Ideas for a Flipped Classroom Model

Ideas for a Flipped Classroom Model

By Bruno Bachmann — Posted on: Jun 30, 2016

Rather than argue if one teaching approach is more effective than another, this article seeks to develop some ideas around the flipped classroom model and perhaps provide some guidance or inspiration for further research.

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How can a flipped classroom model influence and inform instructional design?

The Idea

The classical flipped classroom model is one where students can acquaint themselves with material in their own time, at home usually, and engage in active learning during class time with the support of their teacher. Nevertheless, there are a number of other ways one can create a flipped classroom. At UBC, for instance, French-immersion teachers would spend 6 hours in class learning synchronously, while the rest of the class’s interactions occurred online. Remote students would also dial in online, achieving a virtual classroom presence. In recent years this teaching model has been gaining traction in educational communities all over the world. So what is all the hype about flipped classroom model and what can teachers do with it?
 
As Khan demonstrates in his TED Talk, the core value behind the flipped classroom method is that students are given the ability to learn in their own time and at their own pace, allowing them more personalized time with their teachers. Learners can take the time they need to master the material at home before coming into class instead of trying to keep up during lessons. Learning in the comfort of their own homes also means students can review previously covered material and strengthen foundational knowledge without falling behind or   having to push forward on shaky foundations. Allowing students to recognize and fill holes in their knowledge means learners can boost students’ feeling of responsibility for their own learning, an important skill in higher education.
 
When students return to the classroom they can be encouraged to further explore content they familiarized themselves with independently. With the use of in-class technology like iPads teachers can monitor students in their activities and identify those who need support in certain areas. This way teachers can provide valuable one-on-one time to students in need while allowing others to race ahead, or give the fast learners challenges to build on their existing knowledge and engage their creativity. Faster learners can even tutor their classmates, strengthening student relationships and understanding of material. Often students offer unique perspectives on content that teachers cannot.
 

Challenges and Considerations

Nevertheless, because the hybrid classroom’s purpose is to adapt teaching styles to varied learners it becomes important to recognize that certain students will be less engaged in self-teaching at home than others. This article makes a number of suggestions on what actions can be taken by teachers to further boost student engagement with course material. Moreover, some students may not have the technological means to access course material at home. For this reason schools may need to provide the required technologies and other resources to all learners to make flipped learning as effective as possible. Many hybrid learning models incorporate methods of student accountability like in-class quizzes and pre-activity recaps of information what was supposed to be learned at home. This way teachers can make sure their students are on the same page, and reward those who took the time to explore the material at home.

Flipped Classroom Ideas

There are a number of ways for educators to create flipped learning environments for their students. The classic approach involves having students watch lecture videos or do readings at home, but there are many others as well.

  1. Teachers can have students do research on certain topics in their subject areas and present them to the class. The project and passion based learning (PBL) models stem from this idea and are explained briefly in this ISTE article. The idea here is that learners are allowed the precious opportunity to explore subject areas and find their passions with the guidance of their teachers. Check out ASCD’s “Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning” for a general approach outline.
  2. Similarly, students can participate in inquiry-based learning. Here a teacher poses guiding questions that the students then investigate and come to understand on their own or in groups under supervision. This way students develop a deeper understanding of the topic in question while developing their leadership and research skills, relying on their supervisors to encouragement and guidance.
  3. Teachers can track student progress using open-source applications like Moodle or learning management systems like Blackboard Connect. This software allows teachers to customize their students’ learning environments, monitor the work they are doing, and the content they are interacting with, and the frequency and manner in which they do so.

Flipped Learning at UBC

Some professors at UBC are flipping their classrooms. This website showcases their experiences in doing so.

Interested in a flipped classroom?

If you are a UBC educator looking to incorporate a hybrid learning model feel free to contact Educational Technology Support at ets.educ@ubc.ca for help!

Additional Resources

Makerspaces Redesign Everything from Technology to Our Own Classrooms

By Emily Weldon — Posted on: Jun 17, 2016

Want to build a robot? Want to print a 3D model, or program virtual reality? Want to film, design, sew, machine, glue— all in the same space— and build something that nobody has ever thought of before?

At first thought, this kind of creative freedom may seem out of common reach. But for makers, this DIY utopia is already in their grasp.

Makerspaces are events, formal or informal, held in physical locations— lab, workshop, classroom, or any combination of the above— where participants come to innovate, invent, and collaborate on the creation of self-directed hands-on projects. Here, creators acquire knowledge through trial and error, explore the possibilities of the tools at their fingertips, and gain confidence in their abilities to invent original works. One of the greatest appeals of the makerspaces is that their scope and resources can vary widely and endlessly, from arts and craft to welding, robotics, and 3D printers: Make Magazine has project suggestions ranging from a Wi-Fi drone disabler to a transformed Ikea side table that becomes a music visualizer.

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In fall of 2015, Maker Spaces were held for Teacher Candidates in the Scarfe library to encourage problem solving through a direct, hands-on approach.

How did the maker movement begin?

Makerspaces foster and drive the desire for technology enthusiasts to take innovation into their own hands. This is likely because Makerspaces are inspired by hacker culture, giving many of the spaces their programming-driven edge. These activities rose to popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, as materials and resources for making tech-oriented projects became cheaper and easier to access, and as it became feasible (and intriguing) for the average work space, classroom, or community center to start introducing computers and robots.

What is possible in a Makerspace?

