COMMUNITY BUILDING AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

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COMMUNITY BUILDING AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

• James Berger, Department of Biology
• Shona Ellis, Department of Biology
• Judy Brown, Department of English

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH LEARNING

• What is it?
• How do you build it?
• How do you use it?
• How do you make it matter?
• How do you evaluate it?

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ENGAGEMENT DEFINED

• a covenant
• an appointment
• an attachment or entanglement
• a commitment
• a crossing of swords
• the quality or state of being occupied or
  interested devotion to a purpose intenseness
  and engagedness of heart and soul
• the OED online

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A few words on engaged learning

• Learning is interactive when learners are
  engaged in a variety of activities, and along
  with their peers and teacher, they are
  co-constructors of knowledge. The learning
  environment provides a sense of a learning
  community within which participants collaborate
  with others to negotiate and share meanings.
  Richard Chamberlain and Charalambos Vrasidas

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A few words on engaged learning

• Learning is interactive when learners are
  engaged in a variety of activities, and along
  with their peers and teacher, they are
  co-constructors of knowledge. The learning
  environment provides a sense of a learning
  community within which participants collaborate
  with others to negotiate and share meanings.
• Richard Chamberlain and Charalambos Vrasidas

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Engagement Preview

• Interrogative engagement
• Collaborative engagement
• Engagement through reflection
• Engagement and Examination
• Engagement of Instructors

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INTERROGATIVE ENGAGEMENT

• proleptic (anticipatory) questions prologue to
  classwide discussion, analysis, and writing about
  texts
• substantive questions how (process) why
  (reasons) what if (hypothetical)
• post facto questions follow ups and reflections
  on materials covered in class

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A Students Post Facto Reflection

• On Monday, you asked us who the boy in the
• raincoat represents in the story The Map of the
• City. I went back to read through the story, and
  
• decided that he represents the child Miriam and
• Will would have had if she hadnt miscarried. At
• the beginning of the story Will says that
  longing
• manifests in sight when he and Miriam are
• discussing how people sometimes see their loved
• ones long after they have passed away (162).
  

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Student Reflectioncontd.

• In the next scene, when she and Will are
• walking along Hastings Street, I think she
• imagines the boy in the raincoat. She finally
• yearns for her own family and no longer views
• children as a cause of pain.
• But Will sees the boy tooso Im not sure if I
• can justify my view with enough textual
• evidence. What do others think?

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Making Use of Question Posts

• as starting or focal points for lectures and
  discussions
• as capstone comments for summary sessions
• as starting points for research assignments
• as material for discussion groups, quizzes and
  discussion forums
• as the medium by which reticent students can
  engage in the exchange of ideas

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COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT

• The Online Writing Team
• created in week 3 of a 13 week course
• five students per team
• selection made by instructor based on
• three document submissions
• - introductory posting to main forum
• - memorandum on research project
• - a one-page mini resume

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WRITING TEAM ACTIVITIES

• discussion forum postings (time-limited, engaged
  with ethical issues, responsive to team members)
• focused peer reviews (three different items a
  definition draft, a technical report draft, a set
  of instructions destined for publication)
• collaborative summary of a team writing
  discussion forum for posting to the class as a
  whole

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PEER REVIEW A STUDENTS VIEW

• The peer review process challenged me as an
• audience member. In order to provide useful
• feedback to my colleague, I had to sometimes
• put myself in her position to understand what
• she may have meant by a particular passage.I
• believe the most helpful advice I was able to
  give was
• regarding integration of graphics into her
  report. After
• reading her report, I had a great idea about a
  graphic
• she could use to explain store design.

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REFLECTION AS ENGAGEMENT

• written reflection pieces on learning
  accompanying the major writing assignments for
  the course
• - on definition and audience
• - on writing correspondence
• - on writing a peer review
• - on compiling a job application package
• - on designing an electronic portfolio

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Questions sparking reflection

• What adjustments did you find yourself making in
  writing your expanded definition for a newcomer
  to your workplace? (200 words)
• What have you learned in this module about the
  challenges of writing a formal letter in response
  to a letter of complaint? (250 words)
• What did you find most challenging in writing a
  peer review? What do you think was the most
  helpful feedback you were able to provide? How do
  you think the peer review might affect your own
  writing of your report in the weeks ahead? (300
  words)

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A Students View Reflecting on Reflection

• At first, writing e-reflections felt onerous. It
  was not
• until the portfolio began to take form that I was
  able to
• see the benefits of my work. In particular, the
  portfolio
• has allowed me to see what I struggled with
  (argument
• and clarity), where I improved (revising), and
  how my attitude
• toward the writing process has matured. I now
  consider the
• elements of page layout, typography, and
  forecasting statements in
• my writing. I imagine that, some day, this
  portfolio will provide the
• starting material for a much larger, online
  undergraduate e-portfolio.
• I envision adding to it graphics and selected
  works from other
• courses and Co-Op work terms.

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Showing That Engagement Matters

• give it time and space in the course
• acknowledge engagement by spotlighting it
• keep it fresh by seeking feedback from students
• show its value by evaluating it effectively
• fold engagement activities into all parts of a
  course (including examinations)

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ENGAGEMENT EXAMINATION

• Part I
• Create an e-portfolio of select pieces from your
• work in the course and write an extended
• reflection in which you provide a rationale for
• your choices, your arrangement, and your
• design of the portfolio elements.

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Engagement Examination

• Part II.
• Study the draft of a set of instructions destined
• for publication and write an extended peer
• review to the writer intended to analyse the
• draft and to make constructive suggestions for
• its revision.

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Engaging Those Who Do the Teaching

• Designing an instructors space in WebCT
• - e-mail
• - discussion space
• - chat room
• - teaching resources
• - tip sheets
• - checklists for marking and evaluation