Tennille O'Connor

The alignment of active learning actitivies with course objectives is critical. The students need to be able to see how the activity connects to the outomes. otherwise they often see the activities as a waste of their time. The instuctor can explain how the activity will help them aciheve the outcomes and that their use of the activity was well-thought out and meant to faciliatate learning and achievement of objectives. 

The success with active learning has a lot to do with the resources provided by the institution to ensure technology supports the activities. Issues with technology (which I am sure most have expereinced) can be frustrating for students and embarrassing for faculty. 

One of the things that stuck with me from my MSN was the role of the educator as facilitator and this aligns well with the presentation related to active learning. the instructor is there to faciliitate but the student is ultimately responsible for the learning. This is important to communicate with students as they may be used to a more passive learning environment. If the goal is for students to learn and RETAIN the content, they need to actively participate in the learning process. 

I appreciated the examples and the options, providing practical suggestions for how to manage the classroom. 

I think I am a guide with a bit of buddy. The presentation did mention that adult learners prefer a friendly environment and I try to provide that while still maintaining high expectations and professionalism. 

I learned that the government does not have a specific definition related to who can access student records and therefore it is important to know your own institution's policies as it relates to FERPA. Also, better to err on the side on caution when dealing with student records and communication to ensure requirements and protections are being met. 

Course evaluation is critical and the use of multiple methods is essential to getting the best data to use to improve your course moving forward. 

I like the idea of utilizing peer evaluation. I have done that in clinical, having another student observe and provide feedback of a student's physical assessment. This technique is very effective, as mentioned in the module, both students are able to learn from the interaction. I also like the idea of have students provide self-assessment on a rubric....they don't often realize the importance of the rubric and having them use it to self-evaluate will get them more comfortable with using and applying rubrics to their work.

I had never heard of the idea of allowing students to use an alias---depending on the course content, this may be a very useful tool to allow students to openly share. 

This section has validated my practice of using templates for my courses and ensuring each unit or module is structred the same way to decrease confusion for the students as well as lessen the communication I receive from students seeking clarification. It is a time-saver for all involved and decreases frustration in the learning process.