find out why they don’t want to talk. Ask them, “What can I do to help? What can you do to help?” Often, it’s the pace of the class, or the size of the group. I build in pauses so students have time to collect their thoughts. Build in think-pair-share activities with smaller groups to allow them to get more comfortable interacting with their peers.
LW: Give the quiet students a chance to write out their thoughts, then let them talk it out. Also, we should not be afraid of silence. Give students a chance to think, wait for them. Let them know you want to hear from them.
AT: We tend to teach classes that award participation points for speaking. But this can penalize those who don’t speak, and places a negative incentive on vocal contributions. Instead, consider giving a grade for respectful presence in the classroom, and giving extra credit for vocal participation. It sends a message that you value what they say and may help to incentivize them to talk. We need to hear diverse voices.
BC: Writing is important, but there are other ways to communicate. Give students options: use the discussion board or chat tool, record a video, post a picture, etc. Be open to using other tools. Also, tap into the importance of your subject. Don’t be apologetic for your subject – students will pick up on that. Try to diagnose why these students are quiet. What else do they have going on? Build in flexibility into your course.
LW: For engaging your STEM students outside of class, consider creating or sharing events that connect to existing STEM-related events happening in the community. Another idea is to embed a 5 minute “What’s going on” activity into each class to review what events are going on within the field that may be interesting for students to attend.

Q: How do you check in with students in class? Are there other strategies to get through all of the content?

LW: There are several ways of showing students you care: quickly ask how they are, give them a moment to journal their thoughts, participate on a discussion board, etc. If it’s a large class, they could respond with thumbs up/thumbs down. This doesn’t have to take a lot of time.
AT: Experiment with different ways. You could ask them how they are doing and have them answer in writing. Or ask them, “What is one thing that confused you? What is one thing you understand really well?” You could use online tools such as a word cloud in Poll Everywhere, or stickers in Jamboard. All of these ideas allow you to quickly pick up on main themes of how the class is doing.
LW: Make sure students are aware of the resources that are available to them. Have a list ready to send or share with them.
BC: Check-ins can also be about your content. For example, a quick quiz to help people remember what they already know.

*Jamboard will be discontinued on December 31, 2024. Other alternative tools to consider include FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.

Amy Brusini, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Image source: Lunch and Learn logo, Pixabay, Unsplash

Quick Tips: Low to No Prep Classroom Activities

Posted on August 30, 2024 by abrusini

Student engagement is a critical component of higher education and a frequent topic of interest among instructors. Actively engaging students in the learning process helps increase motivation, supports collaboration, and deepens understanding of course material. Finding activities that instructors can implement quickly while also proving worthwhile to students can be a challenge. I recently attended a conference with a session titled, “Low to No Prep Classroom Activities.” Jennifer Merrill, psychology professor from San Mateo County Community College, shared some simple classroom activities that require very little or no preparation ahead of time that I thought were worth sharing:

Music:
Playing music as students enter the classroom creates a shared experience which can encourage social interaction, inspire creative thinking, and lead to positive classroom dynamics. It can be used as an icebreaker, to set a particular mood, or specifically relate to the course in some way. Research shows that music stimulates activity in the brain that is tied to improved focus, attention, and memory.

Incorporate music as part of a regular classroom routine to indicate that it’s time to focus on the upcoming lesson.
Use it to introduce a new topic or review a current or past topic. Ask students to articulate how they think the music/artist/song relates to the course material and then share with the class.
Allow students to suggest/select what type of music they would like to hear.

Academic Speed Dating:
Like traditional speed dating, academic speed dating consists of short, timed conversations with a series of partners around a particular topic. In this case, students are given a prompt from the instructor, briefly discuss their response with a partner, and then rotate to a new partner when the time is up. Partners face each other in two lines, with one line of students continuously shifting through the other line until they return to their original partner. This can also be done by having students form inner and outer circles, instead of lines. A few of the benefits of academic speed dating include:

Sharing and questioning students’ own knowledge while gaining different perspectives on a topic.
Enhancing communication skills as students learn to express their ideas quickly and efficiently.
Providing a safe space to share ideas as students interact with others, which can lead to a positive classroom climate.

