SUNDAY 3/17 PROMPT (1 of 3) What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format? Choose two and share how you would approach solutions for these barriers. NOTE: This is the first of three posts that will be released on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week. We encourage you to re-visit and be sure to scroll down so that you see all responses accumulating throughout the week.
MONDAY 3/18 PROMPT (2 of 3) - Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? (Please share an example or link if you would like to.) Would any be difficult for your school/teachers to meet? NOTE: This is the second of three posts that will be released on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week. We encourage you to re-visit and be sure to scroll down so that you see all responses accumulating throughout the week.
TUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus? NOTE: This is the third of three posts that will be released on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week. We encourage you to re-visit and be sure to scroll down so that you see all responses accumulating throughout the week.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!53813241_2418777494821634_6156594001135796224_n.jpg
ReplyDeleteAny course barrier would be one that does not contribute to helping students develop their expert learner skill set -- the one our text identifies as belonging to persistent learners (time management, discussion participation, motivation, asking questions, applying knowledge, and forging connections with teacher and peers). In this case, ambitious pacing could be seen as a barrier.
Solution(s) for time management? Provide clear Assignment PACE Chart with due dates; break down major assignments into manageable parts; provide news items with additional resources; send pager notes or texts as reminders/nudges, etc. Solutions are a variable as our students. For discussion participation, some solutions might be to let students know that their posts are valued and appreciated, and important to the learning cycle; allow students to go back and make up missed posts (or add to weaker ones after reading feedback); leverage discussion participation to bolster the other skills -- motivation, asking questions, applying knowledge, and forging connections.
My favorite suggestion in the book was to meet the discussion barrier by making sure to let students know you will be providing feedback and for them to expect it.
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DeleteClesson, Time management does seem to be an ongoing issue with some students. It can be a balancing act between allowing flexibility, which is a great advantage to the online environment, and providing structure. Providing regular reminders and fostering relationships by engaging students through inquiry/discussion on a regular basis is not only a motivator, but also a way to create structure within the more flexible online environment.
DeleteSarah, you said it! That is a constant pivot point with all students. I post the phrase, "I will be fair - not equal" and build a culture of understanding that ALL students get what they need and ALL students will be pushed to reach farther, stretch their minds and constructs. Great post, thank you!
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ReplyDeleteIs there an easy way to share images via blogger?
Clesson the blog is set up for participants to reply so to add an image the easiest way is to provide a URL for that image. You can upload to Google Drive for example, share that anyone with link can view etc. Authors of the blog do see an insert image option but we are limited to the number of authors so that is why participants are not set up with the typical editing items. Thanks for asking.
DeleteI’ve chosen my most recent Virtual High School course to look at in terms of the syllabus. I think the most obvious barrier in the syllabus is the presentation of information -- it is all in written format. In a VHS course, the first week is all about students learning how to work through the platform and to understand the expectations. There are separate lessons for introductions, using a discussion board, grading, and more. I don’t think this structure is a negative because it’s a lot of information and breaking it down is helpful. However, there are sections that could be provided in a video (teacher intro) and even to offer students a video option of posting in the discussion. When I looked at the syllabus, each week has objectives written in student-friendly language with an outline of activities for the week. There is no list of resources or technology used; they are listed in the individual lessons -- but listing all of them in a syllabus would make it very long.
ReplyDeleteThe other tough part is having just the weekly deadlines, especially someone with executive functioning issues. Someone like Ray (from the book) would have a hard time motivating himself to check in each day to accomplish an assignment; he would most likely wait until the last minute to do all the work (or do it all at one time). We use our “News” items to remind students of deadlines. I could put this in a video as well. One of the things I’ve done with my classes is to outline the week’s work in a “Weekly Outline” that I post in their private discussion area. This breaks down the week’s work by days so that students do a bit each day. It also ensures that they complete discussions on time. It is students’ choice whether they do the work on a daily basis. Still, many students appreciated this breakdown.
~Christine
Christine -
DeleteI agree that the presentation of information is one of the biggest barriers we face in online instruction - and in my opinion - student engagement goes hand in hand with this.
I like your idea of using news announcements - maybe you could use the news announcements (via a video or image or something engaging) to not only remind of a time schedule but also to get students excited about the new material they will be starting.
I like your idea, Christine, of using the videos. As I was reading this section, I thought about creating weekly videos to share on Monday of myself reminding students what is due. Videos would be a good addition to supplement the written syllabus.
DeleteOne thing I do (many of our teachers do, as well) is color code the syllabus. For example, discussions are highlighted in red, quizzes in blue, and dropboxes in purple. This helps students immediately see what needs to be done and what kind of assignment it will be.
Christine, I also love the idea of using videos to present the information that is in written text. I envision this being an engaging way to present weekly assignments, and could also work to foster that student-teacher relationship! It seems like a wonderful way to add a personal touch to a course. The video coupled with the written syllabus could work well hand in hand for many students with different needs or preferences. I also think about the importance of having a written, text-based syllabus that is formatted properly to allow use with a simple text-to-speech software program, as well as by screenreading software. This could add that extra dimension that could be very helpful for those who benefit from or need to hear the information.
DeleteSomething I also noticed in your post, that is always important to keep in mind is student friendly language. We need to remember who our audience is!
These are all some good ideas to add to the toolbox. The color coding is interesting. I know that VHS doesn't like the use of color for announcements, but I wonder if there could be a color system throughout the course, just in the title of the lesson.
DeleteWhile I also think the idea of video is a good one, it is out of my comfort zone. I don't make videos, even home ones of my kids. And, I would need quite a bit of training on how to make and post, but I'm willing to try with some guided help.
~Christine
Hi Christine - I totally understand about not being comfortable making videos. It is out of my comfort zone, too. Maybe you could share the responsibilities with other teachers that teach the same thing. Or you could start with making audio files, not videos. That might be a good way to get started with this.
DeleteI am interested to why they don't like using color for news announcements. Do they think it's a distraction? I use color and graphics for mine, but I also try to remember not to use colors, like red and green, together for students who may be colorblind.
I like the idea of the video reminder of what is coming up in the News section. As for discusssion in my classes, I like that they are mostly opinion questions, but would like to see more connections to their lives. I think students would enjoy texting or video/image personal response over repeating. something said in the text and supporting it. In this way, students could relate their lives to the answer.
DeleteI contribute to all the discussion, one because I want to be involve and I take an interest in their answers and 2) I have such a limited number of students that there usually is only 1 student in a term and there is not one else to have a discussion with.
As for videos-- I don't like to be in the video either but we use images instead.
DeleteI think another suggestion in response to the Discussion Barrier is to encourage students to make posts to discussions early on in the schedule. For instance, we have weekly due dates. Many students will wait until the last minute to make a response. By waiting until the last minute, students do not get the full benefit of the discussions. Most of my students do not respond back to me, even though I respond to each one of their original posts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe offering a variety of ways to post, instead of just having them type their responses. For instance, encouraging them to make presentations, videos, audio recordings, images, etc. would help students choose the option that interests them - thus encouraging more detailed responses.
