Adding Lynda.com to Canvas

If you're interested in adding Lynda.com as a resource to your Canvas courses, check out this short and easy video tutorial:

And for more information about what Lynda.com really does and how it can enhance your curriculum, attend Pete Lilly's workshop, What is Lynda.com? on Friday, April 10 (11 - 11:30 a.m. in A210). Register now!

Dancing with the Circulatory System

Yesterday afternoon I got a message from Deborah Firak, one of the hundreds of extraordinary faculty members here at MCC who go above and beyond their students' needs to deliver content in innovative and exciting ways.

Deb, who teaches biology, shared a video with me that she made "for [her] students to memorize the structures of the heart & circulatory system." She wrote a "ditty" to help them remember this important information, and then she put that song to work in this video, which is, for lack of a better word, adorable. Please watch it:



Now that you're bopping your head to those dancing little blood droplets and know a bit about the heart and circulatory system, send me a message to let me know what you have been up to. Because guess what? You're also one of the hundreds of extraordinary faculty members here at MCC, and you go above and beyond your students' needs to deliver content in innovative and exiting ways. So let's hear about it!

Multimedia Research Papers

Contributed by Robert McCord, Instructor of English

This last year I decided to try and create multimedia research paper assignments for my students in English 152. I’ve taken some PLS courses in the topic, and I wanted to try them out.

In one class during Fall 2012, the students wrote two traditional and one multimedia paper. For two classes in Spring 2013, all three papers were multimedia. Paper topics included motorcycle helmet laws, the influence of online technology in our lives, food and health in America, and sustainability. I surveyed the classes to assess their reaction to the new types of writing projects, and I've included the results and my conclusions at the end of this post.

istockimage

First, to define multimedia papers, I chose a model with a standard argumentative research paper at its core, and augmented with several media tools such as a Power Point slideshow, an online animation, or a pamphlet.

I graded the paper with a standard rubric. The media components were graded with separate rubrics. All elements had their own value in points, and each had a separate grade. The idea behind this is for students to work not only on research and writing, but to convey their argument in several different ways. The paper is the standard written and researched argument. The media components allow for visual and audio means of communication.

In addition, students can work with various writing situations. For example, the Power Point slideshow is for a small group presentation, and is accompanied with a narrative script. The student would present the argument in a format to fit small group interaction and visual imagery. The pamphlet has a different audience: a reader who only has two sides of a folded paper to get the main points. An online animation can be used like a Public Service Announcement (PSA) where the audience has only a minute or so to view the video and get the message. Also, we practiced using other media tools as homework assignments.

Here are some of the media tools we used:

• GoAnimate: This is an easy and fun way to make online animations. Students create a free account and can make short videos. They can send the link to the instructor for viewing. We used this and XtraNormal to make PSAs on our topics. Usually the animation was a dialogue between two characters.
• XtraNormal:  Another fun, free, and easy online animation tool
• PicMonkey:  Free online photo editing, with no account needed. We used this to make collages – purely visual communication. Students can use online photos and cite the sources.
• YouTube: We made playlists based on our paper topics and links can be shared. This allows students to collect informative and useful videos into one page for others to view. We didn’t need to make our own videos, but a free account is required.
• Blogs: I set up blogs for students in Angel. Students posted on their own blogs and responded to others’ postings. It was a fun way to get some online interaction in the classroom. I’m sure the same features are available in Canvas.
• Pamphlets: MS Word has some nice pamphlet templates. For this media students must communicate the basics of their paper on one sheet of paper, printed on both sides. It’s almost like an outline with some graphic elements. We printed them out and folded them.
• Letters: For one project on Illinois motorcycle helmet laws, I had students write to their state representative to express their view on the issue. Sending the letter was optional! 

 

In their final drafts, students submitted their papers along with one or two media tools chosen from a list. Sometimes I had all the students use the same tool, such as a Power Point slideshow, and at other times students chose which tool to use. I tried to get the students to think of the separate elements as parts of a whole – the multimedia research paper. The paper and media components were put in separate drop boxes, but they were supposed to coordinate with each other.

