Learning Communities

Embedded Instructional Design - A Fresh Perspective through Learning Communities

The Fall semester is well underway and I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the Embedded Instructional Design initiative as well as a few faculty projects I have been involved with. If you are not aware, Learning Technologies has been making our rounds at the departments across campus. Each day, and Instructional Designer travels to your department and makes themselves available to help with research, questions on course design, technologies and Canvas. We have three instructional designers on the team including myself, Dr. Anna Catterson along with Mark Summey and Selayoa Lovett. Each of us have different areas that we embed ourselves into hoping to spark a learning community. A learning community is a group of people who share common academic goals and attitudes, who meet semi-regularly to collaborate on classwork. Such communities have become the template for a cohort-based, interdisciplinary approach to higher education. 

This past week, I have been working with Dr. Joyce Thierer on several projects, but we have also been working on mobile technology. She recently acquired a new Samsung cellphone and was learning what types of applications to download to make her more productive in the classroom. Ironically, Dr. Thomas Mahoney, Mathematics professor, also joined our conversation this week. The two had never met and at first, what seemed like an unlikely duo, the two shook hands and introduced themselves to each other and quickly began discussing mobile devices and how they use them in their instruction. Each shared their backgrounds and what department they taught in and then together, the three of us brainstormed a variety of mobile applications that are most helpful and combined a top-ten list. Both faculty shared their struggles with mobile applications and finding applications that are most useful to them in their teaching.

The list they developed? Here is is:

1. Photomath
2. CamScanner
3. OneDrive
4. Chrome
5. History Timeline
6. Canvas
7. Walmart
8. Today in History
9. Google Expeditions
10. Bouncer

Dr. Thomas Mahoney and Dr. Joyce Thierer sharing their top 10-mobile applications and how they use them for class instruction. Dr. Mahoney is a professor in mathematics and Dr. Thierer is a Historian in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

While the conversation started in mobile applications, it quickly turned to how the mobile applications are used in the classroom and what applications allow for ease in the classroom. For example, Dr. Mahoney uses the application CamScanner often in developing his assessments. He demonstrated by writing a mathematical expression on a piece of notebook paper, taking a photo of it using CamScanner which allows him to then edit by writing on top of it through the application. He can generate a test key or make notes on upcoming assessments with ease. I downloaded the application and have been using it extensively ~ fantastic shortcut!

I'm encouraged by this Learning Community and hopeful that other faculty will reach across campus and begin to have conversations with other faculty members who are not in their department. Sharing our resources with other helps us see different perspectives and how to create a culture of collaboration and active learning. Two professors in two different worlds who happen to share common interest in improving the quality of their teaching. My thanks and appreciation to both of these faculty for stepping out of their comfort zones and trying something new! I challenge you to do the same.

~Anna

Educational Technology Coordinator
Embedded Instructional Designer for: Nursing, Counseling Education, LAS, EMLJ