Evaluation methods and communication practices

In order for students to consistently have success in an online classroom, they need feedback.  The feedback must be timely and descriptive.  The feedback must also be authentic: the feedback must be a direct comment on the students work or learning not a canned reply (good job, show work, etc.).

Only by authentic, descriptive feedback will most students know how to improve their performance.

This year is my first year teaching online.  My class is a small, AP Environmental Science class.  Because of the fall number of students, I can give direct feedback to each student.  It is still difficult to give sufficient feedback because of my teaching load (teaching 6 classes, 4 different classes including two AP classes).  I also have the benefit of being on location with most of my students and the ability to travel at least once a week to see my other students in person.

My LMS is Moodle.  It does have a place for comments on each assignment, but I find the comments section unwieldy.  The nice thing about Moodle on test options though is it allows for immediate feedback or deferred feedback.  The not nice thing is that to set up this feedback for each question takes a tremendous amount of time.  It triples the amount of time needed to make a test.

I have done some other things to give feedback through Moodle though that I have found successful.  For example, last week, my students had their first AP Environmental Science math based Free Response Question as a test.  Typically, students do the worst on math problems.  My students were no exception.  To give immediate feedback to go along with their grade, I made a video to coach them through AP style math frqs

I also use Google Classroom for some assignments in my class.  I find it easier to give authentic feedback on Google Docs than I do using the Moodle Platform.  It is extra easy to make comments through classroom, but I also use Read and Write for Google for regular Google Docs.

Another method that I will be using to give student feedback is peer assessment.  This is especially important for an AP class.  I have done peer assessment with my students live before, and I have done so through Massive Open Online Courses that I have taken myself.  It is quite effective.

As a note, I am a huge fan of MOOCs.  I could not disagree more with one of the linked resources.

Four Good Reasons Why Students Need Instructor Feedback in Online Courses

This article argues that college students can not learn through MOOCs.  Some of the argument is valid.  Here is an excerpt that I very much agree with.

I’ll use my 18-year old daughter, a high school senior here as an example. She will be a college freshman this September, and though she is a good student, with severalAdvanced Placement courses under her belt, she in no way would be able to learn successfully in a MOOC in her freshman year. Not that she can’t learn, or won’t be able to at some point, but she is a product of the public school system where students are told what to do, when to do it, how to do it. Furthermore, high school students are not prompted to think outside the box, to create a networked learning environment, or to be a self-directed learner. 

I fully agree that public school students are not taught to be self directed or self motivated.  However, a few simple adjustments can make MOOCs successful for most college students.  All that is needed is a "Course Counselor" to make sure that students get in the right courses (not things above their head).  The counselor would follow up periodically throughout the semester and direct the student to resources outside the MOOC needed to succeed in the class.  This could be more online material or the colleges tutorial center.  They all have one.  In fact, I'm thinking of starting a business where I and a friend set up an online college counselor for MOOCs and have students pay to lead them successfully through the world of online learning.  The author is right that most students coming out of high school can't do it for themselves.  The author is right about the reasons that they can't do it.  But with a little outside help for students, MOOCs are the wave of the future..

Differentiation

Differentiation is a buzzword in education.  There are some real benefits to differentiation.  Advanced students can be accelerated in their learning.  Remediation can be provide to those students that are struggling with a topic.

Besides covering different topics with different students, differentiation can mean presenting information in a variety of ways.  The idea is that different students learn in different ways, and by using a variety of methods, a teacher gives each student the best opportunity to learn.

As a note, I agree that it is good to prevent information in a variety of methods.  This allows students to more fully understand material and to understand material in a number of contexts.  I do want to note here that the idea of personal learning styles is way exaggerated.  I defer here to this article

Myth of learning styles

That said, I still believe in presenting information in variety of ways.  Teaching is communicating ideas.  Here are three different modes of instruction that I have recently used in my online course.  I will also write a bit at the bottom of this page about communication that is not specifically teaching.

The subject of my teaching in the next three presentations is plate tectonics.

First is a video lecture over plate tectonics.

Second, they had a hands on "Volcanic mapping activity."  Here were the brief instructions for the assignment.

This is your first lab assignment.  In this lab, students will graph the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes and examine trends in terms of plate boundaries.  This will not be completed online - it will be completed and handed in by hand. 

In this activity, students had a map of the globe and different plates that make up the earth's crust.  They had to cut out the plates and match them to their locations on the globe.  This tactile teaching got them to 'see' the paltes.

Third, they had an online interactive presentation that integrate a reading assignment with visual understanding.  Here is an example of part of that assignment.

Annenberg learner convergent boundaries.

