What Would Help You Learn

Please do not panic. Most questions just require 1 click. The questions with areas to type are optional for those who want to write.

 

Before you respond to the survey questions, you will need to look at the examples that are:

 

When you finish looking, click on the survey right below this link. The question and possible answers in each box are the same questions as in the survey. Example: the 1st box with Question 1 is the 1st question in the Survey right below this link.

 

To see the example so you can answer Question 1

 If it is not already open, click on History & All Assignments on the left menu (often called the Course Menu).

This is an older way of showing what Distance Education calls a “pathway” course. A “pathway” course means that if you work on the “path” you find aids to help you at each step. This looks homely and it is not fancy, but you can see all content and in the order you use it.

 

Personal note: if my understanding of the Blackboard data and of my watching students’ work is correct, those of you who had the most trouble are clicking on Blackboard’s global navigation in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. Example: you are clicking on an exam, but you did not realize there was a study guide for it or learning quizzes that could let you not only pre-earn points before the test but also pre-learn 30% of the questions. This is—as corny as it sounds—my attempt to let students know there is an easier “path” to a good grade. You cannot succeed with clicking to the exam or the writing in a “pathway” course, a) in a course where the History Department requires 25% of your grade comes from writing with primaries, or b) in a course where WCJC requires our department to give practical experience in critical thinking. In other words, for 3 reasons in this course just clicking will not work. I cannot change a) and b)--and I believe the rules are right—but this is my attempt to help all of you be OK if I can.

 

1. When you come in for the first time, you will see Read Me First as Distance Education requires. Two days after the course opens, the course will open with what you see at History & All Assignments.


Does this way make it easier to tell which things in the course are used first and with what?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

Suggestions about History & All Assignments in Question 2

2. Please write any suggestions you have about History & All Assignments:

 

 

 

To compare the examples of 2 Blackboard tools used to build Getting Started so you can answer Question 3

We currently use Blackboard’s Module Tool (lesson_on) for many things—including Getting Started. I cannot be sure but I think part of some of your problems with Getting Started was the Module Tool.

 

Here is what I did. I took Getting Started and made it with a Folder Tool (folder_on). To me, the Folder Tool lets me:-

 

Although the Folder Tool helps me, what matters is, does the Folder Tool help you? You are the only ones who can tell me that.

Please click on Getting Started with lesson_onmodule icon (the original way) and then click on Getting Started with the folder_onfolder icon (my proposed way).

Try clicking inside both.

 

3. Does having Getting Started rebuilt with the Folder Tool help you more than its being done in a module?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

Suggestions about Getting Started in Question 4

4. Please write any suggestions you have about Getting Started:

 

 

 

 

 

To examine a few Modules in the Lessons for Unit 1 so you can answer Question 5

Please click on a few Modules lesson_onin Unit 1 and think about whether you would like those things done with Blackboard’s Folder Tool. If the survey results show that you want this, I will ask permission to do it.

5. Would having the modules (those with the book icon) in Unit 1 (and all of the other Units) rebuilt with the Folder Tool help you?

 a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

 

Suggestions about What Is in a Unit in Question 6

6. Please write any suggestions you have about what needs to be added in Units or removed from Units:

 

 

 

 

 

To see the example so you can answer Question 7

Getting Started includes a Course Orientation link. Click on the Course Orientation link below and then on page 5.

https://www.softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/DJlK9qm6pLefoh/html

 

It shows the screen with callouts (AKA explanations that point to specific places) of the Course Menu. If the survey shows you think the Course Menu helps, then I would redo the picture on page 5. I’d also probably add an equivalent picture with callouts for a Unit—since all 3 are organized exactly the same and perhaps an equivalent picture with callouts for a Learning Quizzes folder.

 

You can see how each Unit always looks by clicking on Unit 1 or reading this list:

  1. An Overview and Checklist for Success, with the checklist repeating what is due for the Unit and its points
  2. A Study Guide so you know what is on the test
  3. Assignment: the folder with all Unit Learning Quizzes
  4. Lessons 1, 2, 3, and sometimes 4– instructor content equivalent to a textbook and sometimes with maps and optional primaries
  5. Assignment: Unit Learning Discussion
  6. An alert that says the exam will open below on the dates and hours in the course schedule
  7. Assignment once the date and hour occurs: Unit Exam

 

 

7. Is there anything else you need in the Course Orientation? Type it here.

 

 

To see the example so you can answer Question 8

Look at Course Orientation and skim over the pages.

 

8. Mark any titles of pages that you think do not need to be in Course Orientation.

a. Welcome!

b. About Your Instructor

c. About History As an Investigation into Real Life Events

d. How History Will TURN UP IN REAL LIFE

e. Will keep but corrected to match whatever happens with this survey. General Layout of the Course

f. Course Communications (Also covered in the syllabus on the 2nd page)

g. Online and Off-Campus Office Hours (Also covered in the syllabus on the 1st page)

h. Email/Telephone (Also covered in the syllabus on the 1st page)

i. Discussion Forums for Communications with Everyone in the Class

j. Guidelines for Communications with Everyone in the Class

k. Grading and How Long It Takes (Also covered on page 2 of the syllabus)

l. Success in the Online Environment

m. Introductory Tasks

 

 

To see the example so you can answer Question 9

I propose to add the number of points for each assignment in the Course Schedule in a right column. That way you have a reminder of things you just cannot skip doing like the 240 points for the 3-parts for the Writing Assignment. This puts in 1 place:

 

I’ve temporarily made the column for the points light blue so you could tell where it will be. To see it, click here.

http://www.cjbibus.com/HIST_1302-161_Online_Fall_2017_CRN_11598_SURVEY.pdf

 

If you want to see the original Course Schedule, it is on the Course menu on the left.