Memory:
The classic “Memory Game” consists of a set of cards with matching pairs of text or images. Cards are shuffled and placed face down; players take turns turning over 2 cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs. In this version, students take part in creating the cards themselves, using index cards, before playing the game. Memory can be used to reinforce learning and enhance the retention of course material.

Suggested steps for implementation:
1. On the board, the instructor lists 10 terms or concepts related to the course in some way.
2. Students are divided into groups of no more than 5 people. Each student in the group selects 2 terms/concepts from the list.
3. Using index cards, students write the name of the term/concept on one card, and an example of the term/concept on another card (e.g., “supply and demand” and “gasoline prices rising in the summer with more people driving”). Examples could also include images, instead of text.
4. When the groups are finished creating their sets of cards, they exchange their cards with another group and play the game, trying to match as many pairs as they can.

Use Memory to review definitions, formulas, or other test material in a fun, collaborative environment.
Enhance cognitive skills, such as concentration, short-term memory, and pattern recognition.
Facilitate team building skills as students work in groups to create and play the game.

Pictionary:
In this version of classroom Pictionary, students are divided into groups that are each assigned a particular topic. Each group is tasked with drawing an image representation of their topic, e.g., “Create images that represent the function of two glial cells assigned to your group.” Ideally, it works best if drawings are large enough to be displayed around the classroom, such as on an easel, whiteboard, or large Post-it note paper. When each group is finished with their drawings, all students participate in a gallery walk, offering feedback to the other groups. Facilitate a small or whole group discussion to reflect on the feedback each group received.

Enhance problem solving skills and creativity by asking students to think critically about how to represent information visually.
Use Pictionary to get students up and moving around the classroom, which will help keep them actively engaged with course content.
Help students develop constructive feedback skills as they participate in the gallery walk part of the activity.

Hawks and Eagles:
This activity is a version of “think-pair-share” that gets students up and moving around the classroom.

Suggested steps for implementation:
1. Students pair with someone nearby and decide who will be the Hawk and who will be the Eagle.
2. Give all students a prompt or topic to discuss and allow them time to think about their response (1-3 minutes).
3. Students share their responses with their paired partner (1-3 minutes).
4. Ask Hawks to raise their hands. Ask the Eagles to get up and go find a different Hawk.
5. Students share their responses with their new partner.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5, if desired, to allow students to pair with multiple partners.
7. Debrief topic with the whole class.

Use Hawks and Eagles as an icebreaker activity for students to introduce and get to know one another.
Use this activity as a formative assessment to gauge student comprehension of a particular topic.
Expose students to multiple perspectives or viewpoints on a particular topic by having them engage with multiple partners.

IQ Cards:
IQ cards (“Insight/Question Cards”) is an exit ticket activity that acts as a formative assessment strategy. At the end of a class or unit, ask students to write down on an index card any takeaways or new information they have learned. On the other side of the card, ask them to write down any remaining questions they have about the lesson or unit. Collect student responses and share their “insights” and “questions” with the class at the next meeting.

Gather instant feedback from students and quickly assess their grasp of the material, noting where any changes or adjustments might be needed.
Reinforce knowledge by asking students to recall key concepts of the lesson or unit.
Use IQ Cards as a self-assessment activity for students to reflect on their own learning.

Do you have any additional low or no prep activities you use in the classroom? Please feel free to share them in the comments. If you have any questions about any of the activities described above or other questions about student engagement, please contact the CTEI – we are here to help!

Amy Brusini, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

References:
Baker, M. (2007). Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds. Stanford Medicine: News Center. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html

Image source: Jennifer Merrill, Pixabay

Lunch and Learn: Active Learning Techniques

Posted on March 20, 2024 by abrusini

On Tuesday, March 12th, the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI) hosted a Lunch and Learn on Active Learning Techniques: Advice and Guidance from Experienced Faculty. Faculty panelists included Nate Brown, Senior Lecturer, University Writing Program (KSAS); Robert Leheny, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy (KSAS); and Michael Falk, Vice Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (WSE). Caroline Egan, Teaching Academy Program Manager, moderated the discussion.