Variation in presentation is also important in communication.  My most common method of communicating with my online students and their parents is email.  I also call.  Voice is a different method of communication.  I also make a point to meet with students, even my online students, face to face or by Google Chat.  After having completed the last couple of assignments, I have added a little flair to my email.

While I haven't used them all and don't like them all, I did find the different websites for creating varied content useful.  Some of them I was aware of and had used before (Quizlet, Presi,) and some of them I had not (Smores, Wordle, etc.)

The Newsletter

As I go through these assignments, I try to apply them to my teaching as immediately as possible.  We are about to go on fall break at school.  So this was a perfect time to send a newsletter to my AP Physics class.  You can see an image of my newsletter to the left. A newsletter is an effective method of communicating with students and parents.

A second effective way to communicate is an old fashioned email.  Here is the text of an email that I sent to my AP Environmental Science class yesterday.

I just posted a video on Moodle on how to solve math problems for AP environmental science.  It is a bit longer than I intended, but watch it anyway.  Think about the method, and don't be intimidated by numbers!

The page with the video shows up at the end of unit one, below your tests.

Mr. Ingram

The email above is descriptive but to the point.  I think that is necessary for good email communication.  No one wants to read long emails.


A third effective method of communication is through updates to an LMS homepage.  Students see this page every day, and it can be adapted to show upcoming assignments, announcements, and other important information.  Here is a possible example that I made.

As a note, the Smore Newsletter is a bit of work to make, but it does give a nice slick presentation that is likely to get students and parents to read a longer message.

News

As part of an online course, students should have periodic news updates for the course.  I find that weekly updates are a good way to keep students on track.  I sometimes do this through weekly emails.  However, it can also be handled through posts to the News section, announcements page, bulletin board, or anything serving a similar function within your learning management system.

Here is an example of one of my weekly emails.

This week, you'll pick up where you left off.  For most of you, that is with your labs.

Porosity lab - this is a live lab that you have to do yourself.  Remember, if you need some supplies ask me or another science teacher.

Groundwater lab - this is an online lab simulation.  Follow the URL link and record your data in the table an journal provided.  

Several of you have started watching the Earth Revealed programs on water and answering the associated questions.  Some of you are on running water video 2, some on groundwater, and some haven't started.  You should be able to do these in class as the videos are not through youtube.

I set up a couple of webpages that I want you to read on Moodle that do not have a hand-in assignment to go with them.  One is a page on "Understanding Groundwater" and the other on "The Rock Cylce and Soil Formation".

You then have a couple of short reading assignments from your book, another view only page on "Types of Soil", and an online weathering lab.

The week culminates with a couple of AP Style tests.  The first is an AP FRQ (free response question).  It is a math based problem.  You must show your work to receive credit.  You have 30 minutes for this when you take it.  It involves calculations, some of which are similar to those you did on your personal water inventory.  You may also want to review my earlier videos on "Unit Analysis" before taking the test.

The second test is all multiple choice.  Many of these questions were taken straight from released AP exams.  It will give you a feel of what AP Env. Sci. multiple choice questions are like.

Good luck,

Mr. Ingram

Sometimes, such information can be better displayed through a news forum.  Here is an example.

Homepages

I have created websites before.  In each of these, I've always had a homepage.  But before my assignment form Georgia Teacher Open Online training, I had never considered updating my homepage on my course delivery system.

I wanted to give an image that let my students identify with me and one to identify the course (AP Environmental Science) with their own environment (Northwest Georgia).  I also wanted my homepage to have easy links to contact me or get course info and have a short list of upcoming assignments.

Here's what I came up with.

It is simple and clean.  The main shell of the homepage will remain the same, but  the upcoming assignments will update with the next 5 upcoming assignments throughout the year.

Ongoing communication

Effective communication is essential to online instruction.  While high quality material may be set up to be delivered, students may not be getting it.  Follow up with students and parents is necessary to keep students on track.

In my current online teaching, I follow up with students by sending a weekly email explaining the weeks activities and expectations.

I make a weekly visit to schools to see students face to face and answer their questions.

I give feedback and commentary on graded assignments.  Read and Write for Google is great for this.

I have also called parents for students who are not meeting expectations.  Increased parental involvement has improved these students performance.

Another idea is to give positive feedback for a job particularly well done.  Here is one I may use.

As a note, I do not own nor did I create this image.

Communication guidelines

This year I am teaching AP Environmental Science online.  I did not send out a specific welcome email, but next year I will.  I did have a welcome page and a welcome assignment.

Welcome page

Welcome assignment

More welcome and instruction

I made no direct welcome contact with parents at all.  Next year, I will definitely do this up front.

