MyLibrary - Library Resources at your Fingertips

MyLibrary Helps Students Find Library Resources

by Alan Regan

In almost every course site is a little tool called MyLibrary. If a student clicks this tool, it will present information tailored to their subject area or even their specific class and section.

How the Tool Works

When a student or professor clicks the tool, it looks at the course site. If it finds a specific match for that class site, section, and semester (e.g. ENG 101.01 F16), then it displays custom information for that class.  If it doesn't find an exact match, then it looks for the subject area (e.g. ENG), and displays the general information for that subject. Finally, if it finds no matches at all, then it displays a list of all general resource lists and the main library information.

The tool can also support up to two subject librarians per course.  For example, if the primary subject librarian is at the Malibu campus, and there is an additional subject expert at the Irvine campus, then a student can click the link at the bottom to display the other librarian's contact information.

Background

MyLibrary was a collaborative effort between Pepperdine IT and Pepperdine Libraries and has evolved over the years.  It began in 2007 when the library approached us about students not knowing where to go or who to speak with regarding research for class papers and projects. Working with library staff members, we mocked up some options and developed an initial tool for our previous learning management system (LMS). This version was originally created with Java, Flash, and Actionscript, which were popular at the time.

In 2009, we started our pilot of Sakai as a replacement for our previous LMS. We ported our prior version of the tool to a Sakai-friendly version. This version was also based in Java, Flash, and Actionscript. Slowly, we started to see more and more mobile devices appear on campus, and many devices were not compatible with Flash content. In 2012, we began a revision, and starting spring 2013 we launched the revised MyLibrary in HTML5/Javascript so that iPad and iPhone users could benefit from the tool.

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We're very grateful for our collaboration with Pepperdine Libraries and hope that students and professors alike benefit from library resources and contact details readily available from their class sites.

Exploring all aspects of education and technology

 

Exploring all aspects of education and technology

by Keenan Kibrick

I decided to change the format and instead of writing headings “why I clicked it” and “why I wrote it”.  I wanted to replace it with the actual terms that I mean.  Instead it will begin with why I read it for myself, and the second part is why I wrote about it and wanted to tell others about it.  The writing and reasons will be similar then they were before, but the section choices will better reflect what I actually write about in those sections.  I hope you all enjoy the change. 

Today’s wrap up is a mashup of educational material.  It covers a lot of topics from inquiry based learning, the role of a teacher, and gamification motivation.  While it is a mashup of material I hope the techniques will be beneficial to faculty in their pursuit of improving classroom achievement.

Role of the Teacher in a Blended Learning Classroom

http://www2.edgenuity.com/Role-of-the-Teacher

Note you have to sign in to read the article, but it is just for verification.

Why I read it:   The separations into the rule, the example of the rule, and the technology Dos/Don’ts were easy to navigate.  I liked reading the Dos and Don’ts and felt they provided good tips for technology in the classroom.

Why I wrote about it:   The content embedded in the format is wonderful to read. It covers so many vast important topics of the 21^st century classroom that are applicable to all classes.  It covers data driven culture, high expectations of students, relevant and engaging learning, positive feedback in classes and many more.  For each topic the separation of sections is wonderful.  The rule is simple to follow and the explanation of how each rule works are just one page.  After, they give a detailed example of a school that enforces the rule and exemplifies its success.  Finally it ends with a few quick tip dos and don’ts for the rule.  These tips are powerful and can help guide someone to success in exploring the topic.

This is a long paper compared to my brief entries, but it is valuable information about 21^st century learning best practices.  I encourage all faculty to read this, and if need be (because of length) not all at once.  Try working on one tip at a time, and using the information to improve the classroom.  Use as much or as little of this as you want, but please read it because each topic is succinct and valuable to transforming education.

It’s perfect for:  Understanding 21^st century learning, creating a toolkit of best practices, wanting examples of support to justify teaching techniques.

Can University Professors Benefit from K-12 Progressive Teaching Tactics

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/03/can-university-professors-benefit-from-k-12-progressive-teaching-tactics/

Why I read it:  I enjoyed the narrative of a college educator in a k-12 education conference.  It is interesting to see how different college and K-12 think they are, yet when they are put side by side how similar they really are.  The perspective kept me interested and the more I read the more I got hooked on the epiphanies that this College Professor had.

