Dublin Core
Title
Karla Hamlen-Mansour - Audio Reflection
Creator
Karla Hamlen-Mansour
Date
5/7/2020
Rights
Format
mp3
Language
English
Sound Item Type Metadata
Transcription
My name is Karla Hamlen-Mansour. I'm an Associate Professor of Educational Research and Assessment in the Department of Curriculum and Foundations. I teach both online and face-to-face classes. This semester I've been teaching one online class and one face-to-face class. The face-to-face class was a doctoral level statistics class so, I'll be primarily speaking about that transition to remote learning since my online class did not have many major changes.
What are the most challenging parts of the transition?
From an instructional standpoint, the biggest challenge has been finding a way to organize the information online, in a way that doesn't seem overwhelming to students when they look at it. And in a way that follows a logical sequence like we would do in class. So, the first thing I did was to collapse all of the previous materials from when we were face-to-face into a single folder to clear up the student's view, and then I set up weekly modules within folders. And then, once they go into the folders they would see the tasks in order. Just to try to set it up in a way that I would normally organize, an in-person class session.
Assessment is another big challenge. I didn't have a way of ensuring that students were working completely alone, but my exams are already more application than memory, so that did help. I also had to rethink how to do things like presentations, and how to rework the syllabus to accommodate the changes that were being made.
From a personal standpoint, trying to reorganize all my class material and then record videos for each class session has been extremely challenging, because I have two preschoolers and an infant at home. And of course, their preschool is closed and they're not really supposed to see their grandparents, so they're here all the time. And I've been trying to do some school with them each morning, just to give them a sense of structure and to make sure they're not just watching TV all day. But then of course, I end up with kids yelling in the background of some recordings. I have to schedule meetings with students around baby feedings, and I end up doing much of my work at night. So that has been a major challenge for me personally.
What are the most common needs expressed by your students?
The most common need that's been expressed is the need for flexibility. So, things like timing of live sessions. Due dates for assignments especially, as they learn new technology and new learning strategies really, because they're having to do everything on their own. Many of them have kids at home and similar situations to my own. So, just because we had a class time carved out before, doesn't mean that it still works for them to have a live meeting at that time, because now they're in their houses with their kids around. And since this particular class I'm discussing was set to be at 5 pm, that's a very difficult time with kids, both for me to be teaching and also for them to be learning when their kids are, you know trying to eat dinner, or whatever might be going on.
So, I've been holding optional live Q&A sessions, but I haven't required any synchronous sessions just for that reason. And I always post the recordings of our sessions for anyone who is unable to make it.
Students who are dealing with health issues, either themselves or taking care of sick loved ones, they've needed flexibility with due dates and in some cases, even needed an incomplete to give them more time to finish.
I think a need that is less commonly expressed. but is evident in other ways is that of managing stress. Students are under a lot of stress due to financial hardships, health concerns, dealing with things like isolation or depression, or being overwhelmed by the needs of their family members, or even being overwhelmed by seeing the news every day. These all impact their ability to really learn well, even if they have the time to dedicate to it.
In addition, some different internet qualities have affected students’ abilities to participate in our optional, live Q&A sessions, where I have some students who they keep freezing and can't ask questions or they keep getting kicked out. So that's another need that again, they don't necessarily express to me that they need something from me, but it’s something that I've noticed that's been challenging for students.
What new teaching techniques or tools are you trying as a result of the switch to remote teaching?
As far as teaching techniques go, I've been trying to simulate my face-to-face class sessions as closely as possible, but without requiring any synchronous meetings. So, to do that, I've been recording presentations that are PowerPoint embedded with video of myself, along with posting the blank PowerPoint presentations for them to take notes on. Then, I go through examples of doing statistical analyses using software, by recording videos with screenshots and views of my screen, and also giving them the raw files to try on their own. So, I try to simulate a lab situation in that way.
I also hold optional, live meetings where students can ask questions, kind of like our discussions in class. Although in class they'd be more directly tied with the presentations. For technology to do these things, I've tried Panopto for the first time, and I've tried Blackboard Collaborate for the first time. I decided for the presentations I prefer to use software I was already familiar with, so I've been using iSpring for presentations with integrated quizzes throughout. But I did have to purchase an update for that to work. I have liked Blackboard Collaborate though for our live sessions. That has worked well.
