Following on from the post at the end of last year, here is a reflection on things that academics had success with during 2020 and will continue to work with in 2021 or something they'd like to explore.
How TaLT Provided Support
Without tooting our own horn too much - it was important during these 'interviews' to find out how we, as TaLT, could improve our support to academics. During this process, there was much gratitude and affirmation. We felt it was important to share so that you may be inspired to consider the different ways the Faculty Educational Designers can work with you.
Every academic that was asked stated they felt "very well supported" by their departments Educational Designer (ED), along with all the TaLT resources.
And although some stated they felt guilty reaching out to the ED - because they thought they were doing so 'too often' - they knew they were welcome to do so, given that the convenience of a quick Zoom meeting was within reach.
These Zoom meetings often went beyond just the immediate problem at hand - but deeper conversations around assessment strategies and pedagogical approaches for different elements of the unit.
2020 required a complete rethink on approaches to teaching and learning; and so the ED would often provide suggestions on new things to try - as conversations would often highlight deficiencies or areas that could be improved with new tools or strategies. Many academics shared they felt some level of apprehension in adopting some of these - but that they felt comfortable and confident in trying knew things (at the encouragement of the ED) knowing they were not going into it alone and that the ED was there supporting them along the way - always ready to support the acaedmics in a timely manner should something happen.
Moodle was a key focal point of 2020 - as it became the primary medium of communication for students. Some felt that Moodle was such a complicated beast that it was daunting to try and make any meaningful change in the limited time frame available. However, in talking to the academics, quite a few stated that although they were initially resistant to making any sort of change in Moodle, they were encouraged by partaking in or watching recordings of various workshops run by TaLT, and that the ED was there supporting them along the way. The Faculty Moodle Team also provided invaluable support when things got more technical - and were quite responsive to most requests.
The TaLT Newsletter was also highlighted as really useful resource - with links to articles or other media that could inspire or challenge conventional thinking or approaches. One criticism was that sometimes the content came a little delayed (eg. one newsletter focusing on assessment would've been nice to have prior to semester) - and we acknowledge it's hard to time and release these in a way that suits all. However, we will endeavor to work on this for future Newsletters.
The 1-on-1 sessions provided great opportunities to have a focused discussion on a particular area or topic; with many wishing to have more of these in the future to discuss and plan their units - which we are always happy to do.
So if you would like to have a chat to discuss plans for the future, new tools or strategies, or even some big, blue-sky thinking: Don't hesitate to arrange a discussion with your departments Educational Designer.
Looking forward: 2021 and beyond
Given
the experience from 2020, it's not surprising that through discussions
with other colleagues, reading articles, attending virtual conferences,
seminars, and symposiums - many academics have had their interest piqued
in adapting existing practices or finding new ways to teach or engage
students. Here is a brief breakdown of some of the things shared:
Although the university has been encouraging it for some time - it
seems that the 'blended' or 'flipped' approach to learning will now become
the norm for many units, with academics sharing that they will reuse their
pre-recorded videos as much as possible; primarily because the presentation of the
slides and content works better compared to a lecture theater
presentation (or recording).
Moodle
Many feel their Moodle layout worked well - and so will keep this. Along with reusing the various resources, updating the content as appropriate and if possible. Thus, many plan on continuing to do what they did in S2-2020.
Others, however, have identified a deficit - be it in the resources or activities - and so want to focus on creating deeper learning opportunities as they explore deepening the online experience students have. Particularly around better integrated multimedia resources, and creating more self-directed activities. One such area that was mentioned was exploring the use of integrated quizzes into the asynchronous (onDemand) videos through Panopto.
In-Person Experiences
Some academics noticed that the 'dual-mode' students seemed more engaged than those learning purely online - and so will look to leverage the 'in person' experience more going forward. Part of this focus includes (re)designing the tutorial activities to provide more reflection and low-stake assessment of the students, as well as encouraging more discussion at a deeper level.
Additionally, to give some more authentic experiences to the students, some would like to consider a 'research day' type of assessment, tied to a poster presentation - so that students can present (and thereby practice another professional skill) and also learn what many academic conferences are like with regards to posters and presentations in general.
Assessment
This was one of the biggest areas of challenge - particularly with assessments focused on the entire units content. At least half of the participants talked to mentioned bringing back exams for different reasons. A couple of the academics mentioned the need for examinations for integrity and trust. Some actually felt that the past exams were easier than the modified assessment task, as it became much harder for the students to complete successfully.
There's also a desire by many to find effective ways to provide additional marks for participation and engagement by students, based on specific group activities. Including some more 'profession' based ones, such as how to write an email (especially given the nature of communication in 2020, it became clear that many students lacked certain professional skills in this area).
Video (or audio) based feedback was another area that is being considered by many; and we encourage exploring the Feedback for Learning site to discover what tools and strategies work best, and students respond to most positively.
One tool that many mentioned either using (and planning to use more in 2021) or want to adopt in 2021 is Perusall:
Perusall is a free social reading platform integrated into Moodle which allows students (and teaching staff) to digitally annotate readings and videos collectively and respond to each other’s comments and questions. It creates an environment for online collaborative reading and discussion and provides auto-marking of student comments and the analytics which will enable you to see not only who has completed the set readings but also to measure their interaction with the text.
Feedback on the use or Perusall has been quite positive - with one academic reporting that its use lifted the overall grade by around ~10 marks. This is because key concepts learned in papers (which historically wouldn't have been read by students) now were being read, because of the associated additional marks in responding to other students comments. Which, in turn, meant that students were prepared for the assessments and could respond accordingly.
Zoom
A critical component of education - and teaching - is the formation of relationships; the use of Zoom consultation sessions helped many in 2020 to get to know and build on the educational relationships between lecturers and students. Due to its relatively ease of use and ubiquity - many will continue to use Zoom for 'virtual office hours' and consultation. A couple even mentioned making these consultation sessions compulsory - as it would allow a regular point to touch base with students, check in, and address any issues - or direct them to resources or support as necessary.
Health and Wellbeing
One area that became very important - and was heavily discussed in social media, news sites, and by Monash Health and Wellbeing - was the importance of a 'good' work-life balance. Working from home has made it a lot harder to separate the work from the personal, and many shared that they felt they were working much longer and much harder than in the past. Whilst this makes sense, most people that were asked stated that they will spend 2021 being kinder to themselves and trying to put in place some strategies to break up work from home.
Here ends the reflection and planning for 2021. We hope that this has been informative, and that you have been given some thing to consider for the future. Remember to reach out to your departments Educational Designer should you want some consultation - or just someone to brainstorm ideas with.
Good luck for 2021!
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