Trent/Fleming Teaching and Learning Conference

This conference was a first for me as I was part of the organizing committee. The committee was a small but mighty group consisting of Angie Best (Trent), Trudy Heffernan (Fleming), Janet Honsberger (Fleming) and myself. My main role was to solicit Fleming folks to present at the conference and deal with some of the logistics. Angie and MaryJane Pilgrim (Trent) organized with the Trent faculty and managed the actual day of the conference. All in all it was a very successful joint venture and we hope to make it an annual collaboration.

Trent/Fleming Teaching and Learning Conference - April 30, 2010

Assisted in the “Beyond Course Pages” and “Getting more out of Twitter than just Tweets” sessions

Facilitated a session on using Elluminate Web Conferencing Software.

Get your free Vroom for use with up to 3 people at http://www.learncentral.org/

Sessions attended: 

1. Google Maps

2. Panopto Lecture Capture

3. Implementing a Learning Contract limiting the use of technology

Using Google Maps

You can customize and share maps with others or anyone with google maps – you just need to create an account and access google maps – bring up the map that you want and drop in coordinates – examples of what you can do with google maps is: running routes, scavenger hunts, digital storytelling, treasure maps, documenting a scene or story etc.,

For more information: 

Google Maps

Educational Uses of Google Maps

Easy to do and shareable

Presenter: Kingsley from Trent Research (School of Professional Learning)

Panopto Lecture Capture

Lecture capture hardware and software system which allows a faculty member to give their lecture, record it and post it for students to view shortly after it was recorded – also allows for it to be transmitted live so that students can access from their dorms or homes no matter where they lived.

Very easy to use – choose the view that they wanted recorded – wide view was best as it allowed the faculty to wander while lecturering. Students opted into the courses that were using panopto (2 courses in pilot) as they liked the idea of being able to view a lecture if they missed it – or to repeat a lecture if necessary before a midterm or final.

Faculty researched whether or not the use of lecture capture software helped or hindered the students. The belief was held that learning requires effort – paying attention in a lecture – is hard – but the effort required makes the learning more meaningful. Watching the lectures passively after the lecture had little or no impact on the students grades if it was viewed instead of going to the lecture. If a student was truly reviewing the lecture to go over difficult concepts the affects were positive.

The recorded version of the class could be sped up or slowed down – students could pause if necessary etc., The recording included the powerpoints used – the actual lecture itself and anything extra. The software itself allowed students to make notes and save them for future reference.

Very cool and easy to use – faculty had to remember to start it and stop it – the rest happed automatically.

Faculty did not like watching themselves after the fact – it was hard to listen to themselves and to see themselves on the recordings :)

Panopto

Learning Contracts for limiting technology

Stephen Hill a and teaching team were grappling with the amount of laptops being used in their lecture – and they knew that the students weren’t just taking notes – they were using social networking sites, youtube, watching movies, chatting etc., Not only were they not engaged in the lecture – they were providing a distraction to students around the laptop – and this was seen as the bigger problem. Decided to create a learning contract which limited the use of laptops during lecture time. If students required the use of a laptop they were to sit along either side of the lecture hall (which had narrower seating – 4 across) so if laptops were used – they caused less distraction…

Few students chose to sit along the sides – some refused to participate in the contract and continued to use laptops during the lecture – most students were happy to comply – but faculty noted that they quickly opened their laptops after the lecture – if they were staying in the room for the next class – if it wasn’t enforced then they weren’t so likely to not use the technology that they brought with them. The laptop policy also included cell phones etc.,  - they were to be turned off during the lecture time. The students were not policed – but self-policed.

The feedback at the end of the year was very positive – the students complied for the most part and were happy not to use their laptops during the class time – those that refused to participate were not singled out but students did wish that the faculty did make it a strict policy so that there were no exceptions and that laptop users should have been forced to the rows that were set aside.

2 June 2010 ·