Course Description
Impliquer les apprenants en ligne: Stratégies pour créer des expériences d’apprentissage significatives et efficaces
This course was delivered as a compressed synchronous online learning experience and was offered exclusively in French. The goal of the course was to pilot a new resource that the university created as part of a larger eCampusOntario funding initiative. The end result was a published pressbook that encapsulated the feedback from the participants.
Ref - Pressbooks Release
Narrative
My role in this course was to use the book as a teaching resource while adding my own instruction to the synchronous online lessons. I would gather with a small focus group of experienced faculty as we engaged in open discussion about the resource and its application to higher education.
Sample in-Progress Feedback from Faculty Participants (Stop, Start, Continue)
I welcomed participants to provide their feedback in both English and/or French.
Start - What should I start doing?
I felt Andre was dynamic, engaging, curious and thoughtful - wouldn't change a thing!
I enjoyed the session and I'm not sure that I have anything to suggest! I appreciated the PPT that allowed us to follow along with the sequence of the book and refresh our memories before we discussed.
s/o
I honestly believe he truly engages the group and fosters participation, so as of this moment I don’t have any kind of recommendation
You preach what you teach, so time to teach others how to teach online ; )
Stop - What should I stop doing?
He can stop apologizing for his accent - I love it!
I enjoyed the session.
Se doubter parfois de la pertinence du contenu. L'animateur présente très bien le contenu et elle s'accentue davantage par la récriprocité des apprenants.
I don’t think André should stop doing anything
No comments
Translation for #3: "Sometimes doubts the relevance of the content. The facilitator presents the content very well, and it's further accentuated by the learners' recriprocity."
Continue - What should I continue doing?
All of it - great sessions!
I appreciated the personal approach to the sessions. I felt like we all had an opportunity to contribute and get to know each other. I agree that although we had only spent 4 hours of time together, we did feel like a community - and I think that's in large part to your facilitation style.
Être confiant et positif dans ses séances de disucssions. Continuer à offrir à chaque participant l'occasion de contribuer sur un sujet ou une question. Continuer son écoute active, grandement apprécié !
Active listening, connecting personally, sharing stories, showing he’s a real pro with sincere humility
Creating great learning environments, and humanizing the classrooms!
Translation for #3: Be confident and positive in your discussion sessions. Continue to offer each participant the opportunity to contribute on a topic or question. Continue active listening, much appreciated!
Additional Comments (Open Ended)
No other comments
The padlet with the compiled resources was great, and I also think the book-specific padlet for contributing our thoughts is a wonderful idea and a great way to build off the comments of our peers.
J'ai vraiment apprécié l'approche préconisé de l'instructeur, ce dernier permettant à tous les étudiants de participer à la discussion de manière juste et équitable. Tous avaient l'occasion de partager et se sentir comfortable dans un l'environnement du cours. Je recommende que l'instructure sois retenu pour d'autres séances d'animation du genre.
Not really
Thanks for considering my previous comments ; )and an honest "thank you!" for the great learning experience.
Translation for #3: "I really appreciated the instructor's approach, which allowed all students to participate in the discussion in a fair and equitable manner. Everyone had the opportunity to share and feel comfortable in the course environment. I would recommend the Instructor for other similar facilitation sessions."
What did I learn from this experience?
Lesson One - Being Humble is Important but also being Confident
I learned that my humbleness in teaching can sometimes come off as self-deprecating as I try to lighten the mood by making a joke about myself to ease the tension.
"He can stop apologizing for his accent - I love it!"
"Se doubter parfois de la pertinence du contenu. L'animateur présente très bien le contenu et elle s'accentue davantage par la récriprocité des apprenants." // "He sometimes doubts the relevance of the content. The facilitator presents the content very well, and it's further accentuated by the learners' recriprocity."
I tend to follow this by highlighting the work of others knowledge above my own to ensure everyone feels they have a voice. Ironically, this was highlighted by some amazing seasoned educators in this cohort which made me rethink my approach a bit. A good lesson in adjuting the balance between humbleness and confidence is key.
Lesson Two - Socially Constructing until the End of Time
This learning experience also taught me that I continue to thrive in environments where I can leverage my passion for socially constructing knowledge with learners. This collaborative effort not only inspires engagement but makes the experience less passive as highlighted in the check-in feedback.