I have been teaching asynchronous classes for four years. There are a lot of benefits of asynchronous learning; however, one of the downsides is the lack of personal interaction and engagement. When I look over my courses to see how much interaction there is between my students, the reality is that I have very little opportunity for my students to connect. This prompts me to reflect: How can I build an online community in my asynchronous classes?
In an ideal situation, students would actively participate in their online classes by confidently posting videos, participating in forums, and providing feedback to their peers. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The challenge of asynchronous learning lies in its inherent flexibility, where students progress at their own pace. As a result, forging connections becomes a difficult task. While synchronous interactions are limited or non-existent, building meaningful relationships and creating a supportive learning environment is still possible. In order to improve my community building in my asynchronous courses, I am using the guidelines outlined by Lindsay Harris in her article Building Community and Connection Between Students and Instructors in Asynchronous Course. I really like how Harris’ guidelines are simple yet effective. Below, I have reflected on some of my current online practices and methods and have come up with one new idea that I will be adding to my courses:
I tried making my Lumi interactive by inputting multiple choice and true/false questions. This was a great tool (but time consuming). I think that it could be used to make sure students are paying attention when engaging in an audiobook and checking their understanding throughout.
My assessment included two types of formative assessment. The first one being a check in at the beginning of the video to make sure students have completed the pre-reading activity, which was an anticipation guide. This will be posted on the Google Classroom I create. The other one being a character chart directly after the descriptions of the main characters in chapter 1. This was a great addition because it would eliminate the students ability to say “I don’t know where to find that answer!!!”
All in all, using Lumi was quite time consuming, but I think after getting the hang of it, it wouldn’t be as bad. It is a create tool to use for videos like an audiobook to check student’s understanding and make sure they are engaged while listening. Especially when the videos are a longer like the one I used.
For my course prototype, I have decided to stick with Google Classroom and Google Sites as my LMS. My students have been using Google Classroom since they were introduced to using Chromebooks in grade 2, and all but one teacher in our school uses the platform. As students move into grade 7 (except my grade 6 students) they begin navigating Google Sites. I would like to keep the consistency with the platforms that my colleagues use so that it is a smoother transition each year.
Within Google Sites, I will be embedding lesson videos using Lumi. I have not explored this tool to its full potential yet, but I plan to create engaging videos using my voice that not only introduce the topic but also have interactive elements such as polls, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Up until this point I have been using YouTube videos created by other teachers for my 6th grade website. After watching the videos from Micheal Wesch last week, I have reflected on my approach and realized that I am missing the personal connection with using YouTube videos. Even though I am still in the classroom with students and they connect with me that way, the videos that they are currently watching aren’t me.
Another tool that I will embed into my Google Sites is MindMeister. I plan to use this tool as a collaborative discussion area where students can post questions and reflect on their learning as they go. With my math class having the “at your own pace” element I find it challenging to have discussions because not all students are on the same lesson at the same time. With utilizing MindMeister students can enter the conversation as they complete the lesson.
Tools that I will use for check-ins are Mathletics and Google Forms. Both applications offer students instant feedback to help them reflect on their learning and decide if they need to review or move forward. In addition to these online check-ins, students will complete an end-of-lesson exit ticket that they will hand to me. With my module being math-focused, I believe that students still need paper/pen practice. The exit ticket with allow students to show their work and get an official check-in with me.
My online course prototype will supplement my in-person grade three classroom. Coming from an in-person environment, I already have a strong community of learners; learners who know each other well, who are (mostly) comfortable with each other in the classroom setting and who interact, in person, all day, everyday. Therefore, a strong classroom climate of interaction and collaboration is already well established, especially at this point of the school year (month six). My concern is that with my online course prototype, I may lose this community if I don’t put the time and attention into (temporarily) converting my in-person community of learners to an engaged group of online learners. The last thing I want is for my students to move to isolated work on a computer, without any interaction or collaboration with their peers.
My goal when introducing these online modules is to maintain a similar environment where students feel supported and celebrated for their efforts, both by myself and their peers. I hope to foster lots of student-teacher and peer-peer interaction throughout my two blended learning modules, using similar strategies online as I do in class. Students are used to frequently sharing their ideas, discussing class content in pairs, small groups and whole groups, and receiving lots of feedback while they are working – I will strive to maintain these key interactive pieces of my classroom climate as students work through my online learning prototype.