Welcome email I may use next year

Thinking ahead, I will use a welcome email in the future.

Students and parents,

Welcome to AP Environmental Science online.  This is an exciting course that will help students understand the world around them and allow them to apply the science they learn.  We will have a face-to-face meet and greet using Google Hangouts on --/--/16.

The course can be accessed through Floyd County Moodle.  You can login here.

Moodle Login

An ID and password should have been provided to each student.

The course schedule and syllabus can be found as links under the "Preliminary Activities" section of the course.

If you need to contact me, you can reply to this email or call me at ***.***.****.

Personal contact

While I think a general welcome is needed for all, personal communication in an online setting is even more important.  This type of communication allows a teacher to trouble shoot specific technical problems, to give individual instruction to students, to enlist parent help for a student is not working or is struggling with work, and to address many other such questions.  This person contact can be done by email, phone, or in my case, face to face.

Many of my online students are at my school.  They can come see me throughout the day.  Other students are at different schools in the county.  I travel to each school once a week to get that personal contact.

Tools for communication

I currently use internal tools on Moodle, school email, and phone to communicate with my students.  Next year, I am considering using Remind 101 as well.

Stakeholders and school policy

It is important to keep communication open with all stakeholders.  I email with principles at each school where my online course is offered and have direct contact and email contact with an administrator at the central office.  I keep in touch with students by email, by Moodle, have use Google Hangouts, and by periodic face-to-face interaction.  I have called and emailed parents.  Grades are reported by Powerschool.  Students and parents have access to this.

School policy requires parent contact as well as student contact.

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Laws of communication

FERPA rules only allow information about student performance to be shared with the student, parent, guardian, school administration, or other official sources in rare cases.  Grades and information about performance should only be shared with those allowed and they should be done so securely.  I knew most of what was discussed on the page about FERPA, but I did not realize that grade information should not be emailed, as that is an unsecure type of communication.

To ensure that copyright is not violated, one should look for open source materials or materials with a specific license and follow the rules of that license.  The other thing that helps me as an educator is fair use policy.  If things are being used for educational purposes and the heart of the work is not stolen, use is allowed.

Not all work, images, or graphics have to be original, but works should not be taken in their entirety, and if used they should be used for educational, not for profit purposes.

Identify stakeholders

As I was completing the stakeholder quest, I read through various descriptions of stakeholders in education.  I read through descriptions of the instructor, students, parents, and administration.

Stakeholders page

The descriptions did align with my expectations.  However, I am used to thinking of each from a teachers perspective.  So, when I think student - I do not think of the student making sure that communication continues with the teacher.  I think just the opposite; that the teacher must make sure that communication continues with the student.  It was interesting to read each description from its own perspective as opposed to reading them all from a teacher's perspective.

I do not feel that the descriptions of the stakeholders need to be expanded, but they could be expanded by describing each roll from the perspective of all the others.

The page gives the main stakeholders.  I do not feel that their are any additional stakeholders that need to be included from a traditional classroom setting.  However, with an online course, it could be archived and used for future students.  It'd be hard to use future students in planning a course though.

Definitions of communication

Email etiquette is important in an educational setting.  All communication from the teacher to students and parents shall be professional and formal.  It is important to put a proper heading on the email so that those receiving the email have an idea of the subject and can give it the correct priority.  I write email like they are a short letter.  I write a body with complete sentences in paragraph form.  I sign my name with an appropriate conclusion.  I usually put "Respectfully," but in less formal email use other closings.  The key to email though is to keep it brief.  Email should usually be a line or two or at most, a paragraph or two.

Tone is especially important in online communication.  Without face to face interaction, nuance is difficult.  It is best to avoid sarcasm in text based communication.  A good way to gauge the tone before sending electronic communication is to read the text aloud back to oneself.  

It is important to communicate in an online setting, particularly a teaching setting.  While asynchronous methods can deliver lots of good information, communication is essential to see that students are getting that information.  This is true to see if they are getting the ideas and it is true to make sure that they are completing the assignments.  Keeping students, parents, and other interested parties informed of progress and requirements requires active communication between all stakeholders and the teacher.  Stakeholders are all those that hold a vested interest in the learning success of the student.

It is easy to be connected in society, but still feel alone.  I think this is particularly true in an online education setting.  Students get information and a few opportunities for live or semi-live communication, but without personal contact, they often feel that they are on their own.  This gives lazy students a signal that they can slack on their work.  This frustrates students with questions and no immediate answers.  The only way to overcome this is with active communication (both real time and asynchronous) from the teacher and perhaps with other students.