So, how did the students react to this? At the end of each semester I surveyed them, and here are the results:

1. Students in two courses in Spring 2013 were asked which they preferred, multimedia or traditional papers. Out of 32 student answers, 23 preferred traditional papers, and 9 preferred multimedia papers. I was surprised at how many liked the old-fashioned research paper! Some expressed that it was easier because it was so familiar. Others thought that the media components just repeated what was in the paper (that was part of the point!). They didn’t get that the communication environment shaped their presentation.
2. Students in the Fall 2012 course were asked if they preferred writing all traditional papers, a mix of traditional and multimedia papers, or all multimedia papers; 19 Students answered: 3 wanted only traditional papers, 12 liked a mix, and 4 wanted only multimedia papers. Here students express cautious interest in the new paper form, as long as they get to write standard papers, too.
3. Students in the Spring classes were asked about which media components they liked and disliked. Here the data is mixed. Almost every tool had similar numbers of likes and dislikes, except for the Power Point & script, which had only one dislike and 11 likes. It is the most “traditional” of the media components, so students again are expressing a preference for what they already know. 

Conclusions:

We’re often told that students are bored with the same old assignments, and that their work should be relevant and exciting, with lots of online and hi tech elements. I agree with this! However, my students were less sure of this idea. Perhaps when it comes to grades they want the tried and sure assignments they’ve been doing for years. 

Also, I think the idea that shaping their argument to fit different situations is new to them. Good! I want to expose them to new methods of communicating. I am pleased with the results so far and will continue to assign multimedia projects, along with traditional papers. I hope that with Canvas, there may be new ways to put the elements together in one package that gives it a greater sense of unity. For example, I could have students create a portfolio on Canvas for the multimedia paper, so that each element is represented by a link on the page. This could help students see each element as part of a larger whole.      

Getting to Know our Returning Adult Students

On February 20, a few of us were able to participate in a webinar, hosted by the Chicago Area Faculty Development Network (CAFDN), entitled "The Returning Adult Student."

The CAFDN moderators (Tony Labriola from Governor State and Mike Sukowski from Chicago State) were joined by four adult students: Lisa, a student at Chicago State; Robin, an NIU doctoral candidate who is also currently working at Gov. State; and Matthew, a U.S. veteran student at Harper College, studying nursing and working in the Harper tutoring center.

The focus of the webinar panel discussion was What Our Students Want, and we'd like to give you a run-down of some of the excellent questions and answers from the session.

Question: What makes a model instructor?
Answers:

• A model instructor is personal, cares about learning, is motivated and inspired (Robin). 
• A model instructor pushes students to learn and helps them to understand, works one-on-one, and breaks down complex material (Lisa).
• A model instructor writes her own PowerPoints (not the textbook's), answers personal questions, and tailors material--either the whole class or as individual students (Matthew).

Question: Do you think instructors should be role models of teachers for those students also interested in teaching?
Answers:

• Yes, they should exhibit behaviors and attitudes that students would want to cultivate. Unfortunately, sometimes it's the behavior that students see that they don't want to emulate (Matthew).
• Yes, I've used teachers as models and was aware of how they taught. I took techniques learned from modeling to take into my own class (Robin).
• A model instructor is one we learn from and we want to be like. Instructors should be versatile in instruction. I ask questions and watch teaching style and how instructors help others in the class; I watch how they're helping students learn (Lisa).

Question: How do you feel faculty incorporate technology into the learning plan (or do they)?
Answers:

• Technology is used across the board, but it's not always used well if it's forced on an instructor; it must be embraced by the instructor. If used well, it can be hugely beneficial, but forcing it could harm student outcomes. (Side note: My girlfriend teaches 3rd grade and all the teachers at her school have tablets--our instructors should have them, too [Matthew])!
• I'd like even more technology (but I have a background in tech.)--things like Google features or blogs to develop material. I always enjoy the activity workshops focused on technology (Robin).
• A lab connected to class where we can work hand-in-hand with the textbook is helpful. I don't have a tech. background, but anytime technology helped illustrate concepts from book was useful (Lisa).

Question: Are things changing in the classroom (i.e. changing from lecture)?
Answers:

• Lecture is important and it's not going away, but the interaction and discussion is important (Matthew).
• I prefer group activities, or small groups before large group discussion. Outside classroom projects are helpful so I can learn from my peers (Robin).

Question: What do you not like?
Answers:

• We don't like it when instructors lose patience. Don't let students identify that you've lost patience. Some students are at different levels, so work with all of them to the best of your ability. Don't show everyone a shortcut until they all understand the long way. Don't dump students on the tutoring center--you still need to have a professional relationship with those students for the rest of the semester (Lisa).
• You're responsible for your material. If you know there's a bad example, then get a better one. Don't be as confused as the students. Instructors can be heroes if they have a way to explain complex material in a way that makes people understand. Know your material and be responsible for it (Matthew).
• If you don't have the answer, admit it and get back to your students after you've checked. Be prepared with evaluation terms, such as rubrics, ahead of time, not the day before the assignment is due (Robin).