The blog post, Building Community in an Online Course, offers four key suggestions for online course community: allow students to get to know me and me them, allow students to get to know each other, create a safe and incusing environment and be present/responsive in the course; these four areas are priorities in my face-to-face practice and this blog offers valuable options for continuing to prioritize them in an online setting. I explore some of these in my examples below.
The following quote from the blog, 6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Courses, is at the forefront of my online community planning: “Community is more than participation; it requires moving from participation to engagement, involvement, and action.” I will be trying to push my young learners beyond simply participating when we complete our online modules. Authentic engagement is something I am always attempting to foster in-class as well!
Luckily, the primary program I am utilizing (Seesaw) has diverse options for communication within it. Interactions will primarily be taking place on this platform. Although not a traditional LMS, Seesaw allows for various forms of communication, including liking work, commenting on work and private or group messaging. As well, it can host photos, voice recordings and videos of myself (providing instruction or feedback) and students (sharing ideas and work).
Likes & Commenting: Similar to a social media platform, Seesaw allows for classmates to like and comment on others’ work. Students will like and comment on their peers’ work on the Seesaw portfolio page, throughout the modules. When students post work, their peers will be able to see it and either ‘like’ it or give their feedback via a written or oral comment. I will provide explicit expectations for liking and commenting so the students understand the importance of this interactive piece. Commenting will serve as an ongoing peer review exercise, further supporting student-student interaction: “design activities that require student interaction: group work, peer review, etc.“
*To begin, I will require posts and comments to be approved by me before they are live on the Seesaw platform. This way, I can help ensure students are submitting their best work for peers to see and to promote respectful and useful commenting on others’ work. Pre-learning and practice on commenting expectations will be required as we have not accessed this tool on Seesaw yet. Comments will be visible to peers, myself and connected families which should help enforce respectful commenting. In addition, I will regularly comment on students’ work with celebratory messages and thoughtful feedback to model this; this will help mimic the in-person support students are used to receiving in class.
To help facilitate valuable comments, I will offer grade-level appropriate prompts for students to start with (such as: I like how you…/You did a good job on…/This reminds me of…/Did you think about…). As well, explicit instructions on netiquettewill be necessary; this term was first introduced to me last week during the class readings: “remind students of the basic principles of ‘netiquette’ when communicating online.”
Messaging: As well as public commenting, students are able to private message me. During these online modules, I will encourage students to message me with questions, as they typically would ask a question in our classroom. I will be actively checking and responding to messages so students feel supported during their online work. As well, I will be reaching out to students to check in with their learning and progress of the modules.
*This messaging feature allows me to fully “Communicate regularly/Be Present in the Course” with constant communication both on a whole group level (instructions, reminders, advice, check-ins) and one -on-one (more personal check in, aid).
Photos, videos and recordings: The use of these three mediums, will allow for further interaction throughout these modules. Through our main Seesaw platform, students will be sharing work and ideas using photos (camera tool), recordings (microphone tool) and videos (recording tool). By collecting evidence of learning in these mediums, students will be more engaged in their own learning and the learning of their peers. Seeing and hearing themselves and their peers, instead of just reading typed words, will foster a stronger level of interaction and interest. I will also be using photos, videos and recordings to interact with the class, throughout the modules.
*Students are already familiar with these tools and are comfortable with submitting work via photo, recording and video response.
Instructional Strategies: With inspiration from Michael Wesch, I will be using suggested techniques to better engage learners during online instruction. For my lessons, I plan to use POV and screen recording of methods of engagement without showing my face on the video. To demonstrate what we are learning/doing, I will use the POV technique: showing the viewer my point of view as I am completing a task. As well, instead of solely explaining steps verbally, I will screen record to demonstrate steps. Does anyone have a favorite screen recording and editing program that they can recommend? As well, I will use Wesch’s storytelling advice. Storytelling compliments our ELA Fairy tale unit theme well, so I will use the power of storytelling to further interest students when delivering course content via online videos. My young learners especially will benefit from these engagement strategies.
