Carmen Chan’s Digital Project

Carmen Chan, a fellow student in PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies has prepared a video scribe on a Student Engagement Technique referenced as “Role Play.” This particular technique is meant to create a fun and engaging classroom experience for students. Role Play is especially important for learning in fields such as healthcare, aviation, and hospitality industries to name a few. It enables the instructor to provide students with real-life learning opportunities and offers hands-on simulation training. As mentioned by Carmen in the video below, it promotes problem-solving and critical thinking by encouraging creativity and “on-the-spot” thinking. Role play can be used to deliver curriculum with both basic academic and clinical components. Carmen offers some clear guidelines in how to utilize this strategy in her video scribe below:

I particularly like this strategy as I often utilize Role Play with students in our healthcare programs. The benefits are numerous:

1. increased verbal communication skills
2. stimulates student intellectually and socially
3. raises interest in the topic under study
4. provides student opportunities to apply their knowledge
5. enables learners to view scenarios from divergent perspectives

There are some cons to this strategy, as mentioned by Carmen. For example, students may feel they are “put-on-the-spot” and shy students may be timid in Role Play environments. It can also be challenging to implement Role Play in larger classroom settings. However, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Students entering careers such as healthcare will need to learn the skill of assertive communication and role play scenarios will serve to strengthen this aspect. One way Carmen suggests to get around this is to strategically align students so that timid students are paired with not-so-timid students. It is also important to establish a role play scenario that is as close as possible to real-life situations thus maximizing student learning.

Janice Graham’s Digital Project

Another fellow PIDP 3250 student, Janice Graham, has chosen to focus on the Student Engagement Technique of the “Background Knowledge Probe.”  This strategy is very useful for instructors as it can help the instructor know where to focus the learning.  An instructor would want to maximize student learning by focusing on new information and minimize repeating information students already know.  Janice has made a very creative short video presentation of the Background Knowledge Probe using PowToon:

https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/bu84UVDs29k/?mode=movie#/

Janice makes sure to point out the fact that the lesson needs to be challenging but not too challenging as to discourage student learning.  One method to ensure we are meeting student needs is to probe student’s current background knowledge of the topic to avoid repetition.  Janice mentions we can do this by asking students to fill out a questionnaire prior to class.  The questionnaire can contain open-ended, short answer or multiple-choice type questions.  One great way to do this is to offer the questionnaire online prior to class, providing the instructor more time to prepare and/or restructure the lesson.

Firas Haddad’s Digital Project

Some time ago, we discussed Classroom Management Techniques with fellow students in my PIDP 3250 class.  Firas has created an excellent digital project using PowerPoint Office Mix, and subsequently editing it by utilizing Microsoft Movie Maker.  I like Firas’s project since it is unique and discusses a very relevant issue to many of us instructors.  Classroom Management can be a source of great stress for many beginning instructors as they struggle to find an appropriate balance of strictness while simultaneously preserving student freedom.  A view of Firas’s digital project will provide you with some familiarity of challenges experienced with classroom management.

Firas focuses on “Classroom Management” which he defines as “a process of ensuring that classrooms run smoothly, even in the face of disruptive behaviours.”  Classroom Management involves a few key aspects:

1. Rules & Expectations
2. Disruptive Behaviours
3. Cellphone Usage

For classrooms to run smoothly, students must be very clear on the rules and expectations of the learning environment.  This may include factors such as mutual respect, confidentiality, equality and diversity, punctuality, and class code of conduct.  Disruptive behaviours such as talking during lecture time, challenging the instructor, and/or monopolizing class discussions must be dealt with appropriately.  There should be a clear policy with respect to cellphone usage.  Often, certain industries such as healthcare may have very strict guidelines for cellphone usage and applied programs at the college level must model acceptable practices that extend into industry.

John Boulton’s Digital Project

The following is a digital project created by a fellow PIDP 3250 student, John Boulton.  The project is on the Student Engagement Technique of “Poster Sessions.”  Please preview the video below to get a sense of how this technique can be put into action in the classroom.

I particularly like John Boulton’s use of VideoScribe for this video and it has served as inspiration for my own digital project.  John highlights the technique of Poster Sessions in order to encourage active student learning.  This particular strategy is learner-centered, a philosophy I personally ascribe to.  My personal focus is to inspire students to be active in their learning and therefore provide them some leeway with research projects.  John suggests the following steps for implementing Poster Sessions in the classroom:

1. Choose a subject for learning
2. Create guidelines for the project and a marking rubric for student expectations
3. Discuss and agree on topics of interest to focus projects on
4. Research and produce a poster
5. Exhibit the poster to the class – encouraging group feedback
6. Share the learning

Allowing students some control over their learning enhances intrinsic motivation and shifts the focus of learning to the student.  As John mentions, it is a great tool to promote active learning.