Why I kept reading it:   One paragraph in particular hooked me into this paper.  The assignment about apples paragraph in the middle of the paper is a must read.  It shows a perfect example of education in the future using the inquiry model, and it’s flawless in its design.  It succinctly explains how the classroom should be a place of inquiry where students should be encouraged to explore multiple topics while learning the main topic of a class.  If students can be motivated to learn through tangential exploration into side topics that lead to the main topic it’s perfectly acceptable and should be encouraged in a class.    It focused on the purpose of what students are learning and highlighting the importance of emphasizing that purpose inside a class.  This is just one example of the great ideas form this article.  The article focuses on how College faculty can benefit from High School Principles of learning.  I believe the ideas in this article are inspiring and should be lessons for all educators regardless of classroom level.

It’s perfect for:   Learning the basics of the inquiry based model, rethinking the college classroom, venturing outside the comfort zone of academia to find innovation.

Rewards of Glory and Other Ways to Keep Gamification Interesting

http://karlkapp.com/rewards-of-glory-and-other-ways-to-keep-gamification-interesting//

Why I read it:  I am always fascinated with gamification reward structures.  I know many, but they always feel stale sometimes.  The idea of rewards for glory and multiple reward systems is a great idea.  From the first bold words of rewards of glory I was hooked and wanted to implement these reward systems in classes.

Why I kept reading it:   While this article isn’t about gamification in education.  These same concepts can apply to almost any gamification experience.   Each of them is a great way to help engage students in very simple practices the drive achiever learning style students. Rewards of Glory are a great idea. People need to repeat actions in classes sometimes and motivating repetition is great for classes where repetition is a necessary practice.   Rewards of access are great for students who want to explore a class, and who want to feel rewarded for exploring outside the general class.  Further, by rewarding students with access it lets students realize there are alternative paths to success.  Each of the rewards is a great way to inspire student motivation in class and can be used in class to motivate students to perform tasks they are not usually willing to perform in a class.  I recommend faculty playing around with these different rewards and seeing how students respond to each in class.

It’s perfect for:   learning how to reward students in a class, motivating student achievement, designing a gamification based class

Knowing our Learners

Knowing our Learners

by Keenan Kibrick

Knowing our learners is extremely important to meeting their needs.  The problem however, is we must ask ourselves, how well do we know our students?  Our students are very different learners then we are, and the question becomes how should we teach them?  Should we design classes towards their learning styles, or have them conform to ours?  A mixed path I feel is a great way to do this, and to help these are very good links to articles that help us better understand our students and their learning process to better the education we can provide.

The Key Components of a Learner-Friendly Interface Design

http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/337220/The-Key-Components-of-a-Learner-Friendly-Interface-Design

Why I opened it:   I was curious to read about interface design, because I was making videos on the topic.  I wanted to confirm my video knowledge, and to learn a little more about what to add to the videos.

Why I kept reading it:   This article went beyond what I imagined.  It’s not just one article it’s a starting point that lead into many fascinating articles.  Each link is another step to great interface design in an e-learning classroom.  If you have a blended class, online class, or even use Sakai in a face-to-face class this hits so many key points in design it’s almost a crucial read.  It covers 4 primary topics graphic clarity, readability, usability, and learnability.  However, each topic has links to must-reads and they are must-reads.  How learners read on screen was fascinating, and made me realize how I should change my online class design.  It covered so many key issues in education.  Like the idea that students don’t read more than 8 seconds at a time and only read 20% of what we present to them.  The ideas on how to handle this and thought discussions about this issue were fascinating.  Another must read “experience is everything” focuses on design tips to make students experience a class rather than just read it like a website and they are easy to follow.  This website is a 

valuable article that I will reference many times and I recommend faculty also reference. 

It’s perfect for:  Redesigning and online or blended class, using courses as a tool in the classroom, learning more how our students think, designing classes to fit student needs.

 

How Technology Trends Have Influenced the Classroom

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/03/how-real-world-technology-use-has-inflitrated-change-classrooms/

Why I opened it:  Sticking to the theme of design I was curious to see how technology changes the classroom.

