Our Blackboard VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) is a
sandboxed, safe learning environment. Using Journals allows students to blog their
ideas, reflections and difficulties secure in the knowledge that only The
Lecturer can see their Journal posts. For lecturers, it gives us ‘an insight into
student philosophy’. It’s simple technology – for lecturer and student! It
works!
Minute Papers…
This
strategy was originally developed by a Physics professor at the University
of California , Berkeley
(cited in Davis, Wood, & Wilson, 1983), then popularized by Cross and
Angelo (1988) as one of a wide variety of quick “classroom assessment
techniques” (CATs) - designed to provide instructors with anonymous feedback on
what students are learning in class. For example, students write a one-minute
paper in response to such questions as, “What was the most important concept
you learned in class today? Or, “What was the ‘muddiest’ or most confusing
concept covered in today’s class?”
I use Minute
Papers at the END of classes, especially to identify ‘the muddiest point’. Though we insist that ‘there are no stupid
questions’, students can remain reluctant to ask for help. Blackboard Journals
allows students to tell us what they really don’t understand (often something
really simple). It takes 5 minutes to scan through Minute Papers for a class of
30 students – really guiding the start of the next session…
Self-Reflection/Critical Evaluation
Students are often reluctant to tackle a critical evaluation
for a project, tending to leave it till the end, when the project is done!
Using Blackboard Journals, students can be ‘prompted’ to make entries on
particular aspects of a Critical Analysis (‘Audience’ or ‘Issues of
Representation’ etc.). The lecturer can feedback in Journal Comments, further
prompting (or guiding) the student reflection. We might ask for a post, or two
posts per week…
Students like the asynchronous nature of this (it allows
them to post entries at all hours AND it allows lecturers to respond and
comment ‘out of hours’. Students can post images, link to video!
Student Self Assessment
At the end of a module, ask the students to post a
Blackboard Journal entry on their personal reflections. You might ask the
students ‘what’s missing from your project’? Get students to ‘suggest an Alpha
Grade’ for themselves…
‘guided self assessment’
Assess the student projects and assign an Alpha grade. Then
post your assessment feedback (Strengths, Areas For Development and
Recommendations) to the student. Ask them to read through your feedback and
suggest an Alpha grade for themselves.
Self-Assessment (guided or unguided) checks student
understanding of our learning Outcomes and Criteria For Assessment. Assessment
is a learnt behaviour – students and lecturers need to practice it! All
students self-assess, but Journals provide hard documentary evidence. You’ll be
surprised to find how many of the students will give themselves the exact grade
you gave them!
At the end of a Group Project, ask the students to post a
Blackboard Journal entry on their personal reflections. I use questions
developed by Palloff and Pratt (2007, p.184)… ‘How well did I participate in my group? Was I a team player? Did I
make a significant contribution? Did I share my portion of the work load? How
comfortable do I feel with the group process? Did I feel comfortable expressing
any problems or concerns openly? Did I provide substantive feedback to other
group members? How do I feel about the collaborative work produced by my group?
How well did the collaborative process contribute to my learning goals and
objectives for this course? I’ve added a question about communication… ‘How well did my group communicate, with
each other and with others?’
Ask each student to post an Alpha Grade for themselves and
for each of their peers (the other group members). You can suggest that they can
‘add a few lines of individual comment, observation or clarification’ about their
fellow group members.
Lecturers can use this student reflection and assessment
(self and peer) to guide their own comments, feedback and grading.
Palloff
and Pratt (2007) ‘Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies
for the Virtual Classroom’ (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Higher
and Adult Education)
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