Presentation from first workshop of the New Techniques and Technologies for Text-Based Disciplines coaching programme at the University of Mainz (https://coachingmainz.wikispaces.com/Homepage), 26th February 2014.

1. Workshop 1: Introductions
Course design, active & e-learning
Dr Jamie Wood
jwood@lincoln.ac.uk
https://coachingmainz.wikispaces.com/Homepage

2. I. INTRODUCTIONS

3. Briefly introduce yourself
• Name
• Area of study
• Prior teaching experience
• Why you’re here

4. Overview of programme
• Series of 6 workshops
–
–
–
–
–
Introduction (today) = a taster session
Technology = e-learning
Techniques = active learning
Course design
Techniques II = advanced techniques, integrating
design, technology and classroom
– Conclusions =
feedback, assessment, evaluation, publication, reviewing
the programme
• Coaching programme
– JW’s observations and feedback
– Peer-observation and feedback

5. Plan for today
1. Introductions and rational underpinning the
programme
2. Course design
-- LUNCH -3. Active learning
4. E-learning
– All roughly 1 hour
– All will be developed in future sessions
– But all can be applied in your own teaching now

6. Activity: defining good teaching
• Individually, note down quickly as many points as you can
think of in relation to the following question (2 minutes):
– What makes for an effective learning experience FOR YOU
PERSONALLY?
• In pairs, share your answers and decide on an answer to
the following question (5 minutes):
– What are the 3 most important features of GOOD teaching?
– Please write these down on post-it notes IN ORDER of
importance.

7. Characteristics of effective teachers
• Communication Skills
– Includes: presentation skills (e.g. clear speaker); sense of
humour; approachability; friendliness; patience; empathy;
fairness; ability to give and receive feedback; positivity.
– Student: ‘It is important to be in an atmosphere where
free discussion and comment are encouraged.’
– Student : ‘It is irrelevant whether a person is a particularly
strong academic if they can’t put their knowledge across’
– Louise Goldring and Jamie Wood (2009), A guide to the facilitation of
Enquiry-Based Learning for graduate students, University of
Manchester, Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning, 2nd
edition

8. • Group Leadership Skills
– Includes: guiding, not telling; trusting students to reach a conclusion
themselves; confidence; willingness to be quiet
– Teacher: ‘Someone…who is attentive, flexible and responsive to the
needs of others…who actively encourages exploration but understands
the parameters of focused research.’
• Organisation skills
– Includes: planning and structuring the session; good time management
skills; creativity
– Student: ‘If a definite aim for the lesson is set out then it is easier to
learn.’
– Student: ‘If a teacher has good stuff for the class to do it makes it much
easier and more fun.’
• Subject Knowledge
– Includes: knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic; understanding
practicalities of the course
– Student: ‘There is no point having a group leader who can’t answer
questions fully/ properly.’

9. Some underlying assumptions
• Priority = learning
• Learning is about the
student(s), not the teacher
• There are different kinds of
learners
• There are different kinds of
learning we want to impart:
– skills, knowledge (=
content), dispositions
– deep
(understanding, applying, creating)
Image source:
http://www.learning-stylesonline.com/overview/

10. References
Bloom, B.S. & D.R. Krathwohl (1956), Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of
educational goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook 1: Cognitive
domain (New York, Longmans)
For more see: http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy

11. Learning and learners
• There is a relationship (often a tension) between
the knowledge we want students to learn (the
subject content, skills or “domain” knowledge) and
how we teach them it (the process of learning)
– E.g. the question of the question
• Most learning does not take place in the classroom
(library, home, work, social situations, a mix of
these)
• Socialisation is vitally important to learning

12. Understanding our position and our
assumptions
• (Usually) we
– are older than our students
– have different motivations and levels of knowledge
than they do
– assume that other people learn how we learn
– teach how we were taught
– have been socialised within an academic discipline
• this is good because we’re trying to induct students into that
discipline
• but we need to be aware of that they have not been through
that process yet (‘Threshold Concepts’)
• The only conclusion is that we are (like it or not)…

