Summer 2023:
Contributions to Learning & the Learning Community
EDLD 5318 & EDLD 5389
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EDLD 5318: 98
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EDLD 5389: 98
Self-Assessment Scores
I have given myself a score of 98 for both classes because I believe I met all of the Key and Supporting contributions from the rubric. Two points are removed because I was not able to host a Zoom study session every week of the course. Additionally, I did not read all of the supplemental resources due to the cost of purchasing several books. However, I did read all of the required and freely accessible supplemental resources.
Self-Assessment Rationale
Zoom Study Group Meetings I scheduled and hosted on the Facebook group for both courses.
What is working?
Throughout the summer semester, I have worked with numerous members of my class through various mediums of communication to further our learning. My core group of collaborators this semester included Angela T, Mesha S, Vershuka C, Lacy H, Dayna W, Rodney H, and Nneka G. In addition to this core group, I communicated and collaborated with several other classmates. Communications were facilitated through discussion board posts, Facebook posts, direct messages, and Zoom Study Calls.
By Module 2 (Week 4) we had established a rhythm to our collaboration. I hosted a weekly Zoom meeting, usually on Thursday evenings. On the weeks we had class we used the meeting to review the materials for the courses and the requirements for each assignment. During the off-weeks, we would use the call as a “show & tell” in which we shared our assignments and gave feedback. As it became harder to meet throughout the semester we still used the event feature to create mini-forums for informal feedback. It was beneficial to see the various ways each student interpreted the directions for each assignment. This enabled us to find ways to meet the requirements of both courses by creating effective professional development courses that are hosted in an online format.
To help us stay organized with the numerous course resources available I created "Media Guides" with links to all of the readings, videos, and supporting resources in addition to my notes from them in one place. These media guides helped my time management skills to balance both EDLD 5318 and EDLD 5389 with summer travel. All of my assignments for Summer 2023 were submitted at least 24 hours before the due date. Most assignments were completed one week prior and shared on discussion forums. All of my initial discussion board posts were posted 5+ days before the module due date to allow several days for feedback from peers. My responses to 2+ peers were completed before the end of each module. I continued to monitor the discussion boards even after the module due dates to respond to questions from peers if they arose.
What can be improved?
While the dynamic conversations on Zoom calls have been the most beneficial, they have been difficult to schedule due to changing summer schedules. Many people were unable to attend due to summer travel, family visits, and other events. My own travel schedule made it difficult to host meetings on the same day each week. In the next semester, I plan to schedule the study meetings on consistent days and post them more than a week in advance.
Another element of the learning community that could be improved is the giving of actionable feedback. Throughout the summer semester, I received minimal critical feedback on the course discussion boards. Most responses to my work consisted of praise for selected elements. This made it difficult for me to adjust my assignments in response to feedback. In the next semester, I plan to encourage my peers to give actionable feedback starting at the beginning of the course. I believe my peers may be more willing to give critical feedback and open to receiving it when the expectation is set at the start of the course. Receiving this kind of feedback will help me further develop as an instructional designer for online courses and professional learning.
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Highlights of My Contributions to the Learning Community
Key Contributions:
1. Contributed to and helped build your core collaboration group.
Summer 2023 was the first semester I took educational technology courses at Lamar University. However, I had a core group of students I had worked with in previous semesters while we were taking Educational Administration courses. At the beginning of the courses, I shared the Educational Technology Leadership (ETL) GroupMe information with the class using the Student/Faculty Lounge discussion boards. A Facebook group was also shared on these discussion boards, so I joined that group along with many of my peers from the ETL GroupMe.
Below are images of our Zoom meetings including an EdTech Study Group and a Show & Tell.
Module 2 Show & Tell Zoom
EdTech Study Group Reviewing Course Materials
2. Provided peer feedback to your core group members.
I used the Blackboard Discussion boards for the classes as an opportunity to communicate with classmates who were not part of my core group when possible. In my responses to my peers’ work, I provided actionable feedback on how their assignments could be improved to the next level.
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My core group members often received feedback from me through direct communication methods such as Zoom or direct messages because they enabled easier dynamic communication. When asked to give feedback I would create a checklist of requirements for each assignment and use it to assess my peers’ assignments. This was an informal document with notes for improvement. I have attached an excerpt of one of these documents below.
