Image by Barry Switnicki
Blended Re-design of a Lecture Based Program
What is your original/starting learning environment?
I teach Executive Coaching F2F in four day modules in a variety of locations around the world. This is done in English and often in another language through consecutive interpretation. The venues are usually meeting rooms or classrooms without any special technical hardware. Teaching aids are generally two flipcharts and a variety of props that are used to help explain and emphasize concepts. I also use a variety of laminated posters that emphasis concepts in a more visual manner. These get put up on the walls as I unfold the course. Class size can range from eight to seventy-five participants. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on a class size between twelve and twenty-five. I will also focus on locations in North and South America and Europe. In these locations, especially outside of North America, there is a partner organization involved that takes care of logistical support such as enrolling and supporting students, finding and booking venues, supplying Teaching Assistants, ensuring translation of materials and keeping records. I would not include Asia in this scenario as the cultural expectations of a specific teaching pedagogy would most likely produce different results, and the contracting organizations in these locations also have an expectation of a specific pedagogy that would not fit the parameters of what I am creating.
This program has historically been taught in a lecture style with the day broken up with students practicing in either dyads or triads. There are lecture components that explain foundational concepts. There are also lecture components specifically focused on micro-skills, often followed by a demonstration by the teacher and a debrief. Students then, will usually go off to practice, and may take time to debrief with each other or return and debrief with the larger group depending on the instructions from the teacher.
There is no pre-assessment, formative or summative assessment done until the end of the fourth module, that is optional, and will give students a credential as a professional coach. There is an oral assessment done at the end of the fifth module which is pass or fail, with opportunities to re-assess until students pass. Successful assessment will provide the student with a higher level certification and the educational and assessment requirements to submit for a credential with the international voluntary governing body that accredits Executive Coaches.
Although the intention of the exercise is to focus on Functional team processes, due to the complexity of the multiple learning environments, a Heavyweight team would have to be formed to make some decisions to heighten the effectiveness of the changes. I do not have the same autonomy that a K-12 public school teacher might have due to different circumstances and structure. My focus though will be on the Functional components.
What problems you are trying to address by making this change?
There is content that would be better served if it were taught in a flipped manner
There is much content that could be taught in a more effective manner utilizing a flipped model that would allow students to do components before the start of the second, third, and fourth module, working at their own pace.
Making a shift from a lecture based presentation to a more engaged pedagogy where students are presented with a scenario, research or reflection question or concept and expected to present and teach their colleagues, promotes greater depth of learning, engagement, fun, creativity and ownership for their process and results.
There is too much content in the course
This program has more material than can reasonably taught, especially when there is a stronger attention and focus to support students to learn at the higher levels of Blooms taxonomy, especially as defined by Dettmer to include a Social Domain in New Blooms in Established Fields: Four Domains of Learning and Doing
Lack of formative and summative assessment.
I would make a number of changes to integrate both formative and summative assessment.
As this is a competency based program there is a habituated focus on "what I, and you, did wrong". Supporting an awareness of the reasons to shift and habituation of a shift to "What Went Well" and what would be "Even Better If" will support students to be more efficient and successful in their learning and integration.
This is a concept that can be initially taught with small or large group breakout with half the class doing an exercise where the focus would be on what was done or went poorly and the other half of the class focusses on what went well and what would work even better. Each group would report on their findings. Small group work would continue with students researching using their own devices and/or papers and journal articles provided. They would also present their findings. There would also be practical encouragement with a gamification concept similar to one developed by Avi Luxenburg. Students would report (writing on cue cards or post-its) others that "Were Doing Well", being supportive to others, or the group and totals would be tabulated end of each day for reporting in the morning debrief each day of class. Prizes (small tokens) would be awarded randomly to a small number of students. Tabulated numbers would also contribute to thresholds that would mean contributions to charities by the teacher or organization.
What would you like students to control (Time, place, path, pace)?
Students would be able to control:
What is the role of the teacher?
In this situation the teacher has a multi-function role. She / he is not simply the "sage on the stage" but also:
What changes to the physical environment will you make?
The changes needed to the physical environment would be:
What software or hardware might you use?
How will you mix/balance online and F2F modalities.
The intention is that the bulk of the online activities will be added into the time period between F2F modules.
How will the different modalities provide an integrated learning experience?
Right now many of the students going through the entire program do a module and then come to a crashing halt until the next module. The proposed changes will support a flow, consistent review and up-levelling of their understanding, integration, and skill development in a much more measured manner. The actual amount of core material to learn will be reduced to support learning at a higher level throughout the four domains as defined by Dettner. This will provide opportunities for optional material that more advanced students can choose to learn. There will be a shift away from a high concentration of lecture based content to a mix of lecture, more engaged activities, including Socratic conversation, loosely termed station activities in small group, dyads and triads, flipped content, optional content, as well as formative and Summative assessment with a feedback component. I believe this will support learners to have a greatly enhanced learning experience with little cost other than labor.