More and more, Makerspaces are being considered for their teaching potential and inregrated into K-12 schools, libraries, and universities. In these settings, making can range from the digital media lab at Umass Amherst, which supports multimedia creation and 3-D printing with 27 iMacs, sound recording and green screen rooms, to High Tech High — twelve k-12 schools in San Diego where the curriculum is entirely maker based and students take charge of their own multidisciplinary inventions by blending mechanics and electronics with social studies and music.
Community- driven making opportunities are also being introduced in our own city: The Vancouver Mini Maker Faire in June of 2016 hosted over 125 artists, tinkerers, performers, inventors, crafters, and other makers who showed off their projects and spread the exciting potential of these environments.

How can a makerspace enhance a learning environment?

    • By developing a deep engagement between students and their curriculum: When students physically work with their chosen materials, and learn by doing instead of only listening or reading, it provides a practical and memorable way of learning a new skill or subject matter. As well, the experience of creating something new through one’s own problem solving is often incredibly rewarding.
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The TEC Expo 2015 Maker booth, showcasing DIY starter kits such as Raspberry Pi and Makey Makey. In 2016, the booth is expanding into its very own event.

  • By creating a learning space where student interest comes first: While learning in a makerspace, students are motivated by their own curiosity and are encouraged to follow through with self-started projects from initiation to completion. Projects in the spaces arise from what is relevant to the students, so that the students have a deep connection with what they are working on. Therefore, gaining knowledge or skills to complete the project becomes an extension of this personal drive.
  • By meeting goals of teaching collaboration to students: In makerspaces, participants learning to work in groups and create something that would not have been possible otherwise is an inherent raison d’être of the space. Makerspaces insist on the value and importance of teamwork, meaning that makers aren’t just learning with the tools they hold, but with the team they create with. The interpersonal skills that can develop through these team-oriented projects are transferable to any and every aspect of a participant’s future endeavors.
  • By allowing students to act as both leaders and team members: As mentioned, teamwork is instrumental to the appeal of makerspaces. This is collaboration at its strongest- every member of the maker space can be a mentor and mentoree to each project if they want to, constantly being asked to think in a multidisciplinary way and problem solve on projects that are invented by both themselves and their peers. As well, leadership becomes necessary in these self-driven settings, as makerspaces allow for informal leading of peers as the projects continues to develop and requires new demands.
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The UBC Centennial Maker Faire in April of 2016 featured maker communities at UBC who specialize in areas such as knitting, solar energy, and robotics.

  • By building a sense of community: Makers are not just working in a team, they are working in a community of like-minded inventors. Thinking about oneself and one’s work in a greater context of thinkers is a desirable habit across disciplines, and it leaves opportunity for strong community connections for the future.
  • By being a work in progress: Even with makerspace development well under way, some other innovation is almost ready to launch. For example, how can contributions be graded for assessment, or be part of a portfolio? Can remote participation be a part of the the future, stretching the horizons of how these spaces can be incorporated virtually and recorded or catalogued? Regardless of the answers, what is important is that makerspaces still have plenty of room to be molded and defined by their makers.
  • By becoming cheaper and easier: Technology is getting better and increasingly geared for a DIY mindset as makerspaces gain popularity. The time has never been better to get involved and participate in or create a maker space. What is more is that the ideas around ‘what is a makerspace’ are constantly broadening.

How can I initiate making in a learning environment?

You don’t necessarily have to buy 3-D printers or unpack your hot glue guns to bring the maker spirit into a classroom or learning space. Consider just a few of the other ways that this kind of educational tool is accessible right at UBC:

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TEC Expo 2016 is encouraging engagement during its Educational Maker Day through a crowd-sourced video competition.

  • Camtasia: UBC students and instructors have access to this software for free through UBC Connect. With this tool, participants can shoot and edit their own videos that can be distributed either within a course or over the Internet (such as through YouTube).
  • Blogs and Wikis: Students and instructors also have access to UBC Blogs, so that they can design and write original blog posts through WordPress. Similarly, UBC Wikis allows both parties to synchronously work together and develop a written project or document while fully online.
  • Collaborate: As the name suggests, this web conferencing tool built into Connect allows students to engage in remote, in-depth collaboration as they share ideas and discuss course topics over the web. Much like in a maker work space, it also provides the option for students to take on the role of teacher or presenter in the discussion, by either speaking to the entire session, screen sharing their computer, or uploading their own files or documents into the session for review.
  • Maker Kits: A variety of DIY starter kits are available to Teacher Candidates in the Education Library. TCs can experiment with Raspberry Pi, Makey Makey, Squishy Circuits, Paper Circuits, Scratch Introductory Programming and more!

Want to check out a makerspace for yourself? Join us at TEC Expo 2016! On July 7th, we will be holding an Educational Maker Day, where students and instructors will be presenting and facilitating hands-on demonstrations on examples of educational ‘making’. Not only can you check out the diverse hands-on booths, but we will also be holding a Maker Day Video Competition, where participants will compete in the creation of short event-day videos. We hope to see you there!

Additional Resources

TEC Expo 2016

Selection 1

TEC Expo 2016 was held on July 6th and 7th. Thank you to all presenters, facilitators, and attendees for a successful and inspiring event. See you next year!

Event Information


Date: This event was held on July 6th and 7th, 2016. Please join us next year!
Location: Scarfe foyer
Time: 1:00 – 2:30pm
Registration: not required. The event is free and open.
Participation: If you are interested in presenting or facilitating, please submit a proposal to ETS.

Check out TEC Expo Day 1 in 360 degree video!

Check out TEC Expo Maker Day in 360 degree video!