Jeana, I agree that posting in a timely fashion is important. Posting the original comment "before bed" on Sunday night is my requirement, and I tie points to that because, as you said, if they post late, they don't get the benefit of the discussion. I do like the idea of video or image explanations or other choices for original comments. If students knew they had a choice consistently, they might not dread the task as much. ~Christine
DeleteJeana, at VHS we have been thinking through the discussions and requirements a lot this year. The obvious goal is that students are actively engaged and not just checking a box of tasks. We recently revised our rubric to include more language around being an active participant and posting on at least 3 different days. It's hard to make high school students really see the value in being part of the discussion. I wonder how we might find ways to get them to respond to the posts made by teachers - we ask our teachers at VHS to pose questions during the discussions to get our students thinking deeper about concepts, but how do we even know if they are reading those? Some teachers get frustrated and feel like they are not always being heard. ~Jen
DeleteJeana, I love having a variety of formats for posts and responses and having them available early. The more interactive the experience likely the more desired and more memorable they will be for our learners.
DeleteJeana, I love the idea of presenting upfront a variety of options for discussion responses. Not only is this UDL friendly, but think of the fun and creativity this could spur...as well as the potential for more personal interactions within the online class!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! I wonder if having these options could somehow be embedded in to the master course, so the teacher doesn't have to create them each semester. Just an idea...
DeleteJeana,
DeleteYes, encouraging our students to make a discussion post early in the week (or within the allotted time frame) is a good idea for many reasons (allows time more discussion, students stay on pace, etc.) . In addition to this tip, I think we need to encourage students to check back in their discussion assignments throughout the term for responses/comments from their classmates and encourage them to respond to the replies (creating an ongoing conversation about the topic). I don't encourage this type of behavior enough in my courses. In my classes, once students complete the required 3 posts, we move on from that assignment and never look back - which is not ideal, I know. :) I think that offering a variety of options for making posts, encouraging students to post early, and to respond to each others' posts is super important and addresses some of the barriers we face with discussion assignments. Making sure the students understand the requirements and expectations of each post is important too.
Hi Jen - I agree that it's important that students understand what is expected of them. This could be done a number of ways, like rubrics or posting exemplars, so students know what is expected when they post AND respond to other students. It is important to get away from the "I agree" responses.
DeleteBarriers of my syllabus include the course description and objectives. I teach several high school online math courses, so for many students, the description and objectives can be unmotivating. Using UDL guidelines, the math course description should really focus on what I want students to remember two years after the course. This should include the big ideas or “mega-objective”, why I am teaching this course and why it is valuable to the students.
ReplyDeleteAnother barrier includes the course schedule or outline. My syllabus in my math courses contains a very simple listing including the lesson number and generic assessment label. As modeled in the book, my syllabus could contain a course outline that offers alternatives modes of presentation, highlights area of choice, and additional resources.
Brooke, while reading this chapter, did you consider how you might be able to provide options/choice for students in your math courses? I am not a high school math content area specialist, but I wonder how real world type options could be integrated into a choice-based system in a math class which could hit on various student interests to promote engagement.
DeleteI imagine outlining higher-level objectives focusing on the knowledge we want students keep longterm, would be less intimidating and overwhelming to students when they take that first look at a course syllabus!
Brooke - I like your idea of modifying the course objectives. While most schools have set course descriptions, maybe teachers could add their own personal message, too. This may also help students get interested in the course.
DeleteMaybe also asking students what they want to learn from the course. Then, as a class, the teacher could come up with some objectives (in addition to the standard course objectives), which may help students to feel they have a stake in their learning.
I agree imagine that as you find ways to include "Mega-objectives" into your syllabus it will help your students connect the dots between what they are learning and how it actually will be relevant to them down the road. I think especially in Math this is important. Although we realize on this side of education how relevant Math is to their futures, I think it is one of the things that most students truly don't grasp. Understanding the why translates into motivating to do the work.
DeleteOne of the barriers that I have experienced with a syllabus, is the lack of regular review of it. It can be such a great resource, if it is used. Often times it is forgotten about after an initial first glance. I would say this is particularly a problem for students that are less plan oriented (the fly by the seat of their pants type). I know this type well, as both my husband and my oldest son tend to approach school in this way. To overcome this, I think it is so important to continually direct and redirect students to a regular review of pertinent sections of the syllabus. In other words to not assume the student realizes the importance of the syllabus and that they will remember to review it on their own.
ReplyDeleteA second barrier that exists for student regarding their syllabus is difficulty navigating and thus getting lost in it. I can clearly recall being given a syllabus in a course that was so lengthy and poorly organized that I rarely used it, as it was so time consuming to get through. In order to remedy this problem it is essential that a syllabus is well laid out. That only the most essential information is contained in it so that the student doesn't get lost in unnecessary details. Along these same lines, constant revision and updating of the syllabus is essential. It shouldn't be a "one and done" type of resource.
Laura, you pointed out very relevant barriers many students face. I agree that pointing to the syllabus and not just providing the answer can be a way to help them overcome knowing how to use the syllabus. I also agree that constant revision and tweaking is essential. I am liking the thoughts presented in this chapter in thinking through how to make my syllabus less wordy and more user friendly for students to encourage use.
DeleteLaura, I agree with your comments as far as the student getting lost in the syllabus due to length, complexity, etc. Your thoughts that it really should focus on pertinent information is an important point to make. I am not convinced that all kids really look over the syllabus in depth in the first place. I noticed the idea from the book about having some type of a quiz, acknowledgement form, or activity associated with the syllabus. I really loved the idea of an activity...maybe a fun scavenger hunt the first week of class that would focus on those essential items that the students would really need understand expectations to get them started on the right foot to success in the class!
DeleteI like your idea, Sarah, about a scavenger hunt or quiz. Maybe something could be created like the Escape Room that is set up for teaching students how to navigate the course. Teachers that teach the same subject could divide up the responsibilities.
DeleteI am going to try using a scavenger hunt or other similar type of "fun" activity to encourage exploration of the syllabus in the future. Escape room is a great idea too.
DeleteHi Laura, I also like the idea of a fun activity to have the students "use" the syllabus rather than just gloss over it. One idea I thought of as I was writing my response to prompt 3 is (and this probably works better in some subjects and not others) is to have students find images that represent the concepts that are outlined in the syllabus. I supposed this would be a Picture scavenger hunt of sorts. I am revising a biology course and I think it would be so fun for students to look at the topics they are about to study, and basically preview them by finding images to represent the topics.
DeleteFinding a way for the syllabus to be an active document is a challenge, but you all have posted some great ideas. I'll have to explore the practicality of the Escape Room idea!
DeleteI know I have many students who just ignore my pacing chart for the class. I wonder if it's not a good idea to give it to them in chunks. Like a month at a time? Maybe it would make them look at it and not skip around as much as some tend to do? They would have to look at News where it would be located? Like someone mentioned above, the syllabus or pacing chart could be very overwhelming at the beginning of a course.
DeletePrompt 2: VHS classes have standard policies outlined for all its courses -- academic integrity, late work, etc. There is a student orientation with all the policies for students to complete. One piece is about communication. There is a video that introduces the material and also audio to go along with the text. VHS does a great job outlining the expectations of teachers and students in this section. What works well is the activity for students to post in their private topic to introduce themselves to me. I already leave a “welcome” note (it is a requirement), but this shows me that the students know how to find their private topic and that they know how to post. Below I’ve posted some of the text from the lesson on communication. Sorry for formatting -- bullets didn't paste.
ReplyDelete~Christine
What can you expect from me?
As you might have guessed, communicating is critical. Here is what you can expect from me when it comes to communication:
I will respond to your questions within 24 hours, Monday-Friday. Please don't hesitate to ask anything, but be patient.
I will provide you with feedback on your work, so check the grade book, your Private Topic (PT), the class discussion boards and announcements for feedback.
I will share important updates with you on the course homepage. Please check each day for new updates - it is the quickest way for me to provide an update to all students in the class.