I teach Executive Coaching F2F in four day modules in a variety of locations around the world. This is done in English and often in another language through consecutive interpretation. The venues are usually meeting rooms or classrooms without any special technical hardware. Teaching aids are generally two flipcharts and a variety of props that are used to help explain and emphasize concepts. I also use a variety of laminated posters that emphasis concepts in a more visual manner. These get put up on the walls as I unfold the course. Class size can range from eight to seventy-five participants. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on a class size between twelve and twenty-five. I will also focus on locations in North and South America and Europe. In these locations, especially outside of North America, there is a partner organization involved that takes care of logistical support such as enrolling and supporting students, finding and booking venues, supplying Teaching Assistants, ensuring translation of materials and keeping records. I would not include Asia in this scenario as the cultural expectations of a specific teaching pedagogy would most likely produce different results, and the contracting organizations in these locations also have an expectation of a specific pedagogy that would not fit the parameters of what I am creating.
This program has historically been taught in a lecture style with the day broken up with students practicing in either dyads or triads. There are lecture components that explain foundational concepts. There are also lecture components specifically focused on micro-skills, often followed by a demonstration by the teacher and a debrief. Students then, will usually go off to practice, and may take time to debrief with each other or return and debrief with the larger group depending on the instructions from the teacher.
There is no pre-assessment, formative or summative assessment done until the end of the fourth module, that is optional, and will give students a credential as a professional coach. There is an oral assessment done at the end of the fifth module which is pass or fail, with opportunities to re-assess until students pass. Successful assessment will provide the student with a higher level certification and the educational and assessment requirements to submit for a credential with the international voluntary governing body that accredits Executive Coaches.
Although the intention of the exercise is to focus on Functional team processes, due to the complexity of the multiple learning environments, a Heavyweight team would have to be formed to make some decisions to heighten the effectiveness of the changes. I do not have the same autonomy that a K-12 public school teacher might have due to different circumstances and structure. My focus though will be on the Functional components.
What problems you are trying to address by making this change?
There is content that would be better served if it were taught in a flipped manner
There is much content that could be taught in a more effective manner utilizing a flipped model that would allow students to do components before the start of the second, third, and fourth module, working at their own pace.
- This would entail creating videos and other learning materials in a number of languages. This could be done over time creating video of live classes (English and the specific language for that country) and then incorporating into the flipped component. This could be a low tech exercise initially using Swivl, an automated servo controlled iPhone mount, and an iPhone for shooting the video. This is already done from time to time for the purposes of renewing accreditation and review purposes.
- Other learning materials such as quizzes and guided investigation materials could be translated with other written materials.
- There would need to be a heavyweight component to create and advisory so students know there would be an expectation to do the flipped component between modules.
- Alternately pre-module work could be given to students after each module, to be completed before the next module, which in most cases is about one month in the future. Students could then work at their own pace over that month.
Making a shift from a lecture based presentation to a more engaged pedagogy where students are presented with a scenario, research or reflection question or concept and expected to present and teach their colleagues, promotes greater depth of learning, engagement, fun, creativity and ownership for their process and results.
There is too much content in the course
This program has more material than can reasonably taught, especially when there is a stronger attention and focus to support students to learn at the higher levels of Blooms taxonomy, especially as defined by Dettmer to include a Social Domain in New Blooms in Established Fields: Four Domains of Learning and Doing
- Restructure the course so that there is a clearer core content with optional content. The optional content could then be learned initially outside of the classroom between each module, in the evenings or during individual and group time during the days of the module. Learning would be supported by written and video based explanations, video demonstrations, and online formative and summative assessment.
Lack of formative and summative assessment.
I would make a number of changes to integrate both formative and summative assessment.
- Online assessment to assist students and teacher to become clearer on which concepts are understood, and at what level, as well as areas for remedial learning.
- Class formative assessment exercises done in small groups so students create clearer understanding of concepts they understand, and at what level, as well as opportunities for remedial learning in small group and mentor type interactions.
- In order for students to proceed to next module they would have to demonstrate competency (summative assessment) using online quizzes. Students would be able to take quiz, self-assess their learning, uses appropriate study resources to improve competency and then retake the quiz as many times as required to allow entry into next module. Note: this would need a heavyweight team to make this change.
As this is a competency based program there is a habituated focus on "what I, and you, did wrong". Supporting an awareness of the reasons to shift and habituation of a shift to "What Went Well" and what would be "Even Better If" will support students to be more efficient and successful in their learning and integration.
