Catalyst
connecting
with YOU!
Issue 25, May, 2010
End of Term Thoughts - capturing your reflection
By Ruth Rodgers, Teaching & Learning Specialist
Spring is in the air—and so are happy
thoughts of the end of term! As another winter
of classes rushed to its conclusion, it was
easy to give in to the longing to simply be
free in the sunshine, but if you do just a little
preparatory work now, it will make next fall’s
courses easier and—more importantly—even
more successful.
Throughout the term, you no doubt, had some
great successes and some spectacular failures
(who doesn’t?) in terms of your teaching and
the students’ learning. Now is the time to
consolidate those memories into some kind of
written format so they can inform your next
year’s teaching.
You might consider creating a Course
Portfolio. This collection of documents (print
or digital) includes all the usual suspects
(course outline, sequence of instruction, tests
In This issue
End of Term Thoughts
page 1
Online Teacher Competencies
page 1
Online Course Outline Project
page 2
Consistent Student Communication
page 2
Turnitin.com Benefits Students
page 3
Teaching Squares Wrap-up
and assignments, grading rubrics and/or
assignment guidelines, multimedia booking
information, handouts, etc.) but can also
include a quick “reminder” reflection for next
year. Title a page “reflections from W2010” or
something equally obvious,
and create three headings:
(P.S. This reminder sheet is also a great addition to your personal Teaching Portfolio, providing
great evidence of professionalism and reflective practice!)
Online Teacher Competencies
By Chris Hinton, Director
As a member of the Educational Technologies
Committee, a provincial networking group
that reports to the college VPAs, I’m proud to
share a recent initiative.
We have developed a list of online teacher
competencies. This is a list of nine
page 3
competencies grouped into six categories
Simulation Exercises Paramedic Program along with indicators for each competency.
page 4
While originally intended specifically for
Simulation Enhances Learning in
online teaching they certainly apply to hybrid
Health Sciences
teaching and in many cases to just regular
page 4
face-to-face teaching. The difference is
Student Feedback from Program Reviews
usually in the indicators.
Curriculum @ Durham
page 5
page 5
Online Modules
page 6
Power of Pink 2010 Fundraiser
page 6
About Us
page 7
Taking a few moments to fill
in these sections now while
your memory is fresh from
the term will alert you to what
needs to be done to improve
your course next time, and also
remind you of the good ideas
you had—maybe some of these
ideas can be adapted to fix some
of the problem areas? A quick
review of this page in August
(or December, for Winter-only
courses) will get you kick-started
toward continuous improvement
in your courses next term.
• Things to STOP doing (exercises that didn’t work well; timing that was awry; multimedia that was out of date or off target, etc.)
• Things to START doing (fill in gaps in the teaching, create more active learning exercises, plan new or extra
exercises for topics the
students stumbled on; find
more current multimedia
resources, a guest speaker, etc.)
page 3
New Artists at the Innovation Centre
• Things to CONTINUE doing (activities that worked well; multimedia that really did the job; lectures that were inspiring and informative; guest speakers to book again).
These dovetail well with our DC Faculty
Teaching Skills and Abilities and reinforce
our own values. I think it is significant that
professional development is an important
part of the list. The indication is that while
we may talk about life-long learning we have
to practice it as well, regardless of our role.
© Engagement and interaction also figures
prominently. This underscores that just
because something is online doesn’t mean
that it is a self-directed experience for the
student or a hands-off one for the instructor.
Students still need a connection with their
teacher and fare better when they have a
cohort or are part of a learning community.
We also see successful online learning as a
formula that includes a competent teacher
and effective instructional design. Ontario
Learns is working on some guidelines and
training related to instructional design. We
will work with them to provide the support
that faculty need.
Naturally at the basis of this is a solid
curriculum with well-written outcomes and
aligned assessments.
continued to page 2
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
1
continued from page 1
Here is the short list, without the indicators. The full document will
be available on our web site.
Professional Development:
1. Remains current with best practices in facilitating online learning.
2. Develops technical literacy required for online learning environments.
Engagement and Interaction:
3.