Question: How demanding should instructors be?
Answers:

• The most compelling pressures are those put on you by yourself, not someone else. I will invest more time and more creativity in assignments if I find the assignments themselves creative and challenging (Robin).
• Be demanding, especially in the lecture environment. Hold students accountable; they'll keep that knowledge available. You have the degrees we want, and that's why we're here, so be demanding of us (Matthew).

Stay tuned to the Professional Development calendar for information about all upcoming webinars and face-to-face workshops--we hope to see you down in A210!

Instructure Canvas: Taking the Plunge

Contributed by Gabriel Decio, Instructor of English

Some of us have may come to Canvas partly enthused about the prospect of a new system and partly apprehensive about such a prospect. I have been using Canvas as my LMS in my two online, one blended, and three face-to-face courses since January. I like Canvas, and, while at first I missed Angel, I soon learned to appreciate Canvas’ more straightforward uploads and linear structure.

Canvas works differently from Angel. There is no tree structure with folders within folders, Russian-doll style. It’s more like ducks in a row, except that you get to organize your items into modules and then, within the modules, you organize them into subgroups using text headers. Everything is listed in a linear manner.

You may upload or create pages and quizzes, and once you publish them, students can view them. The image below shows a screen shot of one of my courses where you can see what appears on a student’s single screen.

The Linear Module Format

One of the hot questions this year is going to be, “how do I upload my courses onto Canvas?” There are two ways to populate a course shell:

1. You may upload an Angel cartridge of an existing course, or
2. You may create your course materials on Canvas from scratch. 

Uploading an Angel cartridge will upload all your files, but when you look at the course shell you probably will not recognize the list of files as the course with which you were familiar on Angel; it may all be in apparent disarray and the folders will have names like 0A856537075649AB9742A640335461B1. Your next task will be to develop a new structure for your course materials (remember, no folders on Canvas, just a linear structure), to create new modules, and to move all the pieces around to where they belong. Creating text headers will help you do this.

Creating a course from scratch sounds like too much work, but it took me the same amount of time as reorganizing the files that I had uploaded from an Angel cartridge in a different course shell. This is what I did: I downloaded all the material in my master Angel course onto folders on my hard drive so that my course looked exactly like it did on Angel. This also gave me the chance to give the folders names of my choice. My next step was to reinterpret the tree/folder structure as a linear structure and to upload all the material in a way that made sense to me.

Uploading and developing material on Canvas was a breeze. You may create pages using a WYSIWYG editor that allows you to imbed photos and video. You create quizzes and surveys. And you may upload complex html files, Word files, or PDF files. After you create a page or quiz, you add that item to the module where you want it to appear. It is a two-step process: first create, then add it to a module.

One of my favorite features of Canvas is its speedgrader. Click on it, and you are on your way to an effective grading session. The speedgrader allows you to write comments and make visual editing marks in your students’ documents with ease, never leaving the screen of the assignment (view the image below for a screen shot of the speedgrader). Once you're done, you enter a grade and may also add comments linked to that assignment that will be sent to the student’s inbox. When you're ready to grade the next student’s assignment, click on the arrow next to the student’s name.

The speedgrader in action

Six weeks into the semester, Canvas has become such a integral part of my teaching that I navigate through it, read and send messages, create pages and quizzes, and grade assignments without ever pausing to think about it. I still have a lot to learn, but now I am excited about what else I may be able to do with Canvas.

Want to get started? Use the Professional Development auto-registration system to register for one of the Canvas workshops (for clock hour credit!) in February and March.

Canvas Training This Spring--Get Registered!

If you're planning to use our new learning management system (LMS) Canvas this summer--or anytime in the future--why not register for one of the Canvas workshops happening this February and March?

Register, Attend, and Get Clock Hour Credit!

Register by going to the Professional Development auto-registration system.

Hope to see you in A210!

A New Look for the MCC Library!

Contributed by Cynthia Letteri, Instructor of Information Literacy and Research

The MCC Library web pages have a new look! In an effort to streamline and reduce links on the homepage, the library now sports a cleaner, meaner access page. The inspiration for this new look is not only the College’s current branding efforts, but also the library’s adoption of a new hosted platform for creating research guides.

The MCC Library's Cleaner, Meaner Access Page!