TEC Expo Archives

Event Description

On July 6th and 7th this year, ETS hosted its third TEC Expo event in the Scarfe building foyer at 2125 Main Mall. The Technology Enhanced Classroom (TEC) Expo is an annual event designed to showcase and celebrate creative and innovative uses of technology in face-to-face, blended, and online classrooms within the Faculty of Education.

July 6th featured:

  • Instructors and students presenting educational technology they are passionate about
  • Presenters describing their topics in a fast-paced feature event 60 Seconds of Fame.

July 7th was Educational Maker Day:

  • The facilitators and audience had the opportunity to experiment with technology-based tools and engage in non-technology creative making. They played around with Squishy Circuits, Google Cardboard, Raspberry Pi and science of food at the hands-on stations!

TEC Expo uses technology to enhance the traditional poster session format, with presenters able to dynamically showcase their courses or learning spaces on electronic displays. While browsing between the tables, visitors are able to view demos and engage in conversation with presenters.
Our goals are to encourage presenters and visitors to learn about new and emerging ways of teaching and learning, share their experiences, engage in meaningful conversations about pedagogy with colleagues, and to be inspired by various projects and course designs.
The 2015 TEC Expo was a success with over 20 faculty members and students participating in celebrating technology-based educational tools at UBC and abroad!

This event is free and open to all UBC students, staff and faculty.

Maker Day Video Contest

Show off your Video Making Skills!

July 7th is TEC Expo’s first-ever Educational Maker Day, so get ready to start making and show off your experience at the event. Simply record and Tweet your video of TEC Expo Maker Day with #TECExpo2016 and you will be entered into the draw for a $50 UBC Food Services gift card and Google Cardboard virtual reality glasses! Not sure which app to use? Be sure to stop by our video making booth and check out how to use VivaVideo— a free app that allows you to edit your video directly from your phone.

 

Need Help?

For more information, please contact the ETS office at ets.educ@ubc.ca or by phone at 604 822 6333.

Presenter Information

Automated Transmediation & Creative Pedagogy

Dr. Kedrick James, LLED with Liam Doherty and Ernesto Pena

This presentation explores the possibility of using automated transmediation as a literacy practice that opens the way for more creative pedagogical approaches to knowledge creation. Transmediation encompasses a range of analogue and digital practices in which data in one medium is converted into a different medium, e.g. by the use of software. Emphasizing the use of open source applications, presenters will demonstrate some simple examples of the pedagogical uses of transmediation as a means of creative inquiry enhancing digital learning and literacy. These will include exemplars of some of the main transmediation “routes” that are in the process of being mapped out through this work, such as turning images into sound, turning text into music, turning speech into text and turning video into still images. At each juncture, the presenters will discuss contexts in which these activities can be applied in content-based classroom activities.

Collaborative Learning Annotation System in Teacher Education

Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin, EDCP

Marina will share how she used Collaborative Learning Annotation System (CLAS – https://ets.educ.ubc.ca/clas/) to help physics teacher candidates to improve their teaching. As she teaches Physics Methods Courses, her goal is to support teacher candidates in implementing innovative pedagogies discussed in class into their teaching. In order to do that, they are asked to teach at least four mini lessons during the term. They record these mini lessons and upload them into CLAS. Then each one of the teacher candidates is asked not only to watch their presentations, but also to provide constructive feedback to their peers. After receiving peer and instructor feedback, teacher candidates reflect on it and prepare a modified and improved version of their mini lesson. At the end of the course, Marina and the teacher candidates have a collection of mini lessons with peer feedback. This is a great resource for teacher candidates to draw upon not only during the Physics Methods course, but also during the practicum. It also prepares them for acting upon the feedback they will receive from their School and Faculty Advisors during the practicum and later in their career. To learn more, see: https://clas.sites.olt.ubc.ca/marina-milner-bolotin-in-curriculum-and-pedagogy-uses-clas-for-mini-teaching-by-teaching-candidates/

Information Literacy Development through Hands-on, Minds-on Activities

Jo-Anne Naslund, Education Librarian

In this session, together with Yvonne Dawydiak, Jo-Anne will highlight educational technologies that they used in library sessions for teacher candidates this year within LLED 350, LLED 351 and EDST 401. Educational technologies such as QR codes, padlet, Kidspiration, Inspiration, iclickers and Maker Faire activities will be shared. They will discuss how they modeled pedagogical approaches for teacher candidates and enriched connections with these educational technologies. Finally, they will share their experience of how hands-on, minds-on activities in a pop-up makerspace can develop the dispositions that set the stage for effective information literacy development.

Learning to “Loosen Up” in Collaborate

Dr. Michael Marker, EDST

In this presentation, Michael describes his experience using the Collaborate program and the discussion board to conduct a seminar discussion of readings in two Indigenous content courses. This was his first effort to create a blended version of the courses and he scheduled two online meeting sessions for each group. The students in both groups found ways to develop “voice” and a sense of humour while learning to respond to each other’s ideas and the ideas of the authors from the assigned articles for the session. Some of the questions that he still has are about ways to respond to a wide range of attitudes regarding the use of a video representation of themselves versus simply using the audio. Some students regarded the use of the video as “appearing on camera.” Some felt uneasy with this prospect while others seemed unconcerned about it as a mode of representation. Some students turned off the camera portion and simply used the audio. The responses that Michael received informally about these first efforts to bring some of the discussion online were positive in the following weeks face to face meeting following the Collaborate session.