Why I kept reading it:   It followed those same philosophies from the design article above.  It highlights primarily how students think and interact with technology.  It gives very good overviews of specific technology facts, and after every overview it presents classroom outcomes gained from these technologies.  The classroom outcomes are very valuable and help reflect on ways we can change our classroom practice.  Great examples gained:  Flipped teaching to meet the needs of the “on-demand” student, and tips to increase interactivity in the class.

It’s perfect for:   learning more how our students think, wanting quick tips to help change classrooms, trying to meet the needs of a changing population of students

Learning Theories Gone Wild – Urban Myths that Hurt Your Learning Designs

http://www.bottomlineperformance.com/learning-theories-gone-wild-urban-myths-can-hurt-learning-designs/

Why I opened it:  It was catchy looking and eye appealing, and when I skimmed the article I landed on the last theory and was hooked.

Why I kept reading it:   I almost stopped when I started because it was too font weird and eye distracting.  However, when I looked past the eye distracting fonts and pictures I loved the information delivered.  I loved that it included Myths and more importantly it had ways to move away from the myths.  That was the best part for me.  It wasn’t alternatives but ways to move away.  The line alone was catchy and signaled that they understood change is a process.  Further, when we look at the tips to move away from the myths we see that they are small steps to take to improve classes.  I enjoy small steps some times and I hope many readers will also.  If we can take small steps to improve our practice they will turn into larger steps in the future.  This entire article had great small steps to improve learning.  The last step was all about research proven methods leading the classroom and dispelling the rumors that learners know best.  It’s all about making sure to cater to our students by doing what is proven and what’s best rather than just what the students want.  The rest are equally as insightful and it is a fascinating article that I hope many will read and learn from.

It’s perfect for:   Questioning how we learn (even newer practices), wanting to take small steps to success, reading more on the theory of learning.

Week 4 Links and analysis

Building e-learning

by Keenan Kibrick

Good afternoon Pepperdine University audience, I wanted to have one more link group to focus on the topic of best instructional design practices in the classroom.  I believe these resources are very useful and I hope you will find them useful as well.

Learner help to build e-Learning

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/learners-help-build-better-e-learning/

Why I opened it:  This article was opened because it appeared to help facilitate a great theory of education, making the classroom based on what students want/need, and seeking out student opinion.  I was curious to see how to improve classes before a class starts based on previous year data.  I always follow this theory after a class finishes, but I was curious to see how the data could be used for the next semester.

Why I kept reading it:  It divides tips for how to reflect on your class before you start it.  It’s all about developing new courses, but it could also be used for someone who is trying to re-develop a course they are teaching. It takes tips from the idea of thinking like a designer with the purpose of teaching to a specific audience.  This designer method is very good for faculty, but even more important in an online class or blended classroom.  Online and blended classes should be laid out as much as possible on day one because more of a class is public at a time in an online environment then a face-to-face environment.  Students need to be able to navigate the different tabs to know what to expect for the class.  Building a fully prepared online class before the first day is very important, and these steps help make sure that the class which is built mirrors best design practices.

For more information about this I also recommend the following Extra Credit Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HmtmoGwpZc

It’s on thinking like a designer.  While the video is for game design I find a lot of it can be applied to class design. Both this video and the article provide great ideas to help prepare for a new class, and how to re-examine to improve a class. This idea overall of thinking like a designer is a great practice and the document really helps follow user experience feedback methods to improve an online class.

It’s perfect for:  Online faculty, faculty who use courses to improve their class, and faculty who want to learn best design practices applied to the field of education

Evaluating eLearning

http://lectora.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-your-online-training-course/?utm_source=elearning-industry-blog-post&utm_medium=blog-link&utm_content=the-anatomy-of-great-e-learning-quiz-questions&cid=elearning-industry-blog-post

Why I opened it:  I found the above link while looking at this link.  http://elearningindustry.com/the-anatomy-of-great-e-learning-quiz-questions.  The first link was about ways want to improve the type of questions faculty can provide on exams, and when they mentioned it was about e-learning I was curious to explore the differences between e-learning questions and face-to-face questions.  The article though wasn’t that good, to me, but it did have a link to an article about evaluating our own online classes. This link turned out to be worth it and a great article about evaluating a person’s own online course. 

Why I kept reading it:  It’s a simple short blog post about 3 ways people can also think like a designer for classes.  I highly recommend reading this article after the two posts from the first article.  It talks about user testing in online classes, feedback forms inside classes, and tracking student achievement after a class.  It has great strategies that are worth exploring for a class, and can even expand past the online and blended classroom for ideas.

