Month: August 2023

3-2-1 Post regarding digital facilitators

Terry Leave a comment

After reading through Unit 1 readings for our Facilitating in Digital Environments course, I have the following reflections: 

3 Thoughts

*Digital facilitation is complex. There are so many aspects to think about, including creating community, providing relevant materials, and being present (Boettcher, n.d.). Ensuring these and other criteria are being met will take patience and practice. 

*There are many roles as a digital facilitator. After reading Bull’s (2013) article, I realized that teaching online isn’t simply providing materials and guiding students through; it’s about providing encouragement, support, and connections. In this sense, I can see the similarity of digital teachers to classroom teachers, as the aforementioned roles are also a part of classroom teaching.

*Feedback is integral for effective digital learning–for both students and educators. Without feedback from students, how will educators know if their course is effective? Boettcher (n.d.) states the feedback early on can allow for any adaptations to be made to the course. As for students, consistent, clear feedback during the course allows students to adapt and reach out for support if needed (Bull, 2013). 

2 Questions

*Boettcher (n.d.) states the importance of providing relevant materials for students;  how does a facilitator provide relevancy when information about their students is relatively unknown?

*Boettcher (n.d.) also states the importance of feedback, yet I am unsure of how many students take advantage of providing feedback for teachers; how does an educator encourage and promote student feedback? Can marks be used to encourage feedback, or will this skew results?

1 Simile

Digital teaching is like a one-man band, ensuring all instruments are contributing their unique sounds and together producing a harmonious melody.  

One Man Band [photograph], by William W. Ward, 2014, Flickr. CC BY 4.0

References 

Boettcher, J. V. (n.d.). Ten best practices for teaching online [Designing for Learning]. http://designingforlearning.info/writing/ten-best-practices-for-teaching-online/

Bull, B., & . (2013, June 3). Eight roles of an effective online teacher. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/

Digital resource creation: reflection

Terry 1 Comment

Since our LRNT 524 course introduced us to design frameworks, I have been interested in this field. Our current course on creating digital resources has allowed me a glimpse into the details that learning and design implementation requires. 

Doodlebug, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

There were several aspects of creating a digital resource that I found beneficial and enlightening, the first of which was developing our resources from the very beginning. The process of gathering data and empathetic design was one of my favourite aspects of this project. Not only could I connect with colleagues, but this process also made me realize biases I was holding on to when I initially started the interview process. Being able to identify my preferences gave way to reframing the problem, something that Seelig (2013) points out as necessary for problem-solving. 

A few surprising elements came to light when reflecting on this project, the first being the data I collected from my participants. Before I started my interviews, I had pondered purchasing textbooks to solve my problem of practice. It turned out that almost 100% of my participants had not used a textbook for teaching or activities in the past five years. If I had skipped gathering data, I might have ended up with a useless resource and certainly not solved the problem. This realization allowed me to understand firsthand the importance of implementing user-centred design; as Kouprie and Visser (2009) state, empathy is necessary for the design to meet users’ needs. The design thinking process and its emphasis on the user will be most helpful for my final project in this Master’s program; I intend to have my research focus on using OER in K-12 education. Ensuring I follow user-centred design alongside design thinking will help me gain valuable insights and provide structure for a robust, supported, and helpful design. 

The other aspect of this design process that I found very helpful was the feedback from peers and our instructor, Dr. Jenni Hayman. Throughout the work on our designs, we were provided with multiple opportunities to offer and receive feedback on the various stages of our project. This was most helpful as my experience with design is limited. My peers suggested several aspects of my digital design that needed attention, particularly the layout. Jenni also provided assistance as to what I could improve. The suggestions offered a new perspective and provided helpful information to help improve my overall product. To provide even more valuable feedback, I would have my colleagues (intended audience) give some feedback; this would be an even stronger tie into user-centred design and allow my resource to be as helpful as possible for my target users. 

Overall, researching and using the design thinking model in this course has increased my confidence in designing digital resources and illustrated the importance of design frameworks and feedback in providing useful and pertinent resources.

References

Seelig, T. (2013, April 19). How reframing a problem unlocks innovation. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/1672354/how-reframing-a-problem-unlocks-innovation 

Kouprie, M., & Visser, F. (2009). A framework for empathy in design: Stepping into and out of the user’s life. Journal of Engineering Design, 20(5), 437–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/09544820902875033