14. A Vision of Students Today
(Michael Wesch and 200 students from Kansas State
University, 2007)

15. Some working assumptions about small
group teaching and learning
• Learning should be
– An active experience for the students
– About getting the students to do something (including
thinking)
•
•
•
•
•
Reinforcing and developing learning
Practising and improving skills
Giving feedback and ‘feed-forward’ (both you and the students)
Discussion, debate and socialisation
Checking (and possibly correcting) and developing understanding
• Learning should not (primarily) be
– A passive experience for the students
– About showcasing your understanding of the material
– About one or two students dominating (everyone should
have a go if they want to)

17. II. COURSE DESIGN
(MORE IN WORKSHOP 4)

18. What is a syllabus and why use one?
• “A syllabus is an outline and summary of topics to
be covered in an education or training course... A
syllabus is often either set out by
an exam board, or prepared by the professor who
controls the course.” (Wikipedia)
• “Syllabi serve several important purposes, the
most basic of which is to communicate the
instructor’s course design
(e.g., goals, organization, policies, expectations, re
quirements) to students.” (Eberly Center for Teaching
Excellence and Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University)

19. Activity: syllabus review
Individually, read through the two syllabi that are being handed
around and make some notes about how they are…
• …helpful to student
learning
• …inhibiting to student
learning
You have 10 minutes

20. Some principles of course design:
Theory of constructive alignment
• Basic principle for course design in UK higher education
• Underpins (or should underpin!) design of syllabi like the
ones we just looked at
• Concerns the alignment of:
– Desired learning outcomes for a course
– Student learning activities required to achieve these outcomes
– Assessment needed to show degree of achievement of
outcomes
• Focus:
–
–
–
–
Curriculum and what needs to be learned
What the students will do
How teaching can support their learning
How learning can be demonstrated and assessed

21. Constructive alignment is therefore
about getting students to take
responsibility for their own
learning, and is seen as a way of
engaging students in ‘deep’ rather
than ‘surface’ learning

22. A visual
representation
of Constructive
Alignment
References: Biggs, J.
(1999) Teaching for
Quality Learning at
University, SRHE and
Open University
Press, Buckingham;
UK Higher Education
Academy website on
constructive
alignment
Image source:
http://arc.caut.hku.hk
/ConsAlign.html
(University of Hong
Kong)

23. Teaching Teaching & Understanding
Understanding
Claus Brabrand and Jacob Andersen (Aarhus University Press, 2006)

24. In practice: Aims, objectives and
learning outcomes
• In general
– Aim: general statements that identifies the goal(s) of a
activity
– Objective: more specific target set in order to achieve
the goal(s)
• In education
– Aim: statement setting out the overall intention of
degree programme/ course/ class
– Objective (or intended learning outcomes): specific
statements setting out what the student will have learnt
or be able to do as a result of the educational
experience
• (University of Aberdeen)

25. An example
• The aim of this workshop is to provide participants
with a ‘hands-on’ overview of the main themes to
be addressed in the coaching programme.
• Objectives/ learning outcomes:
– To understand the structure of the coaching programme;
– To learn some basic principles and theory relating to
learning design, active and e-learning;
– To engage actively and learn by doing;
– To practice techniques that can be used in participants’
own teaching practice;
– To interact with and learn from one another.

26. 5 benefits for learning
1. It helps to make explicit what is usually implicit in
your teaching (and students’ learning)
2. It enables you to think about WHAT you want the
students to learn, and HOW to get them to learn it
3. It helps you think about how different sessions fit
together (the curriculum as a whole) and relate to
the bigger picture (degree/ department/ discipline)
4. It allows you to decide what to leave out (to focus
on what is IMPORTANT)
5. It facilitates a fair assessment of students’ work
(because everyone knows what was expected)

27. 4 practical benefits for you
1. Saves time (though it
can more up-front
effort)
2. It is reusable and can
be developed/ shared
3. Reduces stress
(theoretically)
4. Can help to resolve
disputes (a clear point
of reference)