Thanks for reading! As always, I would love any feedback and/or other ideas to foster online interaction. Specifically, if you are Seesaw-savvy and have any tips and tricks for using it’s communication features, that would be appreciated! Looking forward to reading what you are doing to build community in your online courses!
In designing the course prototype, I plan to incorporate several student-instructor interaction methods to ensure a dynamic and engaging learning environment. These methods include the justification and guidelines/ assessment practices as well:-
In-person classes or synchronous online sessions:- These provide for real-time communication between teachers and students, facilitating discussions, cooperative learning, and prompt concept clarification. The potential for active participation, specific suggestions, and building a sense of community are among the arguments.
Justification:- The collaborative atmosphere of these sessions encourages active participation and engagement with the curriculum. It enables instructors to provide comments and suggestions depending on the needs of individual students.
Guidelines:-
Facilitate group activities, peer-to-peer interactions, and collaborative projects to promote teamwork, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving skills development.
Encourage students to actively engage in discussions, ask questions, share insights, and contribute to collaborative activities.
Create opportunities for students to connect, establish rapport with their peers and instructors, and develop a supportive learning environment through group discussions or other activities.
2. Live Q&A Sessions:- These sessions can be utilized to conduct interactive tasks, address questions, and make concepts more clear. Students who use this method concentrate only on the opinions of other people, which sharpens their critical thinking skills and facilitates a full understanding of the subject matter.
Justification:-Live Q&A sessions in educational environments foster a strong sense of community and involvement among students by providing quick feedback and customized among other beneficial aspects. In addition to encouraging active engagement, these sessions give teachers the chance to evaluate students’ understanding in real-time, which helps them better adapt their lessons to meet individual requirements.
Guidelines:-
Schedule classes at times that is convenient for all the students.
Promote engagement by asking students to submit questions in advance.
Record sessions for students who are unable to attend live, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
3. Collaborative Projects: In collaborative projects, students work in small groups to solve issues, finish tasks, or produce course-related objects.
Justification:- Collaborative projects improve the critical thinking, communication, and teamwork abilities required in many various fields. Students’ understanding of the subject matter is improved when they collaborate to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Diverse viewpoints provided by peer collaboration enhance the educational process and better equip students for obstacles they may face in the real world.
Guidelines:-
For consistency and clarity, identify the project’s objectives, responsibilities, and roles.
Regular check-ins and feedback sessions will help to foster collaboration and communication among group members.
To ensure equity and fairness, we examine both individual contributions and collective outcomes.
4. Zoom Meetings or Video Conferencing: Students and instructors can communicate in the present moment using Zoom live sessions. Discussions, group projects, and presentations can all be facilitated via these sessions.
Justification:- Zoom meetings give users a way to communicate synchronously and interact with each other in real-time. Zoom’s face-to-face format also helps to create a sense of community because users can see and interact with one other, even in distant locations. A more cohesive and engaged group dynamic can result from this sense of connection, which strengthens bonds and increases trust among team members.
Guidelines:
Clearly communicate the schedule for Zoom meetings in advance.
Establish rules for participation to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
Encourage active engagement through polling, breakout rooms, and chat discussions.
This week’s asynchronous class readings and videos were incredibly informative and motivational. We were particularly impressed by the flow of the videos and the positivity they instilled regarding teaching online and moving forward with our course prototype. Michael Wesch’s videos were especially enlightening, sparking so much excitement that we ended up watching 2-3 more on his YouTube channel. Anchal and I have been wondering how to implement these strategies in our teaching program, especially considering the shyness often observed among immigrant populations. We found the introductory part of Wesch’s videos particularly insightful, where he emphasized the importance of introducing oneself genuinely. We also resonated with the motivational quote, “Everybody worships; the only choice we get is what to worship.” We aim to create a nurturing community for refugee immigrants, providing them with a supportive environment where they feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their challenges. After watching all the videos and going through the topics in the weekly plans, Anchal and I believe that creating introductory videos aligns with the first step of our course. We aim to help refugees feel comfortable introducing themselves and speaking in front of others. While recording a video, they can proceed at their own pace, allowing for multiple takes and adjustments to make it perfect.