On the library’s homepage you will notice the simplified tab features with drop-down menus. The Research Guidance tab will lead to the new Research Guides created for various disciplines, subjects, and courses. The Research Guides are an excellent starting point for independent research and will be featured in our Information Literacy instruction, as well as in our one-on-one interactions in the library.

As before, off-campus access to our subscription databases requires a myMCC username and password. For questions or help with this, please contact the library.

See what you can discover on your own through the library website, but always feel free to contact a reference librarian for your instruction, research, and information needs. We're here to help!

MOOCs at MCC: A Panel Discussion

On January 29th we had our first "Fifth Tuesday" of the Spring 2013 semester. We were able to sit down for a bit to talk about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and what they mean to us at MCC.

We were joined by Director of Online Learning and Educational Technology, Ray Lawson; Dean of Library, Kate Harger; and Instructor of English, Anne Humphrey. We barely scratched the surface of the benefits, the concerns, and the implications of MOOCs (you can see the presentation outline at the bottom of this post), and faculty members brought up some excellent questions.

But the questions didn't stop when the panel discussion ended. Instructor of Art and Art Department Chair, Sarah Ruthven, asked Anne and I some follow-up questions via e-mail, and Anne gave her terrific answers (thankfully Anne answered Sarah's e-mail first; I would have just written, "Der...um...Anne?").

Check out Sarah's Q's:

1. What is driving this? Do MOOCs address a population we are missing? Do they provide a service we can’t already provide through a number of other outlets? Do they address completion? Is there data or examples to suggest that MOOCs help something we are working on at MCC?
2. If an academic content MOOC is created by MCC faculty members, would it be put through the same process of any other delivery mode including CD&R and Assessment?
3. This seems to just have popped up overnight. I woke up in fall semester and there they were, like magic--where did they come from?
4. If I require it and grade it, is it still supplemental?
5. How is this different from a YouTube Channel or iTunes University?
6. If it is a marketing tool how do we get an audience for it?

And Anne's Clear and Informative A's:

A short answer is that we are discussing MOOCs because everyone else is discussing them. People are excited about the concept because the current model of higher education is considered to be unsustainable, so any optional methods seem to be worth investigating. People are funding the efforts outside of the classical model, via grants, or via loss-leader type approaches at big and very well-funded universities, or via individual philanthropy – it’s totally outside our current compensation model.

I was glad to hear someone mention CAPC processes yesterday. Yes, I would say a MOOC should go through that process, if it is offered under the auspices of MCC.

MOOCs seem to have popped up overnight because in fact they have only been around a few years. Due to backing from the most prestigious universities in the world and some leading funders and philanthropists, growth has been very, very rapid. Suddenly, the MOOC is the hot topic, and many schools are trying to get into the game.

iTunesU, YouTube, materials in MERLOT and hundreds of other lesson repositories (including Khan Academy), materials for hundreds of thousands of individual teacher and faculty websites, etc. are not MOOCs.

A MOOC is a course, so it has modules, assignments/tests, an overall flow and goals, and interaction. The vast amount of free material online can and should be used to supplement courses, but it isn’t organized as a course, but rather as lessons/handouts, and other artifacts that could be adapted or inserted into a course (observe and licensing or copyright issues noted, though). But a MOOC is a whole course. Now, you can use pieces from a MOOC as individual supplements too, leading to some confusion and overlap in these concepts

Related concepts/methods:

• Online courses and pedagogy (pretty well developed but not necessarily well employed) (some techniques blended in to traditional classes)
• Free online content (use in any course to supplement OR for all the content)
• Development of your own content and hosting publicly for other teachers to use (one of my videos is at 47,233 views this morning)
• Digital publisher content (usually given in connection with purchase or adoption of the textbook or etextbook)
• Open online courses (not accredited, some for a fee, offered through several existing platforms)
• Flipped classroom (for use in a traditional classroom course or blended course, but using online materials)
• Massive open online course (MOOC) (may grant some certificate on completion, credit being discussed in some cases, primary assessment is peer-to-peer or computer graded, generally free but some may include fees, open enrollment, traditional-ish online course structure)

If you have anything to add to the discussion, please post your comments below, and click through the presentation to the "resources" slide at the end.

E-portfolio in Composition I

Contributed by Lisa Crizer, Instructor of English

When creating my syllabus, I always struggle with what to do after Thanksgiving. Students and instructors come back stuffed, unfocused, and usually spend the final two weeks counting down the minutes until winter break. This semester, I decided to try out an e-portfolio.