29. Activity: developing the syllabus
In pairs, revisit one of the syllabi we looked at before and think
about how you could develop it in the following ways…
• … to get students to
read it
• … to enable and deepen
learning
You have 10 minutes

31. III. ACTIVE LEARNING
(MORE IN WORKSHOPS 3 & 5)

32. What is active learning?
• Basically, learning by doing (and reflecting)
– Involves students doing things and thinking about
the things they are doing
• (Bonwell, C. and Eison, J., 1991, Active Learning: Creating
Excitement in the Classroom, Washington: Jossey-Bass).
– Often incorporates
• collaboration and social learning
• engaging with ‘real-life’ problems
– Engages students in higher level cognitive activities
(= ‘deeper learning’?)
• e.g. applying skills, existing knowledge and
theories, synthesising information, problem-solving

33. Your experiences of active learning

34. Constructivism
• Underlies active learning pedagogies
– (as well as ideas of constructive alignment)
• People construct own understanding and
knowledge (see next slide)
– through experiencing things
– reflecting on those experiences
– often in interaction with others
• Potentially alters role of teacher (in 2 slides)
– from teaching students ‘facts’ to (e.g.) supporting
them in learning, often called ‘facilitation’

35. Bibliography:
Dewey, J. (1938). Logic:
The theory of inquiry
(New York: Holt).
Kolb, D.A.
(1984). Experiential
learning: experience as
the source of learning
and development
(Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice Hall).
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962).
Thought and Language.
(Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press).
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978).
Mind in Society.
(Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University
Press).
Image source: here

36. Image source: here

37. Some basics
• Have a plan/ structure (aims and objectives)
– What are you and the students going to do?
– What do you want the students to get out of the class?
– How does this relate to the course as a whole?
• Don’t try to do too much
– 2 activities will probably be enough for a 60 minute session
– Have 3 or 4 points (or even less) that you want the students
to take away from the session
• Variety is good
– Students learn in very different ways so varying activities (at
home and in class) will engage more students
– It will also be less boring for you and the students

38. Three tips
• Think about the space you are in and how you and
the students will use it – rearrange if necessary
• Explain what you want the students to do and why
clearly
– Do so at all levels, from syllabus to the class to the
individual activities in class or for homework
• Practice what you preach
– Show the students what you want them to do if it’s a
new skill (= modelling)
– Don’t ask them to do anything that you can’t or won’t
do
• E.g. don’t tell them not to use Wikipedia if you use it

39. Activity: Activating learning
• Get into groups of 3-4, read and work through the
scenario on the handout that has been provided.
• You have 20 minutes, after which you will have up
to 5 minutes to present back to the group.
• By the end of the activity, you should have created
a poster that outlines your plan for an active
learning activity.
• Paper and pens are available from me.
• Further guidance is available on the handout.
• Ask me if you have any questions.

40. Case study: a sorting exercise
• I wanted to encourage students
– to think about the constructed-ness of questions
• i.e. that there is not necessarily a correct answer and
that questions are often attempting to get them to do
something (…in quite sneaky ways)
– to consider that different types of questions
demand different kinds of answers (= arguments)
and structures
– to start thinking about their essays and the exam

42. Structuring Essays
• Look at the questions in the envelope. In pairs, group
similar types of questions together. Write down what
each of those types of questions are trying to get you to
do when you answer them. Think particularly about
structure and argument
• What kinds of structures might be best for addressing
each of the different kinds of questions we identified
earlier?
• What kind of argument would represent a good answer
to the different kinds of questions?

43. IV. E-LEARNING
(MORE IN WORKSHOP 2)

44. What is e-learning?
• Learning and teaching facilitated and
supported through the use of information and
communications technology. There are a range
of approaches but the focus is learning. (JISC)
– Very broad concept: from using email to
communicate with students and word processing
materials, to entirely online courses where
students produce websites/ databases/ etc.