Incorporates learning activities that encourage active learning, interaction, participation and collaboration in the online environment.
A. Engagement/Interaction with Course Materials;
B. Engagement /Interaction with Other Learners; and
C. Engagement /Interaction with the Teacher.
4. Establishes a social presence online.
5. Fosters the development of a learning community.
Assessment:
6. Assesses learning using a variety of tools and strategies that are aligned with the course outcomes. Learner Support:
7. Uses college resources and designs course activities to support learners throughout their learning experiences, including identifying and managing learners at risk. Resources and Materials:
8. Uses learning materials that are appropriate for the curriculum, the students, and principles of effective online instruction. Course Management:
9. Manages online student activities and has a clear ability to make effective, educational uses of course management tools.
Online Course Outline Project
By Chris Hinton, Director
Currently one of the most important college assets is distributed
over hundreds of locations. This asset is our course outlines.
The documents are done in Word and live on the various faculty
computers. Such a system has served us well in the past but comes
with some limitations as we grow.
Consistent Student Communication
By Chris Hinton, Director
It is crucial for our students’ success to feel engaged at all
levels - with their peers, their courses, their professors, and
the institution. We have powerful systems on campus that can
provide this value to the student experience. However, we need to
examine our practices as the use of technology can further student
engagement or alternately, cause confusion and frustration.
For example, if one faculty member uses WebCT effectively and
others teaching in the same program do not use it at all, we
begin to see student frustration. They certainly would not tell the
one faculty member to stop using WebCT. In fact, they begin to
question why the others aren’t using it. If students find it useful in
the one instance would it be reasonable to expect it to be useful in
all instances?
If one professor returns e-mails within hours, another within a
day, and yet another within a week or not at all, then the student
is left hanging. They don’t know when to expect a response. It is
important to set the expectations up front as to your preferred
communication methodology and frequency. It is even better if the
entire program team sets a consistent standard they all adhere to.
We have many good examples of faculty and program teams
using the technology consistently and how much their students
appreciate this. However, there are examples of where students
receive a contrary message when it comes to the use WebCT or
their laptop computers.
In order to encourage organized and consistent communication
with students on academic issues, the college Academic Council
has taken the brave and bold stance of requesting that a policy
and procedure be written to address effective communication with
students via our learning management system (WebCT).
Such a policy will set the expectation that all college faculty
members have a WebCT course that has, at a minimum, the
Announcement tool, Calendar tool, contact information, the
course outline and mid-term and final marks. We are setting
the bar for minimum WebCT usage. The bar is pretty low so far
but this is a big step forward in providing our students with a
reliable, consistent source of information for their course. I would
characterize this as a bronze level of usage. Setting up such a
course is only a few minutes work. In the Innovation Centre we will
be modeling our training around this initiative.
Because they are distributed there tends to be a wide variation in
the quality of information and approach to their content. Faculty
spend precious time formatting a document when it is the content
that matters. There is no way to link the document to the program
learning outcomes and so we have to do lengthy exercises to map
programs. Other departments use some of the content in the outlines
Part of the challenge with suggesting this level of student
such as the course descriptions. As a result they often have to copy
interactivity is that it is intrinsically bound up with how faculty
and paste it for their own uses and we see that different versions
members teach. The bronze level is the least prescriptive.
show up in different locations.
It is difficult to use more sophisticated WebCT tools if one
predominately uses the traditional passive presentation style
To address some of the issues with our current approach we are
of teaching. A shift to a greater use of active learning methods
initiating a project to move our course outlines onto the web. Faculty
supports the use, and in turn is supported by, the more
will fill in their outlines via a browser and the system will take care
sophisticated tools within our LMS.
of the formatting and workflow for approvals and publishing. With
the addition of some data linking the courses to their programs we
It would add significantly more value if faculty posted course
will be able to have program maps always available at the click of a
content, ongoing marks, and used tools like the Discussion Board
button. We can run reports to get book lists or course descriptions,
or the Assignment Tool. Perhaps this might be the silver level of
etc. This should streamline the process for the faculty, their admin
usage. This is something we hope faculty will grow into as they
staff and the deans.
develop comfort with the tool.
