Discussion Applied Pedagogies Ch. 2

THE ONLINE WRITING INSTRUCTION COMMUNITY

Discussion Applied Pedagogies Ch. 2

9/13/2016

Let's chat about Applied Pedagogies. This space is for discussion on chapter two.

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8 Comments

Jessie Borgman

9/16/2016 12:11:57 pm

Well, I was hoping to not have to start the discussion on my own chapter, but since no one has started discussing it, I'll throw out some thoughts.

Clearly, I love the idea of minimalist design. I think that learning the CMS/LMS is tough enough for students, so minimizing the navigational choices and the chance that they can get lost (can't find things) helps with their anxiety in learning to navigate the course.

I think our collective argument that you can do more with less is still very valid when we consider the multitude of options for "interactive" classes (the technologies), and we think about the future options that advances in technology will bring to distance learning.
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Michael Greer

9/17/2016 10:58:36 am

I really like this chapter--and I don't say that just because two of the authors are in this group!

First, the concept of minimalist design is powerful, and this is the first time I have seen it articulated as such in the OWI context. As a textbook editor, I have been saying "less is more" to authors for years, and often encounter exactly the type of resistance as the authors identify in this chapter. I think faculty are hard-wired into the idea that more coverage + more learning. Given that the average college student spends about 15 minutes per week reading the assigned course text (for real), those 15 minutes better be really focused. So I think the same principle applies to OWI course design and delivery.

I love this definition of minimalist design: "paring instruction down to its golden essence in designing and assigning tasks in order to maximize faculty-student and student-student interaction." I aim to practice and aspire to that ideal in my own OWI courses. I probably still try to do too much, but I am getting there....

Dani Weber's story in her section of the chapter is great because it talks about real-world context. I can't imagine teaching three different and new online courses while moving across the country. I don't know how she stayed sane. But the honest reflection on her initial resistance to the minimalist ethos is important, and I think representative of what many faculty would feel and think.

Second, the emphasis on professional development and instructor support is crucial. Weber only survived her summer because she had a pre-designed course shell and direct support and engagement with Harris, who had originally designed the tech writing course. I know that in my own journey into online teaching, I received no training or support whatsoever when first starting out. I struggled with Blackboard the first year, and only managed to do a respectable job of teaching precisely because I had unknowingly adopted the tenets of minimalist design. I told the students that their own work was the centerpiece of the course, and assigned very minimal outside readings. (This was an advanced nonfiction writing course in which students developed a book proposal to learn how the publishing process works. Most of the "content" was audio podcasts and slide presentations I made myself.)

In the last two years, my more direct collaborative work with none other than Heidi Harris herself has really helped me to develop better practices and theory

Jessie Borgman

9/18/2016 01:03:30 pm

Hi Michael-

When re-reading our chapter, I had just finished reading Kelli Cargile Cook's Layered Literacies: A Theoretical Frame for Technical Communication Pedagogy.

So our idea of the minimalist design struck me as similar...how to pack the maximum around of learning into assignments or a whole course.

I liked seeing you say that you've stressed this in editing, but hadn't seen it applied to OWCs before. I don't think there is much about less is more in regards to OWCs, there is a lot about design and layout, but we we're arguing that and also a little more :)

Michael Greer

9/17/2016 11:08:30 am

...had to send before I was finished...

So I have seen the difference between working alone and working with a collaborator and now a group, both here and in the GSOLE organization.

I was talking with an old friend and former colleague yesterday. She had been teaching online for one of the major national online programs (SNHU) and described her experiences. They had support for faculty, but it was in the form of pre-designed course shells and templates for everything down to the emails an instructor would send to students about being behind, missing assignments, etc. Every single interaction and every single piece of course content was entirely pre-fab, with zero room for individualizing. She left after one semester, but apparently the school has a line out the door of people wanting to teach in their program. I fear that the pre-fab model is a trend that folks like us need to resist at every point. It goes against all we have learned about online instruction. It turns faculty into robots, which I think is actually the ultimate goal.

The idea of personalized engagement with students, humanized courses with a community aspect (so important to the authors in chapter 2), and the idea of academic freedom and instructor autonomy--all of these need to be part of the goal of organizations like GSOLE as we try to educate our peers and admins about best prax in OWI. The minimalist design ethos is a huge part of that!

