Category: OTL101

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Critical Inquiry Integration OTL101 Reflection Resolution

Integration

Create a new post and discuss the following:

  • Take a look back through your previous posts and apply the ‘Showcase’ category to your best work.

I applied the showcase category to my cognitive presence post. I think that I understand this from a student perspective and so can apply that to my teaching.

  • What are 2-3 of the most important ideas that you have studied during this course?

Constructive alignment is very important to ensure student success. There is nothing more frustrating as a student than to have to complete an assessment that seems to have no bearing on course outcomes.

Feedback is also very important, especially in an online environment. The ability to keep students engaged by providing clear and effective feedback encourages student success.

  • Identify 2-3 specific goals that you would like to achieve in light of what you have learned about cognitive presence, approaches to learning, and feedback

I would like to review my course to ensure that there is good constructive alignment. I did not create/write the course and this was the first time I taught it. The course does not run again until next January, so I have some time to make that happen. I have already found a couple of places where the learning outcomes are indicated in the wrong module and where there is information missing for the students to be able to complete assignments.

There is one assignment where the students must participate in a discussion forum and I need to make sure that I am more present to be able to encourage more deep thinking about the topic. I also need to increase the time frame for the discussion to provide students the time to process replies to their posts.

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Critical Inquiry exploration Integration OTL101 post 4

Feedback

  1. Are there any gaps between your practice of offering feedback to students and what Hattie recommends?

I think that I do a good job of “Where am I going” by having clear learning outcomes and by encouraging students to engage deeply with the material. With each assessment I can provide feedback to the student on “How am I going” and ensure that the feedback is specific to the goals of the assignment.

  1. In what ways can you improve the effectiveness of the feedback that you provide for your students?

It is challenging as students are not permitted to view their quizzes after they have written them, and this is a major portion of assessment. It is important to provide detailed feedback so that students understand where they have done well or poorly to be able to integrate the knowledge that they have gained.

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Critical Inquiry exploration OTL101 post 3

Constructive Alignment

  1. What are the intended learning outcomes of the course? Do the learning outcomes reflect high-level cognitive skills or low-level skills (pay attention to the verbs)?

Learning Outcomes

  • Illustrate effective use of spoken and written descriptions and explanations of medical conditions, diagnoses and treatments.
  • Articulate conditions, diagnoses and treatments to clients in “lay terms”.
  • Accurately follow written and verbal instructions related to the care and treatment of patients.
  • Record medical information accurately, concisely and succinctly.
  • Discuss veterinary cases with other professionals using appropriate terms and terminology.

These learning outcomes reflect mostly higher level cognitive skills.

  1. How is student learning assessed in the course (essays, quizzes, journals, machine-gradable tests, portfolios)?

Learning is assessed with a combination of quizzes, assignments and a final exam.

  1. In what ways are the intended learning outcomes and the assessments aligned or not?

The assessments require learners to not only memorize terms, but be able to create terms using roots and combining forms. There is a combination of defining terms and creating terms based on a definition. Students must all be able to apply the knowledge to be able to administer treatments based on written and verbal orders as well as write such treatments into patient medical records. This requires an understanding, not simply rote memorization.

  1. Identify 2-3 items or assessments that are worded in such a way that they limit students to a unistructural or multistructural response at best and re-write them so that they require a relational response at worst and include the results in your post.

Record medical information accurately, concisely and succinctly. Could be changed to: Relate medical information accurately, concisely and succinctly.

Accurately follow written and verbal instructions related to the care and treatment of patients could be rewritten as: Accurately apply written and verbal instruction related to the care and treatment of patients.

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Critical Inquiry OTL101 Post 2 Resolution showcase

Cognitive Presence

I found it interesting, but not surprising, that there was a lack of attention focused on resolution in the responses received. As an online student myself, I find it difficult to really integrate new ideas and attitudes. I find that the trigger and exploration phases are relatively easy to manage in online conversations. However, when it comes to integration, it can be difficult to really delve deep. Especially when I am in ‘conversation’ with others who are new to the concept as well. In an in-person class, the instructor is there to guide, push, prompt with an experienced voice. That is often missing in an online class; there are often a number of groups, each having different conversations, and it is difficult for the instructor to be present in all of them. This was noted in another’s blog, who said that the best example of cognitive presence for them was a course in which the professor made a connection with each student. What better way to ensure engagement than to engage on a personal level with each of your students?

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Critical Inquiry exploration OTL101 Triggering Event

THINK

 

My favorite vacation spot is a sunny beach at the lake. I just realized that the question asked about a novel, but I am currently reading “Know My Name”, a memoir by the survivor of the Stanford sexual assault. Highly recommend.

Teaching through Covid has made me realize that each learner is an individual with individual concerns, challenges, risk factors, needs, fears, etc., etc., etc. I was always aware of this, but it has become much more clear and obvious to me in the past year. It has been difficult to get and keep students engaged online. I am sure they feel like they are not getting the full experience of their education. I continue to try and find ways to fulfill their expectations of their courses.