What new insights are you gaining about teaching in general?
I'm learning about the value of having important information on record, for students to review. So, students have mentioned that they like the ability to watch a video multiple times to gain a better understanding. I'm also learning the value of students being able to have informal conversations, before and after class for connections to their classmates, and to their cohort in this particular program. This is probably particularly important at the doctoral level, and I think my students are really missing that. Especially, if they were not already well connected to their classmates.
Also, I think that the majority of students prefer to have a connection with their professor. So, I've been trying to personalize their learning experience even though the material has been online. To do that I've been, as I mentioned, including videos of myself and not because they're necessary. It's not really necessary for a student to watch me speaking, but because I think they provide, at least they simulate some type of connection.
When we first moved to remote instruction, I posted a personal video introducing the new class format, where I admitted to my own challenges in working from home. And I think from feedback that I got that, that gave some students a bit of relief knowing that they weren't the only ones experiencing those challenges, and that we would still be able to work around them and be successful and that I would understand what they were going through.
How might this experience change your teaching when you return to face-to-face instruction?
My students have expressed that they're grateful for videos of my presentation, so that they can watch them as many times as they want. So, when we return to face-to-face instruction, I'm thinking of doing more of a flipped classroom approach. So, in a flipped classroom approach, you post presentations online. So, where you would normally lecture in the classroom, you make a presentation, post it online and have students do that on their own time at home. And then when they come into the classroom, you focus more on practice problems, labs and discussion to try to get in more depth about the content. So, I'm considering doing that when we return to face-to-face instruction.
Obviously, the challenge of that is that it takes twice as much time to do the presentation, record it, make sure it's in a good format and post that online. Then make sure that students have all viewed it, before they come to class and then to also, have the full classroom experience. So, it's a lot more work but students have expressed enough interest in it that I think I might try that, when I return to the classroom.
Also, when we return to face-to-face instruction, I will probably try to build in a little more time for the conversations, that I think students are missing out on when they're apart. Just because I've seen how much value that brought, that I didn't realize before. So, I might build that into course time, so that students are able to have some informal discussions that relate to the course content, and relate to their plans as doctoral students and their research.
What are the most challenging parts of the transition?
From an instructional standpoint, the biggest challenge has been finding a way to organize the information online, in a way that doesn't seem overwhelming to students when they look at it. And in a way that follows a logical sequence like we would do in class. So, the first thing I did was to collapse all of the previous materials from when we were face-to-face into a single folder to clear up the student's view, and then I set up weekly modules within folders. And then, once they go into the folders they would see the tasks in order. Just to try to set it up in a way that I would normally organize, an in-person class session.
Assessment is another big challenge. I didn't have a way of ensuring that students were working completely alone, but my exams are already more application than memory, so that did help. I also had to rethink how to do things like presentations, and how to rework the syllabus to accommodate the changes that were being made.
From a personal standpoint, trying to reorganize all my class material and then record videos for each class session has been extremely challenging, because I have two preschoolers and an infant at home. And of course, their preschool is closed and they're not really supposed to see their grandparents, so they're here all the time. And I've been trying to do some school with them each morning, just to give them a sense of structure and to make sure they're not just watching TV all day. But then of course, I end up with kids yelling in the background of some recordings. I have to schedule meetings with students around baby feedings, and I end up doing much of my work at night. So that has been a major challenge for me personally.
What are the most common needs expressed by your students?
The most common need that's been expressed is the need for flexibility. So, things like timing of live sessions. Due dates for assignments especially, as they learn new technology and new learning strategies really, because they're having to do everything on their own. Many of them have kids at home and similar situations to my own. So, just because we had a class time carved out before, doesn't mean that it still works for them to have a live meeting at that time, because now they're in their houses with their kids around. And since this particular class I'm discussing was set to be at 5 pm, that's a very difficult time with kids, both for me to be teaching and also for them to be learning when their kids are, you know trying to eat dinner, or whatever might be going on.
