Learning Artifacts – Psychology

Memory is the last unit covered in Intro to Psychology, and Professor Cari Stevenson uses this as the basis for a unique semester review opportunity. All students must select a technique from the memory unit and apply it to a concept learned during the course, and they are given free reign over what they create. All of the projects are then set up around the classroom for a class review of the semester. This allows each student to express what they’ve learned through the medium they are most comfortable with, as well as presents all material from the semester in new and creative ways for the class as a whole to experience.

Here is a collage of a few of her students’ projects:

Do you have student learning artifacts you’d like to share? Here’s your chance to show off some of the great work your students are doing – contact Denise for details.

Learning Artifacts – Anatomy & Physiology I

Professor Carrie Jones has students create videos and post them in an editable content page in Canvas. Not only is this a great way for her to assess her students’ learning (it’s hard to fake it on camera!), it’s also a collaborative activity, utilizes different learning styles, and takes advantage of the available technology.

Students are given the following guidelines:

You and a partner will be assigned a bone or bones during lab this week. Using the models in lab, you will make a video pointing out the parts listed on Attachment 1 for that bone(s). Both individuals must be seen in video (taking turns pointing out parts or the videographer take a quick selfie at beginning or end of video). Your video must be posted here by the beginning of lab next week.

Be sure to include a title (which bone or bones the video covers) and your names. You can type this just above where you post the video.

Want to learn how to use editable Canvas pages?

• Find how to create a Canvas page for student editing in the guide How do I create a new page in a course? 
• Find student directions for editing a page in the guide How do I edit a course page as a student?
• Canvas Challenge completers – to jog your memory, we used an editable page in Challenge 8

Do you have student learning artifacts you’d like to share? Here’s your chance to show off some of the great work your students are doing – contact Denise for details.

Faculty Spotlight: How Did I Fail? I Studied!

Now that we’re three weeks into the term, reality is beginning to sink in as students realize that perhaps their courses are not going to be as easy as they initially thought. This is especially true as many have taken their first test, and they may not have performed as well as they anticipated.

One way to help your students in this situation is to offer them a “Test Preparation Checklist,” such as this one created by Richard Felder of North Carolina State University. On the checklist are several actions that students can take to prepare for a test, with a simple “yes” or “no” blank next to each. When students see how many times they check “no,” not only do they see that they have failed to adequately prepare, they also encounter studying techniques they may not have thought of. This particular list is geared toward math and science, but you could easily create one specific to your own subject matter.

Cari Stevenson, assistant professor of psychology at
KCC, recently shared at a new faculty development meeting that she collaborates with her classes to create a list of ideas for studying at the beginning of each term. She then refers students to that list when they seek her guidance as to how they could improve their grades (Cari relates that the #1 item is typically “READ THE BOOK”). Additional items that her students have come up with this semester:

• Use flashcards for new vocabulary
• Spread out study sessions – no cramming!
• Re-outline notes (after taking notes from the reading and lecture)
• Record lectures and listen to them again
• Choose an appropriate location for studying
• Say it out loud (use the SQ3R method)

All are simple yet concrete ideas that students can use to improve their performance. Cari says that implementing this idea has created greater buy-in amongst the students; additionally, frank office hours discussions have become easier, as she has the mutually agreed upon studying checklist to reference.

If you are hesitant to believe in the power of checklists, this book is a fantastic resource: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. Gawande reveals the powerful impact simple checklists have had in dramatically increasing success rates across multiple fields, including surgery, aviation, construction, and finance. A good read, check it out!

Felder, R.M. (1999). Memo to students who are disappointed with their last test grade. Chemical Engineering Education, 33(2), 136–137. www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/Columns/memo.pdf