Karen May, Adjunct, New Mexico State University; Sherrell Wheeler, Director of Online Quality Assurance, New Mexico State University Alamogordo and Christine Trapp, Professor of Nutrition and Chemistry, New Mexico State University Alamogordo, presented the QM session “Building Connections: Making a Difference One Lesson at a Time!” Karen May has had 21 courses reviewed and led the review on dozens! Wow! Both Wheeler and Trapp also have dozens of reviews and QM courses. Wheeler spoke about the importance of instructional materials and that “you as an instructor” are an instructional material. Wheeler explained: you are the expert but don’t just rely on yourself and the textbook to engage students. They advised, “let the learners know that you know who they are!” Wheeler also stressed the need to connect and reach all students. May mentioned that while publisher materials offer numerous options, feedback sometimes isn’t what you want for your learners. They all spoke about the different platforms they are using and how they include additional feedback. Wheeler uses reality TV and shows like “Undercover Boss” to teach about management and teamwork. Trapp uses “Intelligence2 Debates” to encourage courteous debate. Kim Lopez Gallagher spoke about the debates they use in classrooms from Intelligence Squared. Wheeler shared other open and free resources such as OpenStax, Khan Academy, YouTube, TED Talks, Canvas Commons… I have not used Canvas Commons and should look into it! I quickly searched for biotechnology, sustainability, and metagenomics resources. Though I found several posts, I didn’t find the resources I wanted.
Next, they reviewed learning activities. May spoke about creative activities beyond the worksheet. They listed infographics and contests such as best image/flyer/brochure… Mary in the chat mentioned using CopyFish to pull textual descriptions for images. For case studies, they mentioned the NCCSTS. May explained how they use videos to introduce case studies. Tips for teaching communicating and interacting skills included using the PowerPoint recorder to present and teamwork. For Assessment, Wheeler listed key considerations they recommend: relevancy, project-based, simulation-based, task-based, and oral/video assessment options. The presenters also explained journal entries, exams, and other assessment options. The presenters have so much experience and share numerous examples.
