Completed 5/11/23 (1:00-2:30pm) workshop
"Creating Effectve Learning Environments"
Dr. Kirstin Parkin
Description
of Core Competency:
Long gone are the days when an instructors are solely expected to talk at students for 60 minutes three days a week. Now, instructors understand the importance of designing a course and activities within in that maximize student learning. Moreover, these designs must also take into account that students come into the course with diferent needs. Thus, educators must balance course flexibility to account for student differences with the importance of structure to make learning effective. The goal of this competency is to consider ways to create a classroom that meets the needs of a diverse student body.
Artifacts, Materials, and Rationale
During this workshop, we considered ways to structure learning activities, such as providing students with a "finished product" in the field we teach in, and asking students to understand it. For example, during this workshop I thought about asking students to interpret these reaction norms showing evidene of local adaptation, and asking them to come up with hypothetical explanations for what could have created them.
For non-biology major classes, I considered showing students headlines from real newspapers that contain misconceptions about current science topics, such as evolution and genetics (see headline below), and having students debunk these misconceptions in their own words.
The point of both of these activities is for the instructor to think backwards—what do they want students to be
able to do at the end of the semester? How can you design activities that get
them there? To create an inclusive environment, it is important to be aware of the space that you are teaching in (is it accessible for students with mobility issues? Do they have gender-neutral bathrooms?) This workshop made me aware of a map of gender-neutral bathrooms across the university. I also learned about the importance of low-cognative load for students before class: since students have differing amounts of free time outside of class due to their diverse life experiences, keeping the work done outside of class minimal will reduce strain on students with more outside committments. Finally, Dr. Parkin emphasized the utility of pre-class surveys to get an idea of how the students in each class differ from one another, and how their circumstances might effect their performance in your class.
Reflection
When
creating a classroom, I learned it was important to ask "what are the ways I can create an equitable and effective experience
for all my students?" It's important to be clear about what the objectives for
each course are, and what tangible skills or knowledge pieces you expect students to be able to do/know within those objectives. If it's not clear to students how they are supposed to meet course objectives, they may disengage or otherwise feel disconnected. It's also important to maximize educational opportunities inside and outside of class: if you assign too much learning outside of class, students with more responsibilities may not be able to keep up with their peers. Moreover, if you aren't using classtime effectively, students may not want to come to class. It is also important to think about the physical space you are teaching in.Without equitable classroom spaces, some students may feel disincentivized to come to class, or just feel unsafe in the classroom (which is not conducive to learning). You also want to
do what you can to create an inviting classroom environment, which can include
sending out student surveys at the onset of the semester asking them about who
they are, and what they are concerned about. This may help you get to know your
students or make you aware of circumstances surrounding that students
performance in your class.
