These case studies from UBC courses exhibit students as active agents in their learning through collaborative projects. Open writing projects for Wikipedia supported the development of research, writing and collaboration skills while creating contributions to public knowledge. Students creating learning resources for peers integrated research to communicate topics creatively and develop digital literacies. Initiatives like undergraduate learning assistants, learning technology rovers, and student directed seminars positioned teaching as a partnership with students developing planning and problem-solving skills.

1. Simon.Bates@ubc.ca
bit.ly/batestalks @simonpbates

2. 2

3. 3
Content Interaction
Assessment Support

4. 4
Content Interaction
Assessment Support
production
curation
delivery
S-S
S-F
F-F
formative
summative
of / as learning
S-S
S-F
design
delivery

5. case study clusters
• collaborative, open writing projects
• students as producers of learning
resources
• “students on the team”

6. common threads
• all exhibit students as active agents
• alignment with research-based principles
that support student learning
• discipline-appropriate approaches

7. collaborative writing -
contributing to public knowledge
• Linguistics (3rd year): Rose-
Marie Dechaine
• Latin American Literature (3rd
year): Jon Beasely-Murray
supported by the Wikipedia Education Program:
https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/About

8. Linguistics
Course Goals
• participate in group-based
research project that creates a
Wikipedia entry on a topic
related to syntax
• learning outcomes relate to the
development of skills in 3
areas: conceptual/research;
technical (expository writing
and using wiki mark-up);
organizational - working
together to produce a
resource.
sample student work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_semanticsfull course description:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Program:University_of_British_Columbia/
Linguistics_%28Fall_2014%29

9. Linguistics
sample student work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_semanticsfull course description:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Program:University_of_British_Columbia/
Linguistics_%28Fall_2014%29
Learning
• Talk pages act as online discussion hubs for students, instructor and
experts - part of Theoretical Linguistics Task force who review content.
• This article was issued a b-class rating (criteria is linked including
suggestions for improvement).

10. Linguistics
Views extend well beyond the single instructor to others
looking for information on the subject = value beyond course
requirement.

11. Span 312: Murder, Madness
and Mayhem
Course goals:
• to improve Wikipedia’s
coverage of articles on
latin american literature -
and to increase the
number of featured
articles in this area.
• for students to learn
about a resource they use
(from perspective of
creator not just consumer)
• for students to be
exposed to a process of
review, critique and
collaboration with people
(experts) beyond
instructor.
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Murder_Madness_and_Mayhem

12. Span 312: Murder, Madness
and Mayhem
Results:
• 3 new featured
articles contributed
by students
(professional,
scholarly standard) .
• 8 good articles and
one b-class article
submitted.
• students improved
research, writing
skills in a real-world
context.
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Murder_Madness_and_Mayhem

13. open writing projects
• examining a resource (wikipedia) from new perspective
supports digital literacy - moves student from content
consumer to content creator.
• research focus (and external review) pushes critical
thinking about sources.
• collaboration/negotiation with team members and external
reviewers requires effective communication.
• results in authentic contribution beyond a single course -
contribution of an open educational resource -
community benefits.

14. creating learning resources
for peers
• Social Psychology (2nd year):
Catherine Rawn
• Physics (1st year): Simon
Bates
learner’s choice
?

15. Psyc 208: Special Topics in
Social Psychology
Assignment Purpose
• develop the knowledge, procedural skills,
and critical and creative thinking skills to be
able to find and use social psychological
research to inform challenges you face in
your daily life as a learner.
• develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
to be able to approach group and team
projects in such a way that promotes
positive interactions and outcomes.
creative advertisement
project
Reference: Catherine Rawn’s
Teaching Blog: http://blogs.ubc.ca/
catherinerawn/?attachment_id=993

16. Psyc 208: Special Topics in
Social Psychology
• culture shock
• motivation
• loneliness
• sleep deprivation
Projects ranged from video
and live games to posters to
live skits and demonstrations
to videos and pamphlets
other student selected topics:
Culture Shock at UBC
(Psyc 208 project on YouTube)

17. Psyc 208: Special Topics in
Social Psychology
Learning:
• students integrating psych research into approaches for
communicating with their peers - an audience they know.
• deciding their own creative approach for communication -
using the tools and skills they have available to them.
• the process of choosing what to do, how to do it and how to
engage with the literature involves higher order thinking.
• learning how to evaluate your own and others’ work and give
useful feedback.
Reference: Catherine Rawn’s Teaching Blog: http://blogs.ubc.ca/catherinerawn/tag/
psyc-208/

18. Physics 101: Student
created learning objects
Goals:
Create learning
objects to aid others
understanding, drawn
from a topic they
found challenging
Projects ranged from
worked examples, to videos
Reference: Simon Bates’ Phys 101 Blog: http://blogs.ubc.ca/phys101/
Phys 101: The “Not So Simple” - Simple
Pendulum - YouTube

19. PHYS101:
Energy and Waves
3. Successes
http://youtu.be/BObyt_NJYrE

20. student created learning
resources
• developing and integrating new/existing skills involved in the
tech aspects of creating and publishing mash-ups or creative
interpretations to explain a concept - promotes digital literacies.
• searching, analyzing, integrating multiple sources and evaluating
peer work pushes critical thinking and supports meaning
making.
• collaboration/negotiation/planning with team members requires
effective communication.
• opportunity for student produced content to exist outside of
course as open learning resources. Note: not all students
choose to share their work openly.

21. “students on the team”
• Undergraduate learning
assistants (UGLAs)
• Learning Technology Rovers
(LTRs)
• Student Directed Seminars
(SDS)
supporting faculty
& peers

22. Phys 117: Dynamics & Waves
Assignment Purpose
•very diverse backgrounds of students
entering this course; approx. 10% met
significant fractions of the learning
outcomes at the start
•these students were offered a transfer to a
different stream, or invited to act (voluntary
participation) as Undergraduate Learning
Assistants (UGLAs)
students supporting other
students
UGLAs hosted student support
sessions for peers, responded to
discussion forum queries etc.

23. Learning Technology Rovers
• LTRs are specially trained u/g
(co-op) students
• Can assist by phone, email or
in-person
• Started as a small pilot
program, now across 6
Faculties at UBC
• LTRs offer student perspectives
on course (re) design
Faculty indicate that they value
support for learning technology in
their teaching that is (a) just-in-
time and (b) personal
LTRs have created a online, new-student
orientation course ‘How to Learn in a Blended
Learning Environment”

24. Student Directed Seminars
• Faculty member sponsors
the seminar course
• 15-20 offered each year in
diverse, frequently
interdisciplinary, areas
• Has led to new course
developments
• Now in 15th year of operation
In SDS, students are the team
• Year 3 or 4 u/g students can
propose, coordinate, and lead
their own 3-credit seminar class
with a small group of peers on a
topic not currently offered

25. “students on the team”
• positions teaching elements (design of, delivery of) as a
collaborative, community, endeavour, and a partnership
between faculty and students.
• students develop a range of skills beyond their academic content
knowledge, including collaboration, planning and problem-
solving
• alternative approach to course development and design process
• more details:
• http://ctlt.ubc.ca/2016/02/01/initiative-fills-learning-technology-support-gap-at-ubc/
•
http://students.ubc.ca/success/student-directed-seminars

26. 26
Content Interaction
Assessment Support
production
curation
delivery
S-S
S-F
F-F
formative
summative
of / as learning
S-S
S-F
design
delivery
Open writing projects - C, I, A
Learning resources for peers - C, A, S
Students on the team - I, S