For the formative assessment, we will use Zigsaw, which we got to know through 6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Courses earlier we were using Zoom . In breakout rooms, students will be engaging in one-on-one interactions. Our goal is to encourage them to speak, so for sentence formation, we will assign them daily routine-based topics, and they will submit them in the Google Forum. Adding to this, we are also planning to share recorded videos of speaking conversations so that they can watch them at their convenience and try to speak. Throughout the speaking sessions in breakout rooms, they will get feedback from their peers as well as from the instructor that will be instant. For summative assessment, reading comprehension, and essay writing submission, Google Forums will be used. Topics that are routine-based are assigned so that they can feel their learning is productive and applicable to their daily lives. Instant feedback encourages them to do more and learn new things, enhancing their knowledge
In short, the assessment will be based on Google Forums, and, frankly speaking, this is not an academic course where pass or fail matters. It is a course designed to help those in need, enabling them to build a brighter future in a new country. Participants will be judged based on their performance. If somebody is performing well, we will promote them; if not, we will try to modify our teaching approach so that they can learn. Through this interactive approach, not only students but also we will enhance our teaching skills, acknowledging that we are always in the process of learning and can never be perfect.
This week’s asynchronous class readings and videos were incredibly informative and motivational. We were particularly impressed by the flow of the videos and the positivity they instilled regarding teaching online and moving forward with our course prototype. Michael Wesch’s videos were especially enlightening, sparking so much excitement that we ended up watching 2-3 more on his YouTube channel. Jasvinder and I have been wondering how to implement these strategies in our teaching program, especially considering the shyness often observed among immigrant populations. We found the introductory part of Wesch’s videos particularly insightful, where he emphasized the importance of introducing oneself genuinely. We also resonated with the motivational quote, “Everybody worships; the only choice we get is what to worship.” We aim to create a nurturing community for refugee immigrants, providing them with a supportive environment where they feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their challenges. After watching all the videos and going through the topics in the weekly plans, Jasvinder and I believe that creating introductory videos aligns with the first step of our course. We aim to help refugees feel comfortable introducing themselves and speaking in front of others. While recording a video, they can proceed at their own pace, allowing for multiple takes and adjustments to make it perfect.
For the formative assessment, we will use Zigsaw, which we got to know through 6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Courses earlier we were using Zoom. In breakout rooms, students will be engaging in one-on-one interactions. Our goal is to encourage them to speak, so for sentence formation we will assign them daily routine-based topics and they will submit it in the Google Forum. Adding to this, we are also planning to share recorded videos of speaking conversations so that they can watch them at their convenience and try to speak. Throughout the speaking sessions in breakout rooms, they will get feedback from their peers as well as from the instructor that will be instant. For summative assessment reading comprehension and essay writing submission Google Forums will be used.
Topics that are routine-based are assigned so that they can feel their learning is productive and applicable to their daily lives. Instant feedback encourages them to do more and learn new things, enhancing their knowledge
In short, the assessment will be based on Google Forums, and, frankly speaking, this is not an academic course where pass or fail matters. It is a course designed to help those in need, enabling them to build a brighter future in a new country. Participants will be judged based on their performance. If somebody is performing well, we will promote them; if not, we will try to modify our teaching approach so that they can learn. Through this interactive approach, not only students but also we will enhance our teaching skills, acknowledging that we are always in the process of learning and can never be perfect.
Before reviewing the Week 5 readings and videos, my first-instinct answer to “what forms of student/student-instructor interactions do you plan to implement” would have honestly been NONE! The course itself is online, asynchronous, with on-demand enrollment all year, and very brief. At only 2-3 hours long, it’s unlikely that two students will be “online” at the same day and time to facilitate interactions. Participant feedback from past safety courses was also very unfavourable towards synchronous teaching. (Perhaps my target audience is primarily introverts, and/or from cultures that are uncomfortable challenging instructors or other students as noted in Teaching in the Digital Age. Professors are also often uncomfortable taking the same classes as their students.