Learning Technology Rover Support in the Faculty of Education

Christine Kim, Learning Technology Rover, Sauder School of Business

Learning Technology Rovers are student staff hired by each faculty and educated on the technologies used in each faculty. Rovers are available to lend immediate support when you come across a technical issue, want to learn how to use learning technology more effectively, need assistance setting up an online course, and so much more.
Troubleshooting does not have to be a stressful or long process. It can be as easy as contacting your faculty’s respective LTR for immediate assistance.

Mixing Virtual into Classroom Reality

Kyle Stooshnov

A demonstration of the steps towards virtual reality in the classroom. A cardboard headset combined with a smartphone is a relatively simple method to immersion into cyberspace, allowing for an experience where a viewer’s gaze, gesture and ultimately interaction with other people becomes a literacy teaching tool. From learning to make a cardboard viewer to exploring free downloads such as the National Film Board’s Cardboard Crash and sharing views headset-free with a tablet and Ricoh 360º panorama camera, this presentation will give teacher candidates a taste of the latest in educational virtual reality.

Pedagogical benefits of a Lightboard Lecture Capture tool

Masayuki Iwase, Graduate Teaching Assistant

Masayuki’s presentation discusses pedagogical benefits of a ‘lightboard’ lecture-capture tool, which enables the user to integrate both analog and digital modes of instructions into his/her lecture videos available online to the student viewer. The discussions draw on Dr. Robert Tierney’s incorporation of the technology into his graduate course for which Masayuki was a teaching assistant. The lightboard technology cordially responded to Dr. Tierney’s preference of writing and drawing as part of his accustomed presentation methods, while simultaneously realizing his wish to integrate graphics and related materials as part of his digitally enhanced class lectures, which were accessed and viewed by his students who had to participate in them online. The lightboard technology is most effective and valuable when it is utilized by UBC faculty and staff who wants to pursue both typographical (analogue-based) and post-typographical (digitally-enabled) forms of text production and meaning making.

Supporting Professional Communities with Google Collaboration Tools

Stephen Price

At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the KippMo (Kindergarten and Primary / Montessori) cohort took on the task of creating a cohort ‘hive mind’ to support technology-based collaboration and information sharing throughout their education degree. Using free collaboration tools like Google Drive, Docs and Sheets created the ability for the cohort to share and collaborate much more efficiently. Using this case study, this session will explore how the cohort built a community of professional collaboration and will also include an introduction to how to use Google tools effectively for learning, projects, and information management. It is recommended for people who have not used the Google suite before or those with some experience who are hoping to learn to use the tool more effectively. To get the most out of the session, bring your laptop so you can try out the tools!

Tech Integration in Teaching

Bruno Bachmann and Melissa Liang, Web Programmers, TLEF Project

A presentation about the TLEF and its proposal, the work Yvonne Dawydiak, Melissa and Bruno have done as part of the project, and their tentative plans for the future. Melissa and Bruno will be exploring the Scarfe Digital Sandbox and some of the resources for teaching and learning showcased on the website and informing visitors of other on-campus teaching resources such as the library, drop-ins, and maker sessions.

Using Technology to Increase Athlete and Coach Performance

David Hill

Medals do matter! In high performance sport, the Olympic and Paralympic games are a pinnacle event for many athletes and help to inspire all Canadians to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Who are the people behind the scenes that help to make this dream a reality… coaches. UBC Faculty of Kinesiology is in its second cohort of a professional graduate certificate geared toward enhancing Canada’s top coaches and technical leaders. The certificate is a partnership of UBC, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and the Coaching Association of Canada, where coaches can obtain dual accreditation in National Coaching Certification Program and university credential. The graduate certificate seeks a competency based approach where technology is used to help coaches can build knowledge, skills and attitudes across several content areas. The program is a blend of residential and online delivery and takes advantage of many UBC educational support technologies including Connect, CLAS and UBC Blogs. Central to the program structure is ongoing reflection on coaching and leadership practices which help coaches and their athletes progress in the high performance sport pathway and contribute to our Olympic and Paralympic successes were medals do matter.

Video Conferencing as an Instructional Tool

Tobi Maass, AV Technician

Tobi will showcase the possibilities that contemporary video-conferencing offers for instructional and collaboration purposes. The audiovisual equipment available in brand-new rooms like PCOH 1008 and 1306A has already proven to be a great asset to the Faculty, and Tobi will share an insight into possible uses with TEC Expo attendees.

Virtual Presence in an Online Course

Dr. Natasha Boskic

A feature of online learning that is most frequently reported as the weakness of this approach is the lack of human presence and the ability to emotionally connect with each other. The easy creation of video clips inside Connect shell, especially in the discussion forums bridges this gap. The presentation will focus on the student experience and increased engagement due to the opportunity to meet each other through video.

Wikispaces

Jolene Loveday

Jolene will provide a short demonstration of Wikispaces, which she previously presented as part of the Technology in Transit series. Wikispaces is an open-classroom management platform that facilitates student-teacher communication and collaboration. Using Wikispaces, teachers and students can write and edit pages together, create and edit group or individual projects, communicate in a private social network, and participate in real-time formative assessments.
https://ets.educ.ubc.ca/tech-in-transit-wikispaces/

Presenter Information

Collage as a multimodal response activity across the curriculum

Dr. Kathryn Shoemaker, LLED

This will be a hands on demonstration of the supplies and processes of collage for classroom teachers k-university. It is the live hands-on experience of one of the new videos filmed for the online course, LLED 446 Using Illustrated Literature in the Classroom, k-12. Participants may make a quick small collage or take home a small selection of papers to play with later.