46. Some key benefits
• Improves knowledge
– Of the discipline and how it functions online
• Asynchronous (also synchronous, e.g. chatrooms):
– Students learn at own time, place and pace; can reflect, work
independently
• Reusable:
– Content and activities can be transferred quite easily
• Scale-able:
– Can be used from small to very large groups
• Meets student expectations and develops skills:
– Vast majority use technology in everyday life
– Have probably engaged in e-learning at school
– Will probably have to use technology in work contexts

47. What are potential drawbacks of elearning?

48. Key concept: “blended learning”
(a combination of traditional and e-learning approaches)
Source: http://edtechreview.in/

49. Case study
YouTube - pedagogical friend or enemy?
YouTube provides access to ‘better
lectures’ and enhanced learning
‘tremendously’
‘The ability to hear historical speeches by
the original speechmaker, or to see
original newsreel clips is an essential part
of research of contemporary history.’
‘YouTube was more beneficial than writing
reams of notes or revision prep and even
attending lectures. The resources available on
YouTube are vast and specific. I could easily
find a video that was more specific if I want to
delve into a particular area of study.’

50. Teaching identity with YouTube
• 3rd year module on ‘The Goths through history’
• About the constructed nature of ‘Gothic-ness’
– Historical case studies, sources and scholarship
• Final week: Goths in the modern world
– Lots of videos by and about modern Goths on
YouTube (= primary sources)

51. Design of activity
• I made playlist on YouTube and added 3 videos
• For homework:
– Students watch the videos, find another relevant 1 on
YouTube, then email it to me, I update the list
– Students read article about modern Gothic identity
• In class:
– In groups, students spend 10 minutes watching videos
– Discuss series of questions about identity in the videos and
how it relates to secondary readings
• Reflection:
– (1) useful way of engaging with insider/outsider concepts of
identity; (2) idea that identity is constructed by individuals in
relation to groups; (3) it’s made more ‘real’ for students by
being in a familiar online space…
» (for more see blog post: GOTHS, ANCIENT AND MODERN)

52. Five tips
• Think above all about learning aims and objectives
– as with face-to-face teaching; use it for a purpose
• Ask for help
– use the Internet to help you, there is loads out there
• Testing, testing, testing
– from the perspective of the student
• Write very clear, step-by-step instructions
– because you’re not going to be there to clear up any
misunderstandings
• Use the group
– it’s likely that some of the students will be technicallyskilled and/or pick it up very naturally

53. Activity: from classroom to online or blended approach
• Each group should think about how to transform the active learning
scenario you designed earlier into EITHER a blended learning activity OR a
fully online one. You have 20 minutes.
• Discuss the ideas/ options in your group, then annotate the poster you
drew using post-it notes and/or different coloured pens.
BLENDED APPROACH
FULLY ONLINE APPROACH

54. V. CONCLUSIONS

55. Summary
• We’ve been using techniques here that you can
apply in your teaching
– (and which I’ve already seen some of you applying)
• We’ll look at each of these in more detail in
subsequent workshops
– (please excuse any repetition)
• 3 key points:
1. structuring (= constructing)
2. explaining (= what, how and why)
3. doing (= together)

56. Two final tips: Timings and Perfection
• Activities nearly always take longer than you
think, so
– Be conservative in planning how much you can do
– Leave time for conclusions, even if it’s only a minute
• [tell the class that they have less time than they really have]
• It will never be perfect  … but that’s ok 

57. Feedback forms
• Please either fill in the feedback forms that
are being handed out or take them away and
bring them back next time
– (I can also email you a copy if you would like to fill
in a digital version)

58. Next workshop (Technologies)
• Tuesday, 18th March, 10.00-15.00, in the same
room (University Forum, room 00415)
– Unless you near otherwise, I would ask you to
bring your laptop/ tablet next time as the topic is elearning so it will be useful for you to access the
Internet
• Materials from this workshop will be made
available on the programme website in the
next day or so:
– https://coachingmainz.wikispaces.com/Workshops