We are collecting ideas for upcoming eConversations. Feel free to share your idea. We can certainly find people to join in and help! Just need to get the idea and ball rolling! Let us help!
November 19 eConversation: Using Copyrighted Work in your Course and Scholarship
October 27 eConversation: The Course Review Process
Recording of the Course Review Process eConversation
If you missed our presentation October 2, you can catch it here.
Review all of Glenn’s resources at Glenn’s Peer Review Web page.
eConversation: The Course Review Process
Assessing the quality of both teaching and curricula in an online context is important, whether you are a faculty member who wants to look for ways to improve your “classroom” or an administrator responsible for the quality of an entire program. This session will demonstrate how one can get the necessary course and program assessment data by exploring many complementary evaluation strategies in use at Penn State. These varied efforts are designed to ensure that there are ample opportunities for instructors and administrators to intentionally be immersed in evaluation activities, discussions, and data that focus on quality online teaching. As part of this discussion, we will introduce the Faculty Peer Review Guide for Online Teaching at Penn State tool and demonstrate how it is being used to provide both faculty and administrators with valuable course and program evaluation data.
Time: 10-11 am. Location: 517 Thomas Building and via Web (call-in number: 866-736-9023)
Here is what we have planned for this coming Fall and beyond.
What are eConversations?
Many times the classroom dynamics and interactions that take place in online courses are different than those of a face-to-face teaching experience. As you know, sometimes they take on a life of their own! eConversations grew out of a faculty development initiative in the Eberly College of Science to help faculty face these challenges.
A few times during each semester, online learning groups from across the University will host a topic of interest to faculty and instructors involved in teaching online – an eConversation!
Our goal is to provide opportunities for participants to:
- Better understand the activity of teaching and learning online;
- Broaden and strengthen networks by expanding conversations across disciplines and campuses;
- Identify and confirm successful online strategies; and
- Discover and implement new ideas for online education
The event host will invite online learning units from around the University to join their eConversation along with their own team of faculty and learning designers in order to maximize the opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences!
How does this work?
Units who volunteer to present a topic will be the “host” for the event and will set up and moderate an Adobe Connect room for other units and individuals to join. Units are encouraged to set up a physical meeting at their own location so that they can participate as a group and potentially continue the dialogue as it relates to their unit after the hosted event. Individuals at a distance are encouraged to participate as well!
The role of host will rotate each time. The event host will provide the following to all participants ahead of time:
- information about the topic to advertise the session (session information will also be published on the WebLearning site
- a Meeting One conference phone number and the location for the Adobe Connect room that will be used for the event
The typical agenda for each eConversation will be as follows:
- Introduction of all participants
- Introduction / Overview of the Topic: (30 minutes – All participants on “mute”)
This may include:
- a survey of topic-related research
- information about local resources that are available
- presentations from experts, experience, anecdotes, etc.
- other items appropriate to the topic
- Q&A Session (30 minutes)
The host group will take questions and comments from participants locally and in response to a ‘raised hand’ or questions posted in the chat window of the Adobe Connect space. - “Local” Conversations (30 minutes)
Participating groups may wish to continue the discussion “off-line” after the formal eConversation concludes!
How can you participate?
Online learning support groups across the University will establish face-to-face meeting locations where instructors and faculty members from their academic units can come together to connect in person. Check with your local online learning support individual(s) to find out where you can join in!
Not on campus? We will also utilize Adobe Connect, a free web conferencing tool, which will allow anyone to join in from the comfort of the office, the home, on the road—wherever you may be! (Sessions will also be recorded for those who are interested but unable to participate “live.”)
What will you need? Enthusiasm and a willing spirit are great to bring along! A phone and a web browser will also be needed if you plan to attend via Adobe Connect.
Interested in Hosting an eConversation?
That’s great! Please contact Melissa Hicks, instructional designer in the Eberly College of Science, who has volunteered to coordinate these events!
Looking for previous sessions?
“Learning about Piazza”
“Feedback and the Online Student”
- You can view the recording of the Adobe Connect session here.
“Pushing Students to go Beyond without Shooting Yourself in the Foot!”
– Wednesday, January 29, 2014 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
- Adobe Connect recording of the session
- Related resource: Student Ratings of Teaching: A Summary of Research and Literature
“Cheating in the Online Classroom”
– Thursday, November 14th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Page Contact: Melissa Hicks (mjs100)