We will be running some focus groups this spring to establish the
requirements of such a system and ITS is on board to assist in the
creation of our solution. We might be testing in the fall and piloting
in the winter.
The students want it. It adds value to their education. Here is a
chance to provide the timely and effective communications that
they need. Let’s go for the gold!
This is huge, but a good thing. We welcome your input.
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
2
©
Turnitin.com Benefits Students
Teaching Squares Wrap-up
Since a change in procedures last fall, there are now almost 1,300
student users with Turnitin.com accounts on campus. Turnitin.
com is a plagiarism detection service. Previously at UOIT and
Durham College, only faculty members were allowed to submit
papers to the service. However, the change in procedures enables
students to submit their own papers, check for plagiarized
passages and make corrections before submitting their final papers
to the professor. The tool has become one to assist students rather
than one used to penalize students.
Last month, the winter session of Teaching Squares held its final
square share meeting at Shoeless Joe’s enabling participants
to discuss what they have learned from their colleagues around
teaching and learning. Participants included faculty members from
both the university and college who connect with each other to
learn about active learning, teaching with technology, classroom
management, just to name a few.
Faculty members are also pleased to be receiving “cleaned up”
papers. Rather than having to take the steps themselves to submit
to Turnitin.com, professors simply login into their course site and
review the results. It is a big time saver.
Students submit their assignments in a digital format to an
assignment within Turnitin.com that has been created by the
professor. They can submit as many times as necessary in order
to achieve a clean paper, however, Turnitin.com only returns one
report to students every 24 hours.
Many faculty members make submission to Turnitin.com a
requirement of handing in written assignments. They only need to
ensure that the assignment is open early so students can begin
submitting at least a week in advance of the assignment’s due
date. Students also need to be made aware of the 24 turn-around
time.
For more information, please contact Maureen Wideman, Maureen.Wideman@dc-uoit.ca.
Teaching Squares is a self-reflective process gained through
observation of one’s peers. It is not peer evaluation but selfevaluation in a safe, mutually supportive environment. Teaching
Squares fosters conversations about teaching where colleagues
share innovative teaching practices. It enables an understanding
of a colleague’s work while building connections across different
disciplines. It also provides recognition of and reinforces good
teaching practice.
The basis of the program is simple. Four instructors from different
disciplines (the square) visit each other’s classes to observe
teaching methods, attitudes, classroom materials and classroom
management. After the instructors have observed each other’s
classes, they get together to reflect on the positive aspects they
have learned and how they might improve their own classes. This
is followed by a gathering of all Teaching Square participants who
share their experiences and add to the learning. The time required
over the semester is about seven hours.
In late summer, we’ll be sending out an e-mail looking for volunteers
for the fall session. Feel free to join us. It is not a program restricted
to new teachers, but is more successful if it includes those a wide
range of teaching experience. In this way, those new to the field can
learn from the more experienced or innovative.
For more information, please contact either:
Maureen Wideman, Maureen.Wideman@dc-uoit.ca OR
Janice MacMillan, Janice.MacMillan@dc-uoit.ca
THE CURRICULUM UNIT LAUNCHES
CURRICULUM @ DURHAM
THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY a must for all faculty
WHAT IS IT?
A comprehensive course about curriculum as it applies to your role as a professor at Durham College.
WHERE IS IT?
Curriculum@Durham will be added to your WebCT homepage. DON’T HIDE IT - IT IS AMAZING!
WHO CREATED IT?
The Curriculum Unit at the Innovation Centre.
Here is a sneak preview of some of the modules ...
Curriculum Essentials: This module trains faculty on the required, basic knowledge of curriculum. A variety of WebCT and
technological tools were used to create this module such as: Learning Modules, Glossary, Assessments, Goals, Grading Forms,
Media Library, Camtasia, Common Craft videos, xtranormal and Prezi. If you are interested in learning how to use these simple
tools the Innovation Centre will be more than happy to help.