Caroline began the session by asking panelists how they got started with active learning and what they would recommend to those who were thinking about implementing it.

Nate Brown described how he heavily relied on his lecture notes to deliver content to students when he first started teaching. As he’s gained more experience, he’s moved away from using lecture notes and actively involves students in their learning. Brown structures his classes now in such a way that the students drive the conversation and solve problems collectively, leading to greater retention of information and increased engagement. He makes a point of having students think about “why they are doing what they are doing.”

Robert Leheny recalled how the Provost’s Gateway Sciences Initiative from several years ago provided funding to support the redesign of gateway science courses, such as the Introduction to Physics course, which he teaches. The goal of the Gateway Sciences Initiative was to evolve the pedagogy in large introductory science courses to produce better student outcomes.

The Intro to Physics redesign, which was modeled after similar large lecture style courses at NC State and MIT, moved away from a traditional lecture style to a much more interactive experience. Students are divided into groups and sit at round tables instead of in rows, and they solve problem sets together during class rather than at home. This in-class work is partly enabled by a flipped classroom approach which enables students to review the content before coming to class. Leheny said the department now offers two versions of Introduction to Physics that students can select from: an active learning style and a more traditional auditorium/lecture style.

Michael Falk first started implementing active learning by using clickers in a 200-student Introduction to Computer Programming course at the University of Michigan several years ago. Since he’s been at Hopkins, his classes have been smaller, allowing him to approach active learning in different ways. Falk gave an example of how he flipped an upper-level materials science course (which is now also part of the Gateway Computing program) so that students work in an online textbook outside of class and do more collaborative work during class. Another example is a First-Year Seminar class taught by Falk, Turing’s Shadow: Uncovering What’s Hidden in STEM. This discussion-based course covers a range of topics, some of which are sensitive, and students are often afraid to speak up. To address this, Falk created a series of discussion cards to help ease students’ discomfort. The cards provide discussion prompts for students, such as “Clarification: Ask for further explanation about something,” and they also inject some fun elements into the conversation by asking respondents to present their response “in the form of a song,” or “while walking around the room very quickly,” for example. It turns the exercise into a game and helps students to feel more comfortable participating in class.

Caroline continued by asking the panelists what their definition of active learning is and to provide a counter-example of it, which would bring its definition into better relief.

NB: I think it involves giving students a stake in what we’re doing. For example, helping to define the parameters of a paper we’re going to write. I see the professorial role as one of support, like “air traffic control.” With active learning, students are involved in the creation of their own learning.

RL: The primary component of active learning in physics is peer instruction. Students need to be able to solve problems. We don’t use class time to introduce students to concepts, but instead give students an opportunity to practice solving problems where there are resources to help facilitate these skills. For example, students are divided into groups of three and explain to each other how they would go about solving a problem. The act of explaining the problem to someone else helps to solidify their own understanding. A counter example would be the old way of the instructor speaking from the blackboard, talking uninterrupted for most of the class period.

MF: Active learning is learning by doing. Students are engaging with content in a supportive environment. We are teaching a different group of students at Hopkins now – there are many more first- generation, limited-income, and/or underrepresented students with very different backgrounds. We need to think proactively about leveling the playing field for students. This is evident in the data around class outcomes: classes taught using active learning techniques have lower levels of students failing or dropping out. This is even more true for students in underrepresented groups.

RL: We also see this in Intro to Physics. We have the two versions of the course: one in the auditorium (which may have some active learning elements in it), and one designed specifically as an active learning course. The homework and exams are the same in both courses. The outcomes show that failing grades are much less likely to occur in the active learning course.

MF: I used to think my job as an instructor was to deliver content and material. Now, with active learning, I think my job is to deliver an experience.

Caroline continued by asking panelists for a simple active learning technique that instructors can implement right away.

NB: This may sound crazy – it comes from a writer colleague of mine. I was having students read out loud in class and noticed they were struggling: they didn’t feel comfortable, they were shy, or were experiencing language barriers, etc. I then asked them all to read in chorus (at the same time). No one understood what they were hearing, but it shocked them into it being ok to share. It really helped them get over their nerves.

