Susan Klos

The big takeaway I learned from this program section is that case studies need built-in strategies to engage every student. As educators, we know students take one of two approaches to group work. Some students do as little work as possible, and the other students will pick up the slack to not have the lack of work by their group members affect their grades. I will take the time to investigate ways to incorporate strategies to enhance the group work experience, and every student has an active role in the case studies. 

Rubrics are essential to guide students on their assessments and demonstrate proper steps or information.

Using grading rubrics can be very beneficial to the student and the instructor. A well-constructed grading rubric will provide the student with what is expected of them for an assignment. As well as to make the grading process more manageable and less subjective for the instructor. The trade-off is the process of crating rubrics is time-consuming. 

I enjoyed the Managing Upward course and learned a lot from the content. The most vital concept for me was learning how to be direct with my supervisor and communicating my needs. I will apply this by tracking what my needs are and finding the best way to communicate with my supervisor. Based on my supervisor's preference I will do this either in writing or verbally. I do think it is important to prioritize my needs to respect my supervisor's time. And, try to present them in a group with solutions rather than one at a time. However, I also… >>>

As an instructor, it is frustrating to see smart and talented students fall behind. When students don't learn the experience they are looking for and deserve it makes me want to push them harder. This section gave me tools I can apply to motivate them to do the pushing themselves. If the students apply planning and goal setting and time management skills themselves they will be more successful than having me bug them to do their assignments.

One aspect of my program I struggle with is encouraging students to participate in synchronous seminars. I often hear crickets when I ask for student participation. This section gave me some good ideas on how to motivate my students to participate. I particularly like the idea of application sharing. I will research ways to apply this to my seminars.

In this section, the most important or interesting theory I picked up on was the idea of student participation and engagement in the course. If a student does not participate or engage they will not be as successful as the student who does. I always had the theory that accomplishment, development, and growth are not solitary events. It is important to use your community and support to achieve. I will work on improving the online community of my courses to encourage student participation and engagement.

As an instructor, it is important to understand the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Knowing what motivates students will give me a valuable tool of understanding that will help me help my students. Knowing how students are motivated will allow me to use the correct resources and tools to help each student. I can essentially customize the help I give my students.