Editing Your Course Outline: It’s that time of year again! The Curriculum Unit has created a video that provides a step by
step guide to editing your course outline. The course outline guide, checklist and template can be also found in a folder for your
convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions: Have a question about curriculum? This is the place where you will find the answer. Everything
from program standards to formative and summative evaluation explanations can be found in this alphabetized module.
©
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
3 Simulation Exercises in the
Paramedic Program
By Kevin Griffin, Faculty,
School of Health & Community Services
The paramedic lab has had a busy semester. We have had a
bar brawl, a house fire, carbon monoxide poisoning at a nursing
resident, and many motor vehicle accidents. All of these cases had
multiple casualties to triage, care for and transport to hospital. This is a representative sample of the simulations we are running
in our lab for the primary care paramedics. Case-based simulation
learning is a key component of the paramedic program and is a
component of all aspects of the curriculum. These are summative
evaluations that take place in the fourth semester only months
before independent practice. Faculty and part-time paramedics
observe the work being done
by the students and utilized a
scoring rubric to evaluate their
performances. Debriefing of
the simulations takes place
immediately following the
scenario to solidify the teaching
points and to determine what
learning has taken place.
Mass casualty incidents
happen rarely in the real world. That is why it is so important to
give students an opportunity to
work through such challenging
situation in a controlled, safe
environment. Here students
have the opportunity to make
the decisions and have them
measured against the industry
standard by working paramedics
- just one example of how both high and low fidelity simulations are
impacting the paramedic program.
Simulation Enhances Learning
in Health Sciences
By Marie McEwan,
Faculty/Clinical Simulation Program Advisor,
School of Health & Community Services
Simulation is a learning strategy that has been incorporated
into health care education for years. Over the last five years
the integration of moderate and high fidelity simulators into
the nursing and personal support worker programs at Durham
College and the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology
has uncovered the benefits this type of learning adjunct brings
to students. Engagement of students in the learning sessions is
higher and it provides a means by which enriched experiential
learning sessions can challenge students to critically think and
make accurate clinical judgments in the provision of safe patient
care. Learning sessions can
now be designed and delivered
to engage students in “life
and death” situations within
a controlled safe learning
environment; limiting risk to
“real” patients. Students no
longer just watch a video of
childbirth but now babies are
born in SW207 and students
directly care for the mother
and the newborn because of
the technology of a moderate
fidelity simulator. There is no
limit to the number of times the
“mother” can go into labor and
deliver a baby including high
risk deliveries.
Learning experiences that
reflect patients and situations students will encounter in their
clinical placements come to life in the simulation lab. A situation
designated as high risk low incidence such as a heart attack is
now part of the learning experience for students. Through the
use of technology patients (high and moderate fidelity simulators)
dialogue with our future health care providers as they learn and
develop effective therapeutic communication skills. A holistic
approach is upheld for all our patients in SW207. Each patient
has a social and medical history and from time to time their family
members may visit and actively participate in the learning session.
A debriefing session is a key component of these learning sessions.
This is a time where students under the guidance of a facilitator
will deconstruct the case, discuss how the case unfolded, the
challenges and the successes they encountered as they cared
for their patient. The technology of moderate and high fidelity
simulators coupled with creating the physical environment to
reflect the “real environment” provides a safe learning environment
where PBL comes alive and students make connections between
theory and practice. Feedback from students tells us that learning
sessions that incorporated moderate and high fidelity simulation
strengthened their decision making and confidence bridging the
educational environment to real life situations they encountered in
their clinical placements.
©
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
4 Student Feedback from Program Reviews
By Susan Barclay-Pereira, Director, Program Development & Quality Initiatives
To date, there have been 10 program reviews conducted under the revised Program Review and Renewal program at Durham College.
These program reviews include data collected from stakeholders including employers and students. It was interesting to note that the
feedback from students was fairly consistent around themes such as use of technology and content. The following is an excerpt from a
report on the program review process. The below chart is a summary of recurring themes from eight student focus groups with more
than 100 students participating.
Theme
Comments
Communication Courses
• Too many mandated within the program.
• Content repetitive and redundant.
• Want specific program-related content embedded within Comm courses.
