Science Lab Class- Taking It On-line

Sandra Yarema, M.S.Ed.MSTA Director-at-Large,

Lawrence Technological University,Wayne State University

yarema@wayne.eduMSTA Conference March 9. 2012

So, You’re Teaching a Science Lab Course

And you think it could be taught on-line…Or

You’ve been assigned to teach a distance learning course….

Options:• Hybrid / Reverse Instruction (Flipped

Classroom)• Completely On-line

Considerations for Course Design

• Adapting the best Practices of Face-to-Face experience to Distance Learning

• Personal knowledge and familiarity with tools for effective instruction

• Course objectives• Learner Grade/age level

Typical Traits of Face-to-Face

• Direct personal contact– Immediate feedback

• Schedule and Pacing dependent on time in class

• Materials easily accessible• Facilitating Active Learning – Cooperative group management– Visual cues available

Typical On-Line Experiences

Benefits Include:

• Convenience– Time– Place

• Individualized Pacing– Time for reflection and

response

• 24/7 Access

Challenges include:

• Setting limits to 24/7 Availability

• Facilitating Active Learning – Group Work– Lab Activities– Delayed feedback

• Materials Accessibility

Course Design

• Determine Learning Objectives for Course• Plan strategies to meet objectives– Situation Based Learning– Cognitive Engagement– Access to materials: • Kits/text available: Direct ship procedures in place• Engaging Web-links and tools

• Communicate Expectations– Syllabus, schedule, lesson planning

Course Management

• Choose tools to implement course design– Student interaction, discussion, reflection– Assignment submission, grading– Synchronous/Asynchronous format of presentations,

assignments and activities– Teaching style: web cam, Virtual-Classroom, assessing

engagement– Communicating with students– Utilize and provide technology support

• Experience an On-line Course before Instructing One

Student Engagement

• Be There: Provide Consistent “Presence”• Avoid “Death by PowerPoint”• Embed Technology• Using Instructional Technology tools i.e.

SafeAssign, Respondus Lock-Down browser, Blackboard Test/Survey/Polls,Video-clip Recordings of Procedures, audio “podcasts”

Essential Elements for Teaching Online

Concord Consortium E-Learning Model:

1. Asynchronous Collaboration : Reflective, threaded discussion and collaborative problem solving as core learning strategy

2. Explicit Schedules: Schedule lessons within a specific time frame

3. Expert Facilitation: Leading on-line discussions to deepen dialog & learning, Students should have the primary voice.

4. Inquiry Pedagogy: Graphics, simulations, role- plays effectively used. Explicit objectives matched to measures for qualitative assessment, Clear guidelines posted.

5. High-Quality Materials: Take advantage of a variety of learning strategies

6. Community Building: Learning through Collaboration

7. Limited Enrollment : Research reports ideal class size of 12 students

8. Purposeful Virtual Spaces: Create a space for informal social questions, questions about assignments, and for technical questions

9. Ongoing Assessment: Daily contribution to participation

Elbaum, B. McIntyre, C. Smith, A. (2002). Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach Your On-line Course. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing

Designing for Learning

J.V. Boettcher, Ph.D. (2011)

Ten Best Practices for Teaching On-line: Quick Guide for New Online facultyhttp://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online

1. Be Present 2. Create a supportive community of learners3. Set clear expectations for students and for yourself:

a) how you will communicate b) how much time should be spent working on the

course each week4. Use a variety of large group, small group, and

individual work experiences5. Use Both Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online

6. Establish two-way communication for reflective feedback and meaningful evaluation of your teaching

7. Prepare Discussion Posts that Invite Questions, Discussions, Reflections and Responses

8. Focus on content resources and applications and links to current events and examples that are easily accessed from learner's computers

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online9. Identify core concepts for the course - the performance goals – and

scaffold learners to apply these concepts through an increasingly complex spiral of selected activities.• Utilize a learning cycle framework that provides

a) exploration/explanation of theory and concepts, b) practice of skills and demonstration of knowledgec) application of concepts and evaluation of outcomes

• Structure Activities and Responses that make students’ thinking visible

10. Structure Closing and Wrap-up for the Course• Provide Frequent Guidelines/ “To-Do List” Schedules; Update

Often• Evaluate and Assess

– Individual learner growth – How the Learner Contributed to the overall growth of the group

More Help• www.etom.org/

Educational Technology Organization of MichiganMichigan's Distance Learning ResourceThe Educational Technology Organization of Michigan is a non-profit organization dedicated to the use of instructional telecommunications in higher education with an emphasis on distance learning. Established in December of 1980, ETOM has, and continues to be, a valuable resource for Michigan colleges and universities, related businesses, other educational organizations, and other interested individuals. Certification for Instructing On-line courses and designing on-line curriculum is available.

• www.mivu.orgMichigan Virtual University, Michigan LearnPort

Serving k-12 students & educators with innovative on-line learning opportunities.

Example ActivityTracks

Objectives: Define Observation, Inference;Utilize Supporting Evidence to Argue for Claims;Practice Science Process Skills; Illustrate Nature of Science

Tracks

Create a table which includes 3 columns: Observations ,Inferences and Supporting Evidence

In the Table:•List all observations you can make based on the image•List all the inferences that would be a plausible explanation for each observation made •List any assumptions made that support particular inferences•Describe the evidence that supports each explanationPost the table in the Discussion BoardChoose Posts from at least 2 classmates. Reply to their post with a comment that compares and contrasts one of your inferences with one of theirs.

Tracks

References

Boettcher, J.V. (2011). Ten best practices for teaching on-line: Quick guide for new on-line faculty.http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html

Elbaum, B. McIntyre, C. Smith, A. (2002). Essential elements: Prepare, design, and teach your on-line course. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing

Educational Technology Organization of Michigan (ETOM)http://www.etom.org

Michigan Virtual University- Michigan LearnPorthttp://www.mivu.org