Being an ASSETT Student Fellow

By Cassidy Younggreen, B.A. Japanese,‘18

While I am not new to ASSETT, I am new to the Student Fellows (SF) program. The SF program was created while I was studying abroad and this was my first Teaching Technology Assistance Program (TTAP) assignment since joining the team. For this request, I helped David Paradis, an Instructor in the Department of History, with teaching two of his classes (HIST 1113 and HIST 3020) how to use the screencasting software Screencast-O-Matic.

Honestly, I was a little nervous for my first project alone. The only other times I had worked with faculty was to conduct an interview. I’d never helped on a scale like this. But it was a rewarding opportunity. Not only was I able to research and learn about a technology that can be useful to me as a student, I also gained valuable teaching experience. 

David was a pleasure to work with, and both classes were very receptive to me when I presented to them. Any nervousness I’d had was completely gone by the second demo, and I enjoyed the opportunity much more than I thought I would. I wasn’t just presenting something to strangers - I learned to be more courageous and confident, and worked with faculty on equal footing. It was a very empowering experience.

I’ve only been with the Student Fellows for a little over a semester now, but I can say this position is much more rewarding than any other position I’ve had. Working with faculty helps me to improve the experience of other students, while also giving me an opportunity to educate myself with the teaching technologies that are being used in various academic settings. For someone who is considering applying for a Teaching Assistantship, the skills I have learned from the Student Fellows program so far are invaluable to me.
 

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Dear Arts & Sciences Faculty,

It’s amazing that 2017 is coming to an end. It has been a wild and tumultuous ride. 

At ASSETT, we have made strides in promoting and facilitating teaching with technology. Our faculty fellows developed programs within units to increase the capacity for effective and transformative teaching. For example, MCDB faculty fellow Pamela Harvey teamed up with EBIO assistant professor Lisa Corwin to lead a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) focused on developing Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). The CURE FLC was also supported by the TRESTLE program, a multi-institutional faculty development program directed at CU by Stephanie Chasteen. ATOC faculty fellow Kris Karnauskas developed teaching modules that emphasize quantitative analysis for general use across multiple courses. IPHY faculty fellow Jia Shi and EBIO faculty fellow Sam Flaxman developed plans for coordinating an undergraduate teaching assistant program for large enrollment courses. And ENVS and TRESTLE faculty fellow Eve Hinckley chaired a committee of faculty to identify learning goals for their introductory course for the major, develop a plan for course equivalence across semesters and instructors, and map learning goals onto the overarching programmatic goals. 

There are 24 applicants representing 15 departments for the next cohort of ASSETT faculty fellows. Based on our past experience, we expect that the fellows program will help develop a more inclusive and networked community of educators focused on developing and sharing expertise about how to effectively use educational technology to advance student learning gains across a diverse set of relevant learning goals. More details about the program can be found at colorado.edu/assett/communities/ffp. 

My goals remain the same: increase opportunities for faculty to share pedagogical expertise and enthusiasm in a manner that elevates our ability to educate students to become change agents and effective citizens in an increasingly challenging and sophisticated world. Our educational mission depends on bringing together scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences so that we can better develop an authentic, coordinated, and relevant educational springboard for launching students into future success. In the process, ASSETT becomes a hub for developing a productive network of Arts and Sciences faculty members committed to achieving teaching excellence and lasting learning gains for our students. Through ASSETT and educational technology, we can become closer, realize the power of open educational resources, and become a more connected community built on our collective motivation for making our experiences and the experiences of our students better. 
 

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Dear Arts & Sciences Faculty,

We hope your fall has been fun and energizing. 

At ASSETT we aim to support faculty working together; sharing ideas and strategies for effective teaching; and developing cross-disciplinary interactions and a greater sense of community around the educational mission across Arts and Sciences. Last year we supported a cohort of faculty, called Faculty Fellows, in their efforts to become better educators and enhance the synergy between education and scholarship that is at the heart of what we do as professors and instructors. They had some good things to say about the experience and we look forward to another cohort this year. 

One outcome of last year’s Faculty Fellows program was that the social network of the Fellows become more connected, more complex, and provided a picture of how the Faculty Fellows program connects people across the College (Figure 1). 

Figure 1. Social network of Faculty Fellows over the course of a semester, from the beginning of the semester (left) to the end (right). Note that the network becomes more complex (more connections, greater dimensionality) and more dense over time.