In any case, after reviewing the readings and videos, I can see that there is exceptional value in these interactions. How I can effectively introduce them into my own course is still a bit of a challenge, given the course format, enrollment situation and audience; I want the interactions to work towards the learning objectives and be seen to have value. Given that this is a blog post, I’m very much looking forward to feedback from my classmates – surely there are some great ideas out there!
Once approach I can take (which is admittedly out of my comfort zone) is introductory videos. I can certainly relate to Michael Wesch in his video Make Super Simple Videos for Teaching Online. Like him, I am very uncomfortable in front of the camera. However, I do see the need to personalize my online class, for the class itself and for my role as Safety Coordinator in general. My past online instructors at Columbia Southern University were required to post an introductory video, and in many cases, this was the only ‘personal’ interaction (even if it wasn’t actually interactive). Too often, I get to know our graduate students via name and email alone. An introductory video with some personal facts and my connection to the class would hopefully encourage other students to post the same introductory videos, or at least feel comfortable reaching out in other ways. Individuals could record videos of themselves on FlipGrid (still to be explored), or possibly Zoom or simply with the video feature of smartphones, whichever ultimately aligns best with participant needs and UR Courses:
This would go a long way towards encouraging students to reach out to me if they have problems with the class, other problems beyond the class, or to simply say hello when we see each other in the hallways or labs. Relationships are a critical part of safety culture, and we have clearly missed these opportunities in prior course offerings. Video introductions should also encourage students reach out to each other, especially among those in the same engineering program or lab. A introductory survey to ask students about themselves may have similar value, as suggested in Building Community in an Online Course.
Another approach I will attempt is a forum of some kind, either on Discord or within UR Courses. (Engineering students tend to be quite fond of Discord, however I’m unsure whether the older generations may be uncomfortable with this. I have not yet used the UR Courses forum feature, so this remains to be explored as part of my decision making). As part of the course, I can encourage participants to post questions on the forum, ideas for discussion, case studies that they may be aware of, and so on. I’m unsure at this point whether to make it mandatory; brand new students with little experience might not have much to contribute. More experienced students and professors may be leery of disclosing anything that could look unfavourably on their research group or disclose research “secrets”. Perhaps there will just be encouragement with an explanation of value, or perhaps there may be bonus points for participation. At the very least, a student completing the course by themselves would still benefit from questions posed by past participants. To help ensure the content is meaningful and engaging, I would post targeted prompts, rather than leaving the content open-ended. I would also establish clear goals, monitor content, and add additional probing questions where needed to clarify posts and perhaps encourage deeper thinking. Much like the course itself, I would focus on critical thinking, using existing engineering skills to anticipate what went wrong or what could have gone wrong, how to prevent incidents, and so on.
The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science already has a list of guidelines for online student interactions, much like described in Teaching in a Digital Age. In terms of my own interactions with the students, I intend to regularly monitor the forum (whether Discord or UR Courses) and provide feedback as needed. Direct contact with me will be available through UR Courses email or university email. In-person office hours and location will be posted in UR Courses, as will drop-in Zoom times (these are commonly used by student advisors). While I hadn’t considered this previously, 6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Classes emphasizes opportunities for real-time meeting. Visits in-person or on Zoom could also be arranged by appointment as needed.
Of course, throughout the online component, feedback will also be given directly to students in terms of their short and long answer questions in each module, and ultimately, the final Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) that is progressively developed by each participant. Participants will be strongly encouraged to not proceed to the next module until the first module is graded by the instructor (or perhaps the course format will be set up to force this). The intent is to provide feedback when needed, and ensure the SOP development remains on track.
Upon completion of the online asynchronous component, students will proceed to the in-lab instruction with their research supervisor/professor. As much as possible, to encourage interactions and peer-to-peer learning, professors will be encouraged to provide this instruction to several students at the same time (at least where schedules allow; this depends entirely on how many new students need training and when they arrive). At minimum, professors will be asked to include a senior student in the lab session, as this may be more comfortable for the participant and they may benefit from that interaction at least.
Ultimately, the value of the course as a whole, including the peer interactions, will be assessed (particularly early in the implementation) through course feedback surveys, interviews with attendees (those who participated well and those who did not), feedback from professors, and so on. If participation is poor in terms of peer interaction and engagement, it is hoped that course feedback (and possibly ideas from other blog posts) may yield some new, more effective techniques. In large, the value of the overall course effectiveness will be assessed through compliance monitoring of compressed gas safety practices. Much data already exists (pre-course implementation) that will help assess if training helped solve the identified performance gap.