Check your PT frequently! I will send messages to the entire class and to individual students via the PT. Make a habit to check here each time you log in and to respond quickly if I leave a message.
I will check in with your site coordinator if you aren't actively participating in class. Let me know ahead of time if you know you will not be in class for 3+ days in a week. Don't disappear on me!
I like this idea, Christine. Welcome posts are a great way to connect with the students. You mentioned that it is a private topic. Does this mean that other students don't see it? Most of our courses have a Welcome/Introduction prompt, but it is for the entire class. It's a good way for students to get to know one another. Sometimes, they even realize they go to the same local student and didn't realize it. I like reading the welcome posts because you get to understand where your students are coming from. I'm amazed when I learn how some of my students are excelling in a sport, which is why they are taking online courses.
DeletePrompt 3: In prompt 1, I talked about video; however, VHS has a very systemic orientation to its online platform, so keeping the course content syllabus consistent between courses is important to them. I think the audio portion is pretty important to the syllabus. -- Christine K.
ReplyDeleteOur school has standardized the course introduction information into a Welcome Unit rather than providing a traditional syllabus, which I think probably makes students less likely to skip it like they might with a paper (PDF/Word) syllabus. Some of that information also goes out in the form of a Welcome email. In addition, we have some items on our course homepages, such as the pacing chart, an instructor video introduction, the instructor bio, and help area. Most of the Welcome unit is written, but there are videos about course navigation. Again, this information is standardized and appears in the same format in every course. Students do have a variety of introductory assignments that scaffold skills they will need in the course, such as posting to discussion boards, using the quiz tool, and uploading assignments to the dropbox. From a UDL standpoint, there is a great deal of written information that doesn’t have an alternate format, so adding other sources of the same information would be helpful. It would also be nice to offer alternate forms of expression in the assignments.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, It sounds like your syllabus format is very similar to ours at GaV - text heavy. Some instructors do inject links to videos or other media but that is optional. One example might be a "tutorial" link on the syllabus next to the first discussion. The tutorial link might lead the student back to a video in our knowledgebase on how to post in our LMS.
DeleteSorry I must not have been logged in!
DeleteHi Carrie! We do have a lot of great tutorials that the IV team has created. It would be nice to embed them not only in the Welcome Unit, but also in the places where they are relevant to the assignment or activity.
DeleteI was interested and somewhat frustrated by the chapter about the syllabus! I think my main issue was that I’m not sure that the syllabus is the “be all, end all” that it is made out to be in the chapter. Yet, I agreed with so much about the content that should be provided! In the courses at VHS, the syllabus is, as someone wrote earlier, a bit of an after-thought (or so it could seem to students). They are asked to look at it in the first week of class, but little is done with it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are many parts of our courses that aren’t the syllabus that do achieve some of the things talked about in the syllabus. As Christine K mentioned in her initial post, the News Items and teacher profile are part of the course homepage – and this is a great place for teachers to engage students by showing their personality. Another example, also noted by Christine, is the expectations which are part of a set of “Start Here” lessons that are common between all courses. We also have a handbook that covers many of the policies.
Setting aside my quibble with the premise of the syllabus, there are still areas where VHS courses could be improved to adhere more strongly to the UDL principles. I appreciate what people have written about regarding video – it can certainly be awkward! I am teaching a small section currently, and I did try posting a video as part of one weekly discussion. I am only now thinking about how the video didn’t have captioning, so, while it wasn’t an issue with my specific students, my contribution wouldn’t have been accessible to all. It makes me wonder about how the idea of a video “tour” through the syllabus would be accessible or not…
One feature that all VHS classes have is the option to have the lesson pages read aloud. By clicking on the icon at the top of the page, students can hear the text of the page, read by the computer. Certainly not as nice as a teacher-created audio, but a nice accessibility feature, which might be helpful in the UDL context.
One last thought (and I know I’m not responding directly to the prompts – I hope that is ok!): I really liked the emphasis on choice that is communicated throughout the chapter. Giving students choices is so powerful and I think also helps to focus teachers on the learning objectives – what is the skill or concept students need to show mastery of, rather than what product do they have to create? A question that came up for me was: how much is too much choice? This was sparked by the example on page 54 where the syllabus reads “… complete one of the options to acknowledge that you have read this syllabus…” Is it really necessary to give choice in this moment? This seems like an important step for students to take, but should a teacher devote resources to developing several choices here? Would it be sufficient to put it back on students with something like “Please complete the acknowledgement quiz; if you feel you would express your learning better in a different way, please contact me”?
Thanks for reading this novel-like post!
~ Laura
Hi Laura,
DeleteI agree with your sentiment in the sense that the chapter did seem "prescriptive" about what should/not be required of a syllabus - it would depend upon the overall course design and how much a virtual school relies upon that syllabus rather than having some of the features housed in a course.
I also want to offer a suggestion to one of your comments: "I am only now thinking about how the video didn’t have captioning, so, while it wasn’t an issue with my specific students, my contribution wouldn’t have been accessible to all. It makes me wonder about how the idea of a video “tour” through the syllabus would be accessible or not…"
Have you ever thought of Screencastomatic? If you are in the market, I believe there is a plan that is less than $20 a year that automatically allows captions to be generated over videos. I use it frequently throughout the year as a trainer and the captioning as well as the ability to create a script that I read first and then add video to later is FAR worth the price. Makes the videos much more professional. It's like Camtasia Lite and very user friendly. This may be too much info, but if you are interested in help, my email is carrie.madden@gavirtualschool.org. :)
Carrie, Thanks for that idea! I don't think we're in the market - since most of our teachers don't use the video-features... but this resource is great to know about - thank you!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear the chapter was frustrating for you, but I appreciate your insight into your relationship to syllabi. I was not surprised by the emphasis on the syllabus coming from higher ed, where it is considered more like a "contract" and spells out all of the policies in a course.
DeleteWhen I was reading this chapter, I wondered how much emphasis a syllabus would have at the high school level. I imagine it might matter more in AP or other more college prep courses where you want students to start thinking about how syllabi are used in college.
In response to Post #3: What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus, I am intrigued by the idea of the use of video. I think this would definitely grab many students' attention, especially those that are visual and auditory learners. The downfall is it is a bit cumbersome to navigate and review in a efficient way. As a learner that prefers to actually read snd hold something tangible, I think there may always be a place for a "Paper" copy. I personally learn best by reading, underlining, highlighting and then looking back on those notes later. In this digital age, I thing we still need to consider using some of our dinosaur ways and realize that for some learners, it still is very effective. Using powerpoint slides can also be effective for a syllabus. It allows some degree of entertainment, but also can be quickly and easily navigated through (using a table of contents), could have audio aspects built into it and some video as well. Also it is easily updated.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about the video without a script being cumbersome to those who want to review without scrubbing back and forth on the video. I find it frustrating to watch a video with information. I tend to tune out after 90 seconds and have to pause to digest what I read - especially if there is music or some other distraction.
DeleteMy hope is that with the rise of online educational apps and offerings, eventually a video tool that allows for all of the things we are discussing will be in the grasp of teachers and their students so they can select their method of delivery without us having to create each from scratch.
Barriers that I have noticed in my own course syllabus after completing this chapter is the course description. It is very generic and bland. I can improve this my stating the “Mega-objectives” that I want my students to remember beyond the two year mark.
ReplyDeleteI also need to adjust the discussion board prompts. For my course, student are asked to respond to the prompt and then respond to at least 2 other peers. They are also asked to make comments on three separate days to help encourage them to stay active in the discussions. Student do not understand the last portion or they just simply forget. I need to make it more clear on the syllabus what my expectations are for the discussion boards. I could also try outsourcing the discussion board posts to other websites that involves class discussion. Does anyone have any websites they like use outside of the course platform to increase involvement?