The application for the 2018-2019 Faculty Fellows program is now open. The Fellows program will meet bi-weekly during the spring 2018 semester and this is followed by the Fellows running a department Faculty Learning Community (FLC) or another activity centered on advancing teaching within home departments with support from ASSETT. 

If you want to have fun, learn from each other, broaden your perspective and your CU network, and engage in experiences that can advance your teaching, increase the synergy between teaching and scholarship, construct evidence of professional development towards promotion, and achieve greater recognition within the College, consider becoming a Faculty Fellow. More details about the program can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/assett/communities/ffp. You can also contract Andrew Martin (am@colorado.edu) or Amanda McAndrew (Amanda.McAndrew@colorado.edu) for more information. 
 

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Formative assessment is a crucial component of teaching and learning. Faculty often ask how to conduct ‘clicker like’ activities to gauge how well students are understanding, or not understanding concepts. While there are many ways of accomplishing this, one technology to consider is Plickers.

Plickers are cards with a unique 4-sided shape that look similar to a QR code. Each side of the shape is labeled with the letters a, b c, and d. Plicker cards are numbered either 1-40 or 1-62, depending on which set you select.   

So, how exactly does Plicker work? Once you’ve created an account on ,  you’ll make a class folder, and then write T/F or multiple choice questions, with up to 4 answers. Download and install the mobile app from either the Apple App or Google Play store.

Before class, print out  on card stock or heavy paper. Plickers are free and comes in either 40 or 62 cards per set.

During class, students pick up an assigned number, or select a card at random if tracking their answers are not important. Project Plickers.com through the Live View option. Then on your mobile device, open the Plickers app and select a  question from your queue. Live View automatically updates with the question you’ve selected.  

After reading the question, students select their answer by turning their square so their answer is at the top and raising their card. Once all cards are raised , scan the room using your device. Using the control settings, you can determine when the results are displayed.

Plickers typically work well in smaller courses. However, in a large enrollment course students can work in groups, and designate one person to raise a card upon reaching consensus. Since each card is unique, Plickers work especially well when discussing sensitive topics. Cards can be reused in different courses, and are a good way to spark discussion in class.  For more information, visit .  

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How can we encourage students to develop effective studying skills that persist beyond cramming right before an exam or when homework is due?  Lolita Paff suggests, that in addition to reading and homework, providing students with activities that they use to engage with course materials. Through her recent article, , Paff recommends that instead of focusing on time, we should encourage students to focus on concept mastery. Some ideas include problem solving, rewriting notes in their own words, creating concept maps, and responding to learning reflection prompts.  

Another study strategy suggested in the book,  (Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel 2014) is the idea of ‘spaced practice.’ Spaced practice is studying in discrete sessions that are separated by time. This allows for new skills to be cognitively embedded by leaving enough time between practice sessions to “forget” a skill. The act of retrieval will be easier in successive sessions, yet taxing enough that the skill is committed to long-term memory. One study method that supports this strategy is using flashcards to quiz yourself. While a traditional flashcard or quizzing method certainly works, we recently learned of an application, , that takes flashcards to a new level.

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Try . Anki is an application that presents flashcards based on how many times you get a card right or wrong. It’s design reinforces spaced learning and retrieval practice as mentioned in this month’s teaching tips section. Anki will show cards you get wrong more frequently until you get them right, then you see the cards you guess correctly less frequently. But a card never completely goes away; it will continue to show up. In this way, you are using “spaced repetition,” as coined by the German psychologist, Sebastian Leitner in 1885 (Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel, p. 64). While flashcard sessions should still be spaced out, this provides a more systematic way to retain what you’ve learned.

Anki has many flashcard decks already created for your use or new ones can be developed. Break content into sections and ask groups of students to create flashcard decks. This can be an easy way to encourage students to use the spaced repetition study method. It’s free to use browser based version of Anki or download the application and flashcard decks for offline use. The mobile app version does require a fee.

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Thank you for attending ASSETT's Open House. We enjoyed reconnecting with familiar folk, and meeting new faces! Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions or requests. We look forward to working with you this semester.

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Welcome back!

We hope you’ve had a fantastic summer. As you’re getting back into the swing of things and preparing for the upcoming semester, we wanted to share some of ASSETT’s events and resources that are coming up this fall. 

As you’re implementing a new technology into the classroom, request a Student Fellow who can provide you and your students with Technology Assistancein the classroom. If you’re interested in reflecting on your teaching, schedule a classroom observation through our Visualizing Instructional Practices service. Our classroom observation service provides a non-evaluative way for you to gain new insights into the patterns of class activities. 

