Observation Pro-Forma - peer to me
Exploration of theme 1 - student generated learning outcomes
Initial Reflection on the idea of student-generated learning outcomes
Thinking about student-generated learning outcomes, my initial gut feeling is that I like the idea. It seems as though it would help give our participants more ownership of the course (something that can be hard given that many are forced to take it as a probationary requirement) and would give the sessions a more two-way feel.
In module evaluations, some participants seemed to want 'teaching tips' tailored to what they were already doing: one said 'it's better to avoid a lot of theories and stay practical', while another commented that "there was virtually no tailored information for specific types of teaching or for particular subjects". Participants are evidently struggling to connect the theory to the practice - perhaps because they are sometimes encouraged to view this as basic 'training' rather than as a Level 7 qualification. More emphasis on asking the participants themselves to generate learning outcomes might help overcome this, as they would be encouraged to explicitly connect their practical goals to theoretical learning to create an outcome that related both to the module as a whole and to their own teaching practice.
One of the reasons we struggle to give them such tailored and practical material, however, is the same reason that would make student-generated learning outcomes difficult to achieve in practice. The teaching contexts and needs of our participants vary enormously: they come from all the academic disciplines represented in QMUL (including a number of medical sub-disciplines), and range from experienced lecturers to postgraduate students, along with clinicians and other professionals who teach in higher education. This is why we don't tend to give 'practical tips', since what works for a Geography lecturer may not work for a PhD student in Physics, not least because they will be teaching in very different formats. This vast range of experience and demands means that we could not have our learning outcomes set entirely by students, as there would be too many different needs to feasibly take into account and boil down to a reasonable set of objectives.
We also have to take into account that the programme has been pre-approved by the Higher Education Academy. QMUL's Senior Executive has decided that all teaching staff in the next 5 years must either obtain Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy or be working toward it. This makes it extremely important for our participants that the programme is accredited, as they would otherwise have to obtain Fellowship in a separate process (and they don't have much spare time as it is). The HEA approves all our learning objectives and we cannot change them after approval without making an application.
One solution to this problem might be to have learning objectives still largely set by us but with participants able to add to them informally. This also overcomes the issue that the programme and module-level learning objectives have already gone through the time-consuming process of new module approval and would thus be difficult to change. We could, however, allow each student to come up with a learning objective for themselves that they record and then assess themselves against, but which is not incorporated into the formal assessment for the module. This seems to integrate the student-centred approach which student-generated learning outcomes represent, while also allowing for the diversity of our cohort and remaining within regulatory boundaries.
Prezi on Dealing with Disruptive Behaviour
Exploration of theme 2 - using alternative presentation formats like Prezi
Reflection on first experience of converting a PowerPoint to Prezi
I've been playing around with my PowerPoint in Prezi, thinking about how the new format of Prezi might help me improve my session. I've come to the conclusion that I want to stick to the PowerPoint for presentation as I don't like the way the Prezi screen moves (it makes me feel seasick on a larger screen). However the Prezi interface and format make it ideal for viewing on mobile devices and for layering information, which I had previously left out of slides as I didn't want to make them too text-heavy. I will therefore experiment with preparing a Prezi version of the PPT that I would like participants to use to review the session, into which I could insert links to various literature and case studies, as well as some guidance questions to inspire reflection. Unlike PowerPoint slides the format of Prezi allows the user to set their own path through the presentation if they wish, so participants can focus on the parts that interested them the most and/or that they would like to develop further.
Risks and Potential Disadvantages of Prezi
Katy Meyers (2012) notes that although Prezi has many advantages, it may also be distracting for the viewer - especially when "all the zooming and spinning functions" are overused. I feel that this is particularly true when a presenter zooms very far in or out in one go, or when he or she jumps across a wide canvas - this can produce a 'lurching' effect and can even be nauseating to some audience members. This underlines my aim above to retain PowerPoint for presentations and only use Prezi for participants to review the session. Using it for this function means that I can make use of the 'zoom' function to include a large amount of information while also making the whole presentation seem manageable. Users will be able to zoom in as they wish to, but they won't have to encounter large amounts of material if they haven't chosen to zoom in.
Using Prezi in the Classroom
Derek Bruff (2010) talks about using Prezi with students to map a debate in class. He used the 'Prezi Meeting' feature, which allows multiple editors to collaborate in editing the same Prezi, to get the students working together to map out a debate. Bruff began by outlining the basic elements of the concept map (which was the foundation for what the students then worked on) and sent the invitation to students when this was finished. This allowed the students to work together in real time and to produce a tangible object which showed what they had worked on. It also helped the students to get their heads around both the content of the debate and the idea of concept mapping, not to mention introducing them to Prezi. However, as Bruff himself notes, students got confused, and having the whole class edit the Prezi at once became too confusing. He also had to delete objects which they had accidentally added to the Prezi. Bruff notes in his evaluation that the chaotic atmosphere and the abundance of new ideas meant that they did not engage as thoughtfully with the content as they could have.
Reflecting on this report, I have been considering how one might introduce Prezi as a tool for creativity in the classroom while also slowing down the rush of new ideas that seemed to overwhelm Bruff's students. I have been wondering about the possibility of using a Prezi as a longer-term collaboration; so instead of rushing to get everything down within a single class session, the Prezi is added to bit by bit. I think one way to do this would be to work with a group in ADP7101, the module I teach on Introduction to Teaching and Learning, on a Prezi that effectively becomes a cumulative representation of the group's discussion throughout the term. Participant feedback on this module from previous years has focused on the perceived flimsiness of the group discussions in this module - to quote one participant 'all we did was sit around and talk about our experience'. Part of what this module aims to teach is the value of collaborative discussion and reflection on experience; this comment shows that at least one participant did not feel this was achieved. Using a Prezi to sum up the discussion points and connect them to theory would be a way for me to demonstrate the links between the experiences we had discussed and the theories we teach on the course.
The collaborative potential of a Prezi is both exciting and potentially quite difficult in practical terms. I would like to make the exercise as collaborative as possible, but our participants can be quite busy and I would not want to end up with an empty Prezi or a situation where they feel that they have even more work to do. This is compounded by the increased workload in the first module in its new incarnation - participants will have 6 hours' extra workshops and will also have to get to grips with QMPlus Hub, the medium by which they will create and submit their final assessment. This is likely to challenge engagement even further, especially as academic staff often perceive the PGCAP as something that adds to their workload unnecessarily.
To strike a balance, I think the best way would be for each group's seminar tutor to lead on the Prezi, summing up and finding useful articles that relate to the points and questions. He or she could then invite participants to access the Prezi, so that if they want to add things they can but they are not obligated to take up the invitation if they are already overwhelmed by the module's requirements. I would also suggest that the final group discussion session included an overview of the Prezi and allowed students to make suggestions, reminding them that the Prezi exists as a resource.
I will aim to implement this in the new module 1 from September 2017 and will discuss with tutors beforehand to make sure everyone is happy with this and that we have all figured out the best way to achieve it without putting undue burden on any one staff. This will also give me a year to run the module and iron out other issues first (such as how to get students working well in QMPlus Hub).
Works Cited
Bruff, Derek. (2010). In Class Collaborative Debate Mapping with Prezi Meeting. Blog Post. URL: http://derekbruff.org/?p=595 - Accessed 19 May 2016.
Meyers, Katy. (2012). Prezi: A Dynamic Presentation or Nauseating Experience? Blog Post at Gradhacker, August 28 2012. URL: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/prezi-dynamic-presentation-or-nauseating-experience. Accessed 19 May 2016.