Hello Jennifer,
DeleteI, too, felt that the course description for our GAVS courses need a touch up. Mega objectives, I am now convinced, are much more tangible for someone not currently knee-deep in a course.
Our virtual teachers a GaVirtual also lament over the peer conversation requirements. Some solutions I have seen include: delaying a grade until all posts are made (detailed rules for students on the outset), or creating an additional discussion forum or message pinned to the top that details expectations for all discussions (video/rubric/image).
FlipGrid and VoiceThread are great outside discussion platforms. However, our school has deemed them non-FERPA compliant. If your situation is blended that may work for you and your district.
Some FERPA compliant options we have used have been padlet and using an embeddable poll. If you want to chat more about these my email is: carrie.madden@gavirtualschool.org
Week #2 March 17th-23rd
ReplyDeleteSUNDAY 3/17 PROMPT (1 of 3) What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format? Choose two and share how you would approach solutions for these barriers.
I thought I liked my syllabus until I read Chapter 3. My course description is just like the “before” example in the book. Of course, it is all in written text. To change that, I would try to include the student advantages; what they will be getting from this course.
My course objectives are written in bulleted format. This sounds good for a beginning accounting class, but I’m sure beginning accounting students have no idea what these objectives are. I need to explain HOW they will be achieving these objectives, through hands on, corrections, discussions.
I also think adding another medium for displaying it….not sure how or what…video possibly. I often wonder if high school students really read the syllabus except for the due date section and the grade section. So, I need to think of those students who tend to just “glance” at the syllabus.
MONDAY 3/18 PROMPT (2 of 3) - Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? (Please share an example or link if you would like to.) Would any be difficult for your school/teachers to meet?
I think the format (although only in written text format) is outlined so it’s easy to follow; each section is labeled.
Just like C. Kuruez stated about VHS, the on-line school I work for does a great job of supplying guidelines on what to do in times of technical trouble. In fact, they supply so much help, I don’t see how a student would get lost. They supply how to be successful in communicating with instructor, discussions, drop boxes, just to name a few. But once again, do high school students take the time to look through the material to find the answers.
I send out a separate email telling students what they can expect from me…when I grade, how often, how to reach me, etc. I think this should be in a section in the syllabus.
TUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus?
This is hard since this is what I’ve “always done.” I do think a video, maybe some sort of audio. I like powerpoints…maybe making a presentation would be engaging, especially on sections students tend to pass over.
Marva, many points you make speak to me! I am fairly convinced many students may not take the time to look through the syllabus in its entirety. If they do, I believe much of the information is lost as it can be information overload in the beginning of the semester. I don't remember where I heard something to the effect of you can give someone all the information they need, however, until they actually need the information it will not be useful to them so they will not remember it. In my position, I find this to be fairly accurate! So, I wonder if taking the approach of a more concise and very well organized syllabus could be key, so that when the information is actually needed by the students, it is available and easy to find. I do wonder if providing an electronic/video or even an interactive-type syllabus format could impact retention and understanding of information.
DeleteI was talking to my daughter who is in charge of the MBA program at a University. She said college students don't read the syllabus either. ~sigh~
DeleteHi Marva,
DeletePrior to joining VHS, I worked with several higher ed online courses, too. Not reading the syllabus is a very common experience, unfortunately.
SUNDAY 3/17 PROMPT (1 of 3) What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format? Choose two and share how you would approach solutions for these barriers.
ReplyDeleteWhile my syllabus includes a variety of engagement tools for the students in terms of varying the format for how the students submit assignments (text, video, PowerPoint, etc . . ), one area in which I fall short is in consistently giving students a "choice" as to how they would like to submit their work or engage in a discussion board. In the future, I will alter the assignments so that students may choose the format from a list of options rather than having the option assigned.
This holds true for the presentation of the syllabus as well. Currently, it is in text format; however, the students are provided with videos and text formats for learning about navigation, academic honesty, and orientation elements. Nonetheless, it would be more effective to create video or audio presentations for other sections of my syllabus.
At GaVS we have an abundance of resources made by teachers and other staff members. When I consider the possibility of compiling and re-purposing some of what we already have to develop a video or audio-based version of syllabus, I am thinking it could be quite the project! I am trying to envision how it could come together to feel like one cohesive resource covering all the areas that make up the course syllabus that is user friendly and easy to navigate. I enjoyed seeing Mia's example in the post just below this post. Have you had any initial ideas as to how you might begin on this process? I am thinking a newsletter format, like a Smore, or presentation, such as a Sway, could be a fun and engaging ways to embed various media and be able to thoughtfully organize/departmentalize the various areas of a syllabus.
DeleteI like your idea of a newsletter format! This would lend itself to being a digital newsletter in which the student could click on graphics or photos to play audio or video portions of the syllabus. I agree that the initial project would be time-consuming; however, once completed many of the individual sections could be used across the curriculum for multiple courses. Also, Mia did a great job with the video!
DeleteThis chapter made me rethink the purpose of a syllabus. I found myself revisiting overviews of courses I've run in the past and literally saying, "Woah, this really needs some work!"
ReplyDeleteThe greatest shift I see in creating and using a course syllabus is the interactivity for the student. In previous syllabi, the purpose was to give a 10,000 foot view of the goals and work. Now, I see the syllabus as serving as a sherpa...providing the right support at the time a student needs it. Really focusing on what students need as support over the course of the learning is central to creating a UDL-ized syllabus.
You can check out a recent overview/syllabus I created. One version is a Google Doc, the other is a short video. Note, the Doc was embedded as part of an introduction that included space to ask questions in a Google Classroom.
Your feedback would be fantastic!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_vxOVNeZ1ohW6pMXfeyjEW5_CeWeeG3_241aZpw5TxA/edit
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_qswZnyWQnMqz030JQoHt2bmmHpnRg-2/view?usp=sharing
Mia, I really enjoyed seeing your example of a video-based syllabus for the book study. Creating a video in which you also have the document displayed so the learner can follow along is wonderful. It adds a personal touch, allows the learner to reference the document and see what you are referring to during your video a well as listen to your explanations! It would be fantastic to bring yet another dimension to this by adding captioning. Offering both the electronic document along with the video explanation of a syllabus could really meet the preferences and needs of more learners. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteI was not able to access the first link you shared...
I love that you shared your reflection and changes! That's a motivator!
Delete
ReplyDeleteTUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus?
I love this question! I really believe that adding interest to a course (or a syllabus) can be easy and can really help with student engagement and retention. At IVS we use a Welcome unit with discrete sections of information on each page. Since our Welcome unit is entirely web-based, there is so much that can be done with basic web technology tools to enhance our syllabus.
Videos are a great way to do this, especially if you provide a text version of the information. The suggestion of a graphic organizer could also be used, for very dense sections of information, as well as for the entire syllabus if it is simple enough. Sometime, something as simple as an interesting call out to an important point can both break-up the content and monotony of reading and highlight information the student may need to find later.
Another idea would be to create “quick checks” or games in the web-based syllabus to reinforce the very important information. This combined with a robust widget full of quick links to the most important 3-5 parts of the welcome unit/ syllabus could help students both retain and review the information that it is most important.
One thing that we do at IVS that I really love, is we ask all our teachers to record a short introduction video that is shared with the kids. The really helps to humanize our teachers, and I think that connection with the students.
