Building in-group behaviours in geographically dispersed classes

As we have some new tutors in our school who are not familiar with teaching over a video link, I got asked by a colleague if I had "a couple of points" to share on creating remote student engagement.

That got me thinking.

And - while I have written a lot more than a couple of points - I came up with a few things which I think makes a difference. Firstly it is (a) mindset: that we are ONE class. Then what follows is (b) practicing and modelling the following behaviours:

1. Considering all the students as being a team who are all in the in-group, regardless of location (read more about in-group behaviours here)
2. Greeting everyone by as they come into the room, regardless of whether they are local or remote so everyone gets to know everyone else's name
3. I set a task each week of students bringing shared stories of leadership into the classroom - two students do this per lecture - started with one remote student and one local student. As a result, the first four weeks had a remote student telling a two minute story each week (probably more like 5 minutes), but it helped to create a single in-group because they all learned something about each other's leadership ideas
4. Treating the TV screen like my rear-vision mirror, so glancing up every three seconds or so to cue in on what is going on, AND treating the screen like an extra person when discussion is happening, so they another set of eyes I connect with when looking around the room
5. When doing cases, often deliberately asking the remote group first for their ideas/questions/opinions before everyone else reports back (probably 2/3rds of the time)
6. Reminding the local students to be quiet so the remote students can speak (usually by simply holding up my hand, palm out, and saying "hang on everyone, be quiet..." with an "...so the [campus] guys can hear", or "...so we can hear [x] speaking". They atune to the hand cue pretty quickly)
7. Apologising when I don't hear a remote student asking a question, and again using the hand cue and asking the local students "hang on...".

I find the local students are very respectful of the remote students.

In addition, as I usually go to our other campus to do a lecture back to my local students close to the end of the semester. Each year some of the local students are keen to come on the road trip, because we have a sense of team in the room, and they want to meet the students in person.


Sam

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Five conditions for learning

I recently read this tweet on the web by David Gurin, the Teaching Professor: "Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach; we need teaching geeks who can use tech".

A good point. What is good teaching?

Benjamin Bloom, a eminent educational researcher said toward the end of his career that “After 40 years of intensive research [...] my major conclusion is: What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions for learning.” The education guru felt "conditions for learning" were of prime importance.

So what are 'learning conditions'? How do we know when they are 'right'?

My mentor, when I started teaching, said that students need structure, so that they understand where they will go. I think of this structure - my topic outlines and mindmaps - as our itinerary, which frames up our walk together through each semester's material.

My focus over the years has been to clarify the structures and provide meta-structures where possible so that students who start at the detail AND those who start with the big-picture have their needs met.

I am just starting to think about this, but - as a first cut - my conditions for learning are:

1. Structure: I think of myself as a net mender. I create, repair, and reinforce the links in the mesh that holds the learning together and guides learners as they move forward. It is my job to be alert for weaknesses, and reinforce before a failure appears.
2. Openness: learning will come from anywhere in the room, as we share discovery. I encourage students to bring new learning every day so I too learn. This openness means that students can bring challenging ideas to class and we can approach them safely together that allows us all to learn fairly and equally.
3. Questions: I try to be an asker of questions, not a provider of answers. Together we work through problems, situations, and personalities in case work and real-life questions that students bring into the classroom.
4. 6 Billion Solutions: We talk often complexity and the range of ideas, skills, insights, self-knowledge and tools that students will take with them in their toolkit to solve their first graduate problems. I try to diffuse the idea that there is 'one best way', and to show them the shades of grey that is the sum of us on the planet.
5. Fun: learning should be fun for all of us. It is my job to build an environment that is passionate, entertaining, enlightening and electric.

I am not sure if these are 'right' yet. I will have to reflect quite a bit first.

Interestingly, to return to the Teaching Professor's tweet, teaching technology has not made my list. It is not - in my view - a condition for learning. I think tech is simply a delivery channel: part of the many different ways to approach material, the many teaching tools that can be used, many ways to communicate that teachers can use.

Because what we use to teach does not equal how we learn.


Sam

References:

• Bloom, Dr Benjamin Samuel & Sosniak, ‎Lauren A. (1985). Developing Talent in Young People. USA: Ballantine Books
• Gurin, David (11 November 2015). Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach. Retrieved 26 April 2016 from https://twitter.com/teachprof/status/664564071837118464 [Tweet]

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Do teachers need a philosophy?

I belong to a 66,500-strong group, Higher Education Teaching and Learning, on LinkedIn. This forum usually contains very good posts about tertiary study.

Recently, Dr Bruce Johnson posted a link to a LinkedIn Pulse article he has written telling all educators that they need a philosophy in order to be able to teach.

I was quite struck by Dr Johnson's post, as I happen to feel that many good teachers probably DON'T have a particular philosophy, and probably don't need one. Instead, their experience and student-focus has provided them over the years with a bag full of tools to engage all learners - to find a way in, to connect, to inspire and to help students motivate themselves.

Benjamin Bloom, one of the pre-eminent educational researchers of the 20th century, said towards the end of his career that “After 40 years of intensive research [...] my major conclusion is: What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions for learning” (Bloom & Sosniak, 1985, p. 4).

To me, that says that good teaching should consist of setting up those current conditions for learning. 

Those conditions for learning are many and various, but include a positive environment where exploration and enquiry is encouraged; where failure means that students are on the learning path, but have not yet achieved mastery; where there is collegiality and support; and where the only 'stupid' question is the one that is not asked. This is not my philosophy. This is the behaviour I model and seek in learning environments.

Whether we have defined a philosophy or not is fairly immaterial.

In my opinion :-)


Sam

References:

• Bloom, Dr Benjamin Samuel & Sosniak, ‎Lauren A. (1985). Developing Talent in Young People. USA: Ballantine Books.
• Johnson, Dr. Bruce A. (10 April 2016). What is Your Teaching Philosophy? Retrieved 14 April 2016 from https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2774663/2774663-6124979189125828608
• Johnson, Dr. Bruce A. (10 April 2016). All Educators Need a Teaching Philosophy Statement - Is Yours Developed? Retrieved 14 April 2016 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-educator-needs-teaching-philosophy-what-yours-dr-bruce-a-

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