Easy As Pi: Computational Thinking With Teens and Preteens

Dr. Eric Meyers

The Raspberry Pi, an inexpensive, credit card-sized circuit board developed by computer science educators in the UK, serves as an ideal platform to teach young people “computational thinking,” the skills and attitudes that software engineers leverage to design many of the digital tools we use every day. This program will demonstrate how we are using the Raspberry Pi with preteens and teens in informal learning programs in several public library systems, as well as adapting these activities for middle grade students as an enrichment activity at Norma Rose Point Elementary.
Eric Meyers is an Associate Professor at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies–The iSchool@UBC. His recent work has focused on how crafting and prototyping activities in informal learning settings, specifically Maker Camps and library-based coding and crafting programs, support the development of design literacies and computational thinking, the skills and attitudes that facilitate understanding of today’s complex information and communication technologies.

Makey Makey

Madeline Oreziak and Darrien Kellock, PLTech Teacher Candidates

Makey Makey is an invention kit that allows you to turn any conductive object into a touchpad or controller. Drop by to explore some of the possibilities of the ‘Makey Makey’. Play the bongo drums with bananas. Play piano with tinfoil and playdough. Make your own controller and view some project ideas you might use with students.

Mixing Virtual into Classroom Reality

Kyle Stooshnov

A demonstration of the steps towards virtual reality in the classroom. A cardboard headset combined with a smartphone is a relatively simple method to immersion into cyberspace, allowing for an experience where a viewer’s gaze, gesture and ultimately interaction with other people becomes a literacy teaching tool. From learning to make a cardboard viewer to exploring free downloads such as the National Film Board’s Cardboard Crash and sharing views headset-free with a tablet and Ricoh 360º panorama camera, this presentation will give teacher candidates a taste of the latest in educational virtual reality.

Mobile Video Production

Bruno Bachhmann and Melissa Liang, Web Programmers, TLEF Project

This maker station demonstrates how to record and edit video using VivaVideo editing software for mobile devices. Melissa and Bruno will be working with visitors and showcasing the features of the software, helping attendees to use the tool to create their own content. Visitors will be encouraged to enter the video making competition by submitting their videos to ETS with #TECexpo2016

Diceware

Liam Doherty

We are constantly demanded to create and remember passwords in order to conduct even the simplest daily transactions – and all of these passwords are expected to be unique, strong, and unguessable. However, expert advice on creating strong passwords is often seemingly contradictory, and many critics have pointed out that familiar rules for creating passwords may have conditioned us to create passwords that are particularly difficult for human beings to remember, but also weak enough to be easily cracked by modern computers. Using online demos and newly-developed password strength checkers we will take a look at three different methods of generating strong passwords and compare their relative strengths and weaknesses. Participate in a hands-on demonstration of a simple technique called Diceware for generating very strong passwords using only paper, a pencil, and some dice.

Unplugged Coding

Vicki Glover

Computational thinking and an understanding of the language of computers can be developed using both plugged and unplugged coding activities. Drop by the unplugged coding table to explore some of the lessons available from code.org including ‘binary bracelets’. Make and take a beaded bracelet of your initials written in binary and get to know some of the resources available on code.org!

Weaving Across Subjects and Cultures

Audrey Sargent and Flora Andy

Weaving is a traditional creative activity that has a long tradition in local first nations and around the world. Drop by to experiment with simple weaving activities that participants can bring to a classroom of students of any age. Experience first hand the terms ‘warp’ and ‘weft’ as you explore art and math concepts including: pattern, line, angle, contrast and texture.

Sphero Chariot Challenge

Matthew Geisler

With the new ADST curriculum recently introduced, finding ways to engage students in designing, creating, testing, and critical thinking can be overwhelming for many educators. Orbotix ‘Sphero’ robot is a powerful tool that can be used with students in many ways including design and prototyping, programming and logical thinking, and hands on, collaborative work. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about possible uses for Sphero with students, and try it out themselves.

Non-sewn Bookmaking

Hannah Mckendry, Conservation Technician, Technical Services, UBC Library

The art of bookmaking is a wonderful making activity for students of most any age. Come by to see examples of bookmaking structures and perhaps even try your hand at it!

Secret of Portrait Drawing Workshop

Samantha Weaver, Class of 2016 Teacher Candidate, ABC cohort

Try your hand at the art of portraiture. Learn how to make self-portraits and see that this isn’t such a scary thing to do (for yourself with your class)!

Sensational Food

Dr. Kerry Renwick

Food is a great way to begin many opportunities for learning.
We use our five senses to discover and explore.
When you visit this display you will have an opportunity to become a ‘food detective’, to consider ways to describe food, and to think about key understandings about food in inclusive ways.

Scarfe Digital Sandbox

Jo-Anne Naslund, Education Librarian

Joanne Naslund and Wendy Traas, Education Librarians and Yvonne Dawydiak, Technology Integration Mentor, have been exploring “making” as a way of developing the habits of mind essential for today’s educators. Drop by our table to play and discuss how making might fit into your context! Make a button while you’re at it!

Event Schedule

Day 1: July 6

1:00pm — Welcome from the Dean
1:05pm — Sixty Seconds of Fame
2:15pm — Door Prize Draw

Day 2: July 7 Maker Day

1:00pm — Welcome from Dr. Wendy Carr
2:20pm — Announcement of Maker Day Video Contest Winner

High Performance Coaching & Technical Leadership Orientation 2016

On June 6th and 8th 2016, coaches in School of Kinesiology’s Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching & Technical Leadership attended orientations and training on Connect, Blackboard Collaborate, and UBC Blogs. These sessions were designed to prepare the coaches for taking on their upcoming challenge of completing the HPC certification program in a fully online environment. Over these two days, ETS supported this training and ensured that the coaches gained access to the tools and developed the skills needed to excel in this web-based program.