Liz, I absolutely love the idea of adding an interactive component to a syllabus...something to engage the students so they are participating in the syllabus rather than just reading or listening to information contained in the syllabus! Isn't this what we strive for in our online classes so our students engage with the material? Do you all also offer a "paper" version of a syllabus in addition to the welcome unit which presents the same material in a more traditional format? I am just wondering about your experience as far as the effectiveness of the web-based syllabus versus the "paper" version if you have experience with both.
DeletePrompt 1 of 3: What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format?
ReplyDeleteOne significant barrier is that our courses are set up with a common school-wide template. The commonality creates consistency, which is important for instruction of high school students. However, the specifics and personalization are lacking in the course syllabus.
To counter the lack of personalization for the course, I create a welcome video to present some of the additional resources / supports for my course.
Another issue with the school-wide template is that students do not review the document for all courses. Although there is not significant information presented about a teacher's course, there are some details that students and parents miss because they did not look at the document.
Meg, This is interesting to me. At GaV we use a template for our syllabi, but each syllabus has course specific information. I agree that consistency within the organization has it's advantages when working with middle and high school students, so the template format can be beneficial. I would love to incorporate some of these UDL principles into a template format!
DeletePrompt 1: I had a little bit of a hard time with this focus on the syllabus – partly because I tend to be too literal sometimes, and when I looked at the lesson page titled “syllabus” of the current course that I’m revising for VHS, all that I saw was a listing of the units, and the topics within each unit. Nothing else. This made me panic a little in the sense that this particular “syllabus” does not meet any of the UDL recommended criteria. However, when I look at the bigger picture of the course, and the design that is in place for students during their first week in a VHS course, I see that the course does indeed cover a lot of the UDL principles. One of the areas where we fall short is in providing a range of delivery methods for the content and introduction to the course. I would love to see videos incorporated that guide students through the different areas of the course. The second area of the syllabus that needs improvement is the learning objectives. Right now, it is very basic and only refers to biology topics. Upon revision, I would like the course objective to be more in line with the concepts and skills I want my students to remember two years from now. For example, right now the syllabus just states students will learn about the scientific method. This could be updated to be: Each week, students will use the scientific method to answer questions about the natural world.
ReplyDeletePrompt 2: VHS courses do a nice job of making sure the tone of the lessons is such that students can feel like there is a person on the other end. In addition, teachers are asked to upload a profile picture, as well as some personal information on the home page of their course, which is the first thing students see when they enter the course. One of my biggest beliefs about teaching is the importance of knowing your students well; and I believe that this starts with allowing them to get to know you, the teacher, as a person too. We also ask our teachers at VHS to post a message to each of their students individually to welcome them to the course. The students see this message when they first access the course, which is a gateway to the communication between the teacher and student for the rest of the semester/year. I love the idea of each teacher also posting a video welcome message to their students; however, I am not sure if all teachers would buy in and feel comfortable if this was a requirement for the course.
Prompt 3: As I had mentioned in my other responses, I love the idea of incorporating videos. Instead of just reading the words on a page, wouldn’t it be neat to be taken on a little tour of the biology topics that students are going to be exploring over the course of the year? I envision video clips mixed together to produce a compilation of scientists talking, animals interacting, and seeing the world of biology come alive! In reading other’s responses, I also like the idea of making the syllabus more interactive, whether that be as some sort of scavenger hunt, or perhaps having the students create a collage of images to represent all of the topics they expect to cover over the course of the year.
Hi Jen, I like your ideas of creating a scavenger hunt for the syllabus or creating a collage of images of topics! I think these are great ideas to get rid of the boring text syllabus that no one ever reads, parents included!
DeleteJen, Your idea of a video compilation is really neat...allowing students to SEE what they will be learning and hopefully remember down the line! That would likely spark more excitement about the course than reading black text on a white page. It is great that VHS makes it a priority to have the teacher present in the course so students make that initial connection. I think at GaV we also do a nice job with having the teacher present to make that initial connection with the student. That personal aspect is so important and it must be there from the very moment the students access the course for the first time as that first impression is significant for each student.
DeletePrompt 2 of 3: Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format?
ReplyDeleteOur school's syllabus format presents school-wide policies and individual teacher's grading polices well.
The syllabus contains course descriptions and objectives. However, these are not personalized in any manner; they are generated by the state.
Meg, I would love to hear more about how your school-wide policies are presented in your course syllabi. Are your polices written with age appropriate, student-friendly language? And if you all serve various levels of students, are the policies written geared to the different levels you work with? Policy is essential and I often wonder how other online schools or programs communicate their policies to their students within the online classrooms.
DeletePrompt 3 of 3: What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus?
ReplyDeleteI think I may add a discussion thread that is meant to be a question/answer format to provide resources for students. I would repeat the resources that I provide in my welcome videos, but a discussion thread would allow students to share resources and tips as well.
Meg - VHS has a "water cooler" or similarly-titled discussion board where sharing resources could take place. I don't know that any of the courses direct students to use that space in that way - but I love the idea! Thanks, ~ Laura
DeleteI would be curious to know if any other schools or programs have a discussion area for collaborative purposes as Meg and Laura are mentioning here, and if students tend to utilize this area...
DeleteI ended up with a few unexpected schedule conflicts this week and was unable to post sooner, so here are all of my prompts together:
ReplyDeletePrompt #1
I am not currently teaching, but pulled up my syllabus from the last course I taught. My syllabus was primarily text based and did not include multiple modes of representation. I was teaching a course for Journalism students about how to use multimedia tools to create blogs, audio/radio and video/TV style news packages.
One way to decrease the barrier would have been to create an audio or video segment introducing my course in the style of one of the assignments. Using a news format would be unexpected and engaging, and would provide a worked example of an assignment students would be creating later in the course.
Prompt #2:
The last time I revised my syllabus, I had just finished reading the book "What the Best College Teachers Do" by Ken Bain. In this book, Bain discusses the invitational syllabus. The idea behind it is that instead of just telling students about the class, and bogging them down with requirements and “shouldn’t do’s” you invite them to the class in an engaging way.
These are Bain's 5 questions/criteria covered in an invitation to a course:
1. It is important to me – personally
2. It is important to our field
3. We’re going to do it together
4. Here is how you are going to contribute
5. Here is what you are going to get out of it.
Incorporating these criteria had the side benefit of making my syllabus a bit more UDL-friendly. By making the course description more inviting and conversational, I made the language clearer and was getting closer to the suggestion in the book of thinking about where learners should be "2 years from now." I added a graphic to the front page of my syllabus to make it more visually engaging.
Prompt #3:
In addition to my video idea above, a probability course I worked on as an instructional designer included an image of a cartoon "map" format with clickable links for each section of the course. It did not include all aspects of the syllabus, such as due dates, but was a good representation of the content and how students would progress through the material.
The names and icons of the "towns" on the map were related to concepts in the course, which provided an alternate memory aid and scaffolding to learn the course terminology.
Overall thoughts:
I appreciated the suggestions in this chapter. I am wondering about how to incorporate all the different modes of learning with a limited amount of time and resources. I'm hoping the book covers some tips for this in future chapters.
I also struggle with the balance of including multiple modes of expression without overwhelming students. Adding text, images and video for one syllabus could make the syllabus take even longer to get through. As a student, I'd worry that I'd missed something and want to review all the different versions to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I personally tend to keep the syllabus more concise but include more detail in individual assignment descriptions. I could set expectations by adding a note to the syllabus that more details will be in the assignment descriptions and where to find them. This would allow students who need the detail right away to have it but not overwhelm those who need to start with just the big picture.
