Checking-In Survey

I created a Checking-In Survey in Zoomerang to gather some anonymous data from the students about how things are going in the course. This is the text I provided as an introduction to the survey:

Hello, everyone! We are at the midpoint of the course. Although I've been receiving feedback from various individuals in the course since the start of the term, I want to formally collect feedback. As you know, I have been trying out different strategies this term -- such as limiting the number of required weekly activities, not requiring weekly discussion participation, not requiring collaborative projects, and so forth. At this point in the course, I think it is appropriate for you to have an anonymous opportunity to comment on the experience thus far. As always, I appreciate your thoughtful, professional feedback. Thank you.

The questions I asked are:

1. What aspects of the course have you found most helpful in enhancing and supporting your motivation to learn about instructional message design, and why?
   
2. What aspects of the course have you found least helpful in supporting and enhancing your motivation to learn about instructional message design, and why?
   
3. What three things would you change about the course, and why?
   
4. What topics and/or issues from the readings and videos are unclear and require further attention?
   
5. What additional comments would you like to share with me that will serve to enhance the course and your experience in the course?

I think it is important for students to have opportunities to provide feedback and share ideas in a variety of forums. I prefer students to own their feedback, but I recognize that anonymous feedback can also lead to quite fruitful comments that can be used to enhance the course and learning experience, and alert me to issues that require my immediate attention.

Students are still submitted their surveys, and once I have them all I am going to process them in this blog. Again, I want my process for thinking about this course and their experience in the course to be as open as possible. The students will, hopefully, learn about course design decision-making by “listening in” to how I work through competing ideas, perspectives, and the like.

Culminating Projects and assessment

There are three Culminating Projects for the course. One is focused on print, one on stand-alone presentation, and one on multi-modal presentation. I am pleased with the projects, and think that they will lead to quality products that are relevant to the students' workplace or community, and relevant as professional portfolio examples.

But, here's my problem. I don't like creating assessment tools for projects. I'm not good at it. It is really time-consuming to do it well. And, I have to do it because people need to know how they are being assessed. So, my next task is to get those finalized. I have drafts for all three projects, but once I post them to the course they are real...and we all have to live with them.

I'm not sure why I struggle so much with this part of teaching. I always have. I just want to provide the directions and assume that everyone will simply follow the directions and do their best. Grade = A. But, that isn't very realistic. And, again, adult learners are simply too busy -- have too many demands on their time -- to live in that much ambiguity about assessment. A little ambiguity is fine. In fact, it is the way of the world, of living in the world. But, too much ambiguity in this context leads to frustration and disconnection. So, I will get it done.

I find that searching the Internet for examples of how others have assessed this, that, or the other thing, to be very helpful. That is what I did this time too. It makes a difference because it gives me ideas, shows me alternative approaches and structures, pushes me to be better.