RL: Think-Pair-Share. This technique works very well in a large lecture environment. We give students a multiple choice question and have everyone vote on the answer. Next, they have to find someone who voted differently and try to convince them to change their answer. We then ask students to vote again. The results are that there are usually more correct answers the second time. You do need good questions for this to be effective.

MF: An idea for STEM classes, figure out a way to shorten your lecture and hand out the problem set at the end of class. Allow students to work on them with each other. Ask students to write down the steps on how they would solve the problem, but not actually solve it. Allow time for a report out at the end. This gives them a chance to support each other while organizing information.

CE: A complimentary Humanities example: In my first-year writing class, I hand out labeled strips of paper to students with our class readings on them and ask them to organize the strips in a way that would help the students use the readings in their papers. Also, I give students writing prompts, break them into groups, and ask them to find out where they would find the answers to the prompts. This helps to get them in the right mindset of locating good sources.

Two other examples of active learning were mentioned by faculty guests. One instructor explained how she has students use Legos to construct the analysis of an argument. They connect more and more Legos to build supportive elements of their argument and take away those that they disagree with. Another instructor mentioned that she has students act out responses in class.

The session continued with questions from the audience for the panelists:

Q: In reference to Think-Pair-Share, have you observed any competitiveness among students or reluctance to participate in these activities?
MF: We tell students it has nothing to do with their grade.
RL: We do the same. We also tell them there is no curve and it is possible for everyone to get an A, which reduces overall competitiveness.
NB: One of the great things about this exercise, where students are engaging with each other, is that they get to hear from peers that are from all over the world. We turn it into a social space where they can feel comfortable sharing.

Q: (From a librarian) I recently had about 30 minutes to work with students in a research class. I received feedback from a student that I didn’t do enough active learning in the class, despite doing a brainstorming exercise with them. What do you do when you need more active learning in such a short amount of time?
RL: Explain to students why you structured the class like you did. It will help if you get their buy-in. Maybe the answer is to announce at the beginning that what you’re doing is in fact active leaning.
MF: Students like playing – it makes for a positive learning experience. Perhaps turn part of it into a game/play. And then explain what and why you’re doing it this way.

Q: Are there any active learning experiences to share when you’re guest lecturing? Do you use the same or different strategies?
MF: It needs to be a different strategy. As a guest, you don’t have the advantage of repetition or control of the environment. Explain to students what you’re doing and do the best you can with the constraints that you’re under.
CE: Be very intentional about your choices. At the end, ask them one thing they will remember from the class. This is a good recall exercise.
NB: As a guest speaker, you already are a bit novel since your presence is different than their regular day. Maybe use a novel activity that they will remember.

Q: Could you each share how you put groups together intentionally instead of having students self-form?
RL: Students are put into groups of three. Groups are engineered this way – we switch a few times during the semester. The students don’t know it, but we add them to groups according to their performance on the midterm. In each group, there is one person that scored at the top, one from the middle, and one from a low level. The top level person gets more practice articulating ideas. The lower level person gets the benefit of working with someone who has command of the material. We also group according to gender: we avoid placing two men and one woman in a group to avoid women being excluded. There is research that supports this.
NB: We also do a lot of group work. Halfway through the semester, I ask students to work with someone they haven’t worked with before. I also ask them to sit next to someone different. It results in a richer peer review experience.
MF: I have students do a self-assessment at the very beginning of the course and use the results of the assessment to group students.

For more information about the active learning topics discussed at the event, please see this Active Learning For Distribution folder of materials developed by Caroline Egan.

Amy Brusini, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Image source: Lunch and Learn logo, Unsplash, Pixabay

Padlet – A Web and Mobile App with Possibilities

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Macie Hall

One of my favorite activities as an instructional designer is seeking out and experimenting with new applications. Some of these are web-based and work best on laptops or desktops, others are designed for mobile devices, some are platform specific (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS) and some work well regardless of your hardware and software. Finding apps that have potential for classroom use is always rewarding, especially if the app is free and easy to use. Enter Padlet, a web-based application that gives you a “wall” (think of it as a multimedia bulletin board) that you can drag and drop content onto in service of any number of pedagogical objectives.

