Humanizing Online STEM Showcase
iOS Programming
Matthew Moore, Instructional Designer,
freelance Instructor of iOS Programming, Ventura College.
Reflections
Where I was
As an instructional designer and educator for over 30 years, I find it important to survey the current trends and needs of modern teaching. During the pandemic, I served many faculty's course needs, but I was unable to find time to improve my teaching. This course has been a wonderful inspiration of educational technologies and has given me great ideas on how to present information to students online in my own classes.
Where I am
I currently teach the Online Teacher Training Course in Canvas (OTTCC) at Ventura College where I have had success from the beginning. Working with faculty as a teacher has been a great way to increase usage of solid teaching tools. I posted a copy in the Canvas Commons a long time ago, and I am sure that it has been updated, copied, and edited. I am always looking for ways to improve communication, human interaction, and new technologies. I believe that we should model for teachers what great teaching is and how to obtain those goals using educational technologies. Now as I embark upon creating a course for teaching iOS programming, I am able to provide a sampling below.
Where I am going.
There is much need for supporting, teaching, training, and advising our faculty in the areas of Regular and Substantive Interaction. I feel like there is much to share with our faculty and to adopt for our institution. The course has also given me the confidence to move forward with these goals and also to teach in the future on a part-time basis. Perhaps I can even teach a class at your institution in iOS App Design.
Liquid Syllabus
I plan to keep developing and building out the Liquid Syllabus. As it gets better it will not only advertise what I teach here at VC, but it will work as a resource for my students. It also makes for a great tool to refer our faculty as those "just-in-time" needs arise.
Course Card
I decided to go with the Apple computer logos and machinery. I think Apple has a fine reputation of being a equity minded and community based organization. As this is an Apple course, I wanted to give them a chance. I changed my course card logo from the focus of people to this one. Apple also focuses on People, and I intend to explain how that fits into the larger picture.
Homepage
Communication is important for all new students in your classes. I am making it welcoming by using my bitmoji which I will use throughout the course. It is a modern approach to being inclusive without being too intrusive. It is a healthy balance that we must maintain in our courses. It is kind and clear how you reach me for questions. As the course grows I will include additional relevancy. There are links to additional support resources.
Getting to Know You Survey
This is in the introduction module of the course as it allows for me to better know the students. I even give a grade for it. A small grade but a grade nonetheless. Explained in the video is the rationale for the questions that I posed in the course. It looks like one of the questions fell off. I plan to add the question about student commitments to the course.
Ice Breaker
The self affirming ice breaker assignment is explained in the video with an example provided by the instructor. The ice breaker lightens the mood between the instructor and student and also provides key elements that help build bonds. Doing this early in the course sets the stage for online communication.
Wisdom Wall
The following Wisdom Wall discussion is explained and allows for a student to give advice to future students. An example has been provided by the teacher. By giving advice your are documenting how a student can succeed. Best practices are great ways to increase student success.
Bumper Video
A frequent need in the course is how to open and create playgrounds. Also this helps define concepts of which there are many. It briefly introduces some of the areas of Xcode that we are starting with and also the areas of Xcode that will be explained later.
Microlecture
This microlecture is early in the course, and it introduces students to variables and values. It shows how to create a playground, its input and output, and how those variables work and perform. This is a beginner's concept.