It’s perfect for:  Class improvement, more info. to think like a designer, faculty who want to read a short but valuable way to re-think the learning process.

Ice Breaker: Image Scavenger Hunt

Breaking the Ice

Find an Image that Represents Your View on the Subject

by Alan Regan

There are many ways to "break the ice" in an online or blended class, or even weeks before a face-to-face class begins. As they say, a picture says a thousand words. Why not combine both?

This is an example I created for the Social Entrepreneurship and Change program at GSEP.

ACTIVITY DETAILS

• Introduce yourself and then briefly explain your understanding and vision for social justice philanthropy by searching for an image that you feel represents this for you.
• Through this exercise, you will connect with one another, become comfortable with using the discussion forum tool, and have fun!

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Visit http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ 
2. Search the creative commons repository for an image that represents your viewpoint on social justice philanthropy. Spend no more than five (5) minutes.
3. Get the web address for the image and add it to your post.
4. Write 1-3 sentences explaining how this image represents your viewpoint.
5. Be sure to cite the image author by linking to the Flickr web address for the picture.
6. Post your answer!

 TECHNICAL HOW-TO STEPS:

On Flickr

• Visit http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
• Click "See More" below the "Attribution License" section.
• Search for your image. Short, simple terms are best.
• Click the desired search result. 
• On the right, scroll down. Click the "More Actions" button and then select "Download / All Sizes."
• Click "Medium" (in most cases -- about 500 pixels wide)
• Right-click and select "Copy Image Location" (or equivalent to copy the web address to the image)
• Don't close the web page! You'll need the photographer's name for your citation!

On Courses/Sakai

• Click "Start a new conversation" in the top tool bar.
• In the text editor, click the "Image" button in the toolbar (second row, toward the right between the flag and the red "F" circle).
• Paste the web address to the image in the URL field.
• Click "OK."
• Enter your reason for selecting this image. How does it represent your viewpoint on social justice philanthropy? Limit your response to 1-3 sentences.
• Click "Post."
• Done!

Resources:

• "Finding Free Images: Flickr's Creative Commons"
• "Using Online Ice Breakers to Promote Student/Teacher Interaction"
•  "What is an Ice Breaker?"

Keenan's Week One: Web Resources Review

 Web Resources Review

 by Keenan Kibrick

It is a pleasure to be a new contributor to the technology and learning blog.  My name is Keenan Kibrick and I am one of the new Instructional Technologists on the team.  I wanted to begin by posting a series of links to interesting articles towards improving classroom education.  Each one is easy and quick to read, but offers a lot of good advice to help improve the classroom.  I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I did.

10 ways to teach for the google generation

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/10-ways-teacher-planning-adjust-google-generation/

Why I opened it:  I always want to know more about the next generation of students so I can help improve education delivery to a group of students that grew up with different values and beliefs in education then I have.

Why I read it:  Once I started reading the tips I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  Having students grapple with big questions without answers was an amazing idea, and from there they went into all the ways online education tools can be used in the classroom.  I would love to see these ideas used in more classes.  The rest follow suit as great ideas that could easily be implemented in a classroom.  It’s a quick read with great ideas that could revolutionize classrooms.

It’s perfect for:  Faculty who want to try new education strategies, faculty who are struggling to relate to students, and faculty who want to design innovative curriculum

Gamification Roadmap infographic

http://www.learndash.com/gamification-roadmap-infographic/

Why I opened it:  Gamification is a passion of mine and when I read of the idea of a roadmap I wanted to see one person’s opinion of proper gamification.

Why I read it:  Once I opened the link realized my first opinion was wrong in a very good way.  This isn’t a roadmap of a specific type of way to look at gamification, it’s a roadmap to designing gamification anyway you want.  It’s not made for education, and has a little bit of a business edge, but the concept can easily be applied to the classroom.  It goes over all aspects of gamification from the type of people that are gamers, to the types of different ways to gamify an area.  It is very good, and if a step doesn’t apply to you, just keep reading more and you’ll get great gamification ideas.

It’s perfect for:  Faculty who already know only the basics of gamification, Faculty who want to design gamified classes, Faculty who want an illustrated guide to a subject.