On Day 1, coaches had a full orientation to Connect and learned best practices in using its communication and assessment tools, such as the discussion boards and assignment drop boxes. Then, the web conferencing component of their program was introduced, as coaches joined and participated in a Blackboard Collaborate session where they became familiar with how they will view and effectively contribute to online conferences throughout the duration of their program.

On Day 2, coaches received an in-depth orientation to UBC Blogs, where each participant created their own blog that will be used to share assignments and demonstrate their ongoing progress as the program continues. During this part of the session, coaches worked on mastering both the design and the functionality of their blogs and gained an understanding of the many content creation and organizational tools that they will have access to in their new sites. As well, coaches were excited by the potential that their WordPress-based blogs would hold in the future: even after the HPC program is completed, these sites will be able to serve as professional or personal websites for these coaches over the many years of their careers to come.

Thank you to the many organizers of this orientation, and thank you to the coaches for your enthusiastic participation in the training. With these powerful online tools now in action, we wish you an exciting and successful journey in your program! Good Luck!

Photo Gallery

Kathryn Shoemaker Illustrates the Possibilities of Online Curriculum

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Kathryn presents illustrative techniques to her online class.

Kathryn Shoemaker is the illustrator of over forty books for children and the author of four books for teachers. She has broad experience as an art teacher, curriculum specialist, filmmaker, and as an exhibit/display/event designer, and she is a current instructor in the Faculty of Education at UBC.

In the online course LLED 446 “Teaching with Illustrated Materials, K-12: From Picture Books to Information texts”, Kathryn explores the use of illustrated children’s materials in k-12 classrooms and ways illustrated materials support the instructional goals in K-12. To put a personal touch on this online course, Kathryn worked with ETS and produced a video series on various techniques, such as illustrating with pencil & ink, making scary pictures, using watercolour and gouache, and creating collages. Through these videos, her online students can develop a deeper understanding of the topic and feel a closer connection with Kathryn.

Kathryn has reimagined the way to deliver her teachings and successfully created an engaging and creative curriculum for her online students. This multi-media course has allowed Kathie to truly illustrate her point.

View the playlist of Kathryn’s videos on our ETS YouTube Channel!

 

Orientation to Learning Technologies – May 2016

On May 17th and 18th, ETS held its semesterly Orientation to Learning Technologies information sessions. ETS holds these sessions at the beginning of each semester to provide an overview of learning technologies available to Faculty and Staff at UBC, and to provide insight into how learning technologies can enhance both classrooms and curriculum.

During the orientation sessions, we provide a general overview of the tools and resources available to Faculty and staff as well as a look at how other instructors are using these technologies to engage with students. We touch on how to integrate technology into existing curriculum, how to engage students with multimedia, best practices for communicating with students using Connect, and how a blended learning model can hold potential for any course plan. We also explore how instructors can successfully maximize their abilities, and we offer advice on how to incorporate these learning practices in their own classrooms.

This semester, our Faculty members left the sessions excited about the range of possibilities around how they can get started with integrating learning technology into their new and existing courses.

Thank you to our attendees for joining us this semester! The next OLT will be on September 13th and 14th, 2016. If you’re an instructor and eager to get started incorporating learning technology into your course, we encourage you to contact us by email at ets.educ@ubc.ca or by phone at 604-822-6333, or attend one of our Drop- in Sessions.

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Welcome to our New Summer Co-op Students

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There are some new faces around the ETS office! With the current summer term now in full swing, we have three new Co-op students who have joined our team.

Emily ­­Weldon­­ – Learning Technology Rover

Emily is in her 3rd Year of studies at UBC in the Faculty of Arts. She provides Tier-1 or basic educational technology support for faculty members and staff, as well as administrative support for the ETS office.  She will be supporting faculty and their use of learning technologies in a variety of ways, including drop in sessions, one-on-one appointments, and special events such as the upcoming Orientation to Learning Technologies (OLT).

Bruno Bachmann – Web Programmer – TLEF Project

Bruno works at ETS as a web programmer on the TLEF project, contributing to a digital sandbox and engaging Teacher Candidates with classroom technologies. He is beginning his second year of Computer Engineering at UBC in September. He was born in South Africa but has previously lived in Namibia, Ireland, and Chile. Working with people and technology is his passion, and some of his hobbies include game development and modelling. One day, Bruno hopes to develop fun or useful software that is used by people all over the world.

Melissa Liang – Web Programmer – TLEF Project

Melissa works at ETS as a web programmer on the TLEF project, contributing to a digital sandbox and engaging Teacher Candidates with classroom technologies. She is a music technology student at UBC, and she also has a degree in Computer Science from the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.

Welcome to our new team members! We look forward to working with you as you bring your expertise and passion to our projects for an exciting summer with ETS.

Faculty-wide Project Brings Secondary Teacher Education Program to Refugees in Dadaab

Courtesy of Creative Commons by European Commission DG ECHO in Flickr

Courtesy of Creative Commons by European Commission DG ECHO in Flickr

In the past few years, hundreds of thousands of refugees have been displaced around the globe, with the Syrian refugee crisis providing the most recent example. As people leave their homes and migrate to a different country, most face an array of ongoing hardships and challenges in accessing basic services, including education. With other responsibilities and priorities, some miss out on learning or have to choose work over school. Given the uncertainty of refugee living conditions, there has been an identified need by governments and institutions to move towards more adaptable and portable delivery modes of education applicable to the cultural and geographical context of refugee camps, so students still have the opportunity to gain the necessary education and skills to build a better life for themselves and their families.