We’re also planning two Special Interest Groups - one that focuses on creating a community for New Faculty hires and one on Cultivating Students’ Digital Identity and Ownership. We’ve hired a new Educational Technology Researcher, Shane Schwikert. Shane is here to help you assess the learning impact of technologies that are integrated into the classroom, and consults with faculty regarding teaching assessments. Finally, you’re invited to our Open House on Monday, September 18, 2017 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. We look forward to seeing new and familiar faces! 

For more information about our services, check your mailboxes for ASSETT new flyers! And, don’t hesitate to contact any of ASSETT’s staff. They are here to partner with you! 

P.S. If you need a refresher on using D2L, attend one of .

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Does green suit your city?   and hopes it does! In Spring 2017, Student Fellow Tara Riedl worked with Dr. Beth Osnes (Assistant Professor & Director of Graduate Studies, Theatre and Dance) to support a participatory project for her course, called “Green Suits Your City.” Students dress in a quirky, green suit and take photos of themselves across the nation, chronicling their experiences via a collaborative Google map. This project was meant to be a conversation starter, as well as an embodiment of awareness to issues around climate change.

Dr. Osnes is co-founder of “Inside the Greenhouse,” an endowed initiative on the CU campus that promotes events and discussion about climate change. She teaches “Creative Climate Communication” (CCC), which is the second of a two course series.  Through CCC, Beth encourages students to express stories about climate in a variety of ways, so the message about climate change is communicated to as many different people as possible. She found that many of her students were Environmental Studies majors that brought a lot of background knowledge to the class. Her hopes were that these students would be able to communicate that knowledge in a unique, and effective way.  

Tara helped students taking CCC use Google map for Green Suits Your City, as well as Facebook Live for the comedy night. She provided both in and out of class support, teaching students how to use different features of the technology to help them complete their class assignments. When asked about the Teaching Technology Assistance Program, Dr. Osnes said, “In general I felt very well cared for, the larger staff beyond just you [Student Fellow Tara Riedl] was so attentive and really listened to the project we were trying to do and were really responsive.”

This partnership between a faculty member and Student Fellow is an example of the kinds of services that are provided with the Teaching Technology Assistance Program, which started in the Fall of 2016 as a new initiative. This program helps students and faculty think about technology in new ways, to help improve teaching and learning in the College of Arts & Sciences. If you’re interested in having a Student Fellow help implement a technology into your class, please contact ASSETT.

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Each year ASSETT recognizes a faculty member with exceptional teaching qualities with an Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award. This year’s award winner, Giorgio Corda, was nominated by his peers for excelling in classroom instruction with technology.  

ASSETT recognized Giorgio, an Instructor in French and Italian, as this year’s winner at our recent Teaching with Technology Symposium. Giorgio has worked tirelessly to improve his students’ learning experiences. Giorgio has been instrumental in furthering hybrid and online instruction in his department. He has participated in several ASSETT seminars and workshops, mostly recently he was selected as a Faculty Fellow. He also received an ASSETT development grant award for implementing animations in his class. In the wider campus context, Giorgio has been a collaborator with OIT, Athletics and Advising on the . Kubi is an interactive way for students to attend class, when they can’t physically be in class due to illness or other extenuating circumstances. If that isn’t enough, he is one of OIT’s Universal Design Fellows, working to advance accessibility and universal design adoption on campus. And these are just a few examples of Giorgio’s investment and commitment to improving teaching and learning in French and Italian, the College of Arts and Sciences, and across campus. 

Finally, Giorgio's students’ words speak the loudest. His students wrote that he is “committed to our success,” “very supportive of struggling students,” and “his availability is incomparable to any other CU professor I have ever had.” Another student appreciated the fact that “he made the class more of a community and an open environment where there are no wrong or stupid questions.” Even students who were initially reluctant to take a language class, said, “This was a class I did not have an interest in taking but was required to meet the language requirement…Giorgio not only made this an educational experience for me but an enjoyable one.” 

Giorgio continually seeks to improve his teaching practice, is always willing to help, encourages others to do the same and is ready to lend a hand when it comes to sharing his knowledge and experience gained as a teacher. He has consistently demonstrated a commitment and leadership in furthering ASSETT's mission of advancing teaching and learning through technology, and the university’s goal of inclusive excellence. If you see him around campus, please join us in congratulating him for his tireless efforts and receiving the Excellence in Teaching with Technology award!

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