A Padlet wall can be adapted for many uses. The first thought I had was to create an exhibit using photographs I had taken at a cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina that had been originally used for slave burials. It was easy to drag images and a text document onto the wall (which can be customized using a number of different backgrounds), and to use the built-in text boxes for annotation. Audio and video clips can also be inserted, as well links to web materials. In less than 10 minutes, I had a photo exhibition. I’ve recommended other applications for faculty who want students to create online exhibits including Google Sites, WordPress, and Omeka. These offer more features and flexibility, but for being easy to use, Padlet takes the prize.

Other uses include creating timelines, assembling evidence to support an argument, building a visual data set (the world map background might be particularly useful for such an exercise), or to create an online poster presentation. See the Padlet gallery for more ideas.

Padlet’s website lists the application’s features. It can be used as a collaborative tool with team members’ additions appearing instantaneously, making it great for groups that aren’t co-located. The privacy settings are flexible. I set my wall to public so that you could see it, but it’s also possible to keep it completely private or to give others access and set permissions as to their use. Moreover, it works on your laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet.

Take a few minutes and check out Padlet. How would you use it as an instructor?

Macie Hall, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Educational Resources

Image Source: Screenshot of Padlet Wall by Macie Hall

Making Group Projects Work

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Macie Hall

Instructors often find that student engagement increases when active learning strategies are implemented in the classroom. One strategy is to assign problem-based collaborative learning projects. Well-conceived group projects help students develop critical thinking skills, learn how to work in teams, and apply theories learned in the course to real-life situations, producing an appreciation for how the knowledge gained will be useful once the class is over. The end result is a richer learning experience for the students.

Students are more likely to appreciate and retain information when they see a correlation between course work and what they expect to experience as working professionals. Problem-based group projects typically require an array of cognitive skills, induce collaborative learning, and allow students to take ownership of the process. Moreover, students who learn to work in teams are better prepared for their future work environments.

Developing effective problem-based group projects requires assignments that reflect your course learning goals and incorporate course information, permit management of the student groups, and facilitate assessment of student progress. Advance planning and thoughtful strategies will go a long way towards ensuring successful implementation.

I. Setting Student Expectations

Weight the project fairly. You want your students to take the project seriously but you don’t want to weight the project so heavily that experimentation or risk-taking is stifled. Consider dividing the project into parts and grading each separately, so the team understands which aspects of the project went well and what needs improvement.
Discuss student roles and what’s needed. Get the students thinking about what will be required of their team and how they can organize and manage the project. Emphasize the importance of a team schedule. Discuss the qualities of a good teammate so that students begin the project with mutual respect.
Start with small exercises as a warm up. Consider starting with a couple of smaller in-class team-based exercises so that students get used to working collaboratively

II. Group generation methods

Allowing self-selection of teams can create problems. Students like to choose friends as teammates. Personal issues then carry over into the project, friendships may suffer, or the members may take the project less seriously, resulting in poor group performance.
Random selection is a reasonable alternative to student choice. This method is the fastest way to generate groups and more reflective of the real world. While random selection is convenient, consider ensuring diversity in each group to the extent possible.
Skills based alignment is ideal for creating groups. Identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses through in-class exercises can help establish well-rounded teams. As a part of the preparation for the project, generate a list of the skills needed, have the students identify their strong and weak areas, then group the students accordingly.

III. Getting each student to contribute

Assign the students to roles. The difference between a dysfunctional group and a successful team lies in assigning roles. If students are assigned tasks with deadlines, they are more likely to take ownership and responsibility for completing their work as part of the team. Establishing roles can be a part of the group creation process. Avoid having students doing the same task for the entire length of the project. Instead, make the skill requirements for the team more conceptual. Use abstract concepts (Researcher or Synthesizer; Gatherer of Data or Analyzer of Data) so that broad expertise is required for each role.
Require that a different student present the team’s progress for each report. Make sure that each student has an opportunity to participate in an in-class presentation. Presenting their work is a skill that all students will use in the future. As it involves an understanding of all the parts of the project, these presentations by each team member also help to ensure successful group collaboration.