To address some of the educational needs of refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, in 2013, the Faculty of Education engaged in a faculty-wide project in collaboration with Moi University and the Dadaab refugee camp to design, develop and implement a teacher training curriculum for secondary school teachers in the settlement. This was part of a larger collaboration by York University, UBC, Moi University in Kenya, Kenyata university and Foreign Affairs Canada to provide training for teachers. The project was originally initiated by a request from the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) to consider preparing teachers in Dadaab with training, as most teachers were secondary school graduates without a background in pedagogy or learning theory.

In 2013, ETS began its involvement with the project with a review of learning technologies and hardware that are compatible with the students’ learning styles, the infrastructure in Dadaab, and the Kenyan environment. Since then, in collaboration with the people in Dadaab and Moi University, ETS has provided ongoing support for the creation and maintenance of various course material, particularly in the form of a blog hosted in WordPress. In addition, the project has had technology support people on-site in Dadaab to help students navigate the technologies and to provide them with technical assistance in accessing the wireless system in the camp.

According to Dr. Tom Sork, Senior Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education, faculty members and staff have quickly learned to be resilient to changes and to adapt technologies in uncertain security situations to deliver instructional materials. “We initially thought that we might be able to use Blackboard Connect and other kinds of LMS platforms like Moodle. I think that probably we were all overly optimistic in thinking about how well that type of technology would work in the circumstances and how easy it would be for students to learn the technology. But we quickly found out that the student’s access to the internet was less reliable and it was less easy for them to use the technologies, so we’ve started to use other tools to provide information and to distribute assignments” said Sork.

One of such technologies is the instant-messaging mobile device application WhatsApp. Over a year after the first course was offered in this project, students started to use the application extensively to communicate with one another as well as with instructors, type out assignments directly on their mobile phones and submit their work via the comments section on the course blog.

Yet, given the geographical location of the refugee camp and the wider political context, the program also faced a number of other challenges, including unreliable internet access and student absences due to the expense of transportation to the Dadaab learning center. In addition, recruiting and retaining female students in both the primary and secondary education programs also proved to be a challenge, as in Somali culture, women are often marginalized and disadvantaged in educational attainment opportunities.

In order to evaluate the impact of the program on teaching in the Dadaab refugee camp schools, faculty members Dr. Rita L. Irwin and Dr. Samson Nashon also engaged in a research project in 2013, which parallels the delivery of the program. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the project explores how students are thinking about education and their roles about education and thinking about their roles as teachers.

“So far, their results have shown that the program has had a very positive impact on the quality of the teaching and the approaches to teaching are more consistent with what we currently know about learning theory, adapted to the specific cultural context of Dadaab and Somalia” said Sork.

Currently, UBC and Moi University are working to provide support and to accommodate the learning needs of some students who have moved out of the Dadaab refugee camp, due to a recent agreement by the Somali and Kenyan governments to encourage the repatriation of people from Dadaab back to Somalia.

“Overall, we have learned a great deal about teaching and learning in a completely different cultural, economic, political, religious context and that’s been very helpful to the people that have been directly involved. It opens up your eyes when you go to another part of the world and interact with students that you don’t interact with on a daily basis that are facing amazing challenges and security issues. It really makes you realize the importance of having portable and adaptable educational opportunities so that there isn’t a lost generation of youth who miss out on a decent education” said Sork.

Additional resources

Slack: a new tool for education?

By Andrea Gonzalez — Posted on: Mar 16, 2016

In offices all across the world, email (especially Microsoft Outlook) is one of the main technologies to facilitate group collaboration. As part of Microsoft’s Office suite, Outlook software has considerable features for group communication, time management and contact management – yet some have recognized how impractical it can be as they see their inbox cluttered overflowing with emails on a daily basis.

Enter Slack. Slack is an online communication platform and collaboration app, which transforms email into a group activity, giving users the opportunity to create topic-specific channels where discussions can take openly within teams. Launched in 2013, Slack’s user platform has swelled dramatically to over 2.3 million users, making it one of the fastest-growing communication platforms today. Within the platform, people can quickly and easily exchange information and chat with colleagues, attach files for sharing, send emoji, search and customize their Slack screen.

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Since 2014, Slack has become an important communication and collaboration tool at UBC, with teams including the Learning Technology Users Group, Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, UBC Learning Technology Rovers, UBC Library IT and the UBC Faculty of Science IT.

Slack chat room Interface

The Slack chat room interface, with public and private communication channels and a direct messages between colleagues. Screenshot by Jeffry Pincus.

For the UBC Learning Technology Rovers, Slack is particularly useful as team members are spread out across the Vancouver campus providing support within their respective faculties. The LTR Collab team provides a centralized forum online where tech rovers can chat and exchange messages. Private channels are developed to brainstorm ideas, coordinate between team members, share files, pose tech-related questions, agree on project details and arrange meeting times and deadlines. Rather than having to send bulky emails to a larger group of people, messages can be posted and sent out to the general channel. In addition, the search feature saves time spent finding the most relevant information.

Some are now taking the chat platform one step further, proposing that it could be used as a learning technology within courses. However, while Slack has the potential to be used for online education, since the platform is hosted in the US, use in courses goes against British Columbia’s FIPPA (Freedom of Information for the Protection of Privacy) laws.

