Turning High Tech into High Touch

1. Turning High Tech into High Touch Barbara Schneider, Geoff Martin, Jeff Jablonski, Mingli Xiao

2. Course Signals • If we succeed today…we will all be able to: • Add Course Signals to a Blackboard course • Create assessments in the grade book that will provide frequent feedback to students on progress • Craft messages that offer students useful facts and helpful advice

3. Course Signals… What is it? • Course Signals detects early warning signs and provides intervention to students who may not be performing to the best of their. • Course Signals is easy to use and works in 3 unique ways: • It provides real-time feedback • Interventions start early—as early as the 2nd week of class • It provides frequent and ongoing feedback Course Signals Explanation Video

4. Turning High Tech into High Touch • Course signals can provide crucial information to students. • Each student’s chance of course success is built into the algorithm that works with your assessment data • As students engage in your course, your assessments accumulate and can serve as the basis for a message, or signal, to the student about their progress • Messages can be crafted to provide targeted advice on how to improve

5. Course Signals Web Address • https://signals.utoledo.edu/agent/secure/ldap/signalshome

6. How a Signal is Generated • Course Signals draws information from: • Banner provides high school GPA and ACT score • Blackboard provides assessments entered in Bb Learn gradebook • Algorithm marries and weights that information and compares individual student evaluations against peers in the course • Generates a prediction about student’s chances of success in the course

7. Adding Course Signals to Your Course • https://blackboard.utdl.edu

8. Adding Course Signals to your Course • If you decide to use course signal in your course, we strongly suggest you add the following info to your syllabus: • This course will use Course Signal to communicate about your progress in the course. To understand how Course Signals works and what signals mean, please check out the YouTube Video Below:   • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KxYewO9iAgw

9. Creating a Smart Gradebook:Frequent Assessment • Course design begins with clearly stated learning objectives • Assessment is part of the course design as it measures progress toward or achievement of the learning objectives • Each assessment should produce information for better teaching and learning • Frequent, low stakes assessment improves engagement, metacognition, and transferable learning

10. Frequent assessment • Prior learning • Low stakes • Staged, accumulative • Periodic medium stakes

11. Frequent assessment • Building it into the grade book • Attendance…..maybe • In-class clickers • Quizzes (Blackboard online quizzes) • Discussion boards postings: • Summaries (assignment Drop Box) • Blogs/journals/wikis • One minute note cards

12. Adding Grades • Discussion boards • Blogs • Wikis

13. Frequent Assessment • Week One • Diagnostic • Reading summary or quiz • Synthetic posting

14. Frequent assessment • Week Two • First quiz or assignment • Homework • Postings, responses, questions

15. Evaluation messages • Tie to the progress, context and objectives of the course • Provide real information • Offer assistance rather than a warning or reminder • Communicate authentically and consistently, but keep to the facts

16. Evaluation Messages • For Example: Red Light • I am concerned about your success in our course, Econ 1200, Principles of Microeconomics. I have been following your progress, and I believe you need to change your study strategy to successfully complete the course. If you are having issues preventing you from focusing on our class, please let me know. • If you are struggling with the course material, there are resources on campus to help you. You should be taking advantage of my office hours, Monday 3 to 5:30 pm, Weds. 2:30 to 5 pm, room 4100B University Hall. If those hours don’t work, please make an appointment as I am available at other times. The Department of Economics also offers a tutoring lab staffed by our graduate students. I passed the tutoring lab schedule out in class but you can also find it on the class’s Blackboard page. • The Learning Enhancement Center http://www.utoledo.edu/utlc/lec/ offers study strategy help. I have arranged for you to speak with Luanne Momenee of the Learning Enhancement Center; please contact her by phone, 419.530.2203, or by email, luanne.momenee@utoledo.edu. • I would like you to set a specific goal to accomplish over the next several days. That goal could be setting up an appointment with Luanne Momenee, attending the tutoring lab or coming to see me outside of the classroom. Please respond to this e-mail to let me know what you plan to do. My email address is: kkeith@utoledo.edu.

17. Evaluation Messages • Yellow Light • I am writing because I have some concerns about your success in our course, Econ 1200, Principles of Microeconomics. Your current standing suggests that you could improve your scores on the online quizzes. • For you to succeed, you need to master the material on the quizzes as doing so will help you pass the exams. • If you want to improve your mastery of the course material, there are resources on campus to help you. My office hours, Monday 3 to 5:30 pm, Weds. 2:30 to 5 pm, room 4100B University Hall, are always available to you. If those hours don’t work, please make an appointment as I am available at other times. The Department of Economics also offers a tutoring lab staffed by our graduate students. I passed the tutoring lab schedule out in class but you can also find it on the class’s Blackboard page. • The Learning Enhancement Center http://www.utoledo.edu/utlc/lec/ offers study strategy help. I have contacted Luanne Momenee of the Learning Enhancement Center and she would like to show you how the Center can help you improve your grade. Please call to make an appointment at 419-530-2203 or email luanne.momenee@utoledo.edu. • I would like you to set a specific goal to accomplish over the next several days. That goal could be setting up an appointment with Luanne Momenee, attending the tutoring lab or coming to see me outside of the classroom. Please respond to this e-mail to let me know what you plan to do. My email address is: kkeith@utoledo.edu.

18. Evaluation Messages • Green Light • Congratulations on your current progress in our course, Econ 1200, Principles of Microeconomics. You are doing well on the online quizzes. • If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me, kkeith@utoledo.edu, or stop by my office hours, Monday 3 to 5:30 pm, Weds. 2:30 to 5 pm, room 4100B University Hall. Also, I would like to make you aware of the services of the Department of Economics’ Tutoring lab staffed by our graduate students. I passed the tutoring lab schedule out in class but you can also find it on the class’s Blackboard page. • Keep up the good work!

19. And when you forget everything…. • Learning Ventures has created an entire depository of resources to assist you with implementing Course Signals in your classes this year. • Visit http://www.utoledo.edu/dl/faculty/index.html and scroll down to “Course Signals” to learn more about it.