IV. Assessing the team/individual in and outside of class

Have the students do evaluations. This can be done both during and after the project. Evaluations serve as reflective exercises for the students, allowing them to comment on how the process could be improved. Evaluations are particularly useful for gauging the team and individuals’ contributions for grading. Questions that require students to evaluate their own performance, the performance of each team member, and the team as a whole can provide insight into how the team functioned.
Schedule time for team work in class. Scheduling group work outside of class is always a challenge for students. By allowing time during class for team work, you also will have an opportunity to monitor student progress. This is a great way to gauge whether the students are experiencing difficulties and provide an opportunity for questions, clarifications, or assistance with problems. Some of the best learning comes from spontaneous discussion in class, and peer-learning can be extremely effective when students are working together to solve problems.
Ask for regular status updates. Starting class with a brief progress report from each team will bring up questions and concerns that can be addressed at once, eliminating redundancy and saving time.

V. Build in time for reflection

Reflection is key to learning from failure as well as success. Make sure you build in time for students to reflect on their progress. The best time to get the students to reflect on their experience is after the project during a debriefing discussion. Questions such as “What went well or not so well?” and “What would you do differently?” will enhance the opportunity for learning from their failures as well as their successes.

This post was adapted from The Innovative Instructor article series: http://www.cer.jhu.edu/ii/InnovInstruct-BP_MakingGroupProjectsWork.pdf

Pam Sheff,
Senior Lecturer, Center for Leadership Education, Johns Hopkins University
Pam Sheff is an award-winning writer and marketing communications consultant, with experience developing marketing, public relations and communications strategies for clients ranging from start-ups to large corporate, institutional and government organizations. Now a full-time lecturer in CLE, Pam has taught classes on business communications and entrepreneurship.

Leslie Kendrick,
Senior Lecturer, Center for Leadership Education, Johns Hopkins University
Leslie Kendrick has taught in the CLE program since 2002 and developed the five core marketing courses. She has 12 years of experience as a marketing practitioner. She has worked for Harper & Row Publishers, Londontown Corporation, and Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Create an Online Space for Students to Collaborate

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Macie Hall

Working in groups can be a very positive experience for students; it allows them to take ownership of their learning, and they become active rather than passive learners. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the subject at hand, the interaction that students have with their peers is equally valuable. Students have the potential to develop life-long learning skills including critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making abilities, as well as social skills such as effective communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Instructors may help ensure the success of group work by following some of these simple guidelines:

Establish clear expectations of participation by group members.
Specify the roles and responsibilities needed within each group and have students delegate them.
Have group members assess each other at various times throughout the project/activity.
Periodically check to monitor group progress.
Use rubrics to assess both group and individual contributions.

For more on student collaborative work, see Barbara Gross Davis, Tools for Teaching, Jossey-Bass, 2001.)

Instructors at JHU who have the option to use Blackboard (course management system), can create an online space for students to work collaboratively. The Groups Tool in Blackboard is a convenient way for instructors to create subsets of students for collaborative activity. Once created, group members have access to a number of communication and collaboration tools within Blackboard, as determined by the instructor. These tools include: a group discussion board, blog, wiki, journal, email tool, chat tool, a file exchange tool, and a task list. The instructor has access to all group tools at all times. This allows him/her to monitor each group’s activity as needed. The blog, wiki, and journal tools have the option of being graded; they are connected to the Blackboard grade center, so any grades entered are automatically transferred and recorded in the grade center. Within these tools there is the option to grade each member of the group individually or grade the group as a whole. Blackboard groups can be created one at a time, or as a set. Members of groups are selected manually, with the instructor choosing students from a pre-populated list, or by using the self-enroll option, where students use a sign-up sheet to enroll themselves into a group. There is also a ‘random enrollment’ feature (if creating a group set), where Blackboard will randomly assign students to groups. This feature is often helpful in large lecture courses.

For more detailed information about using the Blackboard Groups Tool, please see the Groups Tool tutorial.

Amy Brusini, Course Management Training Specialist Center for Educational Resources

Image Source: Screen shot: Blackboard.

The Innovative Instructor

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Tag Archives: collaborative learning

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Create an Online Space for Students to Collaborate