Having identified a need for real-time communication in online courses, Ian Linkletter from the Faculty of Education is currently working with CTLT and UBC IT to pilot a similar chat platform. Two standout candidates include Mattermost and Rocket.Chat. As open source alternatives to Slack, Mattermost and Rocket.Chat have the potential to be hosted here at UBC and used for internal course communication and group collaboration. Both platforms feature private and public chats, including one-on-one communication, archiving, and the ability to upload files from any browser or device.

Evaluation and testing of Mattermost and Rocket.Chat has begun. If pedagogical, technological, usability, and accessibility requirements are met, a single-course pilot could take place as soon as May 2016.

Update: We have been piloting Mattermost! Read about the Mattermost Chat Pilot, as well as the One Year Update blog post!

 

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UBC Centennial Maker Faire

Event Information

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Event Description

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to make a keyboard out of bananas, learn how to 3D print a miniature version of your favourite sculpture, or find out how to make your old robot vacuum into an abstract expressionist painter, then you might be interested in attending the UBC Centennial Maker Faire.

Even if you haven’t casually pondered how to hack your refrigerator, other folks certainly have and they make up a vibrant and creative community of hobbyists, tinkerers, creators, tech enthusiasts and other Do-It-Yourself-ers. Collectively known as makers, they are pushing the boundaries of new technologies, repurposing old ones, and delighting us with their seemingly limitless creativity along the way.

The UBC Centennial Maker Faire is a showcase of innovative and creative projects from the various UBC maker communities around campus. Taking place on April 7th, 2016, the faire offers a venue for makers to showcase their projects, engage with others and provide insight into their creative processes. Learn what it took to bring their visions to life and the driving forces that make them tick.

If there’s one event that you should visit during the centennial celebrations, this one promises to be stimulating, creatively inspiring and ultimately a fascinating experience all around. For more information, contact us by email at ets.educ@ubc.ca or by phone at 604-822-6333.


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Presenters

UBC Solar (http://www.ubcsolar.com)

UBC Solar is a solar car racing team. They build full-scale electric vehicles powered by solar panels built into the surface of the car, designed for competitive races against teams from other universities. Their first generation vehicle is currently under construction, and the team plans to enter this vehicle in the 2016 American Solar Challenge.

Solar racing is an exciting pursuit that pushes the boundaries of alternative energy and efficient vehicles. Races have been held on an international scale since 1985 and can involve thousands of kilometres of highway driving at speeds in excess of 100kph, all powered directly by the sun.

Open Robotics (http://www.openrobotics.ca)

We are a team focused on building skills relating to robotics and sharing knowledge using an open source philosophy, with the goal of competing in the @home competition in 2017 or 2018. This competition involves creating an autonomous home assistance robot that can respond to commands and navigate unfamiliar environments without outside assistance. On our journey to the competition we are learning about real-time systems, electromechanical devices, computer vision, and many more technologies, all while growing a dynamic and enthusiastic team.

UBC Physics and Astronomy Outreach Program (http://outreach.phas.ubc.ca/)

The UBC Physics & Astronomy Outreach Program offers a wide range of activities, from summer camps, science competitions, to teacher workshops and public lectures. Our goal is to communicate the excitement and wonder of physics and astronomy, and its relevance to global issues and our everyday lives.

At the Outreach program table, we will showcase cool small circuit projects you can do at home with some wires, a motor, and a battery. Play with the LED flash light, a mini Theremin, and the digital 7-segment display – all built on top of a breadboard (no, it is not made of bread!!). And, try out the circuit scribe pen to draw your own circuit!

How We Learn (HWL) Lab (https://blogs.ubc.ca/howwelearn)

We are a research team consisting of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students from the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education. The key objectives of the HWL team include: 1) the empirical and conceptual investigation of how media and technology are in-interaction-with learning across the lifespan; and 2) the development of theories and methods for studying these processes.

At our HWL education table we invite you to hack your smartphone into a mini 3D hologram projector! Experience google cardboard virtual reality and explore the best apps for teaching programming and coding (grades K-12).

AMS Knitting and Sewing Club (http://knittingsewingatubc.blogspot.ca/)

The AMS Knitting and Sewing club will provide a fun and creative environment where knitters, sewers and crocheters alike can gather and share the joys of the craft. Students involved in the thread arts, or who are interested in learning about these amazing hobbies, can meet new people and find others who also wish to learn about knitting, sewing, or other arts.

UBC Library (http://www.library.ubc.ca)

Not only does UBC Library have some great books on makerspaces, but also it also loans resources that support makerspace activities. The Education and Woodward branches will have Squishy Circuit kits and Arduino kits for participants to try out, and Technical Services will demonstrate book binding and repair techniques and tools.

Faculty of Applied Science (http://www.apsc.ubc.ca/)

UBC Applied Science provides students with extraordinary learning opportunities in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, the School of Community and Regional Planning, the School of Nursing, and engineering at the Vancouver campus and the UBC Okanagan School of Engineering. Course content is amplified through lectures, in cutting-edge laboratory facilities, in team-based projects, through early design experience, and through co-op.

Geering Up UBC Engineering & Science for Kids (http://www.geeringup.apsc.ubc.ca/)

Geering Up UBC Engineering & Science for Kids is a non-profit organization with the mandate of promoting science, engineering and technology to youth across British Columbia. Affiliated with the University of British Columbia, Geering Up is designed, organized and operated by UBC students. We endeavour to show program participants how fun, exciting and useful engineering and science can be.

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