Sarah, there were a couple of things you mentioned in your post that I personally feel strongly about when it comes to anything that we are presenting to our students, including the syllabus...the language and the need to be concise. Presenting information using language that is appropriate for the students we are working with, and taking age, grade, etc into considering is important. And people are busy, so staying concise is probably our best chance of getting them to read something!
DeletePost #1: Unfortunately I have been reading all week and did not check the prompt before finishing, so I guess I am late on this particular discussion board. As for the way syllabuses are done in my course, they are usually all pretty standardized. The teachers are not encouraged to change the bulk of them. There is a separate document where we put our contact information and our personal late work policy. It would be easy to add more information there to include a more personalized introduction. Adding a video introduction to our announcements would also be a good thing to do. In the past I have done a Powerpoint that shows personal pictures, and goes over my specific policies in relation to the class which includes a voice over and so plays like video. Though I have a camera on my computer, I rarely use it. Honestly, I rarely do use it because my office is usually a bit of a mess of congested left overs of the house (exercise bike, piles of bills, a random awkwardly placed chair, etc.) To create a video from my computer would require some work to make the background acceptable for my taste.
ReplyDeleteIn my role as a developer, I can certainly put more thought into the wording of the objectives - in particular the big picture. Pushing my content specialist to verbalize the big picture when doing a course could help them keep focus as they write the course as well. I can certainly see how watching out against using jargon in the objectives would be very helpful.
Prompt #2 - One thing that all IDLA's courses include now, is a scavenger hunt. This definitely has helped to catch many students who otherwise would be still trying to figure out how to submit an assignment early in the course. It still happens on occasion, but it is very rare now. Our courses also outline what programs and skills a student needs before starting a course. When I started teaching for IDLA 14 years ago, it was amazing how many students signed up for the course who did not have a reliable computer or Internet access (especially for summer courses). This does not happen anymore. Occasionally we do still have a student who does not have some of the required programs, but even that is decreasing as more and more schools are having their students save work on Google Drives. Thus more students are familiar with these tools and are able to access them and use them for their online courses.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I think our school would do better at is including information about the time commitment required in any particular course. Especially for first time online students, they tend to expect an online course to be quick and easy and sometimes become intimidated by the amount of time it actually takes. In summers especially where units are one week instead of the usual two weeks in length, I have had to remind even parents that their student is expected to complete an entire semester's worth of work in about 10 weeks and they should expect a significant time commitment with that. Making that transparent may help students to plan better.
Sandra, I am right there with you as far as wanting to find better ways to communicate the time commitment necessary for an online class. I hear about this on a regular basis when talking to parents, as they had no idea the class would require as much or more time as a face-to-face class. The fast and furious summer session always seems to have cases of students signed up for too heavy a course load and who are then not prepared for what they signed up for. At one point we had talked about doing a pop up on the registration page to communicate this time commitment during the registration process, but that is not something we have done at this point. Currently, we do have information on this posted on our website, but many do not read it!
DeleteThat is a great point about the time commitment. I have always emphasized that with faculty but not students. I have put in the estimated completion time but never explicitly said "This is going to take more time than you expect."
ReplyDeleteI like the scavenger hunt idea for a syllabus. I have also used syllabus quizzes in the past, with a tiny bit of credit for 1-2 points, that provides an incentive, motivation and gets the students practicing with the quiz tool.
Prompt 3:
ReplyDeleteIn my district, when teachers upload a syllabus to the website, it automatically creates mobile friendly, ePub, electronic braille, and audio copies of the original. The site does this by utilizing software intended to help visitors with disabilities.Just like ramped curbs and automatic doors, everyone benefits, not just the intended population. We are lucky in that we have a way to provide multiple means of representation without additional work.
Syllabi usually contain a contact email and office hours. I guess, this would cover two different methods of providing students with action and expression for addressing course related issues. It would be better if the syllabus was posted in a way that is more interactive. (Kind of like this blog or a Google doc.) I think it would be nice if there was a way for students to comment right in the document. I can foresee a day when there will be an automated Chat Bot accompanying a syllabus (or other course material) where students could interact directly. The bot would be trained with the majority of FAQs and alert the instructor when there are complicated or unusual inquiries. This way it would be possible for students to get responses closer to real time.
I think a syllabus can be constructed in a way to enhance student engagement. While reviewing a course on Coursera, where, in addition to the text based syllabus, the instructors made a an introductory video where they told some jokes and did a kind of a skit. I actually thought, “This course might be fun!” so I enrolled. The other thing common to Coursera courses is that there is a section of tags that show what skills you will be strengthening by taking the course. The tags are terms help student decide what to put on a resume. I think a syllabus can be improved by adding content that relates the course to the bigger picture. How does the course relate to a larger curriculum or to the “real world”?
Dave, I am sure with artificial intelligence improving at the incredible rate it is, the Chat Bot idea is not that far off! Students today would certainly prefer to have that immediate response to a question rather than waiting for the answer to show up in their inbox from the email they had to send to their teacher. Your example of signing up for the Coursera course because of the introductory video is a good an example of how important the first impression of a course is. How great is it to have students to get off on the right foot and have a positive outlook on what the course and teacher has in store!
DeleteDave, I also neglected to ask about the service your district uses to create highly accessible versions of your syllabi upon upload. Is this true to any document you upload? I would absolutely love to learn more about this. If you ever have a few minutes and would like to touch base, my email address is sarah.newman@gavirtualschool.org. Thank you!
DeleteHi Sarah,
DeleteOur district websites run on the Blackboard Web Community Manager (formerly Schoolwires) platform. We are in our first year of subscribing to a Blackboard add-on called Ally which helps us with accessibility compliance.
Here is an example of a teacher page with a syllabus posted on the right hand sidebar:
https://www.vvsd.org/Page/10372#calendar16784/20190325/month
It was uploaded as a standard pdf but Ally adds other format choices. Click on the icon that looks like a stylized letter A next to a downward pointing arrow. Ally does this with any uploaded file. Currently results vary since many of our files were uploaded before we subscribed to Ally. Ally provides feedback for new file uploads with instructions on how to improve accessibility.
I have taken a few Intel courses through the years, and have liked the interactivity of their lessons. Especially since IDLA course syllabus are fairly standardized with only the first bit of information being unique per course (course objectives, materials, and prerequisites), it might be good if such an interactive presentation were used for all our course syllabi. This, reinforced with the scavenger hunt, could add an interesting dynamic to the course at the beginning to get the kids excited about starting. If creating such a production is out of the question, there are still free interactive resources out there such as H5P.com which can be used in announcements to reinforce the content of the syllabus or be inserted into the course, if you have that capability.
ReplyDeleteSandra, the idea about 'announcements' to reinforce the content is a great idea! Thank you.
DeleteMONDAY 3/18 PROMPT (2 of 3) - Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? (Please share an example or link if you would like to.) Would any be difficult for your school/teachers to meet?
ReplyDeleteMy current course for VHS includes the "Instructor Biography" section, which is discussed as part of a UDL syllabus. At VHS, this bio along with my picture and contact information appears on the homepage of the course. I believe this gives me the instructor presence discussed in Chapter 3, reflects my personality, and adds a more personal human element. In addition to my professional background, the bio mentions the colleges I attended, football teams I cheer for, personal passions and hobbies, etc . . . As part of the VHS introductory week, students are asked to read my bio and create their own profiles using mine as a model. They are then directed to read each others profiles and then interact in a discussion assignment; they are encouraged to have fun with this and be creative. In the future, giving students the opportunity to create their profiles using video or audio as alternatives to text would enhance this activity and would meet the UDL principle of providing multiple means of engagement.