So, I've been holding optional live Q&A sessions, but I haven't required any synchronous sessions just for that reason. And I always post the recordings of our sessions for anyone who is unable to make it.
Students who are dealing with health issues, either themselves or taking care of sick loved ones, they've needed flexibility with due dates and in some cases, even needed an incomplete to give them more time to finish.
I think a need that is less commonly expressed. but is evident in other ways is that of managing stress. Students are under a lot of stress due to financial hardships, health concerns, dealing with things like isolation or depression, or being overwhelmed by the needs of their family members, or even being overwhelmed by seeing the news every day. These all impact their ability to really learn well, even if they have the time to dedicate to it.
In addition, some different internet qualities have affected students’ abilities to participate in our optional, live Q&A sessions, where I have some students who they keep freezing and can't ask questions or they keep getting kicked out. So that's another need that again, they don't necessarily express to me that they need something from me, but it’s something that I've noticed that's been challenging for students.
What new teaching techniques or tools are you trying as a result of the switch to remote teaching?
As far as teaching techniques go, I've been trying to simulate my face-to-face class sessions as closely as possible, but without requiring any synchronous meetings. So, to do that, I've been recording presentations that are PowerPoint embedded with video of myself, along with posting the blank PowerPoint presentations for them to take notes on. Then, I go through examples of doing statistical analyses using software, by recording videos with screenshots and views of my screen, and also giving them the raw files to try on their own. So, I try to simulate a lab situation in that way.
I also hold optional, live meetings where students can ask questions, kind of like our discussions in class. Although in class they'd be more directly tied with the presentations. For technology to do these things, I've tried Panopto for the first time, and I've tried Blackboard Collaborate for the first time. I decided for the presentations I prefer to use software I was already familiar with, so I've been using iSpring for presentations with integrated quizzes throughout. But I did have to purchase an update for that to work. I have liked Blackboard Collaborate though for our live sessions. That has worked well.
What new insights are you gaining about teaching in general?
I'm learning about the value of having important information on record, for students to review. So, students have mentioned that they like the ability to watch a video multiple times to gain a better understanding. I'm also learning the value of students being able to have informal conversations, before and after class for connections to their classmates, and to their cohort in this particular program. This is probably particularly important at the doctoral level, and I think my students are really missing that. Especially, if they were not already well connected to their classmates.
Also, I think that the majority of students prefer to have a connection with their professor. So, I've been trying to personalize their learning experience even though the material has been online. To do that I've been, as I mentioned, including videos of myself and not because they're necessary. It's not really necessary for a student to watch me speaking, but because I think they provide, at least they simulate some type of connection.
When we first moved to remote instruction, I posted a personal video introducing the new class format, where I admitted to my own challenges in working from home. And I think from feedback that I got that, that gave some students a bit of relief knowing that they weren't the only ones experiencing those challenges, and that we would still be able to work around them and be successful and that I would understand what they were going through.
How might this experience change your teaching when you return to face-to-face instruction?
My students have expressed that they're grateful for videos of my presentation, so that they can watch them as many times as they want. So, when we return to face-to-face instruction, I'm thinking of doing more of a flipped classroom approach. So, in a flipped classroom approach, you post presentations online. So, where you would normally lecture in the classroom, you make a presentation, post it online and have students do that on their own time at home. And then when they come into the classroom, you focus more on practice problems, labs and discussion to try to get in more depth about the content. So, I'm considering doing that when we return to face-to-face instruction.
Obviously, the challenge of that is that it takes twice as much time to do the presentation, record it, make sure it's in a good format and post that online. Then make sure that students have all viewed it, before they come to class and then to also, have the full classroom experience. So, it's a lot more work but students have expressed enough interest in it that I think I might try that, when I return to the classroom.
Also, when we return to face-to-face instruction, I will probably try to build in a little more time for the conversations, that I think students are missing out on when they're apart. Just because I've seen how much value that brought, that I didn't realize before. So, I might build that into course time, so that students are able to have some informal discussions that relate to the course content, and relate to their plans as doctoral students and their research.
Original Format
Audio recording
Duration
9 minutes, 4 seconds