 

9. Does it help to have in the Course schedule not only the dates available and due, but also the points that assignments are worth?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

If this does help you, then the Course Plan you submit would be the Course Schedule with an additional column for you to X that you are going to do it.

 

To see the Example so you can answer Question 10

This explanation might be clearer than the question below.

http://www.cjbibus.com/How_a_Self-Test_and_a_Full-Test_and_an_Incentive_for_Learning_Can_Help_You.htm

 

10. This is a proposed change in how self-tests and full-tests and the incentive works.

Was this way: self-test at .01 each: full-test at 1 each. (Incentive: if done by the Recommended Date, 1 point.)

Proposed way: self-test at 1 each; full-test at .01. (Incentive: if you missed questions but you retook the full test for full points by the Recommended Date, # of points you missed in the self-test

Example: self-test @ 10 points. You only got 4 right. You take the full test until you have 10 points. I enter 6 in the incentive.

 

Would the proposed way help you?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

To see the Example so you can answer Question 11

I have thought of a way to put the recommended date for the incentive in Question 6 in the Course Schedule. That way all due dates are in one place. To make it fit the Course Schedule format that we have, it will probably require 2 abbreviations in the Course Schedule.

 

Click here and look for the yellow sections to see how it would look:

http://www.cjbibus.com/HIST_1302-161_Online_Fall_2017_CRN_11598_SURVEY.pdf

 

11. Would it help to have the Recommended Date for the incentive to be in the Course Schedule as shown in the example—even if I had to use the 2 abbreviations to make that much information fit?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

 

Question 12 about shorter quiz names

12. I may be able to rename the quizzes so their names are shorter. Would that help?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

Question 13 about having 2 maps in 1 quiz and why

13. I could not do this one and the next until next summer when I rebuild the maps to be ADA compliant, but the answers would help.

 

I could make fewer brief map quizzes of 2 or 3 questions if I could have more than 1 map in a quiz.

Example: 1 quiz with a map from North America for 4 questions and a map for the Caribbean for 2 more. (I should be able to put the map in each question so it is easier to see without scrolling up.)

 

Would 2 maps in 1 Learning Quiz be OK?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

Question 14 about how many questions in a quiz is comfortable for your brain

14. I could not do this one and the prior one until next summer when I rebuild the maps to be ADA compliant, but the answers would help.

 

What is the number of questions in a quiz that is most comfortable for your brain?

a. 5 questions per quiz

b. 10 per quiz

c. 15 per quiz

d. 20 per quiz

e. 25 per quiz

 

 

Question 15 about having a gap between posting your papers and starting the peer review and why

15. With the 3-Part Writing Assignment, close the Discussion for about 5 days between students submitting their papers and the beginning of the peer review. Why? In bad times for me, it can take up to 3 days to compare students’ papers with the sources and to scan them. If things go slow, that would still give students at least 2 days to see my feedback and ask questions before they do a peer review.

 

My experience is that for freshmen, writing about history where citation is checked by a prof is the first time they have ever written about something real. This gap would give:

- Me time to be sure I could get them graded

- Students time to think and ask questions about evidence requirements.

 

Would this gap between submitting papers and beginning peer review help?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

 

Question 16 about whether prof’s feedback on peer reviews in progress helps or not?

 

16. My policy in the past had been not to reply to peer reviews because it is public. If I see a student who is not reviewing on evidence but just on grammar and style, I am considering replying with the Subject line Supportive feedback from your prof. The statement would be:

If I am reading correctly, you are not reviewing on evidence (issues covered in the F grade and D grade columns of the rubric for the paper). Per the rubric for the Peer Review, your maximum grade out of 50 points for this peer review will be 1.1 or 15.1. Email me in Blackboard Messages at Connie Bibus (Instructor) and I will gladly delete it for you so you can start fresh.

 

Would that reply on my part help?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot

 

 

 

Question 17, an opportunity for any other suggestions you

17. Please write any other suggestions you have. I thank you all for helping me try to help others.

 

 

 

 

Question 18, one of the questions I ask my on-campus students

 

18. I gave you feedback on how well you read the sources for your written work. Some of you seemed to realize things about how college is different from high school (and how college prepares for work and your future).

 

If you did realize things about your work, mark ALL the ones that apply to you.

a. Need for reliable sources

b. No plagiarism

c. No changes to another’s words without showing the changes

d. Need for factual accuracy 

e. No assumptions about the author believing what you believe

f. Need to know where you found facts

 

 

 

Question 19, one of the questions I ask my on-campus students

19. Some said you saw what you were doing after you used the marked rubric to compare your work with the sources and completed the form (the one worth 50 points) identifying what habits you need to improve. 

 

Was that true for you?

a. Not at all

b. Maybe a bit

c. Not sure

d. Some

e. A lot