In my other online courses set up through the Canvas LMS, a similar instructor section is embedded within my syllabus. In those courses, week 1 includes a scavenger hunt to build the students familiarity with the course. Among the questions posed in the "hunt" are inquiries regarding my bio, so the students need to read my profile in order to complete the activity. These students are also required to complete an introductory activity using text, video, or audio.
Barriers to creating a more personal sense of community or implementing the principle of multiple means of engagement can easily be overcome. To me, it seems this is a matter of being intentional about integrating these goals as one constructs a syllabus. When it comes to students using multiple means for their submissions, I do see barriers in terms of their familiarity and access to audio/video tools.
Marla, I think that is wonderful to incorporate the human element so heavily into the welcome week. At GaVS we always have an introductory discussion, but I really like what you have mentioned as far as the student modeling their profile after yours and incorporating your bio in the welcome week "hunt"! It forces the students to not just post about themselves, but really learn about their teacher on a more personal level as well, building that relationship from the first week.
DeleteTUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus?
ReplyDeleteIn response to my post to Prompt #1, Sarah suggested using Smore or Sway to create a newsletter type format for my syllabus, so I am in the process of investigating Smore, which looks to be an option that would be user friendly and offer opportunities for creativity in meeting that goal. A post from an anonymous participant also mentioned using Screencastomatic to produce videos, so I am looking into that tool as well.
Although my courses include lots of video and audio presentations and lectures, it is an immediate goal of mine to create my own video and audio files for not only instructional purposes but also to post news announcements and feedback on assignments.
From my perspective the biggest barrier is we do not present a syllabus/ the entire syllabus to students. In our program we have presented all of our classes as modules that begin with “in this module you learn…” Four modules and 10 -24 tasks and student engagement/practice opportunities.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who still organizes from/with and on paper I see my students struggle with anticipating, comprehending and organizing 6 classes on the digital platform. As learners with hosts of social, emotional, behavioral and intellectual deficits it appears as though what was created to simplify and assist learning is an immediate barrier that ‘triggers’ adverse responses, primarily avoidance and panic.
In addition the the format of our classes I would argue the lack or absence of due dates also promotes a sense of confusion and dread for many of my students. Initially due dates were present but removed entirely so students could work at their own pace. Students with acute anxiety prompted the removal of due dates.
Two changes I would like to make are presenting a full syllabus laying out all expectations to satisfy the course including modules, tasks, video and labs. The other change I would like to see is reimplementation of due dates. Students who are learning to become invested, lifetime learners still need guidelines with real life parameters.
Jeannine, I work in the area of special needs and the due dates with special needs students is always a balancing act for my team. In our syllabi at GaVS we provide the students pacing schedules outlining work for the entire semester. Work is paced out daily for the students to assist with time management, however we have one hard weekly due date. So, the students have quite a bit of flexibility within the week. For our special needs students who have extended time on assignments, we do allow them a couple of days beyond the weekly due date to turn work in without penalty in the event they have some loose ends to tie up. No matter how you do it though, there are always those that wait until the last minute or those with extenuating circumstances. We do work quite a bit with our special needs students on an individual basis to keep them on track and get them back on track when circumstances arise. I would be somewhat apprehensive about dropping all due dates completely. Do you all do progress monitoring on a regular basis to prevent issues at the end of the semester?
Deleteoye vey. We started with pacing, 'self paced' soon became weaponized by the students.The administrative response was to remove the pacing buttons and due dates completely. Organized chaos would be an improvement at this point... (sorry if I sound worn out) We do indeed progress monitor our Sped kids but not the rest of the gang. I like, very much, your idea of the hard weekly due date, I will bring this to our next collaboration. Thank you for the nugget.
Delete#3: I like the idea of changing up the syllabus by adding in videos or creating short powerpoint presentations to cover all the requirements of the course. I also like the idea of creating a syllabus scavenger hunt so the students actually have to read and review the syllabus.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I am really enjoying the idea of the scavenger hunt as well!
DeletePrompt (1 or 3) What barriers exist for your students with on your current syllabus or syllabus format? The first obvious barrier is the not making myself come alive. My personal information is as dead as it gets.
ReplyDeleteInstructor and Contact Information:
Diane Marsh
diane.marsh@montanadigitalacademy.org
406-212-3245
Even though a “Meet the Teacher” video is offered as part of the first week assignments, some students may prefer to just read an instructor biography. This would allow options as well as accessibility. My office hours are listed under my photo located on the left of the online class site; however, I should definitely include more about me at the beginning of the syllabus. How can students connect with me if they don’t know me?
The second barrier is not having clear course objectives. My syllabus reads: With intensive concentration on composition skills and on authors' narrative techniques, this experience equips students with recipes for success in college, in a career, and the AP exam. This objective should include a way “for students to express what they have learned.” (p. 49) It should state, … by participating in online discussions with their classmates, understanding assignments, and completing a final project.”
Prompt (2 of 3) Which of the UDL principles are your currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? The course policies and procedures are well integrated into the syllabus.
• Late Work Policy: Assignments will be due Sunday at 5:00 p.m. each week. The calendar will allow students to see up to two weeks ahead and a one week grace period after the due dates. This will allow enough flexibility to allow students to appropriately work ahead around local calendar dates and school activities, while also giving a grace period for any missing assignments.
• Prerequisites: Successful completion of English I, II, & III. Students will be exposed to college-level composition and literature.
• Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments/32-36 weeks
Students must complete a short acknowledgment form within the first week of school. This form needs to be completed before a student and continue in the course.
Prompt (3 of 3) What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus? I do something similar to the acknowledgement form in my traditional class. I have students read and acknowledge both the syllabus and procedures in a Google Classroom form. This has been more successful that handing out paper that they just sign and return. I know they are actually reviewing the syllabus, objectives, and expectations of the class as they move through and answer quick questions about each section.
Diane, You really seem to be ahead of the curve with the interaction that the students need with the syllabus. It is refreshing to hear that you know your students are reviewing the information contained in the syllabus! I have noticed several folks have mentioned in this discussion they are interested in the scavenger hunt idea, which sounds similar to what you are doing, and it is great to know you are having positive results with that. Definitely try adding a more personal touch to your class...it will be interesting to see if spicing that area up has an impact on the student-teacher relationships you form.
ReplyDeleteMONDAY 3/18 PROMPT (2 of 3) - Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? (Please share an example or link if you would like to.) Would any be difficult for your school/teachers to meet?
ReplyDeleteCurrently on a scale of 1-100% I feel we are sitting, sadly at a 33% as far as UDL principles currently employed in my building. Reviewing chapter 3 gives me hope. Initially I was overwhelmed by all of the opportunities we are missing in my building. However, after reflection and reconsideration I’ve decided to cut us some slack as we are just beginning and 33% may be better than no percent.
To date we do present Course Objectives very clearly at the beginning of each module. Required readings appear embedded with video and links to readings, readings are not clearly posted. They must be ‘found’- this is a deterrent to learners who already are struggling, they need to complete a treasure hunt to complete their work. (as an instructor it’s exhausting trying to remember where all of the reading requirements are for over 30 courses) Our assignments are listed as Tasks on student “Task Dashboard”. However, the tasks do not appear in any sort of order (confusing & frustrating) not by due dates, or alpha numeric order.
We implement quite a few learning activities which should engage typical learners but they seem to alienate many of our other students as there are often pages of instruction. With as special needs population bordering on 35% and 504’s galore it is my opinion there is a lot of room for improvement.