I’ve assigned portfolios in the past, usually in composition I, and I use them as an opportunity for students to look back on how far they’ve come in one semester. We gather all of our work together in one place and take a look back at the process for each essay: What did the pre-writing look like? The first draft? Now, compare that to the edited final draft you submitted. Can you see the difference?

Normally, I collect the hard copies of the essays, along with any reflection pieces, in a pocket folder. If you stop by my office, you’ll see evidence of this on my overcrowded shelves.



Exhibit A

This semester, however, I decided to try something different. Since we’ve been talking about e-portfolios as a possible graduation requirement and since I was able to pull one off when I created my tenure portfolio last year, I figured my students could give it a go.   

We used Google Sites and the students did really well with the assignment. I created a template for them, so that instead of focusing all their energy on designing the e-portfolio, they could spend their time reflecting on their writing. Even with the template, they were still able to make the portfolio look how they wanted it to look, which they really enjoyed. Here’s a link to the template I created for them.

I am very happy with how this went, and I will definitely do it again in the future. My students have an e-portfolio that they can refer back to, and I can begin to reclaim my shelves. Everybody wins!

Teaching with The Mindset List

A couple of weeks ago in A210 we listened in on a free Mediasite webinar about The Mindset List, a "globally reported and utilized guide to the intelligent if unprepared adolescent consciousness."

The Mindset List, which Beloit College has been updating for over a decade, is now a book, and the authors, Tom McBride and Ron Nief, led us through an hour long discussion of putting the list to use in the modern classroom.

There were a number of eye-opening statements from McBride & Nief, including the following:

• It's not that the students don't know, but that they haven't had the same experiences
• The students assume that the technology is there and possible, because it always has been!
• Time magazine published its issue "Welcome to Cyberspace" the year most of our students were born--for them, it has always been a reality
• Dealing with technology in the classroom and teaching responsible use of technology in higher education is a recursive process
• Students need to understand that there's a difference between instant information and instant right answers

I got some great ideas for approaching students, and for using new strategies in the classroom. Some of the ideas grew from things I already do--like using design elements in my presentations (photos, media) instead of too much text. But there were a lot of things I plan to try this semester and semesters to come, including:

• Defining what "being prepared" means in my classroom
• Flipping my classroom so that I use lecture capture to record lectures for students to watch as homework and use my face-to-face classroom time for "lab" work, which in English usually means drafting, consulting/peer review, and revision time

I also plan to continue to mine current technology and social media trends for things I can apply to my classroom for the students' benefit.

Overall, the webinar was a success, but it made me curious to pick your brains and ask: What do you do to reach your modern students, and what do you think you might start doing differently? 

Do You Know Boolean Searching?

The wonderful librarians here at MCC are always improving upon their already terrific Information Literacy workshop series for our students. Their workshops are informative and always entertaining, though this semester they've outdone themselves by bringing in a terrific video from a librarian at the Hunter Library, Western Carolina University. If you've ever wanted to know what the heck Boolean searching is, then check it out. And even if you know what the heck it is, watch this five minute video for five minutes of faculty development fun.

Enjoy!

Texting in the Classroom

By contributor Laurie Riggin, Instructor of Art at MCC

Is frequent text messaging in class harmful to students’ educations? In this digital age of technology, constant information, and multi-tasking, students can engage in constant communication with others but this practice may actually encourage scattered concentration, distraction, and disengagement with course material. Many students have a difficult time withdrawing from technology--the phone becomes more interesting than the real world. Recent studies have shown that constant texting leads to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, and sleep deprivation.  As an educator, I worry that students are not developing the social skills they need to succeed in school and beyond the classroom.

I make it clear to students at the beginning of each semester that I have zero tolerance for texting in my classroom. If they are caught using their phone, they will be asked to leave and will receive a “0” for that day’s activities. Students also sign a “promise statement” that they will turn off and refrain from using their phone during scheduled class time. Throughout the semester, I also provide reflective periods as a way to create a level of relaxation, awareness, and concentration. In the spring and fall, I have my students spend quiet time near the pond or in MCC's zen garden. For several minutes, they close their eyes and concentrate on hearing the “smallest” sound: frogs croaking, a distant bird chirping, the wind. This exercise encourages contemplation on the immediate world. It also inspires the imagination, as well as creative and compelling thinking. As a result, students are more focused on course material and they engage with their classmates in a more direct way.