“Humanizing the Classroom: Tips, Tools, and Strategies for Effective Assessment and Communication” was the Lilly Conference Online 2022 session I watched tonight. Anna Divinsky, Assistant Professor of Art at Penn State University, began by describing their approach to humanizing the classroom. They begin by using video introductions and Cookie Redding shared their animated avatar that is attached to emails. How cool! Divinsky connects with students asynchronously using several tools along with brainstorming sessions during synchronous meetings. They share weekly reminders and tips. Redding does introductory videos to provide an overview of the course organization. Divinsky does a “meet and greet” and students are invited to attend a live meeting. Students submit artwork and introduce themselves. This meet and greet is similar in intent to the session described in the post I wrote yesterday, though the meeting is not required in this case. Redding uses Photovoice to ideas and be creative with their introductory posts. One prompt Redding uses is: show me something that inspires you or one of your daily rituals. Approaches to connecting with students require positive course presence and humanness, according to Divinsky. They complete student progress reports early in the semester. Redding uses live interaction in asynchronous courses. Redding mentioned that live video conferencing sessions usually help students be more engaged during the online asynchronous activities. Reaching out to students who are not consistently participating in the course is achieved by Divinsky through emails and feedback requests. For assessment, Divinsky is very clear about due dates and assessment policies. This reminded me of the Quality Matters review we are undergoing and how to clarify grading policies in the course several in our program teach. Divinsky provides written feedback that is personalized. Divinsky uses live video feedback to reduce time spent with emails. I never thought about it this way! They also use discussion boards for students to reflect on the process. Redding uses audio feedback in Canvas which I have also tried on Moodle and enjoy. Redding shared student comments that appreciated the rotation of written and audio feedback cycles. Redding uses OBS for Screen Captures: it is free and creates mp4 files. Divinsky collects student survey information using a couple of prompts. This session was packed with tips and suggestions. I enjoyed the contrast and different approaches used by the two educators.