This is a concept that can be initially taught with small or large group breakout with half the class doing an exercise where the focus would be on what was done or went poorly and the other half of the class focusses on what went well and what would work even better. Each group would report on their findings. Small group work would continue with students researching using their own devices and/or papers and journal articles provided. They would also present their findings. There would also be practical encouragement with a gamification concept similar to one developed by Avi Luxenburg. Students would report (writing on cue cards or post-its) others that "Were Doing Well", being supportive to others, or the group and totals would be tabulated end of each day for reporting in the morning debrief each day of class. Prizes (small tokens) would be awarded randomly to a small number of students. Tabulated numbers would also contribute to thresholds that would mean contributions to charities by the teacher or organization.
What would you like students to control (Time, place, path, pace)?
Students would be able to control:
- their optional learning components at their own pace, place and path and time.
- when they do the flipped "out of class components" at their own pace, place, and time.
- formative self-assessment remedial components and essentially do them at their own pace, place, time and path.
- their own pace (as long as it is before start of next module), time, and place for the summative assessments between modules.
- their own pace (as long as it is before the start of the next module), time, place, and path for the pre-module work.
- their pace and path when in small groups researching, reflecting, working with scenarios or concepts with the expectation they then will present to, and teach their colleagues.
What is the role of the teacher?
In this situation the teacher has a multi-function role. She / he is not simply the "sage on the stage" but also:
- facilitates learning expansion and deepening as students come in with knowledge gained from the flipped "out of class" components.
- Sets up dyads, triads, small group to facilitate the greatest learning, mediates the environment, negotiates the process, mitigates potential conflict, and encourages an environment of fun and creativity.
- Supports students and teaching assistants in and out of class to be more successful, troubleshooting and empowering resolution of challenges and generally acts as "project manager".
- ensures that core content is covered in an effective manner.
- observes, supports, debriefs with, provides and models effective solution focused feedback.
- creates and supports the shift from "What Went Wrong" to "Even Better If". Facilitates the process.
- presents information in a Socratic, creative, fun manner, that promotes engagement, ownership and deeper learning.
- ensures that students have a basic complement of creative, props and materials to facilitate the research, inquiry, reflection and presentations in class.
What changes to the physical environment will you make?
The changes needed to the physical environment would be:
- a stable internet connection that is free to students.
What software or hardware might you use?
- There would be a version of "bring your own device" with the intent that each group of students working together in the class would have at least one laptop, tablet or smart phone so they could search the internet, if they wished to access articles, videos, and papers.
- Students would need to have some form of computing device and internet at their residence to access flipped components and online assessments. Students are adults and the overwhelming majority would have this equipment at work, at home, or in both locations.
- I was not able to do extensive research on needed software for formative and summative assessment as I had already exceed and almost doubled the expected outlay of time in this project. As a starting point, I would either use Socrative Teacher or the quiz and reporting functions in Canvas, a free Learning Management System that is simple and intuitive for both students, facilitators / teachers and Teaching Assistants. It is also a simple platform to learn and create quizzes. There is Learning Management System in place presently but I would advocate a switch to Canvas as a pilot for these blended courses as the LMS that is presently in place has very low user satisfaction scores. This component might entail activating a Heavyweight team although I believe the Beta could be done at a Functional level. It would only require approval. This is an area that would benefit from more investigation and research.
- I would use an iphone4, iphone6 and a Swivl Camera mount for shooting video, all of which I presently have.
- I would use Camtasia to help produce video instead of more powerful editing equipment as it is much faster and will produce a decent product quickly. Questions for reflection and other components can be incorporated into the videos much easier and simpler this way. I already have Camtasia.
How will you mix/balance online and F2F modalities.
The intention is that the bulk of the online activities will be added into the time period between F2F modules.
- During each module there would be some additional online work done in groups small enough that they could view comfortably view a tablet or laptop screen together.
- The additional modality to balance would be the lecture / engaged learning components.
- There would be optional evening online components, although this would be minimal as students often feel pressure to take these on, even when they have little interest. Students also have the history of taking on extra optional components, ignoring self-care, to their own detriment and fatigue during the day.
How will the different modalities provide an integrated learning experience?
Right now many of the students going through the entire program do a module and then come to a crashing halt until the next module. The proposed changes will support a flow, consistent review and up-levelling of their understanding, integration, and skill development in a much more measured manner. The actual amount of core material to learn will be reduced to support learning at a higher level throughout the four domains as defined by Dettner. This will provide opportunities for optional material that more advanced students can choose to learn. There will be a shift away from a high concentration of lecture based content to a mix of lecture, more engaged activities, including Socratic conversation, loosely termed station activities in small group, dyads and triads, flipped content, optional content, as well as formative and Summative assessment with a feedback component. I believe this will support learners to have a greatly enhanced learning experience with little cost other than labor.