For our course prototype, Arkin and I are focusing on Drama 7, a subject that can be difficult to teach in a new and engaging way while also creating an environment where students can feel confident in leaving their comfort zone and expressing themselves. We decided that the blended model is a great approach, because it balances small group and face-to-face instruction with engaging technology. Students will have the opportunity to produce, mix, create, and edit radio plays, while also creating sound effects and soundscapes, and starring as the voice actors.
Seesaw will be used for formative assessment. We see many benefits of Seesaw, including:
Instructors are able to provide immediate feedback via comments, teacher edits, ‘reaction’ stickers, or using the stylus tool (much like writing comments on paper assignments!). Students receive this feedback immediately, and can make the edits without deleting original work.
There is an option to add ‘pages’ to assignments – this is a great feature, as it is another way to show progress and learning. It is similar to submitting multiple written drafts, where each draft shows improvement!
Seesaw allows for a meaningful home/school connection. Parents and caregivers are able to interact, comment, and ‘like’ assignments, provide support, and stay up to date with their child’s assignment and progress.
Instructors are able to send large group messages, which is especially helpful for due date reminders, communicating trends, or ensuring students are using the platform appropriately (i.e. “remember to save as draft so you don’t lose progress”)
It is accessible at school or at home, and can be accessed either via browser or through an app.
Check out this short video to learn more about Seesaw
Microsoft Teams will be used for our summative assessment, and will be used as a communication tool. Like Seesaw, there are numerous benefits of Microsoft Teams in the blended learning model:
Teachers can create chats for each group, which are monitored by the teacher. Students can communicate, plan, and share their files in these groups. They can also interact when absent or if they need to work in different areas of the school!
Students can also private message the instructor, which is extremely helpful if students are absent or working around the school to record or edit. It is another way teachers can provide individual feedback or instruction throughout the day.
We can create a class, where resources, links, and calendars are shared. In this class, we can create assignments and include rubrics and due dates. Teachers can grade and submit feedback right in Teams.
Watch this video to learn more about Microsoft Teams
Are you familiar with these platforms? What do you see as the benefits or shortfalls? Let me know!
I enjoyed the readings for this week’s class as they provided clarity into what I was trying to achieve in my online classroom. Over the years, I have learned and applied different engagement strategies, however, my attempts to engage the students within an interactive online environment were not always as successful as I would like.
Completing the readings made me realize that what was missing was community. Yes! This is what I was trying to achieve…. the sense of community. Without being intentional about building a class community was a missed opportunity to properly engage the learners. Making this commitment as an educator means being mindful to who is in your class, and creating interactions that foster relationship building. How could I have missed that!? I think the answer to that question is, that other than one year during COVID, I have always had a blended classroom environment. (For those that are surprised it was only one year, I will explain. The School of Radiation Therapy is located within a healthcare facility, so the school follows the regulations of that facility. In-class learning was allowed to take place within the provincial masking and distancing guidelines. Since our class sizes are typically quite small, it was not difficult to comply with these rules).
Since the students are in class at times, I believe I relied on these interactions as the only source of community building, leaving the online environment lacking its community structure. Perhaps, this is the missing piece that will help increase online engagement.
The course I am designing is a hybrid/blended course in that it includes in-person lab sessions. All didactic learning will take place online.
Our blog question of the week is What forms of student/student-instructor interactions do you plan to implement in your course prototype? As I plan these interactions, I will be intentional to include relationship building opportunities between the students, as well as between the students and the instructor. In addition, the learning objectives and corresponding activities are guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy learning theory as it aligns well with healthcare programs.
The interactions I have planned to include are listed below including justification for their inclusion and any guidelines or assessments attached.
