Bee Efficient!

Watching the presentations tonight underscored how technology can make us more efficient workers. Gutenberg's printing press made possible mass production of books. The spinning jenny resulted in cheaper yarn helping to usher in the Industrial Revolution. Of course, Henry Ford's famous assembly line production drove down the price of automobiles for American families. And the microwave oven allows college students to consume vast quantities of unhealthy foods during late night study sessions without making a huge mess.

Teaching, as in book-making, can be done more efficiently. And, unlike heating a hot pocket at 2 a.m., finding ways to teach more efficiently actually benefits students.

For example, in my math class I am able to assemble a standards-aligned exam using database test-generating software that sorts items by standard, objective, and difficulty. Then, after students fill in their bubble sheets, I scan them and run detailed reports according to the same criteria.

How does this make me more efficient besides processing tests more quickly (which is a huge benefit by itself)? By having such detailed reports instantly, I can isolate weaknesses early on and clear up misunderstandings before they infect other topics. My students will also know exactly what is going to be expected of them in the course, instead of having to learn a broad set of information and hope that what I assess is including in that.

Let's find the easiest, quickest way to teach and learn what we need to.

What's one thing you saw tonight that will help you be a more efficient teacher?

Without Data, What's Your Opinion?

It has been said that "without data, all anyone has in an opinion."

In teaching that can mean a variety of things, but it often gets lost in all the other aspects of teaching that we have to deal with.

But if teaching is, at least in part, to prepare students for the real world, then it must be important to use data that reflects reality, or life outside the classroom. If education is supposed to mimic reality, our evaluation measures ought to be realistic, right?

What types of evaluation measure do you use in real life? For example, how do you judge how long to leave your burrito in the microwave? If it comes out burned, do you make adjustments? What other "data-driven measures" do you use, and how well do they work?

Online or Out of Touch?

Now that you have participated in our online class session, a few things are on my wondering mind. For instance, this from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Students say people mistakenly assume that online courses are easier.

"If anything, I think it might be harder," said Edward Elie, who takes course online and in-person at KSU.

Online courses have weekly quizzes or assignments, while traditional courses may only require an occasional exam, Elie said. Online courses lack the conversational tone a professor provides a traditional class, requiring students to depend more on the textbook. Also, students must be able to self-assess and determine whether they're learning the material or not.

When you consider "higher-order thinking," what about online classes might cause students to become disengaged? Is learning and communicating online just as complicated? More so? Less so? Or just different?