Discussion Thread

  • 1.  Request For Student's Feedback & On-Line Class Support

    Posted 03-30-2020 10:52 AM

    Well, after my very first week ever of on-line classes in my life, as you know, I slipped, stumbled, and at times "Just made it at the last minute."

    I need your help in order for me to improve the value for your educational experience in our classes as we turn into our "Last lap towards semester's end."

    • PROF HAYDEN'S REQUEST

    Based on your experiences with on-line classes with others who were really experienced with this hands-on technology, please provide their names and emails so that I may immediately seek their advice to improve my ability to serve your needs on-line.

    I will contact them without referencing that you provided their contact information,

    UNLESS you tell me otherwise.

    Suggested categories for you to consider include, but are not limited to my technical & administrative preparation specifics for the periods:

    1. Pre-Class.
    2. Class-in-Session.
    3. Immediately After-Class.

    A few issues I have noted wishing to hear back from you after your first on-line class with me:

    1. Length of time for your "PAUSE"
    2. How to setup the "Chat Feature" for those who wish to use it during class.
    3. How to advise the class better just prior to the "PAUSE" time in order to encourage more students to feel more comfortable to speak.
    4. What and how to do to enable you to:
    5. Prepare, and then present Group Presentations.
    6. Submit your "Student Presentation Evaluation"
    7. Submit homework online.
    8. Take online quizzes that are self-grading.
    9. Provide virtual "Office Hours."
    10. Improve your on-line class educational experience for the balance

    of this Spring 2020 period.

    • REQUEST

    For any of the feedback for the above. . .and any other issue you wish. . .to get in-place prior to our next on-line class, I will need to have it from you "Yesterday!"

    Of course, I realize this is an "Accidental Sudden Class-QuakeÔ." for you, for all of us.

     

    I look forward to receiving your advice.       Stay Healthy!

    Cheers,   Prof Hayden.  wmhayden@...



    ------------------------------
    William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
    Buffalo, N.Y.

    "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Request For Student's Feedback & On-Line Class Support

    Posted 03-31-2020 02:15 PM
    Prof:

    First of all, let me emphasize that I am in no way really experienced with this hands-on technology" in this crazy transition that teachers and students are facing across the country. I'm also not a student so don't have a great perspective on what challenges they are facing in terms of bandwidth/connectivity and issues beyond coursework as we face this pandemic. That said, thank you for starting this thread! I hope it can encourage dialogue from profs and other students about how to best facilitate learning in this new online classroom. Here are some takeaways from my experience transitioning to online lessons with my Structures students:

    • I've been giving lessons asynchronously, pre-recording my video lessons using my free Zoom account and posting to Blackboard, Youtube, and Google classroom in an attempt to give students options should any of the platforms be experiencing bandwidth issues. 
    • In lieu of classes, I have been holding online office hours using Google Hangouts during our regularly scheduled class period (1st and 2nd periods) as well as after school twice a week for those on the West Coast. The attendance has been average- I'm still trying to work out a way to check in with students who may be less inclined to attend office hours.  I've been pleased to see students sign on with friends and work on assignments together, sometimes even explaining concepts to each other.
    • Students have submitted assignments on Google Classroom or Blackboard. So far, I've been impressed with the ease of Google Classroom in leaving comments on students' work. That said, I'm still trying to determine the best course of action when it comes to online exams, particularly in a system that gives sufficient partial credit, especially for the types of problems we are solving.
    Hopefully some of this is helpful- I'd be really interested to hear what others are doing that has worked (or not). Thanks again for starting this discussion and best wishes with the rest of your semester!

    Warmest regards,

    Tori

    ------------------------------
    Victoria Johnson Ph.D., EIT, A.M.ASCE
    Assistant Professor
    Annapolis MD
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  • 3.  RE: Request For Student's Feedback & On-Line Class Support

    Posted 04-11-2020 02:45 PM
    Hi Tori,
    Thanks for the refreshing 'straight-talk!'
    With the hands-on support of some the University at Buffalo experts with online systems,
    I have the following in place for each of my three (3) evening classes for the balance of Spring 2020.:
    a. Lectures-live using UB's ZOOM.us, Tues. & Thurs., 5 pm to 9:10 pm; two senior undergrad & one graduate course.
    I show the "Speaker" at '0%' for their discussions about every 12 to 15 slides (pdfs).
    b. Group Presentations of HBR & some textbook cases, each one for a 20 min. minimum.
    As the group's members present, I scroll their ppts., turned into pdfs.
    c. Quizzes 6 to 10, multiple choice, when in a classroom, take < 18 minutes.
    Now online, students are given 60 minutes to take, over a 24 hour period, with three (3) attempts...best grade out of the 3.
    d. Homework and "Student Presentation Evaluations" accepted as email attachments. . . but ONLY if sent by separate emails.
    e. By 12MAY, 7 pm, ET, their "Take-Home Final Exams," along with their signed "Assertion of Integrity" forms will be submitted by them into an on-line 'mailbox' in Bb, in UBlearns.
    f. As requested, I am available for any individual conversations following a private set of emails between any student and myself.
    And of course, "YES!," it was and to a degree still is a 'bumpy road' we are on together.

    But one of the learning points is what can be accomplished  when no one cares who gets the credit!

    Stay Healthy!
    Cheers,
    Prof Hayden

    ------------------------------
    William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
    Buffalo, N.Y.

    "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
    ------------------------------