Jessie Borgman

9/18/2016 01:11:56 pm

Pre-designed courses can be tough, but I do think you can put your stamp on them as an instructor, but you have to want to or be pushed/encouraged to by your manager/mentor. I've taught from both and I do find with the pre-designed ones that I am still able to "teach" like me, but it's challenging and you have to remain vigilant not to sink into robot mode.

Cat Mahaffey

9/20/2016 05:16:04 am

Jessie, this was a great chapter indeed! I'm currently teaching a hybrid course and have intentionally employed your notions on minimalist design. I'm finding my students' submissions to be richer, longer, and more engaging.

One of my colleagues asked me to review a draft of an assignment, and I could see how packed it was and shared several of your key points:

- "deeper focus on a more narrow range" (19)
- "cohesive and well-chosen tasks" (19)
- "breaking instruction into smaller units" (25)

I'll stop because you've read it :) but my point is that this is a useful chapter for hands-on professional development.

I am really interested in Weber's conclusion that occasional synchronicity is best for creating social presence. I've tried using various platforms like Google Hangout and Saba, with little success. My class is usually too large (18-22 students) to effectively have interaction.

Dani Weber

9/21/2016 05:14:13 pm

Greetings! Jessie told me this discussion was taking place, so I thought I'd weigh in.

I too have found it hard to create synchronous discussion online, and I've never made it a requirement, as it's anathema to online classes to expect everyone to be in the same place in the same time. As teachers I think we can offer options for meet-ups, through Blackboard Collaborate (which I've never used) or Google hangouts (which I have). I've also had students, when working in groups, schedule meet-ups independently of the formal classroom structure.

That said, I'd like to offer an alternative to having everyone meet at once--one that is diametrically opposed to the uniformity and teacher-free teaching (horrors!) alluded to in an above post, where the instructor's voice, presence, and input are effectively eliminated.

I would argue that presence and authenticity--enough so that they make a real difference in the class--are created directly through teacher voice and persona. The more authentically a teacher can create his or her presence in the classroom, whether synchronous or asynchronous, the more student engagement we will be able to generate in response.

One example: I taught a creative writing class this summer (granted, this is the ideal venue for this practice) from a shell created by a colleague, Lisa Caloro, a poet whose voice and presence were powerful, entertaining, even alluring. Here's an excerpt from her syllabus (used with permission):

* Writing creatively is not easy. It is frustrating, it is stressful, and it is time-consuming. It takes courage. It is about risk-taking. It is about tapping into parts of you that you don't like to share with others. If you are uncomfortable: Good. You should be. If you're not frustrated, uncomfortable and spending hours pulling out your hair, then you're not putting in enough effort. I expect miracles. I expect more from you than you're willing to give. I will push all of your buttons because when you write that one poem or story that makes you go "WOW, I didn't know I could do THAT!" your pride and joy will be everybody's reward.
* We need to create a community of acceptance that makes everybody comfortable to share. Because sharing creative work is scary. The one rule that everybody, everywhere should always follow is: Don't be a jerk. You can offer constructive feedback in helpful, nurturing ways. All jerks will be publicly humiliated and then booted out of class.

Teaching from Lisa's shell, I learned how much voice matters. In seated classrooms, I have watched Lisa take students to amazing feats of creativity, revelation, and authenticity. Teaching using her material online, I learned even more vividly how much human connection depends on honesty and authenticity--in other words, in online setttings, on Voice.

I have tried to emulate Lisa's voice--her realness--in my Comp I syllabi this fall. I did not realize how well I'd succeeded until my department chair complimented me on the voice she saw in my syllabi that made them stand out from the generic version of most others in our division.

I think if we can tap into our voices--our REALNESS, our genuine uniqueness and presence--online, we model for students the kind of honesty and engagement we want from them. And often, they will give it to us in return. They will connect, and they will respond.

I hope this helps.

Dani

Gavin Scott's Momma link

9/28/2023 01:23:41 am

Grateful for shharing this

Discussion Applied Pedagogies Ch. 2

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Discussion Applied Pedagogies Ch. 2

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