Page 106 - Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century

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Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching and Learning 2021
Below are excerpts related to the challenges that students shared when they were asked to reflect on their learning within the remote learning space:
Excerpts of strengths and challenges related to the use of the discussion board functionality for the first week of lockdown remote learning class for Educational Psychological Therapeutic Interventions I module (26 March 2020). Students’ real names have not been used.
Veronica: Thank you everyone for your input. Perhaps we could each share
our reflections about this type of learning space, what you thought were the strengths, what could be goals to improve? Share your reflections on what you will be taking away from this experience.
Thomas: I found this very stressful, there were so many conversations going on
at the same time that I did not know whether I was coming or going. It is a pity we are in the situation we are currently in as I found learning about Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) fascinating. But I did miss the personal interaction in class to discuss the approach. It is also the first time some of us are using the forum, we did not know what to expect and where to go. I am doubting whether I even made any contributions to the discussion.
Veronica: I do think a web conferencing platform such as Blackboard Collaborate Ultra would be better next time. It will allow us to see and hear each other as well as use the added tools of screen sharing as well as typing in questions for the moderator to field throughout the process. Blackboard Collaborate sessions can also be recorded so we can go back to review if needed. I will send you all the tutorial for Blackboard Collaborate Ultra as soon as it is available. Zoom I understand is another useful web conferencing tool we could explore.
Jade (student with a hearing impairment) I did enjoy this form of discussion. I learn well when the work and discussions are visual. It was also interesting that many different discussions were going on at once, but everyone could take part
in the various discussions. It was a strength in that various aspects of SFT were discussed and everyone could take part in some way; this is something that cannot be achieved in face-to-face discussions when everyone is in different groups discussing different things or when it is a class discussion and only one aspect
can be tackled at a time. However, the layout of the discussion boards was a little confusing and following the different discussions were sometimes overwhelming.
I enjoyed seeing everyone’s perspectives and engaging with everyone, which is very hard to do in the lecture room. I loved the different ideas and creativity that was shared. Personally, and professionally, it is crucial to consult with your fellow peers and view the different perspectives and ideas.
Pam: I liked the discussion board forum. It was, however, marred by anxiety and confusion about how to use the platform but would hopefully be easier next
time. In future perhaps having a practice discussion would be helpful so everyone knows what to use. I also think that everyone had a chance to say something when that is not always the case in a face-to-face class. Today, it was a little bit of trial and error, but it would become easier the more we used it.