My huge takeaways that I will bring to my team are the video introduction and the idea of the mega standard.
TUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus?
Moving beyond the papr syllabus would be fairly easy in my building as the entire staff is willing and wanting to make adjustments. The idea of a direct emailed video introduction is refreshing and sounds fun. This would be a great way to remove any trepidation students may have about a new course or instructor. Introducing yourself and your course potentially allows parents to also become involved in student learning and knowing who their child is spend time with.
When I taught elementary art and special ed, back east, the last 15 minutes of the day were dedicated to DEAR (drop everything and read). With regard to course readings and achievement I would love to employ the practice for every subject area to open their courses with a group read to introduce the topics to be studied and where they will appear within the syllabus timeline
Jeannine, I am glad that while you are not quite there yet with UDL, you feel there is hope! I have found that taking baby steps ends up leading to significant improvements and it is just not possible to do everything overnight. Not to mention, even when you are to a good place, there is still always so much more that can be done to improve, so you are not alone!
DeleteIt is wonderful to hear that you are in an environment in which there is a culture which embraces change. That is exciting and it sounds like there is great potential for making improvements!
Thank you for the input. All too often we can 'abandon all hope' as teachers who have to constantly keep up with the latest and greatest. I have had to learn and relearn how to take baby steps throughout this process. I sometimes forget who my target audience are and I need to step back and slow down. Baby steps.
DeletePrompt 1: The main barriers I see within my syllabus have to do with teacher presence. The syllabus does not have a video introduction. However, there is a video on the course homepage. It would be inviting to students if I added the video to the syllabus, as well. The other barrier is that though I include a personal bio, it is very short. In order to build teacher presence and to be more approachable, I need to spend time on the personal biography. "You want your personality to show so students can make a connection with you off the page of the syllabus," (Novak et al 44). Therefore, I need to spend time building my teacher presence within my courses. Thus, I need to add a video and enhance the personal biography.
ReplyDeleteApril, I agree that teacher presence is so important to build those essential student-teacher relationships. I see this as a barrier that is likely reasonable to boost quite easily and is an aspect of a course that is very much within the control of each teacher. In most cases, I imagine it can be done in a very personalized way, as well as something that can be integrated sooner, rather than later.
DeletePrompt 2: The course syllabus does clearly outline the course description and objectives. As I am a high school English teacher,the course description and objectives are aligned with standards set forth based on the common core standards.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe any of principles would be difficult to meet. It will take time on everyone's part and the understanding of how a few changes can assist in student academic success. The changes are not impossible, it is a change in mindset that would be necessary.
Prompt 3: The videos are the most creative in regards to changing the traditional syllabus. The entire syllabus could be in audio or video format which may be more interesting to students. Students could listen or watch these as needed and also use as a reference. Though each of these would take time to create, it is an opportunity to build teacher presence and community within the course.
ReplyDeletePrompt 3: I think using a timeline website may be a good alternative to the "paper" or Google Doc syllabus. Creating one in Prezi, or some of the timeline app sites would be more dynamic. On top of that, it could also offer personalized learning that branches off based on scores, additional interests, or various projects.
ReplyDeleteChris, this is such a creative way to consider presenting a syllabus in terms of an electronic timeline!
DeleteI have really enjoyed reading all the posts and responses. I am not YET an online teacher, but it is a goal and that is why I am taking this course. That said, I have taught ages preschool to adult learners for twenty five years and use many forms of media to keep students engaged. I just need to make it past the gatekeepers at my local entity to earn a chance at being an online instructor. :0
ReplyDeleteSUNDAY 3/17 PROMPT (1 of 3) What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format? Choose two and share how you would approach solutions for these barriers.
The last course I taught students received their syllabus through Google docs with a welcome message and the "Big Picture aka Essential Questions" with instructions to make a journal entry (most used a Goog doc) responding with their thoughts as to their understanding of the BIG question and then add in personal experience, their own questions etc. Immediate barriers I've recognized are pinned around engagement. S cannot interpret my enthusiasm for what we're about to learn so I will change my greeting to a video. Secondly, for the most part I do not open these comments to a class-wide, online discussion due to students not staying on topic. In the future, as I review their Goog docs I will highlight things that stand out and post those in an online discussion so the students can see their peers thoughts, share knowledge and respond to each other. I think this will raise engagement while accomplishing some of the big picture learning goals. Another barrier for students who don't like to type is the initial response. I'm thinking how I can let them record a video answer and work that into the dialogue portion.
MONDAY 3/18 PROMPT (2 of 3) - Which of the UDL principles are you currently meeting with your current syllabus/syllabus format? (Please share an example or link if you would like to.) Would any be difficult for your school/teachers to meet?
I think I'm hitting on "providing digital copies, providing visuals in a variety of mediums and use of audio, video (25)". After we've played with the EQ's a bit and students have an idea of where we're going I usually list one third of the timeline w assignments/links/choices/videos etc. tied in. I also list the "Due date" for all materials, presentations and assignments. S then have the ability to work ahead and choose from enrichment/extension projects/assignments as they desire. S may also propose a project they'd like to do for themselves or for presentation.
TUESDAY 3/19 PROMPT (3 of 3) - What creative ways could be used to move beyond the “paper” syllabus? I can improve my practice by giving S the ability to interact, interject, provide others with ideas by sharing out more "along the way" and not putting so much emphasis on a final or teacher graded project. I use self check and peer check rubrics but mostly for written work. I would love to have students use more global skills and share with each other.
I like the idea of a syllabus presented in this book. We do a welcome letter and pacing chart for our online courses. Like many, I think my students may glance at it at the beginning and then forget it the rest of the course. I enjoyed reading all your responses. It made me think of different ways a syllabus/welcome letter/pacing chart could be approached with students to help with barriers and learning styles. Here's my brain thinking out loud.
ReplyDelete1)Revisit how we do a welcome letter- start with something exciting that would get a teens attention as a welcome. A break the ice kind of thing leading into the description of the course and introduction of you as the teacher.
2) Next send your policy for assignments and grading with their first assignment. Ours is a getting to know you and online expectations.
3) I like the idea of an attendance policy. I feel even with an online course and the flexibility it provides, students should be held responsible to attend and turn assignments in on time or close with communication of teacher/students. I like the example provided on page 41- maybe not to that extent since we have 18 week courses.
4) Each month- post that month's assignments in the beginning on News and reminders each week. It is find to have the whole pacing chart available somewhere on the home page for those who want to work ahead.
Just an idea. I think that would help with students with anxieties, those who are taking their first online course and those who are comfortable. Making the syllabus personal in the teachers style with build the relationship we want with our students in our individual styles and making it relevant connections to their lives.
Prompt 1 of 3: What barriers exist for your students with your current syllabus or syllabus format?
ReplyDeleteThe courses I teach are created by a third party vender so I don't have a lot of flexibility to alter them a great deal so there is little room for making the syllabus more engaging.
To get students engaged initially, I created the aforementioned extra credit activity but after reading these chapters and the posts from others. I see I can do much more to create an engaging environment.
The biggest barrier is time management. I believe the syllabus is set for students to be successful, however, it is just getting students accustomed to being self-disciplined.
ReplyDeleteThe course I teach is created by a 3rd party, so I do not have much control over what is in the course...but it is well thought out and created.
I am doing my best to help my students stay motivated by incorporating an Incentive Plan. Will see how that works...where IF they stay on track, they will earn free points or be waived for some work;.
ReplyDelete