Part-time Faculty
WebCT Use
• Students appreciate those faculty who use WebCT as they find it a valuable resource to
their educational experience and feel they are more successful in courses where faculty
use WebCT.
• Would like to see WebCT consistently used by all program faculty.
•
•
•
•
Don’t appear to have sector expertise.
Appear to have limited teaching experience.
Often read from slides.
Are not available for extra help.
• Many faculty in mobile programs do not make use of the laptops in their classes or their
curriculum.
• Students find this very frustrating as they were forced to purchase an expensive laptop
that is not used in class.
Laptops
Wireless Connection
• Frustrated by lack of reliable wireless connections in classrooms and across the college.
• Would like to see a stronger identification of their school and more of a sense of program
identity-- with dedicated space where they could have classes together and work on
project-based assignments together as a program group.
School and Program Identity
• Students are often assigned group work and the lack of group study space on campus is very frustrating.
• Quiet study space is also lacking.
Lack of Study Space
• In some classes, expensive textbooks are referred to only rarely and this frustrates
students.
Non-use of Textbooks and
Expense of Textbooks
In-class Examples, Assignments
and Illustrations Related to
their Area of Specialization
• Students want to see more sector/program related examples and illustrations.
• Course content and assigned projects should be explained in greater depth to students—
why are we learning this-how will I use it on the job?
• Students want to be sure that what they are studying actually aligns to their career.
Leading Edge Content
• Students want to learn the most current, leading edge aspects of their chosen vocation to
be successful in the job market.
• Concern that faculty are teaching from old course outlines with outdated content.
Placement
• Best experience and most valuable component of the program.
• Placement is critical to their success.
The goal of program review and renewal at Durham College is to build from strengths to improve the quality of the academic program
under review through purposeful change. The result of the process is the completion of the Final Report and recommendations
which are shared with the full program team, the vice-president, academic and the Academic Council. A plan for implementing the
recommendations (Quality Improvement Plan) including priority actions and assigning measures of success is developed by the school
dean and the program faculty team.
New Artists at the Innovation Centre
Coming in May, a new exhibition of art in the Innovation Centre! After enjoying Annette Tavares’ beautifully
rendered illustrations for the past four months, it’s time for us to welcome two new artists to the Centre.
During the summer months (May to August), we will enjoy photographs and poetry by
Jean-Michel Komarnicki and Helen MacDonald (UOIT faculty).
The opening reception for the new art show will take place on Thursday, May 20th from 3 to 5 p.m.
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
5 ©
Online Modules
Power of Pink 2010 Fundraiser
The Millennial Student
On two recent evenings, Durham College employees and friends
participated in an unusual Power of Pink fundraiser: they took
an introduction to pastel painting class donated by Ruth Rodgers
(Teaching & Learning Specialist, Innovation Centre) but also a
pastel artist http://www.ruthrodgers.com. In total, 15 beginner
artists completed beautiful cloud studies while enjoying the
camaraderie of fellow employees and reveling in getting their hands
dirty. You can also find Ruth conducting workshops at the Meta4
Gallery located in historical downton Port Perry. For additional
information, please contact Ruth at Ruth.Rodgers@dc-uoit.ca.
This module looks at Generation “Y” or the millennial student. It
deals with how they are wired differently and, therefore, how they
learn differently. It provides suggestions on how to engage the
learner. This module is available as an independent online unit.
Simple Techniques for Using a Laptop in
the Classroom
Looking for some ideas to expand the use of the laptop into your
teaching? The Innovation Centre has an online module focusing
on simple techniques teachers can use to incorporate the laptop
into their courses. We’ll look at some ideas for research, discussion
groups/assignments and have the opportunity to share our
successes with participating faculty.
Designing Rubrics
You’ve heard that using rubrics is an effective method to guide
marking. A well-designed rubric can reduce instructor subjectivity
and provide a guide to students as to what is expected. In this
online module, you will learn about different types of rubrics and
begin to build one.
Strategies for Successful Online Learning
Teaching online is not the same as teaching in a face-to-face
classroom. This online module provides practical strategies for
online instructors for course development, assignments and
facilitating online learning.
