Technology Supported Learning & Retention/About...

For the Facilitated online course, students enrolled in the cohort work through the modules together, with predefined deadlines for completing individual lessons. The cohort provides a significant interactive learning experience. The facilitator monitors the progress. The facilitator is available to moderate discussions that go off track and to answer questions as they arise.

Cohorts are scheduled. Registration is required. Participation in discussions is expected. Activity completion is self-paced, but there is considerable advantage to working within the cohort schedule.

Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
In 1987 Chickering & Gamson published the now famous “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” These principles are based on the perspective that the goal of a proper undergraduate education should be active, cooperative, and challenging.


 * 1) encourage student-faculty contact
 * 2) encourage cooperation among students
 * 3) encourage active/engaged learning
 * 4) give prompt feedback
 * 5) emphasize time on task
 * 6) communicate high expectations
 * 7) respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Modules and activities
Course modules address each of the seven principles. Each module contains activities grouped for building blocks for learning.


 * Learn - notes, reading, discussion about concepts associated with the Practice theme of the module, introduction to the technologies that support this module's Practice
 * Explore - as a "student" use the tools and participate in demonstrations of the Practice
 * Apply - from the instructional perspective, observe and/or implement the Practice tools
 * Evaluate - reflect on the Practice, implementation process and student outcomes

Just want the overview? Complete the activities within the course identified as components of the Introduction. You will see that there are many other activities listed and tagged for Student Learning Support or Teaching and Learning. You are welcome to do any or all of these as your time and interest permit.

If you are planning to supplement an existing classroom course, you should work through all the activities tagged Introduction and Student Learning Support.

Experienced technology using faculty planning to use the course management tools are to review and participate in all activities.

Course Completion
How do you know when you are done? Rubrics are provide to check your work. If you would like academic credit for the work, a formal registration and review process is being considered.

There are no "grades" for the course - just assessment of Completion. As a participant in the TSLR course, you are NOT working for actual course grades. All the assignments and quizzes are hands-on learning experiences - show and tell, only. With that in mind the grades are meaningless.

Did you do the assignment - yes/no? Do you have a student experience with various Catalyst options? Did you get something to think about, discuss and/or add to your own course? That is the ONLY objective for including graded assignments in this course.

Grades are not important, other than to see the ranges and how they work from a student perspective. The "course" is about personal learning experience, professional development, community building, and working toward providing more options for students.

Resources
The material in the Technology to Support Learning & Retention course is intended to serve as a stand-alone self paced course as well as an ongoing reference for any faculty interested in learning more about the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and their application to courses via technology.

Self-paced study - Work through the lessons and activities in the order presented. Engage colleagues in discussion, review of course development. Available anytime. May request review for credit upon successful completion.

Group Project
Rather than a course, think of this a group project. That is a better model for this learning experience. We are all in this together. I changed the Catalyst course Settings to say Facilitator and Participants, because this more accurately represents our respective roles.

As a graduate and occasional instructor in the CSUEB MS Ed Online Teaching and Learning program, I thought the group project process was an extremely valuable learning experience. In fact, that was the subject of my Masters project (most of which is available from my DeAnza web page).

Group Project Project http://faculty.deanza.edu/taylorvalerie/groupproject/index.html

Please contact me if you have questions of suggestions.

Enjoy!