Weekly synchronous class meetings– including polls and MC review questions, exit slips Justification: students and instructors engage in real-time interaction, which offers several benefits:
Affective domain: Synchronous classes facilitate social interaction among students and between students and instructors. This interaction fosters a sense of community and belonging which can enhance the overall learning experience and reduce feelings of isolation. The instructor will aim to foster intrinsic motivation and assist in maintaining a positive attitude towards learning. The goal is to encourage students to engage in learning for the inherent satisfaction it brings, rather than relying solely on external rewards or pressure. Guidelines: there are guidelines for the instructor as well as the participants.
1) The class instructor needs to be prepared to facilitate the meeting. The instructor will have 2 topics prepared:
a. Responses to the previous week’s exit slips
b. A topic of the week to discuss
2) The instructor must create a safe space, whatever that means for the particular class. Speaking from experience, each year brings a different set of students from the last. What one group needs, another may not. The goal is to make the learners feel valued, respected, and empowered to participate fully in the learning process. Creating a safe space:
Set clear expectations and ground rules for respectful behavior in the online classroom. Emphasize the importance of kindness, empathy, and active listening. Model respectful and inclusive behavior.
Encourage the learners to ask questions, share their thoughts and experiences, and express their opinions in a non-judgmental environment.
Acknowledge students’ contributions and efforts. Provide constructive feedback in a supportive and encouraging manner.
Include diverse perspectives and voices in the curriculum and learning materials.
Be flexible and responsive to students’ needs and concerns. Listen actively to their feedback and be willing to adapt your approach as necessary to better meet their needs.
3) The students must follow the guidelines set out by the instructor regarding respectful communication and behaviour.
4) The students are encouraged to utilize the exit slips to communicate any questions or concerns in a safe way
In-person clinical lab sessions Justification:these sessions are important for all three learning domains:
Affective domain – Not only does patient care need to be comprehensive, and delivered by skilled staff, but it also must address the psychosocial needs of the patients. Empathy and compassion also contribute to patient outcomes. Online environments cannot transfer these lessons adequately.
Provides an additional environment for relationship building between the instructor and the learners.
This is the instructor’s opportunity to teach honesty, transparency, and integrity to the learners through role modeling.
Psychomotor domain – Adult learners do well with practical applications where the didactic knowledge can be applied and transferred to practice. labs must happen before any clinical placement so the learners can practice using the matching software (this cannot be done online as this software cannot be accessed outside of the institution).
Cognitive domain – learning the image matching software, developing troubleshooting skills
Assessments/guidelines
Following each biweekly lab session, each student will participate in a debrief session. Debriefs following simulations in healthcare are an evidence-based practice that:
• allows participants to reflect on their performance during the simulation. It provides an opportunity to identify what went well and what could be improved. This reflection promotes active learning and helps participants to consolidate their knowledge and skills.
• provide emotional support to participants who may have experienced stress or anxiety during the simulation. Discussing their experiences in a supportive environment can help participants process their emotions and build resilience for real-life clinical situations.
• Are used to discuss evidence-based practices and guidelines relevant to the simulated scenarios. By aligning their actions with best practices, participants can improve the quality and safety of patient care.
• provides an opportunity for facilitators to provide constructive feedback to participants. This feedback can help participants understand their strengths and weaknesses and track their progress over time. Additionally, debriefing sessions may be used for formal assessment purposes, such as evaluating participants’ clinical competencies.
Weekly student-led discussion boards– Discussion groups will be encouraged. Each week one student will be responsible for posting a new topic and moderating the discussion. Justification:
Encourages active participation
Develops critical thinking
Can provide a sense of belonging and pride of ownership Assessments/Guidelines:
A small portion of their final grade is attached to student participation, including this activity. If the learner is having a hard time thinking of a relevant topic.
Collaborative student activities/Assignments – Students will be assigned to work together on a couple assignments, including the final assignment Justification:
Collaboration encourages students to discuss and analyze course materials, leading to a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Through collaboration, students can fill gaps in their knowledge, gain new perspectives, and reinforce their understanding of key concepts. It continues to build a sense of community. Students continue to build applicable vocabulary and learn to work with a teammate. This mimics the real world of radiation therapy where RTs are always working with partners/teams Assessments/Guidelines:
Formative assessments for smaller assignments. However final activity is part of the summative assessment.
Phew! That’s it. In my head, it all makes sense and covers all the bases….