Journals, Blogs, Wikis
Know the difference? This module will provide you with a basic
introduction to these collaborative learning tools which are
now available on campus. Reflective journaling can deepen
understanding; blogs and wikis enable students to work
together to share ideas and collaborate on projects.
Teaching Strategies for Large Classes
Some say that teaching a large class, say over 100 students, is
no different from teaching a small class. Having more students in
your class CAN affect your presentation, the students’ response
and the outcomes of a class. In this module, you will learn about
teaching/learning strategies and techniques for the big ones.
Empowering Diversity in the Classroom
The classroom is becoming more diverse as students differ in
many ways whether it is learning styles, disability, ethnicity, or
a combination of other factors. Many of our students do not
learn well in the passive lecture environments; some paper and
pencil forms of evaluation may discriminate against students
with language difficulties, vision impairments, or those who
are kinesthetic learners. The purpose of this online module is
to provide an overview of our changing student demographic,
specifically addressing, learning styles, ESL students, students
with disabilities and cultural diversity. Techniques will be
suggested to create a more inclusive learning environment.
For registration information, please contact Maureen Wideman at Maureen.Wideman@dc-uoit.ca.
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
6
©
About Us
Curriculum development:
The Innovation Centre provides teaching and learning expertise
and support to all Durham College and University of Ontario
Institute of Technology (UOIT) faculty. Our goal is to foster
collaborative relationships with faculty to empower them to create
richers learning environments, whether it is in the classroom or
online. Promoting excellence in teaching and learning has a direct
impact on the quality of the learning experienced by our students. •
•
•
Our team of professionals provides:
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership in teaching and learning, and teaching with technology.
Encouragement and support for faculty to explore new strategies and methods.
Active learning techniques.
Research partnerships with faculty in the development of new learning units/packages/modules.
New leaning technologies that are evaluated and promoted while recognizing the value of traditional techniques. What we do:
Whether faculty members want to enhance their teaching skills,
redesign a course, incorproate technology into their teaching or
create a multimedia masterpiece, we can help take great ideas and
turn them into reality.
The centre provides a wide range of services to durham college and
uoit faculty, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
One-on-one consultations about any teaching- and learning- related issues, including pedagogical techniques, assessment strategies and course evaluation.
Evaluation and piloting of technology to improve learning.
Workshops, seminars and presentation on a variety of topics pertaining to teaching and learning.
Facilitation of group discussions on issues and best practices relating to teaching, learning, and technology.
Resources for faculty, including our web site and Catalyst newsletter.
Design and development of learning objects, simulations, and games.
A highly-skilled curriculum team provides leadership and guidance in program review.
We offer instructional design and curriculum development support for new academic courses and programs and the enhancement of existing ones.
All full-time and part-time faculty members, sessional instructors, lectures and other professional teaching staff, whether they teach on-campus or online, are invited to participate in the pgorams, events, and services that are made available through the Innovation Centre.
Research and innovation:
The Innovation Centre has partnered with college research teams to
provide resources and support for various funded research projects. These projects not only benefit the educational environment, but
also contribute to the scholarly knowledge produced in these
particular fields. How to contact us:
Web site: http://innovation.durhamcollege.ca
E-mail: innovation@dc-uoit.ca
Phone: 905.721.2000 x 2593
Fax: 905.721.3096
Visit our office in the Gordon Willey Building, Room SW101. Our
hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. All training will be held in the Innovation Centre unless otherwise
specified on our training registration web site at http://treg.dc-uoit.ca.
Faculty development opportunities:
Some sessions are subject to cancellation if a minimum quantity
of three (3) participants is not reached. Any cnacellations will be
posted on the Professional Development Web site and participants
who are currently enrolled in a session(s) will be notified by e-mail
in advance. Participants are required to bring a laptop to class.
If a participant does not own a laptop, one will be provided to
them during class.
Newsletter Information:
Editor-in-Chief: Maureen Wideman, Senior Instructional Designer
Designer: Lisa Kerr, Administrative Professional
Publisher: Chris Hinton, Director
©
C A T A L Y S T
P A G E
7