Extra Credits: Fail Faster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDjrOaoHz9s&feature=share&list=UUCODtTcd5M1JavPCOr_Uydg

Why I opened it:  Extra Credits is one of the best video series there is, and has many inspirational ideas for design and gamification.  My favorite is even an episode on the Gamification an education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94.  When they made one on the concept of failing faster (a concept I believe deeply) I had to watch it.

Why I watched it:  This was everything I imagined.  It quickly discusses the importance of failure in creating and generating improvement.  It’s a great video to make you think about the importance of trying and failing and how through failure we grow and improve.  They do it in a quick funny way I appreciate.  They did a great job and they really made a good explanation of the importance of failing early a lot so you don’t fail when it counts.

It’s perfect for:  Faculty who want to become more comfortable with the concept of failure, faculty who want to take a risk and improve their class in a radical way, faculty who want to learn the importance of trial and error in the class

Why Professors Teaching Online Must Think Like Method Actors and Film Directors

Why Professors Teaching Online Must Think Like Method Actors and Film Directors

by Varun Khanna

Clearly, academia is going through a disruptive phase where students from all over the world believe that their next classroom experience may not come face-to-face from the local college but, half-way across the world via a web conferencing tool like Adobe Connect, Fuzebox or Bb Collaborate.

Even die-hard traditional universities that may have vowed never to join the blended/online classroom experience are now reevaluating their strategy.

So, what can professors do to enhance online engagement experience for their students?

Think - Camera! Lights! Action!

1. Camera Angle
2. Lighting 
3. Background
4. Color
5. Movement 
6. Eye contact 
7. Punctuate 
8. Script it 
9. Rehearse it 
10. Technique

Laptop Camera Angle
If your laptop camera is not eye-level then you are looking down on your students. If you have too much space on the top, to left or right, then you probably are projecting a diluted version of yourself online.

Lighting
Think soft warm light as opposed to fluorescent lighting that is rarely kind. Pick up a couple of small lamps with warm light bulbs from your local hardware store.  Place a light to your left and right (one closer than the other). Try not to have an overhead light that might create shadows on your face. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry's girlfriend looks rather interesting under different lighting conditions?

Background
Sitting in front of a window during the day teaching an online class? You could be in a silhouette on camera.  If possible, your office desk should be at least 6 feet from the back wall.  If working from home, please take off any clothes hanging behind your home office door.

Color
Think strong colors that compliment the topic being covered in class. Solid colors do well on camera. Stripes, polka dots, plaid - not so much! Now if you are teaching double-declining depreciation - you are on your own!

Movement
Some web conferencing tools might not deliver the optimal frame rate per second that best represents smooth video quality.  Lower bandwidth connections will deliver higher quality video if you limit on-camera movement to a minimum, unless you are teaching P.E. online!

Eye Contact
If your laptop or desktop camera is eye level and you are looking directly into it from time to time, students will be more engaged as you bring content directly into their online world. Look to that green light on your Mac from time to time. If your laptop does not have an "on" light next to the built-in camera, paste a small stickie note next to it.

Punctuate
Online content delivery begs that you carefully punctuate! Punctuation may also come in the form of turning off your camera while your student/s are talking and then turning their camera/s off and turning your camera on to amplify your presence and response.

Script it
Your online class needs an even stronger (might I dare say, dramatic) script than what you would have in a face-to-face class. The script needs careful attention with a beginning, middle and an end. It will need constant revision. After all, your online audience is tiring as the semester progresses and every semester your audience is going to change. One glove fits all simply does not work!

Rehearse it
Even Academy award winning actors need an acting coach. Don’t be afraid to invite a good coach (instructional consultants or peers) to several online rehearsals and performance/s.

Rehearse it! Rehearse it!! Rehearse it!!!

Unless, you are Steven Segal!

Technique
Once you have mastered the technique - forget it! What that means is that as an online teacher you must, yes, must master the technical UI (user interface) of your web conferencing tool and LMS (Learning Management System) and make that second nature. Mastering a web conferencing tool like Bb Collaborate, Adobe Connect or Fuze is imperative. Once you have mastered it - you must forget it so that your students do not see these technology tools as a deterrent to delivering an Oscar worthy performance every time.

Break a leg!