Chris Humphreys

Course Sites Reflection

ET 755
June 30, 2014


The course site build assignment was one of the most interesting projects to date. As
more and more 21
st
Century learners find their way to online learning and distance education I
felt that this project helped prepare for this transformation of learning. It was certainly a
challenge to create a fully functioning course in a very narrow time frame with a small group.
For this project I was part of the Full STEM Ahead team with Sarah, Katie, and Lindsay.

During this project we chose to communicate through the use of email, Google
Hangouts, Google Docs. We began by emailing one another to find time to begin working
on the project since we were juggling the research synthesis at the same time. Once we nailed
down a good time to meet we used Google Hangouts. This allowed us to work synchronously to
share ideas about our approach to the project.

For the course site build we used CourseSites.com and was able to get everyone
registered as instructors. We checked the rubric and chose to go with an 8 week course. I really
enjoy working in Modules and I think the rest of the group felt the same so we went in that
direction. We decided what frame work needed to be in place before breaking out specifics. So,
we laid out the course from syllabus, modules, discussion boards, and other materials to be
included. Once the framework was in place we selected what sections we wanted to work on for
the project.

After working synchronously to design the framework of the course we split up the
modules amongst the team members. We worked asynchronously on our assigned tasks. My
portion of the project was to create an introduction module welcoming our students to the course.
I incorporated several design elements into this module. The assignments for the course were to
get the students familiar with the topic using a Youtube video with CC and a Screencast of
Getting Started Tutorial into Full STEM Ahead, as well as, a survey created through Google
Docs.

For this module the students were to create a wikispace page for their own introductions
to the class. This helped to create their community of learners which is an integral part of online
learning. It helps the students know who they are learning with and create a sense of belonging
within the group. The survey was an important way for us as the instructors to get to know the
students backgrounds, experiences, and hopes for the course up front rather than through
disappointments in a course reflection at the end. The responses not only helped make any
adjustments necessary to this course but to future courses to be designed. Using the survey was
new to me and I enjoyed that the responses came to me in a Google Doc that I could share with
the rest of the group. This helped keep us all informed on how the introductions were going and
when they were complete.

The second module was the assignment related to Web 2.0 STEM tools. This allowed the
students to analyze ten different Web 2.0 tools related to STEM education. Then they had to
critique all ten which allowed them to reflect on the appropriateness of each one. They also had
to take a quiz which reflected the knowledge gained by some of the reading in the course. This
module has students research, analyze, and reflect about Web 2.0 tools in STEM education. They
had to express their thoughts about each one and developed a solid list by seeing others critiques.
The only thing I wish I would have done differently for this module would have been to allow
for multiple means of presentation. The assignment being pigeon holed into a wikispace page
was good for the class and neatness; however, allowing for students to give their critiques in
other means such as Prezi, Screencast, Scribd, or any other way they can find would have been
appropriate.

In the end, I think for the time that was given and working in a small group environment
that our course was very successful. I like the way it was designed using modules and the layout
of the course. It was easy to navigate and visually appealing. It incorporated many aspects of
good online learning techniques related to chapters 1, 2, and 10. It uses synchronous and
asynchronous communication on the part of the student, it allows for students to reflect on
material that was learned, take quizzes that supported their learning, and the use of discussion
boards. One of the problems that I encountered was embedding the quiz into the module. I had to
research a little bit to get it to work and look the way I wanted it to. Then Sarah messaged me to
let me know that I had forgotten to put a place for their names. So, I had to go back and look up
how to include this important piece of information.

As for the student portion of the project I chose to enroll in Gamify the Classroom. This
course interested me because of the work I did with David and his interests in gaming. The
course was very well laid out. The syllabus was easy to follow and was broken down into the
units that the students were to follow. However, it didnt mention a grading scale or how each
assignment would be weighted. I thought that taking the course and breaking it into units then
within the units was the weeks that it would cover was a great idea. Under each week folder the
entire weeks work was found there which was easy to find when going to work on the
assignment. The aspect of including a virtual class meeting was an important way to help
develop their community of learners as in ours. This is one area that we didnt add that we
couldve to help support those students who need some face time with an instructor to ask
questions or share ideas, successes and failures.

Throughout this project we, meaning our group, worked to insure that the online course
we designed was learner or a learning-centered environment. In the readings by (Anderson 2005)
it was said that not every need is met for the learner, but the awareness to their unique cognitive
structures and understandings that learners bring with them are understood by creating activities
that make use of pre-existing knowledge. We hoped that we succeeded in that endeavor through
the meaningful assignments included in this course.