2. Revised all assignments and reflected on revisions in this contribution to the learning activities.
I sought feedback through discussion posts, group messages, and during Zoom Show & Tell sessions. Throughout the semester, I was not given any actionable feedback on my Module 1 and 2 assignments. Typically, I received compliments about different elements of my products. I modeled my assignments after looking at several exemplars and creating a personal checklist to ensure I had all components of each assignment during my planning and creation of my assignments.
For Module 3 in EDLD 5318, I received some feedback from peers on my usability test. I used the feedback from them in my Usability Test Reflection. For example, one of my testers suggested improving the Module 1 Quiz on Identifying Language Proficiency Levels by shifting the questions stems from descriptions of student performance to examples of student performance. This helped improve the final version of the course by aligning the assignment with teachers’ experience of looking at actual student work rather than descriptions of the work.
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3. Completed all of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources.
At the beginning of the semester, many of my peers and I were feeling overwhelmed by the change in the course structure after taking classes in the Education Administration Degree Track. This class offered substantially more flexibility to work with. To help us stay organized with the numerous course resources available I created a one-document "Media Guides" with all the readings required for each course. I shared my guides with classmates on GroupMe and Facebook so they could benefit as well. The media guides allowed me to access all of the readings, videos, and supporting resources in addition to my notes from them in one place. Below are templates of my media guides that were shared with peers. ​
Admittedly I did not read all of the supporting resources, mainly due to the cost of purchasing several books. It was not feasible for me to purchase multiple additional books for each course. However, I did read all of the required and freely accessible supporting resources.
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4. Met the various course activity deadlines indicated in the calendar.
All of my assignments for Summer 2023 were submitted at least 24 hours before the due date. Most assignments were nearly entirely complete one week before they were due and shared on discussion forums. All of my initial discussion board posts were posted a minimum of 5 days before the due date of the module. This was done to allow several days for feedback from peers. My responses to at least two peers were also completed before the due date of each module. I continued to monitor the discussion boards even after the module due dates to respond to questions from peers if they arose.
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5. Connecting the learning (Accelerated ADL Option)
All the members of my core group were in both EDLD 5318 and EDLD 5389 concurrently with me. All of us chose to develop an online professional development course that fulfilled the requirements for both classes. This made our online meeting sessions especially productive as we were able to address both classes. At the end of the semester, each of us had created an effective professional learning plan with resources available in an online format. The two courses enabled me to view experience the instructional design and the long-term nature of developing an effective online professional learning course.
Additional Contributions
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1. Took leadership responsibility in your base group and the course.
During this semester I took on the leadership role of organizing Study Group and Show-&-Tell Zoom calls for classmates to collaborate. I hosted 1-2 Zoom calls each week in which we would review the course materials and assignment expectations. Whenever possible we would share our assignments with each other to give feedback through dynamic conversations. These meetings would have varying attendance from 3 to 12 classmates joining the discussion. Below is an image of the events from the Facebook Group.
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2. Contributed to your learning and the learning of your colleagues by participating in ALL activities.
​I participated in all discussion posts for both 5318 and 5389 to maximize my ability to collaborate with my peers on the Blackboard Forum. All of my posts on these discussion boards were made several days ahead of the Module end date to ensure others had time to review and respond to my work. Although I cannot post all of the discussions here, I can summarize my contributions. In 5318 I shared drafts of my assignments for each module. In my responses for 5318, I reviewed my peer's initial drafts and would identify one highlight and one area that could be improved. I was also present and spoke during every class meeting for both EDLD 5318 & EDLD 5389.
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3. Active contributions in the various course forums.
​All of my initial discussion board posts were posted a minimum of 5 days before the module due date to allow several days for feedback from peers. I would frequently respond to peers who asked questions in their replies to my discussion posts. In addition to the required discussions, I also posted access to the ETL GroupMe in the Studeny/Faculty Lounge discussion boards for both courses.
I attended all class meetings hosted on Zoom throughout the course. During class meetings, I advocated for my peers who recently switched from the Educational Administration courses. Many of us were confused by the change in course structure and instructional design. Fortunately, our professors were supportive and answered the many questions we had during Q&A at the end of each meeting. In our final meeting for EDLD 5318, Dr. Bellard said the feedback and discussions from our Q&A sessions will help improve the course for future students. I received shout-outs from some of my peers during the class meetings for helping them outside of class time. Lastly, in the class Facebook group, I was labeled as a “top contributor” because I often posted resources, answered questions, gave feedback, and organized events.
I was given a "Top Contributor" badge in the Facebook Group for the classes.
References
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APA Style